Neutralizing of Dissidents’ Activities in the 1970s. Folder 49. The Chekist Anthology

[Translation unavailable. See original. Detailed summary below.]

In this entry Mitrokhin describes dissidents' activities in the Soviet Union and KGB attempts to stop them.

According to Mitrokhin, in the 1970s the KGB was very concerned with the democratic movement in the Soviet republics. Dissidents, Soviet immigrants in the West, and religious activists were in strong opposition to socialism and were taking leadership positions among the citizens. KGB officials decided to immediately abolish the movement.

Mitrokhin states that organized groups and clubs presented the greatest danger. In 1973, in Moscow, intellectuals founded a club called "Samopal," where members discussed and criticized political issues, events in foreign countries, etc. Also, the youth began a hippie movement and were promoting anti-socialist ideas. Hippie movement had more than 200 members and was gaining great popularity among Soviet students.

Mitrokhin describes a black market in Leningrad where illegal literature was sold. Alexander Solzhenitsyn was the most popular author among those whose publications were prohibited.

In this report Mitrokhin especially focuses on KGB activities to stop the anti-socialist movement led by former Soviet citizens in the West. Mitrokhin provides an actual copy of the original KGB plan of action that was prepared for this mission. The first task was to interrupt any kind of communication between the immigrants and Soviet people and to block all possible means of foreign correspondence. It was also highly important to know about all conflicts and disagreements between dissidents in order to surreptitiously deepen them, so as to destroy any kind of a unity. New York and Paris were two major cities in the interest of KGB.

In the second part of the note, Mitrokhin discusses an issue with foreign media, their interest in Soviet immigrants, and attitude towards the KGB. Western media, especially radio stations, Mitrokhin states, kept in close touch with immigrant dissidents. They often participated in talk-shows promoting anti-socialist ideology. In 1977 the American journalist [Arthur] Sulzberger published an article in "The New York Times" where he attacked KGB actions towards dissidents. A month after this incident, the KGB published a list of foreigners who were not allowed to cross the Soviet border. Mitrokhin also provides a list of undercover KGB agents who travelled abroad as interns, relatives of citizens of the Western countries or professors of colleges in order to build close relations with dissidents.