Russian Communism?

Question

I'm trying to write a short story about a member of the communist party during the time Russia (aka the soviet union) was ruled by the communist party for school.
i was wondering if anyone had any web pages that explained to me what the system was like for people in the party, and what the system was for trial if a non-member was accused of a crime? Or if the just sort of wanted to explain it.


I sort of have an idea from reading one of Ayn Rand's books, but I need a bit more info.

If anyone just knows how their trials were held and if they had trials?

ayn rand did live in the soviet union for a while shortly after the revolution but then she left
thanks, i think i will read some of those books you recommended now.

Answer 1

I would say that Ayn Rand's experience is rather limited, considering that she was born in Russia in 1905, experienced the early years of the Revolution (1917 - 1925), graduated in 1924, then left for the United States in late 1925.
She was never a member of the CPSU either.

I would suggest 'Kruschev Remembers' and 'Kruschev Remembers: The Glasnost Tapes' instead.

Answer 2

You'd be better off skipping the Ayn Rand and reading one of the many famous accounts, actually written by those who experienced the events, rather than an American writer with an axe to grind and no first hand knowledge.

Samizdat literature was influential in ending the Soviet system and these first person accounts, like the ones from China's Cultural Revolution are still the best way to get an idea of these events.

I'd suggest Elena (Yelena) Bonner's Mother & Daughters , Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn's First Circle, or Yevgenia Ginzburg's Journey into the whirlwind (this especially for the gulag picture.)

Answer 3

try wikipedia or encyclopedia brittanica, they might have some info on how the communists as the main party had as an effect on the Russian people. As for trial, I would look maybe under Russian law and see what comes up with that. I really do not know too much on Russian trials but I know that they can be kind of ugly for death sentences that are implied on the guilty people or party. After typing this I found Russian law on wikipedia and its pretty good for Russian law so here is the site for it. Hope it explains it well.

Answer 4

Here's a site you can navagate to find a lot of info on Communist Russia. It focuses on the Party too, and the first link is Leadership in the Communist Party, so you should be able to find something there. Otherwise I'd go to Wiki.