A sound recording of N. N. (Nikolaĭ Nikolaevich) Poppe talking about the Akademiia Nauk SSSR (Soviet Academy of Sciences) can now be listened to in the Hoover Archives reading room. The recording, in which Poppe speaks in English, is more than five hours in duration (date unknown).
Poppe (1897–1991), a prominent Russian linguist, was a member of the academy in the 1930s and early 1940s. In the recording he discusses the academy's importance, its size and membership, salaries and living costs, daily life, commute, medical care, and living space for his family. He also talks about foreign literature and writing.
These memories were originally recorded on seventeen Soundscriber discs. The first disc begins with a brief explanation of the Soundscriber disc recording process. Hoover Archives audio preservation staff digitized the discs according to archival specifications, and then burned the recording to CD for use in the Archives reading room. A brief finding aid to the interview is available on the Online Archive of California.
To set up an appointment to listen to the recordings at the archives or purchase copies if you cannot visit, please see Audiovisual Services.
