KGB with a human face? End of illusions : Social protests of Soviet workers in Novocherkassk 1962 as an initiator of a change in the character of the KGB
(2025) In Europe-Asia Studies- Abstract
- This essay analyses the role of the KGB, the Soviet state security and political police, in suppressing large workers’ protests in Novocherkassk in early June 1962. The aim is not only to study the actions of the KGB during the crisis itself, but to show how events in Novocherkassk and the subsequent brutal punishment of their main actors contributed to the subsequent change in the overall character of the KGB and, more generally, the entire regime. The main argument presented here is that the suppression of the Novocherkassk protests, lasting from June to August 1962, marked the de facto end of the KGB’s de-Stalinisation reforms and the process of internal political democratisation of the Soviet system. Although the ‘thaw’ period... (More)
- This essay analyses the role of the KGB, the Soviet state security and political police, in suppressing large workers’ protests in Novocherkassk in early June 1962. The aim is not only to study the actions of the KGB during the crisis itself, but to show how events in Novocherkassk and the subsequent brutal punishment of their main actors contributed to the subsequent change in the overall character of the KGB and, more generally, the entire regime. The main argument presented here is that the suppression of the Novocherkassk protests, lasting from June to August 1962, marked the de facto end of the KGB’s de-Stalinisation reforms and the process of internal political democratisation of the Soviet system. Although the ‘thaw’ period definitively ended only after Nikita Khrushchev was ousted from the leadership of the Soviet state and the Communist Party in October 1964, in reality the turning point came two years earlier, with the suppression of workers’ unrest in Novocherkassk and, not long after, the failure of Soviet foreign policy in the Cuban Missile Crisis. (Less)
- Abstract (Swedish)
- This article analyses the role of the Soviet political police and the KGB state security in suppressing large workers' protests in Novocherkassk in 1962. The aim is not only to study the actions of the KGB during the crisis itself, but above all to show how the events in Novocherkassk contributed to the subsequent change in the overall character of this repressive service and, more generally, the entire regime. The main argument presented here is that the suppression of the events in Novocherkassk marked the de facto end of the KGB's de-Stalinization reforms and the process of internal political democratization of the Soviet system, although only half a year before these dramatic events, de-Stalinization in the so-called second wave of... (More)
- This article analyses the role of the Soviet political police and the KGB state security in suppressing large workers' protests in Novocherkassk in 1962. The aim is not only to study the actions of the KGB during the crisis itself, but above all to show how the events in Novocherkassk contributed to the subsequent change in the overall character of this repressive service and, more generally, the entire regime. The main argument presented here is that the suppression of the events in Novocherkassk marked the de facto end of the KGB's de-Stalinization reforms and the process of internal political democratization of the Soviet system, although only half a year before these dramatic events, de-Stalinization in the so-called second wave of anti-Stalinist policy, based on intensified criticism of the "anti-party group" of Stalin's former closest associates and the definitive burial of Stalin's remains, was officially strengthened in a resolution of the highest bodies of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. Although the "thaw" period came to a complete halt only after Nikita Khrushchev was ousted from the leadership of the Soviet state and the Communist Party in October 1964, in reality the turning point came two years earlier, still under Khrushchev's leadership, with the suppression of workers' unrest in Novocherkassk and, not long after, the failure of Soviet foreign policy in the Cuban Missile Crisis. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/98905e79-6453-4b26-b700-27a691c4d1e4
- author
- Sniegon, Tomas LU
- organization
- alternative title
- KGB med ett mänskligt ansikte? Slut på illusionerna. : Sociala protester från sovjetiska arbetare i Novocherkassk 1962 som en utlösande faktor till en förändring av KGB:s karaktär
- publishing date
- 2025-12-08
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- epub
- subject
- keywords
- KGB, Soviet history, Novocherkassk, Soviet mass protests, Russian History, Communism, KGB history, Soviet History, Russian History, Novocherkassk, communist regimes, Communist terror, communist social protests
- in
- Europe-Asia Studies
- pages
- 19 pages
- publisher
- Routledge
- ISSN
- 0966-8136
- DOI
- 10.1080/09668136.2025.2590562
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 98905e79-6453-4b26-b700-27a691c4d1e4
- date added to LUP
- 2025-04-17 11:45:53
- date last changed
- 2025-12-10 16:30:30
@article{98905e79-6453-4b26-b700-27a691c4d1e4,
abstract = {{This essay analyses the role of the KGB, the Soviet state security and political police, in suppressing large workers’ protests in Novocherkassk in early June 1962. The aim is not only to study the actions of the KGB during the crisis itself, but to show how events in Novocherkassk and the subsequent brutal punishment of their main actors contributed to the subsequent change in the overall character of the KGB and, more generally, the entire regime. The main argument presented here is that the suppression of the Novocherkassk protests, lasting from June to August 1962, marked the de facto end of the KGB’s de-Stalinisation reforms and the process of internal political democratisation of the Soviet system. Although the ‘thaw’ period definitively ended only after Nikita Khrushchev was ousted from the leadership of the Soviet state and the Communist Party in October 1964, in reality the turning point came two years earlier, with the suppression of workers’ unrest in Novocherkassk and, not long after, the failure of Soviet foreign policy in the Cuban Missile Crisis.}},
author = {{Sniegon, Tomas}},
issn = {{0966-8136}},
keywords = {{KGB; Soviet history; Novocherkassk; Soviet mass protests; Russian History; Communism; KGB history; Soviet History; Russian History; Novocherkassk; communist regimes; Communist terror; communist social protests}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{12}},
publisher = {{Routledge}},
series = {{Europe-Asia Studies}},
title = {{KGB with a human face? End of illusions : Social protests of Soviet workers in Novocherkassk 1962 as an initiator of a change in the character of the KGB}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09668136.2025.2590562}},
doi = {{10.1080/09668136.2025.2590562}},
year = {{2025}},
}