The „Memorial“ organization was founded twenty years ago – at the time of the
demise of the Soviet epoch, on an inebriant wave of enthusiasm, when it seemed
that you just needed to stretch out your hands to come up to the freedom you had
so long been looking for, to experience the reality of equal rights for all and
the solemn triumph of law and order … Did all these dreams actually come true?
On the eve of the Day in commemoration of the victims of political repressions we met with Aleksei Babiy, head of the Krasnoyarsk affiliate of the International “Memorial” Organization of Historical Illumination, Social Welfare and Human Rights. We started our conversation with a review of the time, when the Krasnoyarsk “Memorial” came into existence.
- In October 1988 Vladimir Sirotinin and I set off for Moscow to attend the inaugural meeting for the All-Union “Memorial” Society, - Aleksei Babiy recalls. – Its official founders were social organizations such as the Writers’ Union or the Association of Cinematographs, which were “in the fore” during the conference. A lot of bureaucrates and functionaries were present, too …
- As Lidia Chukovskaya mentioned in her diary published in the “New World” recently, there were quite different faces within the presidium – from former prisoners up to all kinds of evildoers and sluggish people, in other words – public servants and true bureaucrates …”. She remarked that academic Sakharov was the honorary chairman. And who was the initiator of the creation of “Memorial”?
- Its originators were the journalist Yuriy Shchekochikhin and human rights activist Lev Ponomarev, who, in 1987, published an article in the “Literary Newspaper”, in which they recalled that Khrushchev had already promised the erection of a memorial – a memorial in commemoration of the victims of Stalin’s repressions. And the time had come to realize this project. In every town they began to collect signatures. The same happened in Krasnoyarsk, and soonafter, a circle of people formed up in Krasnoyarsk who later became the initiators of the Krasnoyarsk “Memorial”. At first, the organization called itself “People’s fates”; it was headed by Volodya Birger who has since departed. Step by step they did not just collect signatures to support the idea of erecting a memorial stone, but also began to systematically register all victims of repressions and talk about the necessity to grant them financial aid. Finally, they came to the decision that it would be reasonable to found an All-Russian society.
The 30 October was intentionally chosen for this event to take place – the Day in commemoration of the victims of political repressions.
- And why does this exactly happen on the 30 of October?
On the 30 October 1974 a mass protest of political prisoners took place in several camps at the same time – they were agitating for the protection of their rights. This day later became Commemoration Day. When I went to Moscow together with Misha Molibog and Vladimir Sirotinin, the very first chairman of our society, we were definitely prepared for being arrested. For this was the first time in Soviet history that people gathered in Moscow in order to create an unambiguously anti-Soviet organization in public. In the beginning, it was quite difficult to foreknow what might happen and how the whole thing would end. By the way, some delegees from regions were stopped at the airport for false pretences …
The conference took place inside the premises of the movie theater. The attending public officials were pitching on the delegees and tried their best to exert pressure on the organizers. In the nick of time those became scared and declared that the meeting was not meant as an inaugural meeting at all, but that it was just some preparatory conference.
- Which details of that day did you memorize most clearly?
- Up to that time, I had not habitually been part of the dissidents’ scenery; therefore I had the opportunity to get acquainted with different interesting people for the first time. Many of the attenders sitting in the hall were former prisoners – at that time most of them were still alive. And I do remember my amazement about the fact that they had such an entirely different view about the questions and problems in question. Among the prisoners there were both inveterate communists and convinced anti-communists. A serious quarrel flared up when they tried to define which parameters are to be considered as “political repressions” and from which historic moment these repressions actually started. When someone made a comment to the effect that it would be reasonable to go back to the year 1917 – up to nowadays, there were serious disturbances! There was a heated debate when dealing with the subject of “social benefits for victims of repressions”; among the objectors were a few former prisoners, all convinced communists … In general, everybody was aiming to just speak out on the different subjects, the people wished to disbosom themselves. But they did not make any constructive decisions that very day … And then Sirotinin and I caused another tumult. I entered the lectern and proposed to still considering this conference as an inaugural meeting. Did they all think we had come here from afar to just listen to a lot of idle talk? However, my suggestion was not paid any attention to. Nobody intended to further argue about it, and another speaker was admitted to the floor without delay.
- What kind of interesting people you had the opportunity to meet with?
- I recall that I attemped to make an interview with Bulat Okudzhava. But at that time I did not even know that both his parents were also victims of repressions, so that a reasonable conversation did not really come about. Two months later, in January 1989, there was another conference, the inaugural meeting. The All-Union “Memorial” was founded; the participants passed the charter and elected the executive board. But two more years passed by, until they were finally willing to officially register the organization.
- Since that time twenty years passed by … What has the Krasnoyarsk Memorial” achieved so far?
