January 24, 2019 marks 100 years since the adoption of the secret directive of the Organizing Bureau of the Central Committee of the CPSU (b) “to all responsible comrades working in Cossack districts,” which marked the beginning of the tragedy of the story. Required:
1. To carry out mass terror against the rich Cossacks, exterminating them without exception; conduct a merciless mass terror against all Cossacks in general, who took any direct or indirect part in the struggle against Soviet power. It is necessary to apply all measures to the average Cossacks, which give a guarantee against any attempts on his part to make new appearances against the Soviet power.
2. To confiscate the bread and force all the surplus to be dumped into the indicated points, this applies both to the bread and to all other agricultural products.
3. Take all measures to assist the relocating alien poor, organizing relocations where possible.
4. Equalize alien "nonresident" to the Cossacks in the land and in all other respects.
5. Carry out complete disarmament, shooting everyone who will be found weapons after the deadline.
6. Issue weapons only reliable items from other cities.
7. Armed detachments should be left in Cossack villages until the establishment of full order.
8. All commissars appointed to certain Cossack settlements are invited to show maximum firmness and to steadily carry out these instructions.
Conducting a "merciless struggle with all the upper classes of the Cossacks by their total extermination" was recognized as "the only correct one." Any compromises and “half-heartedness” in carrying out the repressive and punitive measures set out in the directive were excluded.
The implementation of this program in practice caused the massacres of the Don Cossacks. Special punitive detachments, who executed 40–60 people every day, drove around the farmsteads. There was no mercy for women, children, or old people. The very word "Cossack" was banned, and everything that had to do with the Cossacks, for example, wearing hats, epaulettes and stripes. Settlements were taxed with money, for which non-payment was supposed to be shot. The villages were renamed in the parish, farms - in the village. Cossacks were expelled from their homes, and peasants brought from Voronezh gubernia were settled on their lands.
The surviving firing lists of the Cossacks in the column “for what they were shot” indicated, among other things, the following reasons: “for criticizing the Soviet government”; “For not sympathizing with the Bolsheviks”; "As the father of an officer"; “Officer”, “retired general”, “farm ataman”, “village priest”, “teacher”, “lawyer”, “jeweler”; "Brother served in the Don Army"; "For sympathy for the cadets." The houses of the executed Cossacks were plundered and burned.
When the Cossacks could not stand it and rose up, the terror on the Don entered a new terrible phase.
8th Army RVS Directive of March 16 1919 . signed by Andrei Kolegayev, ordered the mass executions of "all without exception of those who took direct or indirect part in the uprising . " As a measure of restraint, “executions of 5 or 10 men of the adult male population of the rebels' farms” were also proposed; “Mass hostage taking from neighboring villages to rebel farms”; “Wide notification of the population of farms, villages, etc. that all the villages and farms seen in assisting the rebels will be subjected to the merciless extermination of the entire adult population and to be burned at the first instance of finding help. ”
The next day, March 17 1919 ., The 8th Army RVS issued a new directive signed by Jonah Yakir, which ordered the troops "to go through the area of insurrection with fire and sword."
“All the Cossacks,” said the directive, “those who raised weapons in the rear of the Red forces must be completely destroyed, all those who have any relation to the uprising and anti-Soviet agitation must be destroyed, without stopping the percentage destruction of the population of the villages, to burn farmsteads and stanitsy that raised weapons against us in the rear. No pity for traitors . ”
The policy of mass terror against the Cossacks during the Civil War by the Bolsheviks was carried out not only on the Don, but also in other areas. Materials on repression in the Kuban, the North Caucasus and Siberia have been introduced into scientific circulation today. And here the performers were not inferior in cruelty: they destroyed entire families, did not spare neither women, nor old people, nor children, plundered and burned the villages ...
After the end of the Civil War, the violence continued. Many Cossacks died during the famine in the early 1920s, during the implementation of the dekulakization policy and the famine of 1932-1933 caused to it. As a result, the Cossacks suffered irreparable damage.
In memory of this tragedy, two new subjects of the Russian Federation - Sevastopol and the Republic of Crimea, on January 24, 2019 held memorial events. They were held at the highest level. The support to religious, Cossack and public organizations was provided by republican government bodies.
With the blessing of Metropolitan of Simferopol and Crimean Lazar, a memorial requiem for all the innocent victims of the criminal Soviet policy was made in the church of the holy blessed prince Alexander Nevsky of Simferopol. At the end of the liturgy, the Cossacks and the participants in the commemoration campaign went through a procession to the monument to Empress Catherine II, where a mourning rally was held.
At the meeting, the appeal of the Head of the Republic of Crimea Sergey Aksyonov was read out in connection with the 100th anniversary of the story:
“Today is one of the most tragic dates of national history. One hundred years ago, on January 24, 1919, the directive of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee was issued, which marked the beginning of mass repressions against the Cossacks. The revolutionary government set as its goal the destruction of Orthodox Russia, and the Cossacks were one of its main pillars. Therefore, the Cossacks were among the first to be hit by repression.
However, the heavy losses and trials did not break the Cossack spirit. During the Great Patriotic War, representatives of the Cossacks showed their best qualities, fought bravely against the fascist invaders on the fronts, in partisan detachments, worked selflessly in the rear, bringing the Great Victory closer. Many were awarded the highest state awards.
