Anatoliy Iliin,
the candidate of historical sciences,
the senior lecturer of KSU
The regional elite began to be formed from Sergey Kirov's foul murder in December, 1, 1934 and introductions of the simplified legal proceedings on affairs about terror. The majority of heads were lost in October, 29, 1937, and bodies of six from them were buried in the first tomb of dead ashes in Don Monastery.
In December, 7, 1934 presidium VTSIK «at the request of Soviet, economic and public organizations» has formed Krasnoyarsk region. It included 25 areas, and also Khakass autonomous region, Evenki and Taimir national districts.
At once they have started to form the machinery for new Krasnoyarsk region. At the Political bureau they have created the commission led by Nikolay Ezhov, the secretary of Central Committee. He was quickly charged to collect and send 300 appointees to the region.
There was no representative from Krasnoyarsk among heads of region. It is an old imperial tradition to shuffle the administrative staff that they had not time to acquire communications with local elite more often and to like interests of the population.
Regional committee VKP(í) was headed by 35-years Pavel Akulinushkin. Pavell was the delegate of four congresses and has reserved membership in CPC. Stepanov, Lutin, Dudelit and 22 persons came from Odessa to Krasnoyarsk with him.
Semen Goljudov was 38 years old. In February, 1934 he was appointed the secretary of Chita’s regional committee and in December he was transferred as the second secretary to Krasnoyarsk regional committee. To a new place of service Goljudov took out with himself from Chita 24 managers with their families. His wife in Krasnoyarsk began to serve as the assistant to the regional public prosecutor on special affairs.
Later, in May, 1936 the representative of the Commission of the party control S.T.Havkin arrived to Krasnoyarsk. He was 41 year old. From 1930 till 1934 he was the assistant manager of an organizational-instructor department in CCC-RKI, a member of board of its national committee. He was selected as a member of CPC on the XV²² party congress.
Joseph Reshchikov was 42 years old. He took out his team from Odessa and filled regional executive committee posts from department managers to typists.
It is necessary to attribute to economic elite Alexander Subbotin, a chief of Krasmashstroj. He arrived to Krasnoyrsk at the end of November, 1932 with his wife and son. He was 32 years old. He traveled four months in Germany, England and Holland before his assignment to Krasnoyarsk.
One of most profitable Krasmash workshops was a shipyard. It was organized by nobleman Alexander Telegin, who lived in Krasnoyarsk since 1903. He was rather enterprising person. Telegin bought on a Chelyabinsk tractor factory defective details. In Krasnoyarsk they collected engines "Stalinets-50" from these details and altered for work on boats.
27-years engineer Sergey Sedov appeared in Krasmash in autumn 1935. Lev Trotskiy’s son was arrested in March, 4, 1935 according to «the Kremlin business» which was started by Nikolay Ezhov under the Stalin’s instruction. He was given 5-years term in a concentration camp, but one week later imprisonment suddenly changed on the exile. Subbotin enlisted engineer Sedov to the operational department since September, 21, 1935. in October, 10 he deducted Sergey from staff and concluded with him the labour contract for one year.
In January, 1935 a closed letter «Lessons of events connected with foul Kirov’s murder» arrived to Krasnoyarsk from CC VKP(í). It was about the necessity of destroy those people who belonged to Trotsky and Zinoviev’s party as White Guards. The secretary of regional committee Pavel Akulinushkin sent letters to district committees, whence came formal resolutions of «class hatred». Then the skilled cleaner forced to repeat the assemblies.
The first capture included 57 former oppositionists. Among them were 26 exiled of active workers and 4 local rebels who did not hide the accessory to opposition. The Trotsky past of 27 person was found out at verification of party documents.
Program campaign has ideologically provided political court. In 24 of August there was announced death sentence to Zinoviev, Kamenev, Evdokimov, Bakaev and other defendant. Trotsky and his elder son Lev Sedov were disposed to arrest in cases of their occurrence in territory of the USSR.
During process members of party discussed a new CC letter, and results have brought at assembly of a city active in August, 23-25 in the House of Red army. The secretary of regional committee Akulinushkin reported about route of the underground block and offered to active workers to expose local enemies.
Manager of a cultural - propaganda department of regional committee Latvian Arnold Emolin declared that Subbotin lost the control above the finance and badly struggled with enemies. Emolin called «to be released from any decay, from all enemies who try to struggle against a party and our leader Stalin». Gubin, a secretary of Kirov district committee added that Subbotin counts himself the big owner and overlooks about duties of a party member.
