“Give me some bread!” Famine in Russia in 1929-1934
Book of Solomon 26: 4, 26: 5
History and science. Not so long ago, a debate erupted in the comments of VO about whether one of the commentators wrote correctly that the famine was 1932-1933. millions of Soviet citizens died. As is often the case in VO, unfortunately, doubts about the veracity of the phrase about millions were expressed in an exceptionally rude manner - “he lost his mind”. Well, since we don’t choose people here and work with what we have, let's forget for a while about the lack of culture of some of our fellow citizens and look at the problem of “millions” in essence.
Immediately make a reservation that I personally did not deal with this topic, it is not interesting to me. The knowledge that Wikipedia has in this case is also sufficient. However, in the comments, an interesting conversation began with a certain Vladimir U, who, recognizing, in principle, that there was hunger and the horrors of hunger (well, Sholokhov himself wrote about this to Stalin, you can’t argue with that!), Categorically spoke out, first, against the "millions", and secondly, against the numbers given on Wikipedia. The reason, however, is understandable: they say that Wikipedia happens to give inaccurate materials (and yes, that happens), and it also gives data from Ukrainian historians, and they are biased, they introduced the concept of "famine" and generally ... "they are bad." In the sense of engaged!
But what kind of historians are “good”, are there any credible sources on this subject, and how was it studied at all? That is, without a doubt, studied! And for sure, documents related to the “hungry topic” are available in archives such as the GARF, in the Russian State Autonomy and Information Agency, and in the FSB archive. I wrote the last one right away, explaining what is needed, why, and why. But the answer that came from the archive turned out to be somewhat discouraging: wait 30 days, and then we will answer you. That is, of course, you can wait. But we all know that an egg is expensive for Easter. Therefore, I thought: while the trial and the case, you can look for other sources of information on this topic.
And it turned out that there are not just a lot of them, but a lot of them, and that we have been dealing with this topic for a long time. Which, however, is not at all surprising. Available was a collection of documents “Hunger in the USSR. 1929-1934 years. ".
Organizers and participants of the project:
Federal Archive Agency.
State Archive of the Russian Federation.
RGAE.
RGASPI.
Federal Archive Agency.
State Archive of the Russian Federation (GARF).
Russian State Archive of Economics (RGAE).
Russian State Archive of Socio-Political History (RGASPI).
Central Archive of the Federal Security Service (CA FSB of Russia).
The Federal Archival Agency presents a collection of documents identified in the Russian federal archives: the Russian State Archive of Socio-Political History (the former Central Party Archive of the Institute of Marxism-Leninism under the Central Committee of the CPSU), the State Archive of the Russian Federation, the Russian State Archive of Economics, as well as the Central Archive of the Federal security services of the Russian Federation.
It came out quite a while ago: "Hunger in the USSR".
On December 24, 2013, the Federal Archive Agency announced that the third volume of the documentary series “Hunger in the USSR. 3-1929 years. " (Famine in the USSR. 1934–1929: In 1934 vols. T. 3. Summer 3 - 1933. M .: MFD, 1934. - 2013 pp.) This international project of the Russian Archive was completed, and published a short article about the project of its scientific adviser - Doctors of historical sciences, professors V.V. Kondrashina.
The full version of this text is on this page.
There is such a collection of documents by year and month:
A collection of documents from the GARF, RSAE, RGASPI, CA FSB of Russia on the topic "Famine in the USSR. 1930-1934."
Contents:
1) Documents of 1930
January
April
May
June
September
December
2) Documents of 1931
July
September
October
3) Documents of 1932
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
October
November
December
4) Documents of 1933
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
5) Documents of 1934
January
February
March
June
It turned out that the doctor of historical sciences, professor V.V. Kondrashin is my colleague at Penza State University, we just worked in different departments and, in general, did not particularly intersect. It turned out that he is the author of many studies on this topic. Actually, this is precisely his theme, in 2010 he traveled to Ukraine and took part in its discussion with Ukrainian historians. You can read about how it was and what he told them then here.
That is, today there is a solid documentary base that allows us to study this issue and work on its basis. There are letters of Kosior to Stalin and letters of Stalin to Kosior, there are reports of Kaganovich and a lot of reports to the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks about the famine, as well as reports from the Chekists about what is happening in the starving regions. If desired, everyone can find it all.
What not everyone can find, in general, is dissertations on this topic, in which, along with everything else, there is data on the number of victims. Here are some of these theses, the contents of which can be judged by their names.
The repressive policy of the Soviet state in the countryside in the 1930s. The topic of the dissertation and abstract on the Higher Attestation Commission of the Russian Federation 07.00.02, candidate of historical sciences Kolomiets, Konstantin Anatolyevich, 2005, Penza.
