Dissident Words, Western Voices: The Relationship Between Samizdat and Radio Liberty During Detente

Abstract

Détente was a period of reorientation for Soviet society. Samizdat literature was one of the primary sources of information about the dissident community available outside the Soviet Union. The western-backed station Radio Liberty saw the value of samizdat early on, and incorporated these documents into their broadcasts. A symbiotic relationship developed between samizdat and Radio Liberty and this relationship affected the aims of both groups. Their relationship encouraged the transmission of information across Soviet borders and promoted awareness of dissident issues within the greater Soviet population. This thesis examines the relationship between samizdat and Radio Liberty, and its influence on Soviet society during détente.