This volume presents a collection of materials, including archival documents and analytical essays, concerning the events of forty years ago. The contributors include professional historians from Israel and Russia who continue to analyze these events in depth, as well as direct participants in the struggle for emigration, the right to learn their native language, and the freedom to practice their cultural heritage.

While researchers and commentators have devoted considerable attention to the resurgence of the national movement in the USSR, its socio-historical aspects remain insufficiently explored. We hope this volume will make a modest contribution toward addressing this gap.