Dysydent, czyli kto? Uwagi o specyfice ruchu dysydenckiego w ZSRR
What is a dissident? Remarks on the specific nature of the dissident movement in the USSR

Summary/Abstract: The article attempts to define the dissident movement in the USSR. After 1956, numerous opposition and protest groups existed within the Soviet Union; however, not all opponents of the Soviet system can be described as dissidents. The essential characteristic of the dissident movement was its apolitical nature. Dissidents did not seek to seize power, nor did they set themselves explicit goals other than one: compelling the authorities to respect human rights. They did not speak on behalf of any specific ethnic, national, social, or professional group. The dissident milieu did not construct organisational structures or networks; it had neither leaders issuing commands nor followers executing them. Any hierarchy that emerged rested solely on personal moral authority, never on rank or title. The article draws upon essays written by the most significant figures of the dissident movement, their theoretical reflections and memoirs, and their attempts to evaluate their own past activities.

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