In the days of the Soviet Union, far from the whole population was a fairly active power. Dissidents were people who did not support the political views of those around them, as well as Soviet power. They were ardent opponents of communism and had a bad attitude towards everyone who at least somehow touched it. In turn, the government of the Soviet Union could not ignore the dissidents. Dissidents in the USSR openly declared their political point of view. Sometimes they united in whole underground organizations. In turn, authorities prosecuted dissidents by law.
"Political Dissident"
Dissidents in the USSR were under the strictest ban. Everyone who belonged to them could easily be sent into exile and often even shot. However, the underground of the dissidents lasted only until the end of the 50s. From 1960 to 1980, the dissident movement had a significant advantage on the public stage. The term "political dissident" was a lot of trouble for the government. And this is not surprising, since they communicated their opinions to the public almost openly.
In the mid-1960s, practically every citizen, and not only the USSR, but also foreign countries already knew what a "dissident" was. Dissidents distributed leaflets, secret and open letters to many businesses, newspapers, and even government agencies. They also tried as far as possible to send leaflets and declare their existence to other countries of the world.
Government attitude towards dissidents
So, what is a "dissident", and where did this term come from? It was introduced in the early 60s to signify anti-government movements. The term “political dissident” was also often used, but it was originally used in other countries of the world. Over time, the dissidents in the Soviet Union themselves began to call themselves.
Sometimes the government made dissidents real gangsters involved in terrorist attacks, such as the bombing in Moscow in '77. However, this was far from the case. Like any organization, dissidents had their own rules, one might say laws. The main ones can be distinguished: “Do not use violence”, “Publicity of actions”, “Protection of fundamental human rights and freedoms”, as well as “Observance of laws”.
The main task of the dissident movement
The main task of the dissidents was to inform citizens that the communist system has become obsolete and should be replaced by standards from the Western world. They performed their task in various forms, but often it was the publication of literature and leaflets. Dissidents sometimes gathered in groups and held demonstrations.
What is a "dissident" was already known almost throughout the world, and only in the Soviet Union they were equated with terrorists. They were often called not dissidents, but simply "anti-Soviet" or "anti-Soviet elements." In fact, many dissidents called themselves that very name and often renounced the definition of "dissident."
Alexander Isaevich Solzhenitsyn
One of the most active participants in this movement was Alexander Isaevich Solzhenitsyn. The dissident was born in 1918. Alexander Isaevich was in the society of dissidents for more than one decade. He was one of the most ardent opponents of the Soviet system and Soviet power. We can say that Solzhenitsyn was one of the instigators of the dissident movement.
Dissident Report
During World War II, he went to the front and rose to the rank of captain. However, he began to disapprove of many of Stalin's actions. Even during the war, he corresponded with a friend, in which he severely criticized Joseph Vissarionovich. The dissident kept papers in his documents in which he compared the Stalinist regime with serfdom. Employees of Smersha became interested in these documents. After that, an investigation began, as a result of which Solzhenitsyn was arrested. He was deprived of the captain's rank, and at the end of 1945 he received a term.
In conclusion, Alexander Isaevich spent almost 8 years. In 1953 he was released. However, even after the conclusion, he did not change his opinion and attitude towards the Soviet regime. Most likely, Solzhenitsyn was only convinced that dissent people in the Soviet Union had a hard time.
Deprivation of the right to legal publication
Alexander Isaevich has published many articles and works on the topic of Soviet power. However, when Brezhnev came to power, he was deprived of the right to legally publish his notes. Later, KGB officers seized from Solzhenitsyn all his documents that contained anti-Soviet propaganda, but even after that Solzhenitsyn did not intend to stop his activities. He became actively involved in social movements, as well as performances. Alexander Isaevich tried to convey to everyone what a "dissident" is. In connection with these events, the Soviet government began to perceive Solzhenitsyn as a serious enemy of the state.
After the books of Alexander were published in the United States without his permission, he was expelled from the society of writers of the USSR. A real information war in the Soviet Union was unleashed against Solzhenitsyn. The anti-Soviet movements in the USSR more and more did not like the authorities. Thus, in the mid-1970s, the question of Solzhenitsyn’s activity was put to the advice of the CPSU Central Committee . At the end of the congress, it was decided to arrest him. After that, on February 12, 1974, Solzhenitsyn was arrested and deprived of Soviet citizenship, and later he was expelled from the USSR to Germany. KGB officers personally delivered it by plane. Two days later, a decree was issued on the confiscation and destruction of all documents, articles and any anti-Soviet materials. All internal affairs of the USSR were now classified as "secret."