CIA Archives: The Ordeal of Anatoly Kuznetsov (1968)

Anatoly Kuznetsov was a Soviet and Russian writer, journalist, and dissident, born on August 18, 1929, in Kiev, Ukraine, and passed away on December 13, 1979, in London, United Kingdom. He is best known for his memoir "Babi Yar: A Document in the Form of a Novel," which chronicles the Nazi massacre of Jews in his hometown of Kiev during World War II.

Kuznetsov's literary career began in the 1950s, and he wrote numerous novels, short stories, and plays. He gained prominence as a dissident writer in the 1960s, and his critical articles and outspoken views on Soviet politics led to him being expelled from the Soviet Writers' Union in 1974. Kuznetsov emigrated to the UK in 1974 and became a vocal critic of the Soviet regime.

"Babi Yar," published in 1966, was Kuznetsov's most significant work. The book drew on Kuznetsov's own experiences as a young boy during the Nazi occupation of Kiev and was praised for its vivid and harrowing portrayal of the massacre. The book's publication in the Soviet Union was controversial and led to Kuznetsov being denounced by the Soviet authorities.

In addition to his literary work, Kuznetsov was an active participant in the dissident movement, and he played a prominent role in the 1968 protests against the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia. He was also a close associate of Alexander Solzhenitsyn and helped to edit and publish Solzhenitsyn's works in the West.

Anatoly Kuznetsov faced persecution from the Soviet authorities after he emigrated to the UK in 1974. In 1978, he published the book "Notes of a Soviet Writer," which was highly critical of the Soviet regime and its suppression of artistic freedom. The Soviet authorities responded by stripping Kuznetsov of his Soviet citizenship, effectively making him stateless. They also confiscated his property in the Soviet Union and harassed his family and friends who remained there. Despite these actions, Kuznetsov continued to be an outspoken critic of the Soviet regime until his death in 1979.

Overall, Anatoly Kuznetsov was a courageous and talented writer who used his writing to challenge Soviet authority and expose the atrocities of the Soviet regime.