Almost four decades have passed since the collapse of the Soviet Union, yet many aspects of its dissolution remain subjects of debate. Scholars continue to discuss the economic, foreign policy, and ethnic factors that contributed to the empire’s demise, while also emphasizing the decisive role of human resistance. This resistance manifested differently across the Soviet republics throughout the Union’s existence, displaying both significant variations and notable similarities.
One of the most organized forms of opposition was the dissident movement, a constellation of groups and individuals who identified themselves with anti-Soviet thought and expressed it through diverse practices. These movements which emerged after Stalin’s death, became so influential among Soviet citizens that both local and central authorities developed systematic—and often severe—methods to suppress them. Such measures included physical isolation, the elimination of prominent dissidents, and the use of mandatory psychiatric treatment as a means of neutralization and fierce propaganda directed against them.
Despite operating in an environment resembling open warfare, Soviet dissidents succeeded in reshaping public consciousness and played an important role in the eventual disintegration of the empire. Perhaps their most enduring achievement was the dissemination of information concerning systematic violations of basic human rights across the Soviet republics.
The Balkan History Association is preparing a volume on dissident movements in the Soviet Union. The editors invite contributors to examine the lessons that can be drawn from diverse experiences in the Soviet republics, in order to gain a deeper understanding of the nature of these movements and their impact on how Soviet citizens came to perceive their reality.
The volume will address several key research questions, including: When and how did dissident movements emerge in the Soviet republics? What were their main aims and strategies of action? How did dissident movements differ from armed and unarmed anti-Soviet resistance movements? How did dissidents from different countries communicate with one another? What tactics did Soviet authorities employ to confront dissident activity? How was psychiatry instrumentalized as a tool of repression? And, ultimately, what was the contribution of dissident movements to the collapse of the Soviet Union?
Submission procedure
The volume will be published by Peter Lang (in the series “South-East European History”). Original manuscripts should be prepared following the editorial guide of Peter Lang available on its website, especially “Style Guidelines – British English” and “Submission Guidelines“. You can see the chapters of this open access volume to understand how manuscripts should be edited. Manuscripts must not have been published, submitted for publication or available on the internet elsewhere. Please submit your proposal, including the title of your manuscript, an abstract (up to 300 words), and an author’s biography (up to 100 words). The abstract should include the research question and purpose, the approach and main ideas, and results. No figures, tables, footnotes, or endnotes should be included in the abstract. Articles should not exceed 8,000 words in length including footnotes and references (reference list or bibliography). The volume may contain up to 20 black-and-white images.
Deadlines
April 20, 2026: Submit the proposals to editors
May 15, 2026: Notification of accepted proposals
August 1st, 2026: Receipt of full studies for review
October 30, 2026: Revised studies re-submitted to the editors
Editors
Vladimer Luarsabishvili (Caucasus University, Tbilisi), vluarsabishvili@cu.edu.ge
Rasa Čepaitienė (Institute of Lithuanian History, Vilnius), geokdepe@gmail.com
Dumitru Lisnic (Alecu Russo State University of Bălți), dumitru1999.lisnic@gmail.com
