Yale U. Press Strikes Deal With Russian Archive to Open Stalin's Papers to Scholars
A DICTATOR'S LIBRARY: At some point in 1938, Joseph Stalin sat down, alone, and literally rewrote history — marking up a draft of The History of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, which would be published by the party's Central Committee in 1939.
First, the Soviet leader used a gray pencil. Then he switched to quill and indigo ink. He scribbled in the margins and wrote over text, deleting words and entire phrases by drawing lines through them. ....
The marked-up manuscript is part of Stalin's personal library, which was declassified by Russian authorities only recently. Since Stalin apparently did not keep a diary or other personal documents, his library provides a rare window into his mind or — this being Russia — his soul.
The Russian archive and Yale University Press have struck a deal to digitize that library and some 440,000 other documents. The press will also publish books — in both Russian and English — featuring research gleaned from the library.
Read entire article at Chronicle of Higher Education
First, the Soviet leader used a gray pencil. Then he switched to quill and indigo ink. He scribbled in the margins and wrote over text, deleting words and entire phrases by drawing lines through them. ....
The marked-up manuscript is part of Stalin's personal library, which was declassified by Russian authorities only recently. Since Stalin apparently did not keep a diary or other personal documents, his library provides a rare window into his mind or — this being Russia — his soul.
The Russian archive and Yale University Press have struck a deal to digitize that library and some 440,000 other documents. The press will also publish books — in both Russian and English — featuring research gleaned from the library.