Liber, William, Q.C. Documentary Evidence. Submitted by William Liber, Q.C., Counsel

For the World Congress of Ukrainians, Exhibit P-41. ? Toronto: The International Commission of Inquiry into the 1932-1933 Famine in Ukraine, between 1988 and 1990. A copy certified correct by Stephan M. Wesborwyj of the Documentation Office was printed by the Library of Congress, and is available for perusal there.

x + 307 pp. Map, black-and-white photographic illustrations, English, Russian, German, and Ukrainian text. LCCN: 95104344.

This book is paginated by tabs differentiating each section of material. Chapters include:

“German Diplomatic Reports” (1-48)

Taken from Der Ukrainische Hunger-Holocaust (The Ukrainian Famine-Holocaust) edited and introduced by Dmytro Zlepko, traslated by Marko Horbatsch, from the Political Archives in the Foreign Office, Bonn, 1988. Verlag Helmut Wild, Sonnenbuhl. These documents came from Abt. IV RU (Div. IV). Secret documents dated from July 1928-September 1933, vol. 2 containing general economic data. Other documents derived from the Embassy in Moscow and the General Consulate in Kharkhiv 1930-1937, and the Consulate in Kyiv 1930-1934.

The trip of former French Premier Herriot is described. Other brief reports from Kharkhiv (February 1931-November 1934). This section includes English translation and the German texts.

“Italian Diplomatic Reports” (1-56)

Italian Diplomatic Reports reprinted from the Report to Congress by the United States Government Commission on the Ukrainian Famine, pages 396-506. Investigation of the Ukrainian Famine 1932-1933, Submitted to Congress April 22, 1988. Washington: USGPO, 1988. From the Vice-Consulate of Italy in Kharkhiv, Embassy of Italy in Moscow, Royal Consulate of Italy in Leningrad and Odessa, Consulate-General of Italy in Kyiv, dated from May 19, 1932-June 19, 1935. These Italian documents are from the Italian State Archives (Rome): Archivo Storico del Ministero delgi Affari Esteri d’halia, Affari Politici-URSS, Busta 8 (1933), translated by Neil L. Inglis, or by the Ukrainian Famine Research Committee and edited by Mr. Inglis.

The Report of the Royal Consulate of Italy in Kharkhiv, May 31,1933, describes the burial teams picking up bodies with hay pitchforks. “One of the two doing the work said to me, ‘You don’t have this where you come from, do you?’” Burial of persons still alive; the situation of abandoned starving children; disease toll (40% typhus death among ‘sanitation workers’ assigned to sort the famine victims).

Suicide of General Brodsky (May 18, 1933):

“having returned from an inspection of the countryside and following a terrible row with Balytsky during which he repeatedly cried that this was not communism but ‘an abomination’ that he had had enough of these inspections and that never again would be go anywhere to carry out ‘orders’ (it seems that he was to carry out some order of repression), he

shot himself in the head with a pistol.”

The report continues with similar reactions of Khvylovy and Hirnyak, and an undetermined high government and party official, who went insane as a result of what he had seen during his recent visit of inspection to the countryside. The report states that once he was straight-jacketed, he cried, “This isn’t communism; it’s murder!” (Report of the Royal Consul Sergio Garadenigo).

Report of Royal Consulate of Italy in Kharkhiv dated December 12, 1933, reports typhus and malaria. Quinine was sold only at Torgsin stores, and was not available for the peasantry. The ether factory in Moscow closed for six months—the Kharkhiv hospital had to use chloroform for any operations.

Several of these reports contain information regarding the various stages of hunger death—swelling, hallucination, insanity, heart attack, or heart failure. Royal Consul of Italy in Kharkhiv on May 15, 1934, reports, “They have been displaying a quantity of loaves made of painted wood in all the shop windows in anticipation of the visit by the French professors.” This report also notes cancellation of food supplies available to a ration-cardholder’s non-working family members.

“Famine in 1932-33,” by Zhores Medvedev (1-8) excerpted from Soviet Agriculture, New York: W.W. Norton and Co., 1987, pp. 86-95, ISBN: 0-393-02472-5. Describes the “Politburo Commission headed by Kaganovich and including Yagoda, First Deputy Chair of the OGPU, the commissar for supplies, Gamarick, head of the Political Directorate of the Army and Navy, and other high officials.”

Sowing adversely affected in 1934, by the lack of manpower and animals, and punitive measures taken in selective government distribution of seed grain.

“From the Soviet Weekly ‘Arguments and Facts’” (1-6)

Number 32 August 6-12, 1988. Eyewitness account of S. Latyshev of Chekassy. Includes International Herald Tribune article by David Remnick, April 8, 1988, “Ten million farmers repressed by Stalin.”

“The Soviet Destruction of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church,” by B. R. Bociurkiw (1-10)

Reprinted from The Journal of Ukrainian Studies, v. 12; No. 1, Summer 1987.

“Walter Duranty and his Contoversial Reports” (1-35)

Includes, “Russians Hungry, but not Starving,” New York Times, March 31, 1933.

Gareth Jones confirms Ukrainian Famine in The Manchester Guardian, May 8, 1933.

“Inconsistency with Walter Duranty’s Reports circa March 1933,” by William Strang. Diplomatic Reports from Moscow September 30, 1933 regarding Duranty’s trip in Ukraine written to Sir John Simon NT182/114/38.

