«.. .In the grain district of the West Siberia»: from the Surplus appropriation system to the famine»

The article contains the historic material about the food policy of Bolsheviks in 1921. Economic conditionsof famine origin in Akmolinsk region are showed. The market mechanism of grain withdrawal, which was declared by Bolsheviks in Mart1921, did not work in Siberia until summer 1922. The forcing withdrawal of the grain in Siberia continued. The grain requisitions as theSurplus appropriation system ("prodrazverstka") continued until October 1921, then food tax withdrew until Summer 1922. Chairman ofSovnarcom V. Lenin personally controlled the grain withdrawal. Representative of central authority organs in Akmolinsk Region was T.Ponomarenko. Such policy was called by extraordinary circumstances (drought in Volga Region). The Bolsheviks leaders admitted, thatSiberian grain saved Soviet Republic. Large part of Siberian grain gave Akmolinsk Region, particularly the Petropavlovsk-Kokchetav "graindistrict of West-Siberia". Many grain exported to the Central Russia. Also many people moved to Akmolinsk Region from Volga Region.But some of them died because of famine. Extracts from the archive reports of local powers representatives in Petropavlovsk districtcontained in this article. Documents showed exaggerations of food tasks of Centre, absence of coordination between Centre policy and localconditions. Size of food tax exceeded grain yield. Relentless position of the central powers and the workers of People Commissariat of Foodcaused indignations of peasants. Some ran away from district, other created bandit detachments. Entry conversation between Ponomarenkoand his assistances in district showed, that only mass repression secure 100% fulfillment of food tax tasks. Author concludes: economic civilwar continued even after the West-Siberian peasant revolt, which flashed in January 1921 and was the most in Soviet Russia. New EconomicPolicy didn't facilitate the life of peasant.

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