We define official statements as the pronouncements of Soviet government and Party leaders on subjects concerning the Jewish people in general and the Jews of the Soviet Union in particular. In all cases where an official Soviet version of the declaration cited exists it is given in full. Where no such text exists, we have been compelled to use what we deem the most reliable version published outside the Soviet Union. Some reports, which seem unreliable, have not been included here.

It should be pointed out that, in the Soviet Union, official approaches are expressed not only in the public statements of the country's leaders but also indirectly, for instance in the leading article of a central newspaper or in the commentaries of other communications media. From this point of view, every Soviet report is official. However, there are of course important differences between statements coming from the Party leader or important office-holders in the government and ordinary articles, even those appearing in the most important newspaper.

The official statements brought together in the documents to this chapter do not comprise all such documents included in this book. However, there are few such statements given elsewhere, and these relate directly to the specific subject matter of the chapters to which they are appended and in which they are analysed. Our main aim here is to consider the importance of each individual document given and the general background to its publication.