Today, the Cossacks is one of the leading patriotic forces of the country. The Cossacks made a significant contribution to the victory of the Crimean Spring and the reunification of the Crimea with Russia. The revival of the Cossacks - the task of national importance. Adopted "Strategy of development of the state policy of the Russian Federation in relation to the Russian Cossacks until 2020". This document is signed by our President. The Plan for the implementation of the provisions of the Strategy in our republic has been approved and is being implemented. It involves various forms of state and organizational support for the Cossacks.
An important event was the creation at the end of last year of the All-Russian Cossack army. At the end of last year, the founding circle of the Black Sea Cossack army was held in Crimea by the Cossack society. Cadet Cossack classes open in schools. Cossacks are actively involved in strengthening the rule of law, in the patriotic education of young people. Memorial services for victims of terror will be held in Crimea today, and memorable events will be held. We bow our heads before the memory of the innocent victims.
We will always remember this tragedy and will do everything possible to preserve peace and harmony in our Crimean house. ”
After the end of the rally, a theatrical performance was held at the Central Museum of Tavrida, prepared by students of the Cadet Cossack classes.
In Sevastopol, in the Prince-Vladimir Cathedral, the tomb of admirals, located on the central city hill, a memorial service was held for the Cossacks who died during the Russian hard years.
Divine services were led by Archpriest Sergei Khalyuta, dean of Sevastopol District, in the service of Archpriest Alexy Tupikov, the head of the cathedral, and the clergy of decency.
Chairman of the Legislative Assembly of the city Ekaterina Altabaeva, representatives of the Sevastopol Cossacks and caring citizens came to honor the memory of the fallen soldiers.
After the funeral prayer is over, Fr. Sergius addressed to all those gathered with a pastoral word:
“The tragedy of our state is the story of our people, the destruction of a whole nationality, whose life was built on loyalty to their faith, the king and fatherland. It was the Cossacks who defended the borders of our Fatherland, they kept the faith of Christ in their hearts all their lives. This nation was original, and certainly interfered with the new government, because it could not agree with the ideology that was being imposed in our state. And that is why this people, according to the Bolsheviks, was subject to complete destruction. The destruction of the Cossacks took place over 30 years, we remember the tragic events, when many Cossacks were resettled from Yugoslavia to camps, where they found their last refuge, and where they were later buried.
Today, the process of restoration of the Cossacks is taking place and this testifies to the truth of God, which always triumphs, which cannot be destroyed. If God did not want the resurrection of your nationality, then this would not be. The Christian is the essence of life, just as the Cossacks are the essence of life. Cossacks are not rituals and not work, they are the constant hourly, every second life of not only one person, but the whole family, the whole community, the whole army. But if the army of faith is not at the base of this, then the Cossacks will not be either, because it will not be filled with the meaning that was originally laid in it. Today everything is given to you: the freedom of the faith of Christ, many temples, the opportunity to partake of the sacraments of the church. We live in the beautiful Fatherland, today there is everything to become a true army of Christ, to which you should strive. And then the Cossacks really become the holy people, the people of God, necessary for our state. "
The speaker of the Sevastopol parliament also addressed the Cossacks present with words of support:
“I mourn with you and your relatives. It has been 100 years since the repressions against the Cossacks in the Russian state. Your families already in the third, fourth generation keep the memory of those difficult days when the country was divided, when the brother went to brother, when even the memory of the Cossacks of Russia was destroyed.
Cossacks have always been the backbone of the Fatherland, it is the backbone of the Russian statehood. And you, in your service, continue the glorious traditions of the Russian Cossacks. Today, at the graves of our great illustrious admirals, we remember those who left, and we pray for those who live today. Just like our admirals, you serve the Fatherland and the city, defending the ideals of honor, morality and duty.
All Sevastopol see that without the Cossacks, without the protection that they carry out, not a single city event takes place. And the most important thing is the work of the Cossacks with the youth, with the guys who want to be Cossacks. Thus, our young generation is brought up in the system of moral patriotic values of the hero-city ”.
Words of sympathy and sorrow on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the tragedy were expressed by the Commissioner for Human Rights in the city of Sevastopol, Pavel Butsay. The corresponding appeal was published on his official website:
“January 24, 2019 marks the 100th anniversary of the adoption of the secret directive of the Organizing Bureau of the Central Committee of the CPSU (B.), Which marked the beginning of the disclosure policy. Many thousands of our compatriots became victims of mass repressions. During the terror of the Civil War and subsequent years, the traditional Cossack way of life was destroyed, irreparable damage was caused to cultural traditions, and common human rights were violated. There are practically no Cossack families left to escape this tragedy.
Condemning the long-term terror and repression of the totalitarian state, as incompatible with the ideas of law and justice, the Commissioner for Human Rights in the city of Sevastopol expresses deep sorrow for those killed in this terrible time and condolences to their descendants. We must not forget the tragic events of the past. The sacrifices suffered by our country and its peoples in the twentieth century are too great. Remember this is necessary to prevent recurrence.
Today, the Cossacks are reborn. During the period when Crimea was part of Ukraine, the Cossack organizations were defenders of the Russian world, and played an important role in the historical events of 2014, the outcome of which was the restoration of historical justice - reunification with Russia. We must keep the peace in our hearts and strive for harmony. Only on this basis can we solve the tasks that face society and the country today. ”
Events dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the story, which took place on the territory of Crimea, are important for the revival of traditional values and the return of historical memory. Acting with an unequivocal condemnation of the policy of mass terror, which was carried out in the first years and decades after the October Revolution (and characterizing repression against the Cossacks as an act of genocide), local authorities, religious, Cossack and public organizations thus make a significant step towards a correct understanding of the past and overcome the spiritual consequences of the tragedy.