The repressive policy of the Soviet state in the 1930s and the political mood of the population: on the materials of the Belgorod, Kursk and Oryol regions. The topic of the dissertation and abstract on the Higher Attestation Commission of the Russian Federation 07.00.02, candidate of historical sciences Varfolomeeva, Margarita Ivanovna, 2002, Kursk.
From the history of political repression in the Tatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic: late 1917 - early 1950s. The topic of the dissertation and abstract on the Higher Attestation Commission of the Russian Federation 07.00.02, candidate of historical sciences Ivanova, Oksana Anatolyevna, 2009, Kazan.
The repressive policy of the state in 1928-1939. and its consequences: on the materials of the Central Black Earth Region. The topic of the dissertation and abstract on the Higher Attestation Commission of the Russian Federation 07.00.02, candidate of historical sciences Shashkova, Olga Leonidovna, 2000, Kursk.
However, although the abstracts of these works are downloaded for free, you should pay 500 rubles to get the work itself, i.e., the amount is unthinkable for an uninterested citizen of the Russian Federation. And again, I could get the work of Kolomiyets, for example, for free, but ... now it is simply impossible.
On the other hand, why read candidate dissertations and rummage through trifles, even interesting ones, when there are already a large number of summarizing monographs by reputable authors, written with the involvement of all the documents mentioned above? As an example with dissertations for the degree of candidate of historical sciences, I just wanted to emphasize that the basis for more serious research is more than sufficient, that is, archival data both at the level of central archives and local, on the basis of which such studies are just held.
Well, the works of famous professional historians - here they are.
Doctor of Historical Sciences Polyakov V.A. Famine in the Volga region, 1919−1925: origin, features, consequences.
Doctor of Historical Sciences Ivnitsky N.A. Famine of 1932-1933 in USSR.
Doctor of Historical Sciences Aralovets N.A. Famine of 1932-1933 in the USSR and its demographic consequences.
Doctor of Historical Sciences Danilov V.P., Zelenin I.E. Organized hunger. On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the general peasant tragedy.
Doctor of Historical Sciences Kondrashin V.V. The tragedy of the Russian village.
Doctor of Historical Sciences Zima V.F. Famine in the USSR 1946-1947: the origin and consequences.
What are the documents cited by the authors of these studies? Let's see at least some.
From the special help of the Secret Political Department of the OGPU on cases of famine in the regions of the Far Eastern Territory and the Ural Region, April 3, 1933, number 277. Top secret.
(Head of SPO OGPU G. Molchanov.
Assistant to the head of the SPO OGPU Lyushkov.)
Source: TSA FSB of the Russian Federation. F. 2. Op. 11. D. 42. L. 113−116.
Specifically about the role of Stalin:
January 1932 I. V. Stalin and V. M. Molotov in a telegram to S. V. Kosior and members of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine (b):
(Stalin. Molotov.)
After this telegram, violence and excesses in grain procurements intensified. General searches were conducted among collective farmers and individual farmers, and if they found bread, all property was taken. Beatings of peasants began to be widely practiced, often with mutilation, illegal arrests, etc.
In order to prevent the peasants distraught from starvation, not breaking into the cities where small bread rations were given (300-400 g), the OGPU was instructed to establish cordons on roads, railway stations and prevent starving people from moving.
Directive of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks and the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR "On Preventing the Mass Exit of Starving Peasants" on January 22, 1933 (winter of 1932-1933, the peak of mortality from starvation):
(Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR V. Molotov.
Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU (B.) I. Stalin.)
Archive of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the CPSU. RGASPI. F. 558. Op. 11. D. 45. L. 109. 1934.
1934 Special communication of the PP OGPU in Gorky about a pauper in the Omutninsky district. April 30, 1934 Source: Soviet village through the eyes of the Cheka-OGPU-NKVD. 1918-1939. Documents and materials. In 4 t. / T. 3. Book. 2. pp. 566−567 Archive: CA FSB of the Russian Federation. F. 3. Op. 1. D. 747. L. 195-196. Script. No. 213:
(Start of SPO PP OGPU GK Graz.)
1935. Report of the UNKVD in the Voronezh region. about food difficulties. June 5, 1935 Source: Soviet village through the eyes of the Cheka-OGPU-NKVD. 1918-1939. Documents and materials. In 4 volumes / T. 4. pp. 107−108 Archive: CA FSB of Russia. F. 3. Op. 2. D. 1088. L. 368. The original. No. 29:
Recently, some collective farms in the Mordovia region have been experiencing serious food difficulties. A particularly difficult situation was created on the collective farms. Kosyreva, Red Star, Wave of Revolution, Red Plowman ... Some collective farmers who do not have bread are engaged in poverty. Among part of the collective farmers, anti-collective farm sentiments are noted, and tendencies for leaving the collective farm and leaving for cities and industrial centers have intensified. Collective farmers in food difficulties are not provided with any assistance on the spot. ”
(The head of the secretary-polit. Department of the GUGB G. Molchanov.)