However members of the party let Subbotin off with an easy fright. In September, 25 he was caused on session of party board KPK and declared strict reprimand for easing of class vigilance and a contamination of construction by anti-soviet elements.
All weight of communal exile fell upon Aria Mirsky, the chief of the railway. His real name was Jury Konstantinovich Kabahidze. He was born in 1890 in family of the Georgian prince. After the civil war Mirsky contacted with Trotsky. He signed policy statements of "46", "83" and "13", and acted at opposition assemblies. He repented in August, 1928, and the secretary of party board CC Emeljan Yaroslavl declared him a pardon of all sins. Then someone of high patrons enlisted him as a student of Military - transport academy. There he studied till February, 1936, having received an assignment to Krasnoyarsk.
Representative of KPK Khavkin told how «their majesty» covered people with obscene words and dismissed hands. A hall filled with noise, someone cried out «And still he carries the award on the breast». Water-transport worker Rukovishnikov has gone most further. He did not doubt that in cases of war Mirsky would hand over road to Japanese.
In October, 1936 CC taken Mirsky off from work. In December in his private affair appeared the fat pencil inscription “To disband, as excluded of a party for trotskizm». Then in January, 1937 the Political Bureau deprived with his award. Probably, at that time Mirsky was not alive.
1937 began from the noisy campaign devoted to century from the date of Alexander Pushkin’s death. In anniversary speeches and newspaper leading articles for the first time loudly began to sound majestic notes, albatross of world revolution poorly resembling pensions. During campaign the Kremlin ideologies finished construction of the Stalinism doctrine. People were explained that the leninism is the heir-at-law of all Russian culture, and it was entirely inherited by Stalin who loves all Russian. Under this banner «Kremlin mountaineer» finished the rests of the left and right opposition, carried out decorative elections to a Supreme Soviet.
Soon in capital passed a process of Pyatakov and on Krasmash rabble-rousing meeting was held. There workers damned Trotsky’s son, who wanted them to poison with gas, and loudly approved punishment of large Moscow officials.
After factory meeting Gubin arranged an active session of a bureau of the Kirov district committee. In the resolution it was spoken that «Subbotin concentrated around himself the whole group of Trotsky and class-hostile elements which conducted blasting, harmful and counterrevolutionary work. Subbotin was close connected with this trotsky and harmful rack, created for it a special conditions. Being directly connected with harmful group on Krasmashstroy he carried out a line of double-dealing, deceived a party, and hid the valid position at a factory, giving the fictitious data on performance of industrial financial plan. Director was removed from structure of a bureau and took off the party card.
Subbotin informed Sergo Ordgonikidze about it. National committee calmed the director and promised to return the party card. In the beginning of February the factory was visited by commission Glavzoloto. Regional experts heard their conclusions, ascertained full absence of wrecking and gave Subbotin his party card.
From February, 23 till March, 2 in Moscow passed notorious plenum of Central Committee, whence liberal communists Nikolay Buharin and Alexander Rykov withdrew to cellars of Lubjanka. At session of plenum Stalin sharply criticized chiefs who selected to themselves commands on the basis of personal fidelity and friendship. These true employees helped their chiefs to stand apart from local residents and orders of Central Committee. On the other hand the General Secretary praised for literacy and honesty of “small people”, enemies of whom closed road to the big career.
Stalin declared “Personnel revolution”. The Russian governors often addressed to people for punishment of different branches of the bureaucratic machinery. The party structure at once was on the point of collapse, and from dark bottoms rushed upwards new instigators. 70 percents of participants of February-March plenum soon were lost.
In March, 16-19, returned from Moscow, Akulinushkin lead plenum of regional committee where he told capital news. In a lobby of plenum Akulinushkin shared with the trusted secretaries a classified information. He was accepted by Nikolay Ezhov who gave him arrangement to finish with the Right, but forbad excluding from the party without the sanction of special services. Zalpeter confirmed this instruction and promised to prepare quickly necessary instructions.
In breaks between sessions secretary of Abansky’s district committee Shakhnovsky persistently asked the secretary of regional committee and chief of UNKVD what should he do with former red guerrillas and their leader Buda. The heads ordered him not to be put out yet and patiently wait for his hour.
8 days later secretary of Taseevsk’s district committee Kulashnikov sent to the regional committee telegram in which declared, that he couldn’t wait more. Having waited still week Kulashnikov threw to destroy former insurgents at his own risk. The first his victims were 60 peasants.
