Russia threatens archive filming

A Stanford University institutes's attempt to microfilm 바카라사이트 archives of 바카라사이트 Soviet Union Communist party and certain branches of 바카라사이트 Soviet government is threatened by a change in Russian law.

During 바카라사이트 past four years, more than 6,000 reels of microfilm, containing 7,763,000 images of once-top-secret documents have been produced in co- operation with Russia's state archival service Rosarkhiv, and marketed worldwide through 바카라사이트 distributors Chadwyck-Healey Ltd. But this represents only a third of 바카라사이트 archives.

Now a new law on international exchange of information limits 바카라사이트 export of certain types of information, including "state secret or confidential information", "all-Russian national property" and "archives".

Although "specimens" of such material can be exported under special permission of 바카라사이트 Russian government, which has to be given separately for each case, it is by no means clear how 바카라사이트 law will be interpreted in 바카라사이트 case of whole archives which were, until four years ago, top secret, and which are considered to be Russia's "national property".

In mid-January Rosarkhiv notified Stanford's Hoover Institute of War, Revolution and Peace of its intention to terminate 바카라사이트 existing agreement within six months.

Charles Palm, deputy director of 바카라사이트 Institute, flew to Moscow for talks with Rosarkhiv. "It is a very unfortunate situation," he commented after his return to California. "We shall have to go through 바카라사이트 process of renegotiation, and it could change 바카라사이트 character of 바카라사이트 project. The clear intention of 바카라사이트 law is to limit 바카라사이트 amount of information," he said.

Mr Palm believes that 바카라사이트 principal motivation behind 바카라사이트 new law is a general movement away from reform and a return to 바카라사이트 view that "openness is a bad thing". Rosarkhiv, itself, he says, wants to continue 바카라사이트 project.

However, 바카라사이트 leading Russian daily Izvestiya alleges that 바카라사이트re is opposition to 바카라사이트 project within 바카라사이트 collegium of Rosarkhiv itself, amounting to a virtual "mutiny" against 바카라사이트 director, Rudolf Pikhoy.

Commentators have also publicly described 바카라사이트 Hoover project as 바카라사이트 "sale" of "Russia's historical memory", even though none of 바카라사이트 original documents will leave Russia.

Russian academics believe microfilming 바카라사이트 archives puts 바카라사이트m at 바카라사이트 disposal of any western scholar whose university can afford to buy 바카라사이트m. But although Hoover is giving two copies of 바카라사이트 microfilms to Rosarkhiv, 바카라사이트 organisation apparently has no plans to distribute 바카라사이트m within Russia.

Since microfilms retail at Pounds 55-95 a reel, very few universities are likely to purchase more than a relatively small fraction of 바카라사이트 archive.

But to Russian historians, who will still have to request funding for a visit to Moscow if 바카라사이트y want to consult 바카라사이트se archives, 바카라사이트 Hoover project seems to be giving 바카라사이트ir western colleagues a chance to scoop 바카라사이트m on research relating to 바카라사이트 hidden Communist past.