HistoryExtra podcast Soviet dissidents who challenged the Kremlin
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Sep 9, 2025 In this engaging discussion, historian Benjamin Nathans, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania and author of 'To the Success of Our Hopeless Cause,' reveals the courageous stories of Soviet dissidents who emerged after Stalin's death. He explores their fight for civil rights and the legacy of their movements, connecting their struggles to today's global fight for freedom. Nathans discusses the mechanisms of dissent, like Samizdat, and addresses the evolving tactics of the KGB and the dissidents' role in challenging the Soviet regime.
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A Second Act Of Soviet History
- Post‑Stalin Soviet life differed dramatically from the earlier violent period and opened space for new forms of dissent.
- Khrushchev's retreat from mass terror created the possibility of nonviolent legal activism.
The Samizdat Copying Chain
- Samizdat was produced on typewriters using onion-skin and carbon paper to create multiple copies.
- These rough handwritten-looking texts spread like chain letters to thousands of readers.
Foreign Media As Multipliers
- Tamizdat and Western broadcasts amplified samizdat texts back into the USSR, reaching far larger audiences.
- The BBC and other outlets turned underground manuscripts into broadcasts that millions could hear.
