The Late Soviet and Post-Soviet Ephemera Collection at Harvard Library

Abstract

The Russian Ephemera Collection (late 1980s-1990s) at Harvard Library is a monumental primary source collection for the study of the late Soviet and post-Soviet era. It was acquired in the 1990s along with the collection of Independent and Post-Soviet Press, but remained “hidden” until 2013-2014, when it was catalogued and digitized. Digitization played a role not only in the preservation but also in the discovery of the collection. The ephemera cover various subjects, ranging from purely political (elections, the 1991 coup d'état attempt, rallies, political parties and politicians, independence movements, ethnic conflict) to cultural, religious and business-related topics.