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Primary Sources: Russia, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia: Home

Primary Sources

This tab contains information to help you find primary sources for research on Slavic, East European, and Central Asian related topics. Many archival documents and first-hand accounts are accessible in published form, and several institutions within the U.S. Contain excellent collections for original research on this region. For more information on primary sources at Yale, check the "Special Collections at Yale" tab of this guide. For information on using archives in Russia, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia, see the individual region tabs in this guide.

Published Collections of Primary Sources

Library of Congress subject headings will indicate if a published book contains primary source material. You can use these headings to search for items relevant to your topic. For example, here are some subjects you can look for if you are seeking primary sources on the Russian Revolution:

Russia--History--Revolution, 1905-1907--Personal narratives

Russia--History--Revolution, 1905-1907--Press coverage

Russia--History--Revolution, 1905-1907--Public opinion

Russia--History--Revolution, 1905-1907--Sources

These terms will all lead you to different types of firsthand observations of this period. There are also additional subjects you can try if you are looking for information on the life of a specific person. Here are a few examples using Leo Tolstoy:

Tolstoy, Leo, graf, 1828-1910--Correspondence

Tolstoy, Leo, graf, 1828-1910--Diaries

Tolstoy, Leo, graf, 1828-1910--Interviews

These strategies will help you locate primary sources in Yale's catalog. Try these searches in WorldCat as well to get results from libraries all over the world. Additionally, Yale holds a tremendous amount of primary source material on microfilm. View the list below to search for relevant materials in Yale's collection.

 

Important Slavic Collections in the U.S.

Collections housed all over the U.S. hold unique and valuable material pertaining to Russia and Eastern Europe. Most are easy to travel to and use as a researcher.