In the article, we only need to put the problem of the study period of collectivization in 1931–1933 years in Central Kazakhstan on the regional aspect. Among Kazakhstan demographers and historians there are many disputes about the number of victims of hunger. For a comprehensive and objective examination of the tragedy of the Kazakh people in the collectivization period proposed regional study of this problem. Based on analysis of poorly studied archival materials SAKR (the State Archive of the Karaganda region) discusses some of the fragments of the process of collectivization in the Central region of Kazakhstan and its aftermath. Archival documents allow deepening the study of the problem and analysis of the sources from the standpoint of objectivity, documentary. We listed excerpts of archival material in the form in which they made. The need to find new sources of information offers further organizing documents and determine their representative- ness.
The history of the period of collectivization in Kazakhstan requires a regional approach to the study of materials 20–30s of XX century. This article analyses poorly studied archival materials of the collectivization history of the Central region of Kazakhstan.
In December 1929, the plenum of the regional committee of Kazakhstan discussed ways of implementa- tion of decisions of the plenum of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (b) and decided that a necessary condition of the implementation of the general line of collectivization is the transition of the nomadic to a sedentary lifestyle [1]. According to the decision of the regional committee of Kazakhstan 544 000 out of 566 000 nomadic and semi-nomadic households should have to settle down by January, 1930 [1]. The idea of collectivization was associated with the transformation of livestock farming into agricultural or stationary cattle farming.
Activating policy to expand agricultural areas was observed only in nomadic regions, particularly in Central Kazakhstan. Plans for planting, which dictated by governance did not consider reality. The increase of the cultivated area according to plan of 5 semi-nomadic and nomadic areas of Karaganda region amounted to 42%, including Sary-Suuskyi district, where left 500–600 farms out of 7 thousand farms given to the plan in 2880 hectares instead of 300 ha in 1931, according to T.Ryskulov data. The plan increased with a significant decrease in the working population and the number of draught animals, in the absence of seed stock and seed loan. In the report of F.I. Goloschekin on regional asset on collectivization issue in the Kazakh village, were given the following figures: over 3 years (from 1929 to 1931) Kazakh crops increased by 100% — from 1265, to 2561,7 thousand hectares. Refuting these data T.Ryskulov wrote:
«Without a doubt there has a huge mistake in the calculations of crops ... Kazakhs only in these latter days began to move on agriculture, without having any skills in this matter; Kazakh territory is located more in the arid zone and the soil with lower quality, amount of tractors is still little, almost no agro-technical measures are carried out. How could the crop area of the Kazakhs double under these conditions?» [2; 323].
Collectivization in Kazakhstan was conducted by violent means. Confirmation of these facts we find in the archives collection documents. On the forced rate of the collectivization testifies the content of the di- rective letter of Karkaralinsk Regional Committee of the CPCU (b) from 02.03.1930 year, sent to all regions of the district, which sets out the following: «... In this regard, your region has special significance as the re- gion of complete collectivization ... Get furious pace of collectivization. Organize large collective farms. All malicious counterrevolutionary bais immediately arrested by the operational areas of the United Government Political Administration (UGPA), transfer the property to the indivisible capital of the newly organized collective farms» [3].
We found document in the State Archives of the Karaganda region — Memorandum on the political situation of Karkaralinsk county, where conducting interesting analysis of the period of collectivization with all the deficiencies and excesses that have been committed as individual employees and entire apparatus of Soviet institutions and party organizations. In the archival materials of the SAKR collectivization desig- nated as collective farm construction. A memorandum on the political situation Karkaralinsk region consists of 3 parts: 1) on collectivization of the village; 2) on implementation of the sowing and harvesting of seed stock; 3) on elimination the kulaks as a class. In the archival materials, there are facts and reports with all the names of participants in the events and comments. We provide excerpts of archival materials in the form in which they made.
