preamble
preamble
March 12, 1928 newspaper "Izvestia" has printed out the official report of the public Prosecutor of the Supreme Court of USSR, in which one the population of the country was alert on disclosure in Shakhty's district of Donbass anti-revolutionary organization that has put the purpose of disorganization and corrupting of a coal industry. In the document, there was point, that the organization under the direction of overseas center realized malicious sabotage and damaging on mines. Based on investigation documents of OGPU, to court of Express Presence of the Supreme Court of USSR brought 53 experts-miners on charge in damaging activity in 1920-1928. The judicial process, holding in May, - June 1928, on this case became noticeable event in a history of all country. From that time, the concept "shakhtiniens" began to be using in press and different political documents as a name nominal, for the denotation of so-called "wreckers". Less to whom known peripheral Shakhty city became in public judgment of the country almost epicenter of strife with wreckers in USSR.
What represented Shakhty city as municipal formation on that moment?
"Shakhty (former Aleksandrovsk - Grushevski) - city, region center in the North-Caucasian area, station of the Southeast railway under a title Shakhtnaya; the population is 86,4 thousand men. Center of developed industrial district posed in a Southeast angle of Donetsk coal basin, being main coal base of region. Building power station by power 300 thousand kW have planned. The industry yields 75 % of all bulk commodity of district. There are 37 plant-factory firms with 26 thousand workers, from them 15 firms - coal industry with 22,6 thousand workers, 3 stone career, 3 industrial firms on production of building materials, 4 - on production of footwear and clothes, 2 power stations with common power 55 thousand kW. All industrial firms, except for mines, are posed in Shakhty". The newspapers of region have informed that from 700 technical experts of the North-Caucasian region, about 200 worked in Shakhty's district. Shakhty's district since September 1920 to 1924 was in a structure of Ukraine. At this particular time here there were first events which have called concern GPU (KGB later). For the first time about working disturbances in Shakhty city, in November, 1923, the "Socialist bulletin" has notified. The workers -miners of Vlasovski-Paramonovski mine under the direction of the member RCP Kapustin, have tried to put before authority series of questions, having required their immediate solution. The miners have declared the rights and have put forward the petition from 12 items, which contained the demands of improvement of economical work conditions, rising of the salary, keeping of the accident prevention, the development of self-management (presently - go on the Humpbacked bridge in Moscow. - rem. SAM). The strike and demonstration was organized. About 10 thousand miners were set to a building GPU, where were met by group armed soldiers. Some men were wounded, "Bulletin" does not inform about killed. The active workers arrested. About further destiny of Kapustin it is not known. The disturbances have abated in view of change of an administrative accessory of Shakhty's district and followed change of an authority.
The following surge of complaint is having been place on May 1927. The enclosed letter in Central Committee of the deputy of the secretary Shakhty-Don' district committee Kravtsov, from May 20, 1927 proves it. He paid attention to increase of disturbances in work' environment concerning introduction of new increased norms and decreased rate scales by the new collective contract, as a result of which one the actual salary has fallen practically twice. The situation motivated workers to search for the concrete originators. That in eyes of the miners were the aged experts-engineers (and who could else? The Jews and intellectuals - misfortune of Russia! - rem. SAM). Kravtsov writes in this relation, that among workers appear mood of "eat to profi", which one express in the sharp form.
Shakhty's case
Shakhty's case
1928
1928
The preparation of Shakhty's case, in the literature, assigned to the initiative of Е.G. Evdokimov - plenipotentiary OGPU on Northern Caucasus. A course of an investigation and its preliminary results are well reflected in reference on case signed by Evdokimov. With the help "it is apart vigilant workers", awarded later pistols, rather small group of the engineers originally arrested: Kolodub А.К. - manager of mine "Ayuta": Babenko S.А. the assistant of the manager by mining operations; Samoilov V.N. the manager of mine "October revolution"; Kuzma L.B. one of the principals Nesvetay mining control; Kalganov N.E. regional inspector on mining use of "Donugol"; Berezovski N.N. the manager of a planning section of "Donugol"; Gorlov A.G. the manager of mine "Artem"; Bashkin А.B. main of mechanics state mines; Gorletski N.N. one of the principals Donetski-Grushevski mining control.
After the first interrogations the arrests were proceeding. OGPU has arrested 53 experts in total. Thus, in opinion of the investigators, in Shakhty was added up the scale enough system of wreckers, including:
- Sabotage and wreckers on mines and in a structure of mine controls;
- Frustrating of guiding activity of trust "Donugol";
- The undermining planning guide of a coal industry in Moscow.
The scheme of organization represented so: lower of group of the wreckers on mines and mine controls in Shakhty's district - management of trust "Donugol" in Kharkov (middle section) - executives of a coal industry (higher section) - political manual "Torgprom": Paris, Berlin, Warsaw.
The judicial process above "Shakhtiniens" was open, with the prompt of hundreds journalists and 30 thousand spectators. By an idiosyncrasy of the process was that many defendants prolonged to negate the fault and in court.
The totals of the process are those: in a verdict of judicial presence 2 groups of enemies, worthy higher measure of punishment were allocated.
First group is: Matov, Bratanovski, Budni, Usevich, Krghighanovski, Boyarshinov, i.e. faces suspected besides "damaging", in espionage.
The second group is - leaders of organization: Gorletski, Berezovski, Shadlun, Kazarinov.
The remaining defendants judged on different periods of freedom deprivation.
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