What are good English-language sources for reading about the Luzin affair?
S. S. Kutateladze, Roots of Luzin’s case, Journal of Applied and Industrial Mathematics, September 2007, Volume 1, Issue 3, pp 261-267, http://dx.doi.org/10.1134/S1990478907030015.
Abstract: This is a brief overview of the so-called “case of Academician Luzin” as well as the mathematical and humanitarian roots of the affair.
The following article is not only about the Lusin affair itself, but contains many details on it:
G.G. Lorentz, Mathematics and Politics in the Soviet Union from 1928 to 1953, Journal of Approximation Theory, Volume 116, Issue 2, June 2002, Pages 169–223, http://dx.doi.org/10.1006/jath.2002.3670
Abstract: The paper describes the influence of politics on the life of Soviet mathematicians in Stalin's era 1928–1953, years that witnessed the full unfolding of the dictator's power. A few years following Stalin's death are also covered. Various publications, private manuscripts, and recollections of my own experiences at the University of Leningrad served as sources. Leading themes include the administrative talent of Egorov, Lusin's School, and the genius of Kolmogorov.
This is not a direct answer to your question, rather a bit of a tangent.
But Luzin and his "name worshipping" play a role in the fascinating book,
Naming Infinity,
which provides an interesting window on the mathematical and
interpersonal atmosphere at the time:
That's Pavel Florensky to the left, who influenced Luzin's mysticism
(and Sergei Bulgakov to the right).
Wikipedia article on Luzin mentions several English resources in the section on Luzin affair. (Here is a link to the recent revision of the article, just in case there will be some substantial changes.)
References in English language which are mentioned there, are:
- Levin, A. E. (1990). "Anatomy of a public campaign: "Academician Luzin`s case" in Soviet political history.". Slavic Review (Slavic Review, Vol. 49, No. 1) 49 (1): 90–108. doi:10.2307/2500418. JSTOR 2500418. Maybe you will find something interesting also in the publications citing this paper.
- The book Graham L., Kantor J.-M. Naming Infinity: A True Story of Religious Mysticism and Mathematical Creativity. Belknap Press, Cambridge and London (2009). Google Books link. This book has already been mentioned in another answer.
- The book Demidov, Sergei S.; Ford, Charles E. (1996). N. N. Luzin and the affair of the "National Fascist Center". San Diego, CA: Academic Press. pp. 137–148. ISBN 5-88812-103-7. MR 1388788.. In History of mathematics: states of the art, edited by Joseph W. Dauben MR 1388780, Google Books link.
- S.S. Kutateladze, An Epilog to the Luzin Case, Siberian Electronic Mathematical Reports, Vol.10 (2013),A.1-6. The same author also has an article called Roots of Luzin's Case, doi: 10.1134/S1990478907030015.
If you search in Google Books for other books mentioning Luzin affair, you might find some other useful information. And, of course, Google Scholar is worth checking, too.