«Paying for moments of weakness»: Professor Оleksandr Mikey – victim of the Soviet repressive policy

Abstract

The article is devoted to the repressive case of geologist Oleksandr Mikey as a typical example of the persecution of intellectuals by the Soviet authorities during the «Great Terror» – one of the most tragic periods in Ukrainian history. New opportunities for a detailed study of this tragic period in the scientist’s life have emerged as a result of the discovery of his archival investigation file in the archives of the Security Service of Ukraine in the Dnipropetrovsk region. This is a unique source containing detailed information that makes it possible to investigate the reasons for the repression, the details of the investigation and, ultimately, to reconstruct as fully as possible the tragedy that befell the scientist. The purpose of the article is to analyse archival investigative documents to determine the circumstances of the violation and the course of the repressive case against Oleksandr Mikey, to identify the content of the charges and the peculiarities of the investigative practices of the Soviet state security organs in the context of the Stalinist regime’s policy. Main results. The article examines the archival and investigative case of Oleksandr Mikey as an example of the fabrication of criminal charges by the Soviet repressive authorities during the «Great Terror». Based on the materials introduced into scientific circulation, it has been shown that the accusations of belonging to a fictitious counter-revolutionary organisation were groundless and fabricated. This is confirmed by: the absence of real evidence; the refusal to «confess» during the trial and confrontations; inconsistencies and contradictions in the case materials; falsifications and the use of illegal investigation methods; the formal nature of the trial. The authors analyse the methods of investigation, the nature of the trial, and the consequences for a person destroyed by repression. Particular attention is paid to the materials of the additional investigation in 1940 and the rehabilitation process of O. Mikey in 1956. Conclusions. The article not only clarifies the biography of Professor Mikey, but also highlights the systematic nature of the NKVD’s crimes using Mikel’s case as an example and demonstrates the tragedy of an innocent person’s fate under a totalitarian regime. The article is analytical in nature.