The document describes the natural climatic and specific economic features of aul life of the Karkaralinsk county: «brokenness of the county by mountains, in the south of anhydrous bare steppes, the lack of water rainfall, early frosts, etc ... The population Karkaralinsk county most 98% are engaged in animal husbandry and only in recent years, in some places the areas along the river banks, it was led as a subsidiary activity, agriculture. One of the difficulties of the collectivization lies in everyday life of village, which is based on old tribal tradition, through which most of the population is concentrated in certain tribal groups» [4; 65]. The territory of Kazakhstan is mostly arid area by its characteristics. The document says that implementation of all decisions of the Communist Party about the collectivization in the district should be done with care and discretion and weighing of all the economic data of aul everyday. However, despite these above-mentioned facts, yet neither members of the party nor the Soviet authorities, this issue has not been sufficiently thought out - weighed in, making a decision about the collectivization of the Communist Party was adopted as a decision on compulsory collectivization [4; 66]. Thus, in the statement of the executive sec- retary of the Chetskyi District Committee of the SPCU (b) comrade Dosmakov: «My district will be almost complete collectivization area, in the mean time this district exclusively nomadic...» [4; 66]. There was not enough studied the issue of where, which deviation we should organize any kolkhozs, partnerships,which allows the population engaging exclusively with cattle breeding to organize in an agricultural kolkhoz. Thus, in the statement of 37 kolkhozs worker wives of Lenin kolkhoz of the Kuuskyi district stated inability to agricultural labor, general agriculture, require them to separate them from their husbands and take in pro- duction and livestock cooperatives and the same declaration 20 kolkhozs worker wives of the Enbek kolkhoz the same district. All the tragedy of collectivization, we see in the following pages of archival materials, which indicates that the Egendy kolkhoz of Chetskyi district organized without the presence of suitable ara- ble land for kolkhozs and kolkhozs workers say, we do not know how to be organized, we cannot settle down in one place, all around, they say, no arable land, no water [4; 66].
The archival materials specified number of bends as violent character as the administrative violation of Commissioners who did not have a clear idea of collectivization. Here are some fragments from the doc- uments: districts commissioner Turalykov, holding organization of kolkhozs in the Berkarinsk and Abralinsk districts made registration for kolkhozs threatened with a revolver; executive secretary of the Abralinsk dis- trict committee district SPCU (b), Taibekov in mind the reluctance of the population being registred and composed on the kolkhozs, demanded armed force for the arrest of to actively protesting people against the forced retraction to the kolkhozs; Chairman of Chetkyi REC (revolutionary executive committee) Baimagambetov arrived at the tract, said that without the organization of kolkhozs people cannot live, there is no private property, as it was before and there is no need in it, no matter what kolkhozs should be orga- nized; authorized of the same REC Baibekov during the meeting on the organization of the kolkhoz, intimi- dated the population, if they do not register to kolkhoz they will against the Soviet regime [4; 67]. According to the document a number of such excesses have been set in other districts. It is believed that one of the sig- nificant deficiencies is the agitation and explanatory campaign was not implemented, county employees did not know the correct installation, thereby to administrative planted kolkhoz had not elementary notions of kolhoz building. Giant collective farms were created: in a statement of a board member of District live- stock union Suleimenov there are merged of 4 collective farms into one farm, herein all the collective farms merged into one must take all the debts of the collective farm Aktoprak in the amount of 3,000 rubles [4; 68].
The issue of socialization of livestock in the kolkhozs was also not well thought out and only the district and aul commissars had not clear concept of socialization, but also visited the site district, so in some disrticts livestock collectivized completely in Chetsk, in other farms by 50% in Berkarinsk and in some kolkhozs like Kuvskyi was given 8 sheep and one cow on the kolkhoz. The population thus by socialization of animals is very dissatisfied, and even the poor people say: «All the cattle go to the state and have nothing to live. Power protects us badly when all the cattle take away for the kolkhoz. The collectivization is the same as confiscation» [4; 68].
Due to such excesses, according to the materials and the entirely different explanations, farmers literally twitched and do not know who to listen to and what to do, in panic and they are running from kolkhozs or liquidate their animals. Thus, in Chetskyi district after a report of Brigadier komsomol Iskakov said that half the cattle socialized, and half of the contracts by co-operatives, kolkhoz workers (poor) began to cut cat- tle. In the same district from the kolkhoz Kopshilik 53 households out of 63 have applied for the release, from the kolkhoz Ekbendy 34 households out of 49 have applied for the release [4;69].
A great discontent among farmers caused by the use of collective horses by authorizers, brigadiers and broad members of the kolkhoz on villages. All horses just jaded and they are not suitable for field work. For example, members of the kolkhoz board of 14 and 15 auls of Abralinsk district driving around the auls on the issue of socialization of animals went not on its own, but in the socialized horses, driving them to the case and the protest of the farmers, said that now the whole livestock is managed by the Board and they may use it as long as they want. Due to these facts, 70 households have applied for the release at the same time [4; 69].
