Iofe V.V. (1938 - 2002), historian of nonconformity, public figure.

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IOFE Veniamin Viktorovich (1938-2002, St. Petersburg), public figure, historian. Lived in Leningrad since 1938. Graduated from Leningrad Chemical Engineering Institute (1962), took a post-graduate course at All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Synthetic Rubber (1962-64), worked at Polimerstroimaterialy (Polymer Constructional Materials) Plant (1969-76), in Lenselkhozmontazh (Leningrad Agricultural Equipment Mounting) Trust (1976-82) and Leninzhstroi (Leningrad Construction and Engineering) Trust (1982-90). Since 1964, contributed to Kolokol, an illegal social and political journal; in 1965, he was arrested and charged with anti-Soviet agitation and propaganda and sentenced to three years imprisonment in strict security camps (serving his time in Mordovia). In the 1970-80s, Iofe was in the centre of independent public and political life of the city, provided aid and advice in legal matters: worked out the strategy of behaviour during interrogation, searches and in case of KGB threats; studied the history of political opposition in the USSR. Since 1976, his works on the history of political underground in the USSR (under the pseudonyms of N. Peskov and S.D. Rozhdestvensky) were published in the annual Pamyat journal. Took part in the functioning of the Aid Fund for Political Prisoners (in 1982, he was officially "admonished" by KGB bodies). Iofe initiated the creation of Memorial Society, and in 1989 was appointed its co-chairman; in 1992, he founded the Science Data Centre under the same name (its archives are based on the card index of political prisoners and materials on the history of opposition, collected by Iofe). In 2000, the Education Centre under the same name was opened (in 2002, it was named after its founder, Iofe). He authored over 100 articles on the history of GULAG (Main Camp Administration), and public and political associations of the USSR. Buried at Krasnenkoe Cemetery.

Works: New Essays on Optimism: collected articles and speeches. St. Petersburg, 1998; Sense Limits: collected speeches, essays. St. Petersburg, 2002.

I. A. Flige. Iofe Veniamin Viktorovich
Новые этюды об оптимизме: Сб. ст. и выступлений. СПб., 1998
Иофе В. В. Границы смысла: Ст., выступления, эссе. СПб., 2002 Synthetic Rubber, Lebedev Scientific Research Institute of
Pamyat (Memory), collection
Memorial, a non-profit organisation
1991