The personal archive of I. B. Nikolskaya as a documentary reflection of the history of the furniture factory in the city of Syzran

With each passing year, we move further away from the Soviet era in our country’s history. Public perception continues to reevaluate this period. Emotional and polarized judgments-ranging from outright rejection to glorification of all things Soviet-are giving way to attempts at a rational and balanced analysis of Soviet-era events. The article traces the history of the Syzran Furniture Factory from its establishment in the late 1950s to its closure in 2008. In addition to archival documents that typically highlight the organizational, economic, and financial aspects of the enterprise’s operations, the article draws on personal documents of the factory's first and most successful director, Irina Borisovna Nikolskaya. Her life mirrors the trajectory of the nation, encompassing revolutions, civil war, political repression, wartime hardship, large-scale construction projects, and peaceful development based on stable, domestically operated enterprises. Nikolskaya experienced all of this firsthand, ultimately creating a multidisciplinary furniture combine, serving as its director for 15 years, and earning prestigious awards, including the Order of the Red Banner of Labor and the Order of Lenin. The autobiographical approach employed in the article allows for an exploration of the strength of character and the complex lives of many Soviet leaders, often referred to as "red directors," a category to which Irina Borisovna Nikolskaya undoubtedly belongs.