The First Wave of Repressions Against the "Sixtiers" (1965–1968)
The KGB's response to the emergence of a resistance movement among the new Ukrainian intelligentsia. It includes the suppression of the 1965 protests (the public statement by Stus, Dziuba, and Chornovil at the premiere of "Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors") and the pressure on the signatories of the "Letter of 139" in 1968, in which prominent cultural figures spoke out against unlawful political trials[1]. This also includes the crushing of the underground Ukrainian National Front: "in 1967 the UNF was uncovered by the state security organs," and eight of its members received long prison terms[2].
Actors
Instruments Applied
| ID | Name | Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| S0017 | Secret Police and Security Services | 2 |
Procedures Carried Out
Targeted arrests of the new Ukrainian intelligentsia, dissidents, and protest participants (including after the premiere of "Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors") to suppress the nascent resistance[1].
Use of political trials, interrogations, and administrative pressure by the KGB on the signatories of the "Letter of 139" to create an atmosphere of fear in cultural circles: "Administrative repressions against the 'signatories' began, along with KGB pressure. Rumors spread across Kyiv and Ukraine about the existence of an underground terrorist Banderite organization run by Western intelligence services"[3].