The first arrests among command structure of former country army began at autumn of 1936. Soon former member of national committee Yakovenko confirmed inspectors that directed to Siberia instructions on preparation revolts of the concentrated shock grouping of armies.
The leader of insurgents was Nikolay Buda who managed reception of the chairman regional executive committee. In March, 1936 Buda gave the positive characteristic to his army colleague Lapin, which did not rescue him. Buda repented to CPC that he did not know dark last of his fighting comrade. He was strictly warned and was not extinguished old party collecting. He was arrested on April, 17, and in his desk was found 200 overlooked country complaints.
The veterans of guerrilla movement who were not obeyed to admiral Kolchak were shot in October, 30, 1937. For judges on the death sentence to each red commander were spent from 15 to 45 minutes.
In June, 9, 1937 in Krasnoyarsk suddenly appeared secretary of CPC Matvey Shkiryatov and Sergey Sobolev. Direct from the railway station they went to department of NCVD. Leonuk complained to visitors that wanted to take Maxim Stepanov as the secretary of a city town committee, but Akulinushkin did not allow to do it, because dragged a member of city committee on a post of the assistant in regional committee.
The ambassador visitors came into office of the regional committee secretary where Sobolev from a threshold stretched Akulinushkin the warrant on Stepanov’s arrest. Pavel began to doubt, sighed for a long time, and then signed. From Shkiryatov’s words, Stepanov "admitted" on the second day of interrogations. His personal connections were quickly unwound up to Akulinushkin.
In June, 16 Alexander Subbotin was arrested, and next day "Pravda" published an article “The strange position of Krasnoyarsk regional committee”. Journalist Sintsov wrote that the Siberian members of a party apprehended arrest of several colleagues as a bolt from the blue. In his opinion, dirty enemy traces conducted in regional committee of a party.
Further events developed at reckless speed. All summer reports and extracts of a bureau of regional committee are cut up, glued and corrected by different ink. Akulinushkin backdating excluded from a party the enemy of people Stepanov and the chairman of city executive committee N.N. Balakhonov.
In the meantime there was plenum of CC in the Kremlin from June, 23 till June, 29. Nikolay Ezhov informed security officers about huge plot which got the country on a threshold of civil war and demanded him emergency powers. Only in the first day of a tragic farce 26 people were excluded from structure TSK, and by the end of sessions of five more. Ezhov pulled out for himself announcer's powers, including the indulgence on tortures.
Akulinushkin tried to keep his place from the last forces. In June, 25 the secretary informed the thinned regional top about arrest of the right conspirator Semen Goludov and his four trusted employees. Next day the secretary handed over Afanasy Lutin doing a duty of the vice-president of regional executive committee.
In June, 26 and 27 party figures of the city organizations converged on meeting on evenings. Pavel Akulinushkin told them about exposure of new enemies, casually minded his own misses. However Khavkin declared that Akulinushkin surrounded himself with enemies and the bootlickers, sung him dithyrambs.
In a day security officers withdrew from the device of regional committee 10 instructors, clerks and typists. The technical staff of regional committee quickly replenished with casual people. In documents appeared the weight of rough typing errors. For example, in a shorthand of 7th plenum of regional committee instead of a word “proletarian” was printed “treacherous court”.
In July, 9, 1937 Akulinushkin was arrested in Moscow, without the sanction of the public prosecutor and the appropriate official registration of papers. Already in July, 11 the correspondent of “Pravda” Sintsov told to the country as the Krasnoyarsk secretary covered enemies of people. Usual party members exposed director of Krasmash Subbotin, who harmed to a factory and tried to hush up business about a poisoning of workers. Regional committee tightened investigation, and fair communists accused of undermining one-man management, helping wreckers to cover up traces. Therefore Sintsov did not doubt, that heads of regional committee left from party rails and have lost trust of the organization.
In July, 21, 1937 the 7th plenum of regional committee was opened in Krasnoyarsk. According to the shorthand, passions began to boil already at elections of working presidium. There was a cry from a hall that they do not trust a bureau; therefore it is necessary to choose people personally. Khavkin insisted to ratify the list from the rest of members of a bureau with visitors Sobolev and Shkiryatov.