By collecting seed stock as indicated in the materials, began late in January and February. This question has not been worked out, so in the field was installed a number of violations of collecting seed stock. Thus, in Chetskyi district seed stock were collected in villages and farms, where wheat was never sowed, thus, the households, including the poor were forced to travel 100 km to buy seeds, pay for a peck of corn 1 horse or 1 head of cattle. Further, in the 14 № aul of the Kuvskyi district poor, which never sowed wheat, was proposed to deposit 10 pounds of wheat for seed stock and the poor were forced to buy at 1 ruble per pound of wheat. In the district the poor Karimov was imposed to make one pood and he was forced to sell almost all of their livestock as 1 pound estimated at 1 sheep. Plan to collect seed stock for Karkaralinsk dis- trict was increased. Thus, due to shortage of seed stock in the Berkarinsk district bais whose property is con- fiscated and poor people was invited make in 3-day period to give 10 pounds from household, and the poor were forced to sell the last cattle. To fulfill the plan of seed stock rather quickly, some commissioners do not even waiting for the return of those cattle owners who went to town to sell cattle and buy wheat for seed stock. We present such a fact as the poor man Akhmetov Rokoba, who was imposed 4 pounds, had to leave to another district for the wheat. During time when he was unable to return commissioners of the aul council Kalkamanov and Kosyakov during the absence of Akhmetov confiscated his property, and the protests of the poor at a meeting of the incorrectness of the inventory, district commissioner didn’t allow to speak, saying that he would seize all those who would object [4; 70].
According to the documents can be seen growing public outrage of Karkaralinsk county, in connection with the plan of devasting seed stock collection. The archival materials give the following facts: population of Chetkyi district 5 aul extremely outraged for large layout of seed stock on the poor. Thus, the poor Konarbiev Koirbek, who had 2 large and 2 small heads of cattle, 4 large and 2 small horses, 1 large and 1 head of a camel, 36 sheep and 11 goats (who paid agricultural tax for 17 rubles 85 kopecks)has to give 40 poods of wheat to seed stock. He had to sell almost all the cattle because he has to give 1head of cattle for 1 pood of wheat. Also poors Kiembetov, Azhibaev, Abishev Kusainov and others have to do the same [4; 71].
The pursuit of increasing of the sown area this year against the previous year’s 22%, without taking into account the existing stock of seed, draft animals, agricultural implements and the possibility of cleaning and seed treatment - has led to the fact that implementation of the plan of sowing for 25,000 hectares is under great threat. Seed stock is collection from the remnants of crops which local population had, and hence, it cannot be recognized as a seed material. It consists of a different composition, where there are drought- resistant and soft and unsuitable climate corns, which certainly 20–30% is unsuitable for sowing [4; 73]. We should also note the statement by the peasants of the village Horoshevskoe receiving part of the seed:
«What is this bread, it is not a bread, this is a sand. What fools sitting in the county that sent seeds that are not suitable even for food, and not what they sow, how to plant, so do not be born» [4; 73]. Grain which was difficulty harvested by seed stock turned up unsuitable for planting.
The unpreparedness in the organization of seeding plan, we can see in the following documents SAKR:
«In Khoroshevskyi village was a lack of seed material, and the latter was supposed to give a subsidy from the city. At the same time, in the same village was grain from the grain procurement campaign. Farmers were asked to leave the grain in the village not to go after him in the city, but District Sales Department ordered to take out the grain to town and has already sent 26 carts, which were however returned under our push back. Farmers affected such bungling (disorder) as a traction drive the desired effect for sowing, for 200 miles, extremely unprofitable [4; 71]. Not all of the seed stock carts reached by time before sowing or even sent grain, without whom intended. So, in the direction to district land administration in the Chetskyi district REC commissioner didn’t received a subsidy in the form of 4,000 pounds of seeds without specifying who designed for the seeds, left without seeds in the time when sowing campaign already begun [4; 74].