Malcolm Muggeridge interview conducted March 1, 1983 by Bohdan Nahaylo, Robertsbridge, England. Speaking of Walter Duranty, Muggeridge said:

“He wrote things about the famine and the situation in Ukraine that were laughably wrong. There is no doubt whatever that the authorities could manipulate him, and that he wanted to stay in the Soviet Union. He had a Russian mistress. Quite a lot of the correspondents did. That was one of the ways foreign correspondents delivered themselves to the authorities. … It is undoubtedly one of the greatest crimes of our time… But it always strikes me that when people speak of the great horrors of this century—Auschwitz, Hiroshima, and so on—they never mention the Ukrainian famine. Somehow, after all these years, it is still not registered that Stalin killed far more people during the 1930’s than perished as a result of Hitler’s extermination of the Jews.”

Harrison Salisbury, Without Fear or Favor: The New York Times and Its Times, excerpts discuss the Duranty controversy, noting his death on October 4, 1957. “He had long since run through all his funds and in a pathetic letter to Arthur Hays Sulzberger in August appealed for a pension Sulzberger sent him his personal check for $2500 on September 5, 1957 (Times Archives) (465).

“HUNGERSNOT—Vienna 1934 Documentary” (1-36) The Famine Authentic Documentation on the Mass Starvation in the Soviet Union. Interconfessional Relief Comm., Cardinal Archbishop Theodore Innitzer, German language, includes map. (36 pp).

“Soviet Decree of August 7, 1932 (1-29)

Russian with English translation.

Also includes excerpt translation of N. V. Krylenko (Minister of Justice) “On the Protection and Safeguarding of the Communal (Socialist) Property.”

The Address of May 1934 to the All-Union Convocation of Court and Procuratura Delegates, “Practical Application of the August 7 Law.”

“Effects of the Law of August 7, 1932,”some of the Russian text illegible in the copied format.

“Pavel P. Postyshev—Envoy of Moscow in Ukraine, 1933-1934,” (1-62)

Mandate and Instructions January 24, 1933

Ewald Ammende describes Postyshev’s role.

Soviet decree of June 20, 1933, Grain Deliveries 1933.

“Postyshev’s Reckless Grain Requisitions in Ukraine” James Mace’s commentary thereupon.
Robert Conquest and George Luckyj regarding Skrypnyk’s suicide and Postyshev’s Anti-intellectual campaign.

“Ukraine’s Population Losses in 1932-33” (1-46)

James Mace, “Famine in Ukraine,” from Problems of Communism, May-June 1984.

M. Marksudov, “Ukraine’s Demographic Losses, 1927-1938, from Famine in Ukraine, 1932-33, ed. by Roman Serbyn and Bohdan Krawchenko.

Robert Conquest, “The Death Toll,” from The Harvest of Sorrow.

Litynsky, Walter, principle author. Case Studies: Persecution/Genocide. The Human Rights

Series, Vol. III. Albany, New York: The Unversity of the State of New York, The State Department of Curriculum Development, 1986. v + 166 pp. Black-and-white photographic illustrations, Bibliography, Review Committee Members List, Glossary, Suggested Student Activities, Topical outline of the Human Rights Series.

Chapters include:

“Forced Famine in Ukraine”

“Human Rights Violations in Ukraine”

“Guidelines for Case Studies”

“Commemoration of the Great Famine in the Ukraine by the President of the United

States of America: A Proclamation,” by President Ronald Reagan

Tables:

Ethnic Groups 1979 Census

1926 and 1939 Censuses

Graph:

Natural Rate of Population Growth in Ukrainian SSR 1926-1934

“Villages ordered ‘to give fifty kurkuls’” (28)

“How deportations, collectivization of villages conducted” (36-37)

“How Famine was organized” (38-39, 48-52)

“Internal Passport system” (40)

“Commercial Blockade” (41-42)

“Decree of Central Committee of Communist Party (Bolsheviks) of January 24,

1933” (43)

Execution by Hunger Testimonies:

“The Yogi and the Commissar,” by Arthur Koestler

“Soviet Attitudes and Grain Procurements,” by Lev Kopelev

“Save the Plan,” by Vasilii Grossman

“I Chose Freedom,” by Viktor Kravchenko

“Stalin and the Famine,” by Nikita Khruschev

“Stalin and the Famine,” by Roy Medvedev

Louis Fischer, and Sidney and Beatrice Webb blaming peasants

Newspaper coverage:

Soviet statements regarding Forced Famine

Human Rights Violations in United States, Russia

[As is often the case, in this book, the word, “Russia”=The USSR=Ukraine]

Definitions:

Human Rights and Genocide Defined

“Historical perspective post-Stalinist, Anti-Ukrainianism,” by Wasyl Hryslko

“Rehabilitation of Postychev”

“Genocide and Ethnocide of Ukrainians,” by Maksym Sahaydak

Notes continuing suppression of Ukrainian and information regarding the Famine (107-113).

1977 USSR Constitution (excerpts)

Contrast this Constitution with that of the Stalinist Era regarding how the rights guaranteed therein compare with the realities of Soviet life in those times.

“Vasyl Stus: Life and Death of a Ukrainian Poet,” by Marco Carynnyk (128-132)

Includes excerpts from Stus’ Notebook

“Prisoners of Conscience” includes transcript of interrogation (126-138)

“Prison Conditions” (139-142)

Includes poems:

V. Bukovsky, “Prisoners”

V. Chornovil, “Again and Again”

V. Stus, “How Good It Is”

Manat, G. P. Politics and Economics of the Soviet Union: An Annotated Bibliography.

Commack, New York: Nova Science Publishers, Inc., 1992. v + 197 pp. Subject and Authorial Indexes. ISBN: 1-56072-048-4.

Relevant chapters include:

“Business, Finance, Economics, and Foreign Trade”

“Foreign Policy: Foreign Affairs, Military”

“Domestic Policies: Elections”

“Cultural History, Education”

“Science, Technology, Environment”