Vyacheslav!

I think we should satisfy Sholokhov's request in full, that is, give an additional 80,000 puds to the Veshenskiy people and 40,000 to the Verkhne-Donskoy people. The matter has evidently acquired a "public" notoriety, and we, after all the outrages committed there, can only gain politically. An extra 40,000–50,000 puds are of no consequence for us, but for the population of these two districts they now have decisive significance.

So, let us vote on this immediately (tell Chernov).

Furthermore, we need to send someone there (say, Comrade Shkiryatov), investigate the matter, and bring Ovchinnikov and all others who committed outrages to account. This can be done tomorrow.

I. Stalin.

Pisma I.V. Stalina V.M. Molotovu. 1925–1936. Moscow, 1995. Pp. 245–246.

RGASPI. F. 17. Op. 3. D. 926. L. 5, 6.

Note: At the Politburo session of April 23, 1933, with the participation of Stalin and Molotov, the question of the situation in the Veshenskiy District was considered. It was decided to dispatch the secretary of the Party Collegium of the Central Control Commission of the VKP(b), M.F. Shkiryatov, to investigate on the spot the causes of the excesses in grain procurement that had been permitted by local workers and representatives of territorial agencies.