Sofiya Vasilyevna Kalistratova (6 September 1907– 5 December 1989) was a fearless Soviet lawyer, dissident, and a leading member of the Moscow Helsinki Group. Renowned for defending political prisoners during the height of Soviet repression, Kalistratova emerged as one of the few voices within the legal system to challenge state abuse.
Trained as a criminal defense attorney, Kalistratova spent decades advocating for civil liberties and rule of law. In the 1970s, she joined the Moscow Helsinki Group, a watchdog organization monitoring Soviet compliance with the 1975 Helsinki Accords. Through meticulous documentation and legal advocacy, she exposed systemic violations of human rights across the USSR.
Despite constant surveillance, harassment, and the seizure of her manuscripts by the KGB, Kalistratova remained committed to justice. Her work not only protected individual dissidents but also laid groundwork for the broader human rights movement in the Soviet Union.
Sofiya Kalistratova’s courage and legal acumen made her a symbol of resistance in an era of silence. Today, she is remembered as one of the most principled human rights defenders in Soviet history.