Abstract
In the early stages of the Soviet atomic project, its administrative and scientifi c leaders faced the serious problem of bringing in qualifi ed personnel for the project. They sought specialists throughout the entire country: in scientifi c research institutes, in design bureaus, and at industrial facilities. Prisoners also attracted their attention. Under the direction of A. P. Zavenyagin, the Ninth Chief Directorate of the Soviet Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) assembled imprisoned specialists, who were subsequently brought to Moscow for discussions and decisions about their possible usefulness to the atomic project. A. I. Solzhenitsyn found himself among this group, and he was interviewed by D. I. Blokhintsev, director of one of the nuclear laboratories. This essay presents documents about the prehistory of Solzhenitsyns transfer to Moscow and descriptions of the preparations behind his meeting with MVD offi cials.
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