Культурные практики, литературные свидетельства и личные документы преследованных Свидетелей Иеговы

Abstract

The article deals with memoir texts written by the members of a religious minority group repressed by the Soviet Union authorities. The author of the article pays significant attention to the specifics of the texts, the motives for recording the stories, and the subject of the memoirs themselves. Most often, the authors of the memoir texts reported on the course of exile to Siberia, difficult living conditions and constant overwork. They talked about being in labour camps, beatings, surveillance and other forms of repression. In addition to the analysis of selected issues, the author of the article discussed also the texts under analysis role. These written texts are not only crucial historic documents that tell about past events. They are the testimonies of those events victims. They are an element of cultural practice and, among other things, are aimed to create a sense of community, reveal the values which dominate within the group and to promote certain behaviour codes which include maintaining loyalty to beliefs and totalitarianism.