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School of Slavonic and East European Studies

Bolsover Collection


IDENTITY STATEMENT

Reference code(s): GB 0369 BOL

Held at: School of Slavonic and East European Studies

Title: Bolsover Collection

Date(s): c 1928 - 1985

Level of description: Collection (Fonds)

Extent: 14 boxes

Name of creator(s): Bolsover | George Henry | 1910-1990 | Russian scholar

CONTEXT

Administrative/Biographical history:

George Henry Bolsover was born in 1910. After obtaining a BA and MA from the School of Russian Studies, Liverpool University and a doctorate from SSEES, he worked as tutor and assistant lecturer respectively at Birmingham and Manchester Universities. In 1943, his expertise in Russian resulted in his being appointed attache and first secretary to the British Embassy in Moscow, a post he held until 1947. On his return to Britain in 1947, Bolsover was appointed Director of SSEES. Bolsover was to be Director for the next 29 years, presiding over a period of growth in interest in Russian and East European studies and SSEES' post war expansion. As well as administrative duties, Bolsover was on the editorial board of the Slavonic and East European Review until 1963, and was its sometime editor. He was also invoved in arrangements for Hungarian refugee students to study at British universities after 1956 and the fight against a recommendation that SSEES be incorporated into a multi faculty college. He was sometimes called upon by the BBC to comment on Soviet affairs. He retired in 1976 and died in 1990.

CONTENT

Scope and content/abstract:

Papers of George Henry Bolsover on Eastern Europe, 1928-1985, comprising:
Bolsover's writings and related papers on Russia, the Soviet Union and European history, 1928-1985 including his BA and MA theses, lecture notes, texts of broadcasts, book reviews and reports and papers issued by the British Government; reports on study trips and delegations, made by Bolsover and others, mainly by staff of the British Embassy in Moscow, the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, 1954-1982; papers on the School of Slavonic and East European Studies (SSEES), including notes on Robert William Seton-Watson, letter on the composition of SSEES Council and drafts of articles by Bolsover on SSEES, 1947-1969; notes on Russian history and the Soviet Union taken from original documents and secondary sources, 1933-1985.

ACCESS AND USE

Language/scripts of material: English, French and German, with a small amount of Japanese and Russian.

System of arrangement:

Papers arranged in four classes: BOL/1 - Bolsover's writings and related papers on Russia, the Soviet Union and European history, 1928-1985; BOL/2 - Reports on study trips to the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, 1954-1982; BOL/3 - Papers re SSEES, 1947-1969; BOL/4 - Notes on Russian history and the Soviet Union taken from original documents and secondary sources, 1933-1985.

Conditions governing access:

Unrestricted access. Researchers wishing to consult the archives or seeking further information should contact UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies Library, 16 Taviton Street, London, WC1H 0BW.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Copies, subject to the condition of the original, may be supplied for research use only. Requests to publish original material should be submitted to the Librarian.

Physical characteristics:

Finding aids:

Online catalogue available on the UCL Archives website.

Detailed catalogue

ARCHIVAL INFORMATION

Accruals:

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

Not known

ALLIED MATERIALS

Existence and location of originals:

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/library/libraries-and-study-spaces/ucl-school-slavonic-and-east-european-studies-library

Related material:

Publication note:

DESCRIPTION NOTES

Archivist's note: Revised by Alan Kucia as part of the RSLP AIM25 Project.

Rules or conventions: Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description ISAD(G), 2nd edition 2000 and National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions: Revised Feb 2002


INDEX ENTRIES
Subjects
Russian history | European history | National history

Personal names
Bolsover | George Henry | 1910-1990 | Russian scholar

Corporate names
School of Slavonic and East European Studies

Places
Russia | Eastern Europe
USSR | Eastern Europe
Crimea x Krym