Preparation of draft animals and agricultural implements for sowing campaign, as indicated in the archive materials, taken into account, but the question about the most rational use of district and regional organizations had not been worked out. For example, in the Berkarinsk district was organized machine-horse station, while the draft power and agricultural implements are enough in the district and farmers say what will do this station wasting money, because we cope with crops by ourselves. In addition, at the same time, in the Balkhash and Chubartauskyi districts, where there are two sowing jacks Tokraun and Bakanas, and draft animals and agricultural tools are lacking, machine-horse stations did not organized and implementa- tion of the plan threatens to stall. So, on the Madaniat kolkhoz of Chubartavskyi district where proposed to plant 700 hectares according to plans, there is a total of 41 plows and 4 harrows, draft power is exhausted, in the Jak-saktar kolkhoz the same area expected to sow 500 hectares, has 26 plows and 4 harrows and the same exhaustion of draft power. On the demand of the kolkhoz to send inventory District Organization did not respond, and farmers say they do not fulfill the plan of sowing [4; 75].
In other areas, there is an acute lack of agricultural stock, due to non-fulfillment of the plan of factory for 50% and late accounting in some districts. So count of the number of agricultural implements in Kuu dis- trict has been made 20 days before planting. It turned out that the collective lack of inventory is 40–50%. To find out about the availability of equipment courier was sent to the district livestock union, he reported that there are no implements in the stock, but there is in the Bayan-Aul. At the request of a messenger to give permission to receive inventory from Bayan-Aul the district livestock union refused, arguing that all agricul- tural implements may not be enough for all cultivators. This inventory until now still in the Bayan-aul, although planting has begun [4; 75].
Another issue on which depends the fate of sowing campaign is cleaning and seed treatment issue. Cleaning of the seed to the latest data held in districts from 30 to 50%, treatment is only in some areas clos- est to the city. No better was the case with the retention of artificial snow, although this event in Karkaralinsk district, since the lack of moisture is extremely valuable. Snow retention work was carried out in two districts in Berkarinsk and Kuvskyi as the next areas of the city, on an area of 1480 hectares according to information of the district land administration. However, these works were carried out at the end of March, after the last storm when more snow has not excluded [4; 75].
All this taken together made displeasure of population, skeptical attitude to the promotion of the full implementation of the plan of agricultural methods of crop conducting activities that are characterized by the following statements of citizens: in the Chuburtauskyi district horse sweated, draft power is not enough for plowing the land; in Kuvskyi district for plowing plows are missing; in Chetskyi district there are not enough draft animals, plows to carry out the plan of sowing campaign, as well as seeds for sowing proved worthless in quality [4; 76].
In the archival materials can be traced the process of eliminating the kulaks and analysis of the political status Karkaralinsk district as a whole. «If the above facts of excesses and distortions of the basic settings of the Communist Party on collectivization, collection of seed stock and sowing campaign had a great impact on the political situation of aul population towards the direction thereof against the Soviet government and the Communist Party, is produced by various authorized, team members and other excesses, and even more true, counterrevolutionary abuse of his position during the decisions of the Party and Soviet power to liqui- date the kulaks as a class — have more influence on the change in the political status of the village in the direction of certain counter-revolutionary actions against the Soviet power — robbery, beating the grass- roots of the Soviet and Party workers, the insurgency and other» [4; 77]. First, as stated in the document, the district organizations to practical realization of the decisions of the Party on the Elimination of fists, as a class, have come without proper understanding and without the specific characteristics of the district: no- madic economy, hence the difficulty of the collectivization of the population, cultural backwardness, not only non-party masses, but and the Party masses, the birth has not yet outworn traditions of Kazakh village, the range of distance areas from the district center with poor communications, and, hence, no flexibility and timeliness of the party leadership on eradication of certain lapses, kinks, distortions, basic settings, abuse and etc.» [4; 77].
In the materials there presented facts of abuse of his position in the dispossession of some Commission- ers and with the full knowledge that they carry out a genuine revolutionary party. So, Commissioner of dis- trict revolutionary executive committee arriving at 18 and 19 aul of Berkarinsk district without having any right arrested all bais, in the amount of 41 people, beating arrestants by weapon butt, whipping, stripped to their underwear, explaining this arrest and his actions by saying that these bais could sell cattle and resist to collective farm building [4; 80]. The rebel mood of the first aul of Chubartauskyi district, it is expected to defeat the district center came after the village brigadiers made a number of excesses [4; 81]. Further, as stat- ed in the document, the political status of the Karkaralinsk county is extremely alarming and in some areas has anti-Soviet — insurrectionary character and such a state rests, mainly in those excesses, perversions of party systems, abuses that were committed in the course of all activities of collectivization.
