English woman who moved to Russia and was imprisoned - who will have records?

[BerylPeabody]

Hi Everyone

I'm trying to assemble what I can about someone on my tree who moved from Manchester to Moscow in the 1930s to live with a Russian man she met. She

a) Taught English in Moscow
b) Was imprisoned in a Russian prison camp in the late 1950s and released after a few years
c) Had two children in Russia
d) Was supported by the Red Cross in Russia to get letters home during World War II and when imprisoned.

So far I have:

a) Requested a copy of her Home Office file using Freedom of Information Act (she was under investigation by the Secret Service before she left the UK due to her associating with Russians) - this is pending
b) Requested a copy of all data the Foreign Office hold on her using Freedom of Information Act (they replied and sent a few notes from the 1960s)
c) Requested that the Russian Red Cross send any files in their archives - this is pending

Assuming that I'm not going to have much luck with the Russian government archives under the present circumstances and the fact that genealogists in Russia can't even receive payments due to sanctions, does anyone have any idea of anywhere else in the UK who might have records/data on this person? Am I missing a trick somewhere?

Thanks!! 

[garstonite]

can you not post husband and wifes names to see if we can find a tree that might have info on ??

[KGarrad]

Could you not contact the International Committee of the Red Cross, in Geneva?
https://www.icrc.org/en/contact

[maddys52]

Hello Beryl and welcome to RootsChat.

There are a number of Personal Files of the Security Service - "Communist and Suspected Communists", that sort of thing,  available to see using the Gale Primary Sources database. I access it online through my Australian National Library card, other libraries have similar arrangements.

Happy to do a look up if you want - let us know her name, or if you make 2 more posts you can access the personal message system and let me know that way. 

[Ray T]

Depending upon the date, you might even find special branch files at the National Archives. Try her name on the website whilst they are still free to download.