Participation of the Siberian dissidents in the movements for freedom of choice of country of residence and emigration in 1960-1980

The article deals with the reasons for the formation and development of Siberian dissident movements for freedom of choice of residence and emigration country in the period of 1960-1980. One of the main reasons to leave the country was discriminatory policy of the Soviet Union in relation to national movements - Germans and Jews, as well as religious organizations - Baptists and Pentecostals who have been persecuted. In addition, the registration of these communities has been caused by deliberately impossible demands. The article analyzes the Soviet state measures for the prevention of immigration sentiment, anti-religious and anti-church activities of the authorities. The country has continued to close the existing churches, monasteries and houses of worship. Furthermore, it was prohibited to establish the mutual funds and to provide material support to the participants of religious associations, to organize meetings on religious education, to distribute religious literature without the permission of the administrative authority, to conduct church meetings and conventions, arbitrarily appoint the heads of the church, etc. Religious persons reacted to the actions of the authorities very negatively, therefore the increased immigration sentiment to West Germany among believers of the Union of Churches of Evangelical Christians -Baptists and those, who supported their requirements of the Mennonite communities, have been recorded. The number of permissions to leave for the Germans reduced greatly during the confrontation between the Soviet Union and the West in the early 1980s. Many Germans were the most dangerous for the public authorities in the context of the Cold War, as they corresponded with relatives from the West, and that could significantly affect the immigration sentiments. The basic ways that dissidents in Soviet Union used to deal with violations of the right to leave and emigrate were writing "open letters" to the Government of the Soviet Union, the UN Secretary and heads of Western countries, dissemination of information on the difficulties that arise when trying to leave the country, and demonstrations. The case of Felix Kochubievskii is analyzed, he was one of the prominent figures of the Jewish movement in Western Siberia for emigration to Israel. He published several works, where, as the authorities claimed, spread "false fabrications discrediting the Soviet state and social system", after which he was sentenced to imprisonment. Numerical indicators on the emigration among Germans and Jews within a given period of time which was part of the so-called "third wave of emigration" were also analyzed. The considered movements in the Siberian region were the organic component of the struggle for human rights in the Soviet Union, which managed to make their own contribution to the establishment of the right to have freedom of choice of the place of residence, place of emigration and travelling within the country.

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