Jana Dreimane

National Library of Latvia in Riga

Egodocuments of Latvian Writers as Sources for Researching Reading during the Soviet Era

In the Soviet-occupied Latvia (1940–1941, 1944–1990), a pervasive, multi-tiered censorship system restricted the circulation of information to the content which was deemed acceptable by the authorities. Officially sanctioned information was often so biased, scarce, and disconnected from reality that much of society sought both legal and illicit means to access more comprehensive, diverse, and engaging materials, despite the prohibitions in place. Consequently, ego documents ‒ such as diaries, memoirs, and correspondence not intended for publication ‒ are invaluable for examining the true reading interests and habits of Latvian society under occupation. This study analyzes the ego documents of several Latvian writers, including Vilis Lācis, Miervaldis Birze, and Aleksandrs Pelēcis, to identify not only their primary reading sources and literary interests, but also the impact of these readings on their subsequent creative work. Additionally, this research evaluates the potential of such documents as resources for future studies on the reading culture during the Soviet era.