Interviewing Survivors of Stalin's Deportations

Currently I am supervising a student research project on the history of the Karachais deported to Kyrgyzstan by Stalin in winter 1943-1944. Today, I went with the three students involved in the project to the Assembly of Peoples of Kyrgyzstan to get make contact with the Karachai community here. It was our good fortune that they were holding a meeting at the same time that we arrived. We met with five survivors of the deportation and got their contact details. We will be arranging a more formal meeting and meal with them soon. They were very friendly and helpful. My students are very excited about this project.