Note to A.E. Korneichuk, December 28, 1940

Dear Aleksandr Evdokimovich!

I have read your "In the Steppes of Ukraine." It turned out to be a remarkable piece -- artistically whole, merry, very merry indeed. I only fear that it may be too merry: there is a danger that the revelry of merriment in the comedy may divert the reader-viewer's attention away from its content.

By the way: I added a few words on page 68. This is for the sake of greater clarity.

Greetings!

I. Stalin

RGASPI. F. 558. Op. 1. D. 4674. L. 1-2.

Note:
It is known precisely what edits Stalin made to the text of the play.

In the course of the action, one of the characters, Galushka, discussing a new government decree on the taxation of collective farmers, says: "Let me read it once more, or is it clear that from each hectare a tax on meat, wool, everything will now be levied not based on the number of livestock but on the number of hectares of collective farm land... And how they see everything from the Kremlin." Stalin crossed out "from each hectare" and added at the end of the sentence: "Raise as much collective farm livestock as you want, the tax stays the same" (See: Gromov E.S. Stalin: Art and Power. Moscow, 2003. Pp. 223-224).