Voluntaristic, simplified approach to settling nomads without taking into account the main factors — preservation of the proportion between the number of livestock and pasture areas — has led to a huge con- centration of cattle grazing on small spaces and, as a consequence, to a catastrophic jute (death of livestock from starvation). The catastrophe in the Kazakh village was inevitable. Reducing of the number of livestock in Karkaralinsk district of Karaganda region from 1929 to 1933 was almost 54 times, and if we consider the types of animals, the numbers are even more horrifying: the horse — a reduction of 112 times; cattle — nearly 22 times; Camels — 35 times; Sheep — 65 times [5; 75]. It is only natural that with such a loss, in any losses of livestock in traditional pastoral areas as Karkaralinsk district, where the diet is the way of life was based on livestock, hunger and mass death of the population were inevitable. As provided in the data, the number of households (households) from 1930 to 1933 decreased by almost 19 times. The docu- ments do not reflect the reasons for this decline: migration or mortality. Certainly, the comparative analysis shows these processes in any case linked to the situation of starvation. The data of united state political ad- ministration reports on migration of 59 938 households from the Karaganda region in 1930 [6; 86]. However, the Karaganda region on the model of administrative-territorial arrangement of the beginning of the 1930s included the territory of the Northern and Central Kazakhstan; therefore, to clarify the number of nomads from Central Kazakhstan region is problematic. Complete data on mortality in the region are also absent. In May, 1932 T.Ryskulov reported that according to the materials of the migration committee, in Karkaralinsk district every day from 15 to 20 people died (according to details of district settling committee) [2; 323]. The Karaganda regional archive shows the sharp decline in population. So, on May 1, 1930 the average household composition of Karkaralinsk district — 4.6 person; on August 15, 1933 — 2.9 person [7; 83]. The average composition of the family reduced almost 2 times.
This period in the history of the Kazakhs have enough capacious designation, starvation of 1931–1933’s (and this is the biggest disaster as a result of the violent settling) came in the history of Kazakhstan under different names: «Uly zhut» (Great jute), «Asharshylyk» (Hunger), «Naubet» «Zobalan» (distress, hardship). According to the above data of archival sources, it is possible to draw some conclusions for the collec- tivization in the Central region of Kazakhstan: dispossession of the kulaks, the socialization of livestock, the transition to a settled way led to mass deaths of cattle, ranching management crisis; starvation after the death of livestock has led to a demographic crisis; violation of the traditional way of life (the appearance of orphan children, a change in the whole way of life and customs of a traditional society); violation of the ecosystem as a whole (conversion of dry steppes in the desolate desert); creating giant collective farms, are not capable of functioning; sower campaign plan failure; mass carting out of the territory; collectivization by force; grain and dispossession accompanied by excesses (impairment); propaganda team, communicate
the population, did not have a clear idea about collective farm building, i.e. collectivization.
It is worth noting that only because of the nomadic pastoralism was possible to integrate the system in the arid central region of Kazakhstan. Stereotypes of migratory habits of nomadic structures were consi- dered as something archaic and backward. However, for centuries the nomadic Kazakhs were engaged in the conducting nomadic pastoral household to adequately meet the extremely tough climatic characteristics of the region. Thus, a large-scale plan of forced collectivization led not only to the economic crisis of live- stock farming households of Central Kazakhstan, but also in environmental, social and demographic conse- quences in Kazakhstan.
References
- Burkhanov K.N. The tragic pages of the steppe, [ER]. Access mode: «Liter» newspaper: [site]. URL: http://www.parlam.kz/ru/blogs/burhanov/Details/4/5807 (date of application 06.12).
- Ryskulov T. Collected Works, 3, Аlmaty: Kytap, 2009, 323 3 SAKR. F.1. Inv 1. C.58. L.8, 25–27, 75–79.
- 4 SAKR. F.9. Inv 1. C.92. L.65–86.
- 5 SAKR. F.677. Inv 1. C.1L.75.
- 6 SAKR. F.76. Inv 1. C.1. L.86.
- 7 SAKR. F.76. Inv 1. C.1. L.83