The Activity of the Authorized Persons and Activists During the Organization of the Holodomor-Genocide in Kyiv and Chernihiv Regions in 1932-1933

Abstract

The aim of the study is to analyze the examples of the struggle of the activists and grain procurement authorized persons with «kurkuls’ element» during the Holodomor genocide of 1932-1933 in Kyiv and Chernihiv regions. The materials of local press of these years were used. Methodology is based on the principles of historicism, objectivity, and systematics. The methods of source study of periodicals, as well as the general historical methods (historical genetical, retrospective, historical typological) were used. Scientific novelty. On the basis of a wide spectrum of materials from the press, the destructive role of the activists and authorized persons in struggle with the «kurkuls’ element» during the grain procurements, which led to the Holodomor genocide in the given regions, was argued.

Conclusion. It was mentioned that one of the main and, as it was found, quite effective instruments of the political technology of the communist totalitarian regime, were the groups of village «activists», perpetrators and authorized persons. They used a wide arsenal of methods to combat the «kurkuls» and «kurkuls’ element» while implementing the criminal norms of grain procurement. When the situation with «kurkuls» was understandable – it was absolutely artificial image of enemy, which was used in relation to the farmers during the mass propaganda campaign, the situation with so called «kurkuls’ element» is much more interesting. The communist regime included traitors, saboteurs and deserters from among the village activists who refused to comply with the criminal rules of grain procurement into this group. They were identified as «henchmen» and «kurkuls» allies, which are subject to public condemnation, expulsion from the party and sentencing to different terms of imprisonment depending on the degree of guilt. It was found that the communist regime, using the district press, directly pointed out and identified such «kurkuls’ agents with party tickets», based on the method of emphasizing personal and local factors, contrasting them with «udarnik» elements, which included individuals, brigades and villages that fulfilled and overfulfilled grain procurement.