Conference on 1937 repressions held in Kabardino-Balkaria

Today, the city of Nalchik, the capital of Kabardino-Balkaria, has hosted a conference dated to the 70th anniversary of the "great terror" that took place in 1937 and the years to follow.

Svetlana Turchina, Chair of the Association of Victims of Political Repressions of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR), made a detailed report on repressions in the country and in Kabardino-Balkaria. According to her story, in the period from 1918 to 1950, 55,000 persons were subject to repressions in Kabardino-Balkaria. Subsequently, they were rehabilitated, except for 42 persons who were rejected rehabilitation.

Initially, repressions were applied prosperous peasantry who were dispossessed, exiled and practically liquidated. In 1937-1938, a total of 387 denunciation letters were written, under which three thousand persons were arrested and condemned - partisan and economic officials and militaries, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

Alexander Sarakhov, former employee of the Prosecutor's Office of the Republic and author of the book "Gulag Island," has presented his known facts about repressions of 1930s.

Evgeniya Tyutyunina, an employee of the State Archive of Kabardino-Balkaria, dealt in her presentation with review of the archival materials referring to repressions. Many of these materials are still under special storage regime and access to them is closed.

Nina Lafisheva, a teacher of the Kabardino-Balkarian State University, spoke about the Memory Book, the work on which had started under the order of the KBR Government in 2005. The authors have already gathered information on 5,000 persons, and the book is practically ready. However 440,000 roubles are needed to print it, but the Association of Victims of Political Repressions has no such money. So, it is necessary to look for sponsors.