The Collapse of the Soviet Union and its Aftermath

Course Number:

HST 495/595

Instructor:

Chakars

Starting Points

Background & Overviews

These reference tools are useful for getting a quick overview of a topic. Use these resources to familiarize yourself with the important issues, terms, dates, and trends in the subject area. More sources can be found under "Books & Library Materials" further down the page.

Cambridge encyclopedia of Russia and the former Soviet Union

Disintegration of the USSR

Encyclopedia of Russian history : from the Christianization of Kiev to the break-up of the U.S.S.R.

Articles & eResources

Scholarly Journal Databases & Indexes

Use these databases and journal indexes to search for articles in journals, magazines and newspapers:

Digital National Security Archive - (DNSA)

DNSA offers the most powerful research and teaching tool available in the area of U.S. foreign policy, intelligence and security issues since 1945. Over 55,000 of the most important, declassified primary documents – totaling more than 420,000 pages – are included in the database.

Historical Abstracts

Indexes and summarizes article and reviews about world history since 1450 published since 1954 in over 1, 700 journals.

JSTOR

Full-text searching of an archive of over 165 history and 63 political science journals. Typically excludes the latest 3-5 years of publication.

Project MUSE

Full text access for current issues of many of the same journals JStor provides backfile for.

This database contains references to journal articles, books, government documents, statistical directories, grey literature, research reports, conference reports, publications of international agencies, microfiche, Internet material, and more. PAIS International includes publications from over 120 countries throughout the world. 1972 - present

WorldCat

Search the holdings of more than 9,000 member libraries including more than one billion bibliographic records for books, periodicals, videos, manuscripts, maps, sound recordings, and internet resources. Includes information how many libraries own an item, and links to the Randall Library Interlibrary Loan system (ILLiad).

New York Times Archive

Full-image online access for the NYT from 1851 to 2001.

LexisNexis Academic

includes popular press coverage of the period from publications worldwide.

Using the Library Catalog

Click here to search the Library Catalog

The library catalog uses Library of Congress Subject Headings. The list of authorized subject headings is available in the 5-volume set at the Reference Desk. However, you can start with keyword searches to gather some relevant titles, then look at their subject headings to discover the official terms to use.

Here are some subject headings related to the final years of the Soviet Union:
Communist countries
Former communist countries
Former Soviet republics
Former Yugoslav republics
Glastnost
Perestroika
Post Communism
Russia (Federation)
Russification
Soviet Union -- Economic policy -- 1986-1991
Soviet Union -- Foreign relations -- 1985-1991
Soviet Union -- History -- 1985-1991
Soviet Union -- Intellectual life -- 1970-1991
Soviet Union -- Politics and government -- 1985-1991
Soviet Union -- Social conditions -- 1945-1991
Soviet Union -- Social condition -- 1970-1991
Soviet Union -- Social life and customs -- 1970-1991

More on Subject Searching:

Catalogers use the most precise subject heading to describe a publication. For instance, books on several of the former Soviet republics will have the heading "Former Soviet Republics," while books on Ukraine will have the heading "Ukraine" but not necessarily also have the heading "Former Soviet Republics." However, a search on both headings is likely to turn up information on Ukraine. Searching both broad and narrow headings and looking for related headings will yield better results.

Just because an item's subject heading does not include "History" as a subdivision does not mean it has no history in it. In particular, look at the publication date. It may be a source contemporary to the period, i. e., a primary source.

Even if you are doing a keyword search, using phrases from the subject headings typically improves the relevance of your results.

Browsing

After finding some sources through searching the online catalog, be sure to browse the shelves near these times. The call numbers are devised to place materials on the same subject together on the shelf. In the catalog, the call number is presented as a link, so you can even browse the shelves when searching the catalog

Books & Library Materials

Russia in the Twentieth Century: the View of a Soviet Historian

Modern Encyclopedia of Russian, Soviet and Eurasian History

Supplement to The Modern Encyclopedia of Russian, Soviet and Eurasian history

Newly Independent States of Eurasia: Handbook of Former Soviet Republics

Websites

The free web is becoming a rich resource for primary source material. In particular, try these resources:

Russian and East European Network Information Center

REES Web

Internet Modern History Sourcebook

Russia and the Former Soviet Republics Maps

Making the History of 1989: The Fall of Communism in Eastern Europe

Includes 300 primary source documents.

At Cold War's End: US Intelligence on the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, 1989-1991

Primary Sources

See the guide "Finding Primary Resources for Historical Research" for a more complete discussion of the library's resources.

Search the Randall Library catalog and WorldCat (see below for links) for policy makers' names as authors. This should retrieve their memoirs, diaries and correspondence.

As you search subject topics in the catalog and WorldCat, note that the following subdivisions indicate primary source correspondence*
diaries*
interviews*
personal narratives
pictorial works
songs and music
sources
speeches, addresses, etc.*
treaties

Finally, collections of source material are listed below.

Library Catalog

WorldCat

Current Digest of the Soviet Press

This resource is located in the Bound Journals Collection, 1991-1997.

Current Digest of the Post Soviet Press

This resource is located in the Bound Journals Collection, 1991-1997. Online version available on trial access for January 2010 only. http://dlib.eastview.com/