Friday, October 07, 2005

Quotation of the Day

The following quotation is from an NKVD report of 15 July 1946 on the conditions of Kalmyk special settlers in Novosibirsk Oblast. It is reproduced in N.F. Bugai, ed., Iosif Stalin - Lavrentiiu Berii. "Ikh nado deportirovat'," Dokumenty, fakty, kommentarii (Moscow: Druzhba narodov, 1992), doc. 14, p. 93. The translation from Russian to English is my own.

Kalmyks have arrived in Novosibirsk obl. since December 1943. The main mass arrived in January 1944. Were received 16,379 people. On the way died 193 people. Hospitalized 224 people, of these died 39 people. (typhus)...30% of those capable of labor do not work due to an absence of shoes. It has been noted that they are completely unadapted to the severe climate, unaccustomed to the conditions and do not know the language. This has created additional difficulties. There has been an increase in deaths.

In 1944 of these exiles died 1510 people. A significant portion of these special settlers live in absolutely unfit living conditions: huts, barns and such. They do not have individual gardens. Many local party and economic organs have not employed themselves in arranging labor for the Kalmyks, considering it a matter for the NKVD.

2 comments:

KRISTIN said...

Do you have something on deported Estonians too? I'm feeling masochistic tonight...

J. Otto Pohl said...

I actually do have some stuff on deported Estonians. More on the 25 March 1949 deportations than the 14 June 1941 ones. I will see if I can find something to put up. In the mean time you might want to look for Fr. Vello's "White Book." It is online and in Estonian.