The article examines the Swedish diaspora in the interwar Soviet Union, focusing on dimensions that earlier research has treated only tangentially: the fate of Soviet-Swedes during the state‑run terror against representatives of the so‑called Western minorities. Combining quantitative analysis with a micro‑historical approach, we refine knowledge not only of the composition of the Swedish diaspora but also of the individual trajectories of Soviet-Swedes during the period of mass repression. We argue that a systematic mapping of the Swedish diaspora is essential for understanding the nature and direction of Soviet terror against Nordic minorities: Who became victims and why, and who managed to survive and/or leave the country? Our principal finding is that the so‑called Kiruna‑Swedes were not a majority of Swedish residents in the Soviet Union. At the same time, this group was over‑represented among Swedish victims of the Great Terror.
