Word: novocherkassk
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Challenging the official line is still hazardous. On Nov. 6, the Moscow business newspaper Vedomosti carried an opinion piece by the Academy of Sciences' Gontmakher titled NOVOCHERKASSK - 2009. The headline was a reference to spontaneous strikes by workers in a Russian town in 1962 that ended in bloodshed when troops were called in and opened fire: at least 20 people were killed and three dozen wounded. In his article, Gontmakher drew some parallels between the social tensions back then and the deteriorating economy today. Within days, the newspaper received an official warning from the Kremlin's media watchdog...
...unfulfilled. But the "GehBeh," as the organization is nicknamed after its initials, can report what is happening to the leadership. The more disquieting evidence it produces, the more the KGB justifies its insistence on larger budgets and greater manpower. Since there really has been trouble--a food riot in Novocherkassk in 1962, for instance--the leadership has acquiesced to the KGB's demands...
...capitalist-style incentives, and the continuing failure of Soviet agriculture, including Khrushchev's pet virgin lands project in Kazakhstan. Certain to come under scrutiny will be the most violent outburst of discontent reported from Russia in years, last summer's riots in the southern city of Novocherkassk, which ended with the killing of hundreds of workers and housewives who protested against high prices and poor working conditions (TIME, Oct. 19). Moscow denied the whole thing, but according to new details trickling to the West, party officials were stunned by the outbreak, not only because of the sudden violence...
...circumstantial supporting evidence: 1) the entire Rostov region was suddenly declared off limits to foreign tourists in June, supposedly because of a cholera epidemic, although a major track meet was held on July 8 and Russian citizens were allowed to move freely in the allegedly disease-ridden area; 2) Novocherkassk imposed a curfew on young people, to remain in effect for two years; 3) Nikita Khrushchev's second in command, Frol Kozlov, made a special trip to the area June 8 and stayed for several weeks to deal with "certain party organizations for neglecting ideological and educational work...
...Novocherkassk (pop. 94,000) has about 16,000 young factory workers and students at technical training schools, who live in 42 barracks-like dormitories scattered throughout the city. About three days after the price announcement, a group of youths marched out of their dormitory after dinner chanting a slogan against the decree. They were soon joined by thousands of others, who also shouted complaints about piecework rates. The huge crowd moved slowly toward the center of town, accompanied by housewives. The main square was jammed, and to get a better look at the turbulent scene, many students climbed trees...