Prosopographic Portrait of Senior Officials of the RSFSR People’s Commissariat for Justice in the Days of the Great Patriotic War of 1941?45: Documents from the RGASPI and the GARF

In reference and research publications there is almost no information on most heads of the republican justice administration body, RSFSR People’s Commissariat for Justice (PCJ RSFSR), 1941?45. This largely due to limitations source base secondariness bodies in USSR. Meanwhile, during war, were endowed with great powers. Not only they monitored activities courts correctness their application legislation, but also issued secret instructions illegal nature. this regard, identity heads, who held such powers had impact court practice, importance. The article draws party nomenclature accounting records from Russian State Archive Socio-Political History (RGASPI) reconstruct official biographies two people’s commissars four deputies. prosopographic method has permitted create a collective portrait senior officials administrative period between personnel purges Soviet system – prewar one postwar one. According documents, nominees took positions PCJ eve war relatively young “correct” social background. lack professional education experience was compensated by Bolshevik affiliation, following main trend Stalinist revolution. establishment, as well presence odious figures persons dubious reputations among allow author conclude that appointment residual principle eroded its authority. Their professionalism practical direct under extreme conditions. purge 1947?52, establishment lost posts. Thus, repeated fate predecessors, unlike latter, not repressed.