Experience of electronic database creation of political repression victims in Tomsk Region

During the decadeshistorians and researchers were discussing the exact number of Bolshevist policy victims in the USSR, their social positions,nationalities, relations with different social groups, etc. In most cases these disputes were unproved because of their grounding onunverified and unconfirmed facts. It is possible to complete all the disputes and discussions nowadays because the electronic databasesapplication began. The databases include detailed information of the political repression victims and make the basis for analyzing anddata processing. Such electronic databases have already been created in FSB (Federal Security Service of Russia) Departments ofKemerovo and Tomsk Regions, Altai Republic, Archives Department of Altai Territory Administration. Such databases provide makingthe impartial and reasoned consideration to the great number of questions concerning the mass repressions in the region. At the turn ofthe 1990-2000 in spite of official directives absence, the work for electronic databases creation of the political repression victims started.The databases became nowadays a real instrument for settlement the debatable questions of mass repression in the USSR and someregions of the country. They are made in personal electronic cards form, including information on places of birth and living, nationality,sex, social position (before the revolution and up to the date of arrest), education, party membership, work places and work status. Datesof arrests and conviction, type of charge and destiny (sentence), date of rehabilitation and criminal case number are also mentioned inthese cards. The electronic databases help researchers to get necessary information in short time. Nowadays, the databases are broughtinto several research works of mass repression in Western Siberia. The creation of such databases will help to solve complex issues anddaily operations of archive departments of the Federal Security Services and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, for example, databasekeeping for additional record purposes. Moreover, electronic databases could contribute to save archive materials from anthropogenicimpacts.

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