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Slavic/Germanic Manual
Guidelines for Assigning Biography Subject Headings

Russia/Soviet Union or republic subdivision?

The other problem arises when determining which geographic subdivision to use: Russia/Soviet Union or republic (primarily Russia (Federation)). LC practice has been inconsistent when assigning such headings.
Princeton has normally assigned the heading Soviet Union for such individuals, preferring republic subdivision for people who genuinely represent their own nationality. For example, a ballet dancer who worked for the Kirov ballet, dancing around the world and all over the USSR would get the subdivision Soviet Union.

With the dissolution of the Soviet Union, this policy has become difficult to continue because of the apparent contradiction of choosing two different areas as the sphere of a single person's activity. For example, the following subject heading array would not occur:

Ballet dancers--United States--Biography.
Ballet dancers--Texas--Biography.
• Russia/Soviet Union will now be assigned only for heads of state, government officials, military figures, revolutionaries, dissidents, and other people who are clearly considered to be of national significance; otherwise, use the republic subdivision. There may remain some rare cases of doubling; e.g. the subject headings for an Armenian architect who designed buildings for Armenia as well as the entire USSR:

  Architects--Armenia (Republic)--Biography.
  Architects--Soviet Union--Biography.

Alekseeva, Liudmila, 1927-
Dissenters--Soviet Union--Biography.
Historians--Soviet Union--Biography. (not Historians--Russia (Federation)--Biography).
• In case of doubt, use the republic subdivision and do not double.

Maintenance will take place on a case-by-case basis.

Examples:

Present practice:
Fadecheev, Nikolai Borisovich, 1933-
Ballet dancers--Russia (Federation)--Biography.

Former practice:
Rachmaninoff, Sergei, 1873-1943.
Composers--Soviet Union--Biography.

Present practice:
Rachmaninoff, Sergei, 1873-1943.
Composers--Soviet Union--Biography.
Composers--Russia--Biography.

Former practice:
Sakharov, Andrei, 1921-
Dissenters--Soviet Union--Biography.

Present practice:
No change.

Present practice:
Yeltsin, Boris Nikolayevich, 1931-
Presidents--Russia (Federation)--Biography.
Politicians--Soviet Union--Biography.

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