Khrushchev’s Thaw and liberation of Bessarabians from the Gulag (1953-1963)

The release of prisoners from the Gulag after Stalin's death entailed both economic and political consequences, so the issues of further settling of these citizens were carefully examined in different bodies. This article based on previously unexamined archival materials and survivors' memories describes how the liberation from the camps occurred and what restrictions were imposed on former prisoners. In particular, the article covers the issue of the ordeals of Bessarabian families, who were prohibited from living in the Moldavian SSR, and they were forced either to settle in the Ukrainian SSR or return to places of detention.