Ego-documents of the History of Political Terror in Kazakhstan

Interdisciplinary approaches have expanded the research space of history political repression 1920–1950s. The surge interest in documents personal origin historiography post-Soviet led to an appeal ego-documents — letters from victims repression. study is based on archival and investigative materials Special State Archive Ministry Internal Affairs Republic Kazakhstan. Introduction narrative sources into scholarship enables hear “from inside”, below”, feel psychology terror. Letters authorities touched upon a complex problems related violation socialist legality field, especially period main message sent first leaders Soviet state was monstrosity accusation Article 58 Criminal Code RSFSR, ridiculous mistake made by justice. purpose article reveal cognitive potential ego articulating Based theoretical concepts linguistic, turn, historical past repressions, represented terror constructed. A discursive assessment letter suggests its interpretation as reconstruction sociocultural memory tragic that left cultural trauma family frame memory. Each has own power power, inner ‘I’ voices daily practices