- One of the most important results is the perpetuation of commemoration of the victims of political repressions. In all regions of the country they are editing the “Book of Memory” upon the initiative and with the collaboration of “Memorial”. Memorial places were set up, memorial plates arranged. And in Krasnoyarsk they put up a memorial stone. The sixth volume of the Book of Memory has just been published (by the way this volume was rendered possible by the kind support of the regional administration, and I would like to express my gratitude to them). Apart from this, we carried out extensive research in the range of history of political repressions. And now we dispose of a realistic historic conception, starting with the year 1917 up to the late 1980s. A lot of interesting documents have been published, which enabled us to to “unhinge” numerous hitherto existine concepts in the truest sense of the word. Thus, for example, the NKVD Command N° 477 which was passed in 1937 became generally known and redounded to an entirely new rating of the Great Terror. For, till nowadays, many people are of the opinion that just representatives of the party and Soviet elite became victims of Stalin’s repressions, but the above-mentioned command shows that the terror turned against the whole people, particularly against farming communities. So-called limits were determined by the supreme authorities. They expiration date for the fulfilment of these norm limits was the 5 December 1937, and this means that they intended to purge the voters’ circle before the elections. This can, in fact, be described as a downright political technology. Later, however, they also got “enthusiastic” about such a procedure on location and were voluntarily ready to fulfil the plan of their leader …
- For good reason “Memorial” is also called Society of Historical Illumination …
- Yes, during all these years we held all kinds of lectures, gave numerous lessons at school, published many articles in the newspaper. The 30 October became the All-Russian Commemoration Day. I would also like to mention that the Law about the Rehabilitation of Victims of political Repressions was mainly elaborated by “Memorialists”; and this even happened in quite a little while – immediately after August 1991, upon the advice of President Eltsin, who was a member of the “Memorial” Advisory Counsil at that time. Thanks to this law more than fifethousand individuals were rehabilitated in our region alone. These people , for the first time in their life, began to feel themselves adequate citizens with equal rights; moreover, they were now subject to the payment of social benefits (with regard to monthly rent, medical care, etc.).
- And which goals did you miss?
- Unfortunately, we have not been able to raise the people’s awareness and give it a different direction … The people still have not changed a lot. And today’s turn towards “chauvinism” and authoritarianism has meanwhile been accepted with a certain gratefulness and enthusiasm. We do not have to search long for further examples. In the past three years, they have three times been trying to erect Stalin’s memorial in Krasnoyarsk, and although representatives of the authorities rightly rejected this idea, fifty percent of the interviewed locals argued “for” … This is evidence of the fact that country and people are not yet prepared for a normal, democratic, non-totalitarian life. And it means that all our pursuit of illumination has not been crowned with success so far. By the way, the number of “memorialists” has not increased, either; there are just 10 of them in the whole Krasnoyarsk Territory, and almost all of them are pensioners and invalids. Thus, it does not seem to be in our power to “reform” people’s heads …
- As Lidia Chukovskaya, who I mentioned before, wrote “the human rights’ movement will never become a mass movement in our country, because people, at the most, will get upset and complain about unequal daily food rations or bead dwellings – that’s all! No sense of honour, no sense of one’s own human dignity…”. So much we would like to believe that she is wrong … But let us come back to “Memorial”s anniversary. What do you consider to be “Memorial’s” most important task today?
- The tasks are the same as before – the perpetuation of commemoration of the victims of political repressions and awareness training. We dispose of good activists not only in Krasnoyarsk but also in the districts. In the Birilyussy District, for example, there is our “Memorial” member Laktinova. She is the director of the local museum. Or – Aleksandra Ivanovna Frolova in Kuragino – really fantastic woman! Although advanced in years she managed to erect a memorial stone and edit several books. But awareness training has become our most important task. Right now they are trying once again to impose some Stalinist comprehension of history on us; some strange but typical rehabilitation of stalinism is presently going on on TV. Under the pledge of objectiveness can be found numerous lies.
Supposedly, not that many repressions happened – and they were not that cruel, either. As suitable advisors former investigators appear on the scene, as well as those who used to imprison innocent people at that time. More and more often, particularly on the First Channel. the interpretation of history is being made in the same way, as the VKP (B) used to carry out their “crash courses. If these gentlemen behave in such an in human and despiosing way towards the victims of Stalinist repressions, it means that they have the same attitude towards human beings nowadays and that a recurrence of the past may happen once again at any time. Those who justify the crimes committed in the past are prepared to commit them again.
- Do you consider the comeback of socialism possible?
- No, the next winding within the spiral of totalitarism will develop into a kind of national chauvinism in our country, which means that the 1933 variant, as it happened in Germany, might gain ground here, too. And in my opinion, this problem is rather for the people themselves to decide, than by the state power. Unfortunately, a great many tend to national patriotism being ready to consider any foreign person an enemy. Private motives of the babbitts and interests of the state power coincide, whereby it is utterly convenient for the representatives of the power that they are not found guilty, but those who “entered” the country. We are trying hard to explain the facts to the people, reading lectures in schools, talking about a tolerance and humanity. About things like Chechens an Tadzhiks being human beings just like the Russians …
- Alas, it will be difficult for you to vanquish the prejudices, Aleksei Andreevich. So far the “Memorialists” are dealing with awareness trainig, others indulge in inveterate demagogy, play with the instincts and unpleasant feelings of simple people. You address yourselves to people’s intellect, but maybe you will have to affect their emotions and feelings, as well …
- This is exactly what we have been trying all the time. Today, I have been to a school, where I told the students about women’s everyday life in the GULAG. And a few girls had to fight back their tears!
The guest was interviewed by
Eduard RUSAKOV
“Krasnoyarsk Labourer”, 01.11.2008
Photo by: Valeriy Sabolotskiy