il-002820-9932929395104146-990004800740304146
type: RecordSet
physical characteristics and technical requirements: Mode of access: WWW
conditions of access: Access may be restricted to TAU community via Automatic Proxy
has beginning date: 1950-01-01
has end date: 1951-12-31
has or had holder: il-002820
has or had some members with language: eng
identifier: 990004800740304146
is or was included in: il-002820-9932929395104146
note: Title viewed 25.10.2017
note: Electronic text and image data. Jerusalem : Yad Vashem 2015
note: Electronic access only
record resource extent: 1 electronic resource (7 pages)
scope and content: The file contains two reports written by Paul Anderson about the officer of the 61 Mechanised Rifle Regt of the Tenth Devision (Fourth Mechanised Army of the Soviet Forces, stationed in the Soviet Zone of Germany) Lt. Alexandr Alexandrovich Bystrow. On the 27th of August 1950 he crosses the zonal border and surendered to British military authorities as a political refugee. In the report Anderson explains very briefly the life story of Bystrow and his reasons for his desertion from the Soviet Army Forces. As Anderson argues the motives have little to do with political or ideological reasons, they are based in the main on the visual comparison of living conditions outside Russia with those they have known as Soviet citizens. Like many other Soviet refugees, he is perhaps more accurately discribed as an escape from hunger, poverty and suffering than as a 'political refugee'. The second report discribes generally desertions of Soviet soldiers to West Germany. All of them got gravitated to the idea of a better life in the West.
title: Lt. Alexandr Alexandrovich Bystrow