At once new secretary Sergey Sobolev passed to personnel revolution. He explained to Siberian party members that people who belong to the Trotsky, Bukharin, Rykov’s party, spies, the Japaneese-German fascists and prosperous guerrillas are agreed among themselves. They remind snakes in a bag, but they cannot be distinguished from each other. In Krasnoyarsk enemies penetrated on managing posts and endangered the important territory. They have spread out the party organization - one having bribed, others - having made drunk, and the third having enticed a post. Even at shoe factory “Spartak” underground workers from regional committee prepared for strike, having deprived with workers of raw material and wages. Sobolev transferred party member the installation of Stalin to put forward the staff from “small people”, pressed down by a boot of bastard Akulinushkin.
“Personnel revolution” especially dominated on summer and autumn of 1937. However, after falling of Ezhov’s national committee its waves continued to wash off various layers of the population and branches of administrative personnel. To the second party conference in Krasnoyarsk territory removed 38 first and 14 second secretaries of district committees, 31 men from them was accused of wrecking. Destinies of participants of tragically events developed on miscellaneous.
In August, 20 Pavel Akulinushkin started to testify. According to the report to create the regional “underground” organization, Irkutsk secretary Michael Razumov helped him. He sent to Krasnoyarsk about 25 the “right” employees led by Goludov. In turn the chairman of regional executive committee Joseph Reshchikova was enlisted in the West-Siberian edge by the Rights. Conspirators managed to keep the staff prosperous revolts of 1937. Former guerrillas from Moscow were supervised by national committee of agriculture Yakovenko, and local cells were ordered by Buda.
From the end of a summer of 1935 the Right started counterrevolutionary activity. In the industry they covered wreckers. Goludov and Stepanov under a kind of struggle against rush work disorganized the Stakhanovsk’s movement on PVRZ. Gold mines were littered by people who belong to Trotsky’s party. They started prospecting works, conducted injurious extraction of metal and spoilt roads. In agriculture wreckers made excessive plans, distributed an infection among cattle, delivered unusable seeds in northern areas and broke repair of tractors. Further Akulinushkin showed that underground workers prepared for revolt, and Stepanov were prepared insurgents from former by the guerrilla.
Akulinushkin was executed in October, 30, 1937. According to data of “Memorial”, he was cremated, and then buried in a tomb of dead ashes ¹ 1 of Don Monastery. Near to him the ash of Semen Goludov is based, who was shot down in October, 30 1937 in Moscow.
In March, 1957 the Military board of the Supreme Court of the USSR defined, that business in the attitude of Akulinushkin P.D., Reshchikov I.I., Goljudov S.T., Ljutin A.V. and others was forged by former executives UNKVD of Krasnoyarsk Region. Concerning to originators of tragedy individual definition was born for their attraction to the responsibility.
In April, 16, 1937 Sergey Sedov was delivered from prisons of Sukhanovsk to Krasnoyarsk. In October, 29, 1937 visiting session of Military board of the Supreme Court of the USSR sentenced Sedov to the supreme measure of punishment. He was executed in midnight behind city about what the act was made. Zinovev’s nephew Rafail Zaks was also shot.
Alexander Telegin was arrested in 31 October, 1936. Inspectors approved that the former landowner and the factory owner for many years struggled with the Soviet authority. He hammered around himself a group of the anti-soviet adjusted experts. Besides with the help of bribes he organized purchase of sub-standard details of tractor motors on a Chelyabinsk factory. In 1934 Telegin contacted with German spy Andrey Shaubom, who created on Krasmashvagonstroy the German-Japaneese-trotskists diversive-harmful organization together with Sergey Sedovym, which killed Sergey Kirov. Telegin occupied managing position in this underground organization and supported contacts with Sergey Sedov's youth terrorist group.
In October, 29, 1937 the closed judicial session of Military Board of the Supreme Court of the USSR was held. Alexander Viktorovich did not recognize his guilty. However the court recognized his guilty and sentenced to a death penalty. Proceeding was only 20 minutes. In that night he was shot behind city.
In November, 14, 1956 the Main military public prosecutor brought in the protest on Telegin’s business. It was established by additional check, that any objective proofs of guilt of A.V.Telegina in materials of an affair are not present; hence, he was condemned unreasonably.
Ten days after arrest Subbotin recognized himself as the participant of the counterrevolutionary organization in the gold industry where he was enlisted by Alexander Serebrovsky in 1933. Serebrovsky hinted the director, that such factory is unnecessary to anybody, who carried out it that start up and builds. In 1935 he advised to take money from “Vagonprom” and not to give cars to them.
