The Politoldel Member

I’ve been a member of the party for 12 years. They are now sending 2,700 from Moscow - Politoldel. They’re the best, the strongest. It is semi-military. We’ll smash the Kulaks and smash opposition. We are practically all men who served in the Civil War, the elite chosen ones, 60% of us have been in higher educational schools.

He clenched his fist and hit down with every word, resolute, ruthless, cruel.

“We are all workers, mainly from the factories.

“We are going to organise. There will be 4 of us in each M and C. The M and C where I shall be will look after 15 Kolkhoz. We’ll give them strict control.

“The weather is good ie. a lot of snow.

“The methods of the Kulaks have changed. They used to murder. Now they are more subtle. Now they say, “Yes. We’re for the Kolkhoz but.

Engineer told me he received 500 r. per month.

The Engineer

He was an orthodox and said that most believed, but that they had closed the church. “In one village I stayed the church had been changed into a grain store, in the next into a club. Potatoes 30 roubles a pood. I went to Kursk to buy potatoes all the way the way by train.

First day March 11^th

From T[rain] I walked about an hour. Chatted to all, the same story. There was Soukhoz. Asked Children outside hut: “God? Of course not. There is no God.”

Talked to men on track. It was getting sunset. One older said: “You better not go further, for hooligans will rob you of your coat and your food and all.”

The other, handsome determined young Communist said: “Yes it’s dangerous. Come and stay with us in our village.” Com. Took me along to the ? SelSoviet: full of young people. One of them belly swollen. All the people say the same ……

One woman said, “We are looking forward to death.

In one village all bread had gone two months ago, and potatoes just run out and there was only. …….Beetroot.