The presentation of the fifth volume of the “Book of Memory in commemoration
of the victims of political repressions in the Krasnoyarsk Territory” was held
these days (PIK “Offset”, 2007. This volume was realized as a result of a commun
initiative taken by the “Memorial” Organization of Human Rights and Social
Welfare, the Archival Agency, the Agency of Social Protection of the Population
(regional administration), the regional Public Prosecutor’s, as well as the
regional FSB office.
The most essential part of this book is represented by a list of citizens, whose family names start with the letters L – M, who were affected by illegal repressions within our region. As the leader of the project, the chairman of the “Memorial” Organization – Aleksei Babiy –, commented, “we are still in the early stages, at the very beginning of a long way, but we do hope that we will be able to completely fulfill our moral commitment with regard to those innocent people who were tormented to death and that we will succeed to commemorate each of them, every single person …”.
The book also contains a chapter titled “For whom the bell tolls”, where we will find the pictures of repressed persons. Look into the faces of these simple people, our countrymen! Many of them were dreaming of a clear and sparkling Communist future: they had to serve sentences in penal camps or were shot right into the back of their head. The volume starts with extracts from the RSFSR Penal Code of the year 1926 also mentioning Section 58 (“Counterrevolutionary Crimes”), which gained notoriety. All heroes of this book were sentenced on this section, as well. The victims came from the whole social stratum, among them were Communists and mugwumps, men and women and – even children.
Under the sarcastic headline “Happy childhood” we can read the memoirs of Maria Volkova, a chapter dedicated to the hard fate of her family and close relatives. A yellowed photo, taken on the Otdykha Island (otdykh = recreation; translator’s note), shows five children, who are all smiles (among them the authoress of the memoirs). At that time, the slogan “Thank you, Comrade Stalin, for enabling us to experience a happy childhood! – resounded throughout the land. However, the happy childhood of these children did not last for a long time. Marina’s father – Georgiy Troshin, a famous Krasnoyarsk musician, conductor of the Orchestra of Folkloristic Musical Instriuments, was arrested shortly after a summer family picknick. He was executed (shot dead) in October 1937 (exactly seventy years ago). Other children pictured on this photo became orphans, too. Marina was stamped “the daughter of an enemy of the people”; it distorted all the rest of her life. Until today she is unable to recall the day, when they refused to register her with the Pedagogic Institute, in spite of her excellent marks, without breaking into tears. The fear of humiliation, overall bans and restrictions have been haunting her (as well as other orphans) for the rest of her life.
When talking honestly: all citizens of our country were victims of Stalin’s repressions, even those, who where seriously convinced that they were happy and free, who nowadays nostalgically recall those past times of “good order”, when the state took guaranteed custody of the people. For many of us it is very hard, even after so many years have passed, to escape from this slavish fear and lackey’s belief in a good “Master”. May this be the hope of the – younger generation.
Eduard Rusakov
“Krasnoyarsk Worker”, 30.10.2007