Perm political camps functioned for twenty years: from 1972 through 1992.Hundreds of dissidents who were convicted of ‘anti-Soviet agitation and propaganda’, leaders of a broad variety of illegal political alliances, groups and even parties, from liberal and nationalistic to Fascist-style and Communist ones which, nevertheless, opposed the Communist Party of USSR; leaders and members of religious denominations and movements which were not recognized by Russian Orthodox Church; ‘lone-rangers’ who did not accept the official Communist ideology and practice, wrote protest letters, pamphlets and slogans were imprisoned there.
These camps also accommodated citizens of the territories USSR had annexed in the beginning of World War II, first of all, West Ukraine and Lithuania, who had been convicted of struggle for independence. They had been sentenced on the grounds of high treason and, often, also of membership in anti-Soviet organizations.
Those who had tried to flee USSR and even did so successfully but either been returned by authorities of countries they had come to or returned voluntarily for some reasons were also convicted of high treason. of the ‘traitors’ were convicted of collaborationism during World War II.
All of them, from dissidents to collaborators, were regarded as ‘especially dangerous prisoners of state’.
The ‘Perm Political Camps’ handbook, Part 1 is dedicated to population of Perm political camps. It also includes essays on history of political crimes in Russian laws and penitentiary practice.
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