Searching for Soviet Identity: Soviet Society as Reflected in the Epistolary Heritage of the Era

Abstract

The article describes results and prospects of the scientific analysis of the Soviet era epistolary heritage -'workers' letters to higher authority.' The array of documentary evidence created amid the most complex socio-cultural processes that swept over Russian society in the 20th century, is a substantive matter for scientific analysis, moreover, a matter that exhibits internal unity and system features. Mass nature of sources to be found in archives all over the country, provides a reliable basis for creating an objective picture of historical realities. The purpose of the article is to conduct a source study analysis of the Soviet era epistolary legacy and to assess the ramifications and the cognitive value of letters to authority for studying historical