All this is good, of course, no doubt some of our readers will say, but where are the numbers? Where are the numbers ?! The ones that talk about those who died of hunger ... However, there are numbers, and even a lot, to choose who likes what!
Author / Year / Number of victims, million people:
F. Lorimer / 1946 / 4,8
B. Urlanis / 1974 / 2,7
S. Whitcroft / 1981 / 3,4
B. Anderson and B. Silver / 1985 / 2-3
R. Conquest / 1986 / 8
S. Maksudov / 2007 / 2-2,5
V. Tsaplin / 1989 / 3,8
E. Andreev et al. / 1993 / 7,3
N. Ivnitsky / 1995 / 7,5
State Duma of the Russian Federation / 2008/7
O. Rudnitsky and A. Savchuk / 2013 / 8,7
As you can see, all the numbers are different. Moreover, historians began to consider human lives lost due to hunger as early as 1946, first foreign and then ours. And the minimum number turned out to be 2 million, and the maximum - 8. However, in our country there is a state body of people who were elected to it by our own citizens - this is the State Duma. And she also worried about the number of victims of hunger in our country. The following document was compiled:
STATEMENT of April 2 2008
IN MEMORY OF VICTIMS OF HUNGER OF 30-X IN THE TERRITORY OF THE USSR
The State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation shares the tribulations with the peoples of the former USSR in connection with the 75th anniversary of the terrible tragedy - the famine of the 30s, which covered a significant part of the territory of the Soviet Union.
Archival documents examined by modern historians reveal not only the scale of the tragedy, but also its causes. The following tasks were solved by extraordinary methods: to destroy the small proprietors, to forcibly collectivize agriculture and push the peasants out of the village in order to obtain an army of workers for the accelerated industrialization of the country.
As a result of the famine caused by forced collectivization, many regions of the RSFSR (the Volga region, the Central Black Earth Region, the North Caucasus, the Urals, Crimea, part of Western Siberia), Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Belarus suffered. About 1932 million people died from starvation and diseases associated with malnutrition in 1933-7.
The peoples of the USSR paid a huge price for industrialization, for the gigantic economic breakthrough that occurred in those years. The eternal monument to the heroes and victims of the 30s was the Dnieper Hydroelectric Power Station, Magnitogorsk and Kuznetsk Iron and Steel Works, metallurgical giants of Ukraine Zaparozhstal, Azovstal, Krivorozhstal, large coal mines in Donbass, Kuzbass, Karaganda, Kharkov Tractor Plant, Moskovsky and Gorkov Automobile factories - more than 1500 industrial enterprises in total, many of which still provide for the economic development of independent states in the former USSR.
In an effort to solve the food supply problems of sharply growing industrial centers at all costs, the leadership of the USSR and the Union republics applied repressive measures to ensure grain procurements, which significantly aggravated the grave consequences of the 1932 crop failure. However, there is no historical evidence that famine was organized along ethnic lines. Millions of citizens of the USSR, representatives of various peoples and nationalities living mainly in agricultural regions of the country became its victims. This tragedy does not and cannot have internationally established signs of genocide and should not be the subject of contemporary political speculation.
The State Duma reaffirms its commitment to the provisions of the joint statement of delegations of a number of UN member states, adopted at the 58th session of the UN General Assembly in 2003, which expressed sympathy for millions of victims of the tragedy, regardless of their nationality.
Deputies of the State Duma, paying tribute to the victims of the famine of the 30s on the territory of the USSR, strongly condemn the regime that neglected the lives of people in order to achieve economic and political goals, and declare the unacceptability of any attempts to revive totalitarian regimes in the states that formerly belonged to the USSR neglecting the rights and lives of their citizens.
You can relate to state power in your own country in any way, but what you can’t do is ignore it. And until the opposite is proved, it is necessary to rely on those figures that it provides. Believe it or not, this is already a matter of professional competence of every citizen, and it is clear that the opinion of a doctor of historical sciences, who has studied this problem for many years, has much more weight than the opinion of a stubborn amateur.
In any case, even if we take the smallest number of dead, and this is 2 (2-3) - 2,7 million, it will be obvious that this is not a few thousand and not one million, but all that is more than one, it is “a lot,” and, therefore, our reader and commentator under the nickname Olgovich did not “cheat,” but cited the pure truth in his commentary, even if you count only at this minimum!
PS Well, when in 30 days the answer comes from the FSB archive and if it is interesting enough, then it will be possible to write another article ... Already on the materials sent!
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