Bolshevik authorities and the Ukrainian peasantry: repressions of the "tow's" brigades in Podillia in 1929-1933

Abstract

In the article the totalitarian repressions of bolshevist of occupation power are probed in Ukraine during the forced continuous collectivization and rozkurkulennya of peasantry, in particular, criminal activity of «tow» brigades during the permanent exception of food on Podilli during 1929-1933, that resulted in mass impoverishment of population and golodomoru-genocide. The bolshevist mode as early as 1928 was initiator, for fulfiling the khlibozagotivel'nikh plans, bringing in of work-gangs. In 1929 it was already forbidden them to abandon villages without permission of raypartkomiv – to final implementation of purveyances. Forming and activity of «tow» brigades purchased mass character with beginning of continuous collectivization, in obedience to decisions in 1929 November of plenum of CK VKP(b). The personnel of brigades which power compelled to take in a «tow» and in essence – to rob a peasantry, got organized from many layers of population. In addition to party commissioners, rural activists and workers of local enterprises, «dvadcyatypyatidysyatniki» were attracted: workers of heavy industry, which was encouraged «proletarizuvati a petty-bourgeois peasantry». They also became participants in the "building of the collective-farm system", dispossessing, expropriating funds, property and food. The mobilization of workers in villages began immediately after the resolution of the plenum, and only by February 1930 it was In 1930-1931, to the already indicated categories of performers, were attracted: workers of financial and co-operative institutions; workers of elevators of «Soyuzkhlib»; collective farmers which was sent in nearby villages; rural teachers; discharged red army soldiers; students and listeners of party educational establishments; komsomol, pioneer organizations and others. For co-ordination of actions of «tow» brigades and strengthening of activity, power created the Allukrainian staff of «tow» brigades, which from 1931 organized their interchanging in villages with the purpose of systematic exception of food and inculcated a from 200 to 1000 rub for the performers of bonus. Majority from them, during realization of requisitions, were armed. In 1932-1933 during the leadthrough of the planned and decentralizing purveyances, «assault ten-day periods», and others like that, they to the end withdrew food stuffs in dwellings, dooming peasant monogynopaediums on hungry death.