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	HU OSA 300-80-1
Fonds 300:	Records of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Research Institute
Subfonds 80:	Soviet Red Archives
Series 1:	Old Code Subject Files

Date(s) 1953-1994 (predominant 1964-1992)

Extent and medium 1231 Archival boxes, 154 linear meters

Archival history

Even though, starting with 1992, the Old Code Subject Files were going through a rearrangement process, certain materials were being added to the files during 1992-1994.

Scope and content

The primary source of this series were Soviet (after 1991, Russian) central newspapers and other periodicals. The series also includes clippings from the Western press, news agency releases, TV and radio monitoring materials, Radio Liberty broadcast transcripts.

The Old Code Subject Files (with its 600 subject headings which double in number with sub-headings) covers a wide range of topics reflecting a broad spectrum of life in the Soviet Union. Many of the subject headings are placed under general categories (like Foreign Policy or Population), others are specific to the Soviet reality and only understood it its historical context (like Î÷ęîâňđčđŕňĺëüńňâî which signifies humbug, or fraud committeed against the state; Ëîçóíăč / Slogans which are lists of politically correct texts approved by the Party Central committee to be used in the course of official celebrations of state holidays).

In the Old Code Subject Files, few categories are divided into subcategories. As a result, categories of different importance are built into one alphabetical chain in which, for example, Coffee and CP (Communist Party) are set next to each other. In practice, the best method for accessing materials is to scan the whole list of relevant topics.

Of particular interest are records reflecting crucial events in the Soviet history, such as the 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia, the Afghanistan war, the human rights movement, public debates of the Perestroika period, and various aspects of the Soviet foreign policy.

Accruals Not expected

System of arrangement

• Arranged alphabetically according to the Russian language subject list, thereunder chronologically.

Language/scripts of material

English, French, German, Russian (Principally Russian)

Finding aids

• 1231 containers
• Related OSA Reference Information Paper available. (Raoul Wallenberg, The Environment, The Roma (Gypsies), The 1956 Hungarian Revolution, Church and Religion, Nonconformist Artists in the USSR, 1956-1986, The Prague Spring, 1968, Forced Labor Camps Under Communism, Human Rights)

Related units of description

• HU OSA 300-80-2 New Code Subject Files, 1954-1994
• HU OSA 300-80-3 All-Union General Files, 1956-1994
• HU OSA 300-80-4 Commonwealth of Independent States Files, 1990-1994
• HU OSA 300-80-5 Baltic Files, 1969-1994
• HU OSA 300-80-6 New Code Republics Files, 1989-1993
• HU OSA 300-80-7 USSR Biographical Files, 1953-1994
• HU OSA 300-80-8 Non-USSR Biographical Files, 1954-1994
• HU OSA 300-80-9 Kraus Biographical Files, 1958-1994
• HU OSA 300-81-1 Subject Files Related to the USSR and the Russian Federation, 1982-1994
• HU OSA 300-81-2 Subject Files Related to Ukraine, 1983-1994

Date(s) of descriptions

Processed by Jennie Levine, Olga Zaslavskaya, Irida Tase, 1997 and Natasha Lekant, 2002. Described by Jennie Levine, 1997. Revised by Natasha Zanegina, 2001.
Online version updated 6 January 2012