In July, 10, 1938 Subbotin was presented the bill of particulars. In three days session of visiting session of Military board was held. Subbotin declared judges that he was not the participant of the counterrevolutionary organization and refused all indications. The court recognized Subbotin guilty of the crimes stipulated by clauses 58-1à, 58-7, 58-8, 58-11 of Criminal Codes of RSFSR and sentenced him to execution with confiscation of property. The verdict was final and was subject to immediate performance. Under the report, judicial session opened equally at 13, and was closed after 10 minutes.
In a period of Khrushchev thawing weather his widow Lina Hristianova began to strive on rehabilitation. In September, 1956 the military Office of Public Prosecutor finished check on Subbotin’s business. Appeared, that ostensibly recruited by former director, Ermilov, Rabbi and other persons condemned unreasonably, their affairs are transferred on rehabilitation. The assistant to main military public prosecutor Maximov demanded to cancel a verdict on again opened circumstances, and to stop business behind absence of structure of a crime.
Stalin skilfully manipulated mass consciousness and various elements of the bureaucratic machinery. However the main role in personnel revolution he allocated the agency of state security.
In 1936 a place of chief UNKVD occupied 37-years Ans Carlovich Zalpeter. He quickly cleaned factory “wreckers” and in April, 1937 Nikolay Ezhov appointed his assistant, and soon awarded with Lenin award and put the chief of 2d department GUGB NKVD of the USSR. However, in January, 1938 he was transferred in a personnel reserve, and in March sent on construction of Kujibyshevsk hydrounit. In May, 22, 1938 Zalpeter was arrested, and in March, 4, 1936 he was shot, cremated and buried ashes in a communal grave on a cemetery behind the Don monastery.
In April, 1937 the 45-years senior major of state security Foma Akimovich Leonuk appeared in Krasnoyarsk with an award of the Red banner on a breast. Though Foma was familiar with Akulinushkin and Reshchikov on Odessa, the local elite did not accept him in the circle. Leonuk only sent official reports on them in the central device. At the end of July, 1937 prisoners’ heads quickly admitted him how they disorganized the Soviet economy. He recognized all bolsheviks to begin active security officers.
In October, 1937 Leonuk was appointed the assistant to chief of GULAG. After Stalin’s death Leonjuk engaged in children's corrective colonies. However in May, 1954 he was dismissed. Two years later the Military board of the Supreme Court of the USSR taken out an individual definition about attraction to the responsibility of former heads UNKVD of Krasnoyarsk Region. Foma was deprived his rank, as “Undermined trust during work in authorities and unworthy in this connection high rank of the general”. Till 1967 Leonuk silently lived on pension and died in a new year's eve.
In September, 1937 Krasnoyarsk department of NKVD was ordered by 34-years Dmitry Grechihin. By November Grechihin caught the whole gang of enemies, received an award of the Red star and became the candidate of a Supreme Soviet from the Yenisei constituency. In February, 1938 of he was sent to Odessa, and then to Kiev. There in summer 1938 he was given a rank of the major and put to act as the assistant of national committee of internal affairs of Ukraine. On autumn Grechihin headed Rostov department of NKVD, but there his career was broken. The security officer was arrested and shot in February, 1939. Under petition of relatives the case of Grechihin was reconsidered in 1989, but in posthumous rehabilitation it was categorically refused.
Krasnoyarsk security officers protected a ruling mode and destructions together with the cut branches of its imperious groupings. According to the veteran of special services Vladimir Bushuev, in 1936-37 years 24 employees of Krasnoyarsk department of NKVD were subjected to repression. From heads of management was posthumously rehabilitated only Ans Zalpeter.
*****
Till now researchers argue a reality of an antistalin underground. Someone trusts in strong spirit of underground workers which prepared for mutinies and revolutions. Others doubt, that business has gone further criticism of a mode or spontaneous sabotage. This version is silently confirmed with judicial bodies for a half of century. They rehabilitate victims “according to absence of a corpus delicti”.
Stalin’s revolution turned back cleaning of administrative elite. However, as well as many other revolutions “from top”, the rabble-rousing company quickly left from the given coast and sense of many active thugs.
Stalin managed to leave the winner of their revolutionary storm. He interrupted the leaders, capable to lead people against his mode, and generated new administrative elite from obedient people. Actually the mode of “dictatorship of proletariat” was replaced to dictatorship of Iosif Stalin. He revived Russian empire, having kept communistic phraseology and democratic institutes, but only in a decorative appearance.
The similar mode developed in ancient Rome after long civil strifes. Citizens continued to choose city councils, not noticing, that the republic turned to empire, and military dictators - in emperors.