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.

Even before his arrival, A.A. Plotkin, the head of the agitation column, was expelled from the Party and arrested. A.A. Pashinsky was convicted and sentenced to be shot.

On May 28, 1933, Shkiryatov reported to Stalin on the results of the investigation: "The results of the investigation of the excesses in the Veshenskiy District fully confirmed the correctness of Comrade Sholokhov's letter." He especially emphasized that "illegal repressions were applied not only to class-hostile elements and to participants in thefts who maliciously failed to fulfill grain procurements, but were also applied indiscriminately to devoted, active, and honest collective farmers."

On July 4, 1933, the Politburo heard Shkiryatov's report on this question. The second secretary of the Azov-Black Sea Territorial Committee of the VKP(b), Zimin, the Territorial Committee's plenipotentiary in the Veshenskiy District, Ovchinnikov, a number of district workers, and Sholokhov as a witness were questioned. In connection with this, the Politburo noted:

"The chief responsibility for the excesses, namely for the mass expulsion of collective farmers from their homes and the prohibition against other collective farmers sheltering the expelled collective farmers overnight, falls on the Territorial Committee, which did not take timely measures to stop, let alone prevent, these excesses..."

Further, the resolution stated:

"The CC considers that the entirely correct and absolutely necessary policy of pressure on collective farmers sabotaging grain procurements was distorted and compromised in the Veshenskiy District because of the absence of sufficient control by the Territorial Committee."

The Politburo pointed out to the Territorial Committee its insufficient control over the actions of its representatives and plenipotentiaries. Zimin was removed from the post of second secretary of the Territorial Committee, and Ovchinnikov from the post of secretary of the Rostov City Committee. The leaders of the Veshenskiy District received severe reprimands with warnings.