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Mitrokhin, Vasili

1922- 2004

Intelligence Operations in the Cold War

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End of the Cold War

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Andropov, Yuri Vladimirovich

1914- 1984

Mass Media and Censorship

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Eastern Europe

Bulgaria

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Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty

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United States. Embassy (Czechoslovakia)

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Todor Zhivkov Collection

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Stoyanov, Dimitar

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Soviet Union. Committee for State Security (KGB)

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Mikhail Gorbachev, 1986

Gorbachev, Mikhail Sergeevich

1931- 2022

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September 25, 1986	Meeting Minutes of the Politburo of the CC CPSU, Regarding Persecution of Political Dissidents and Spies In this September 1986 excerpt, Gorbachev receives a report from KGB chief Chebrikov that he had requested on “what kinds of people are serving sentences for crimes, which Western propaganda calls political.” Obviously following Gorbachev’s lead, Chebrikov proposes to alleviate the prison sentences of two-thirds of the 240 persons he lists under this category; but, in response to a question from Gromyko, he notes two cases where the guilty parties had already received a sentence that could not be reduced—execution for espionage.
August 29, 1985	Meeting of the Politburo of the CC CPSU, Regarding Yelena Bonner's Request to Travel and Andrei Sakharov's Situation The Politburo discusses whether to permit Bonner to visit the United States to receive medical treatment and visit relatives, a decision complicated by concern about the potential risk of an embarrassing uproar if her request was denied barely two months before Gorbachev’s planned summit meeting in Geneva with Reagan.
November 5, 1968	Report Relayed by Andropov to the CPSU Central Committee, 'Students and the Events in Czechoslovakia' KGB Chairman Yuri Andropov presents a secret, 33-page report to the CPSU Central Committee about the mood of Soviet college students. The report had been completed sometime before the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia, and had been circulating within the KGB. It is not clear precisely who drafted the report, but Andropov’s cover memorandum and the report itself indicate that the author was a college student in Odessa who had recently finished his degree.
September 26, 1987	Stasi Note on Meeting Between Minister Mielke and Head of the KGB 5th Directorate Abramov Meeting between the head of the KGB’s Fifth Chief Directorate, Major General Abramov, and Minister for State Security Mielke, especially on changes in Soviet policy following Mikhail Gorbachev’s accession to power. They discuss the increase in dissident activity, public demonstrations, and subversive organizations.
July 11, 1981	Stasi Note on Meeting Between Minister Mielke and KGB Chairman Andropov KGB Chairman Andropov and East German Minister for State Security Mielke meet to discuss ongoing Stasi/KGB cooperation and international affairs. Topics of conversation include the Ronald Reagan administration, the Polish Solidarity Crisis,
November 13, 1969	Stasi Note on Meeting with KGB Officials, 13 November 1969 Meeting between KGB First Deputy S. K. Zvigun (Tsvigun) and East German Minister for State Security Mielke. They discuss anti-Soviet "ideological subversion" on the part of the United States and other enemies, as well as Soviet dissidents such as Alexander Solzhenitsyn and Andrei Sakharov.
July 5, 1957	Journal of Soviet Ambassador to the DPRK A.M. Puzanov for 5 July 1957 Puzanov and Nam Il discuss the KWP CC Presidium's violation of Leninist norms during the August Plenum, possible leadership transitions in the KWP CC, and how the KWP is handling individual dissidents. Later, Puzanov discusses the CPSU CC's approval for education and cultural exchange as well as the Plenum's June decisions with Pak Jeong-aei.
December 2, 1974	Minutes of Conversation between Comrade Nicolae Ceausescu and Kim Dong-gyu Kim and Ceausescu discuss the international political atmosphere. Kim shows his concern for the intensification of dissident movements in South Korea. The conversation highlights the fragility of military dictatorships as evidenced by the cases of Portugal and Greece.
December 6, 1973	Telegram from Pyongyang to Bucharest, SECRET, No. 61.537 The document describes how the North Koreans enthusiastically celebrated the consensus of Committee No. 1 over the Korean issue in the UN; however, Lazar believes that the Korean leadership has not actually grasped the full implications of the decision. In addition, the telegram describes how Pyongyang's attempt to reassert control over South Korean islands close to the North Korean shores in the Yellow Sea has created friction between the two countries. The author also mentions that North Korean support for the student movements in South Korea legitimized Seoul's harsher crackdown on the dissident movements.
December 20, 1980	Memorandum from the KGB Regarding the Planning of a Demonstration in Memory of John Lennon KGB memo on plans to stop unauthorized gatherings mourning the death of John Lennon.