G. Tepljakov A.

CHEKA’S OFFICERS BY EYES EMIGRANTS (TO THE QUESTION OF RELIABILITY IN THE FAMOUS MEMOIRS A. OSSENDOWSKI AND B. SHIRYAEV)

Authors

G. Tepljakov A.

Keywords:

security officers, immigrants, Siberia, Solovki, Ossendowski, Frenkel, political repression

Abstract

This article analyzes the reliability of a number of important posts in the works of the famous memoir emigre writers concerning real historical events and persons of the Cheka-NKVD – «And animals, and people, and the gods» by А. Ossendowski (1923) and "Inextinguishable church lamp" by B. Shiryaev (1954). Conspicuous element fictionalization inherent in both books and makes it difficult their perception as of historical sources. Meanwhile, some researchers repeated the wrong facts and biased evaluations of the authors. Using published data and information from the central and regional archives is now possible to expand the list of objective reporting from the memoirs Ossendowski. In the analysis of the Shiryaev’s book recognized unreliability popular among historians of the text, which speaks of the big figures of the OGPU-NKVD.

CHEKA’S OFFICERS BY EYES EMIGRANTS (TO THE QUESTION OF RELIABILITY IN THE FAMOUS MEMOIRS A. OSSENDOWSKI AND B. SHIRYAEV)