OIL OLIGARCH FELIX DZERZHINSKY

HISTORICAL FACT

It is generally accepted that the glorious Soviet Chekists took up raw materials, banking and other types of business only in the early 90s of the last century. And before that, they always frowned severely at the mere mention of green papers. Even...

It is generally accepted that the glorious Soviet Chekists took up raw materials, banking and other types of business only in the early 90s of the last century. And before that, they always frowned severely at the mere mention of green papers. Even in the notorious years of the New Economic Policy, their hearts were hot in this respect, their hands were pure, and their thoughts were even purer...

Emba

Oil in the area of ​​the salty river Emba (Western Kazakhstan) was discovered at the end of the 19th century. The industrial development of the Dossor deposit began in 1911, and the Makat deposit in 1915. During the Civil War, the Bolsheviks became convinced of the importance of "black gold". And as soon as in the first half of January 1920 they conquered the Emba oil region, the 4th Red Army was immediately retrained into a labor army - into the "2nd revolutionary army of labor." She was ordered not only to restore production, but also to ensure the transportation of oil to the center as soon as possible. Former Red Army soldiers, now labor soldiers (essentially free labor force!), Started building the Alexandrov Gai-Emba railway and laying the Saratov-Emba oil pipeline. The work was carried out in the most difficult conditions (winter period, lifeless space) and required enormous costs. Despite the formidable decrees of the Bolshevik STO (Council of Labor and Defense), this project at that moment was an outright utopia. Therefore, as soon as the Red Army captured Baku in the spring of 1921, work on the construction of the railway and the oil pipeline was stopped. The development of oil fields continued to be carried out by the state trust "Embaneft", which now has the task of ensuring the transportation of oil ("even on camels"!). A certain Friedman, who was at the head of the trust, - "an extraordinary authorized officer of the STO" - on February 23, 1923, sent a letter to the NKPS, where he asked "to accept for discussion and implementation the clearing of the mouth of the Ural River in order to give free access to sea vessels in Guryev." And also to build a narrow-gauge railway Guryev - Dossor "for the transfer of materials to oil fields."

On the benefits of combining jobs

Zhelezny Felix, as People’s Commissar of Railways, read this letter, then, as chairman of the GPU, made inquiries and found out that the Embaneft state trust, in addition to the Dossor and Makat fields, includes two oil refineries: Konstantinovsky near Yaroslavl and Varinsky in Sormov (Nizhny Novgorod). Emba oil itself is noticeably inferior in quality, and much more expensive in terms of cost than Grozny and Baku oil. But it has one advantage: during processing, it produced the best quality technical oils, lubricants such as grease. The Konstantinovsky plant at that time was a monopolist in their production.

And the crystal heart of Felix Edmundovich Dzerzhinsky trembled. Already someone who, but he knew that all his fellow people's commissars patronize private companies and firms. For very decent kickbacks. And you can’t tell them anything - the NEP is in the yard ... And he, Felix, having under him all the ways of communication of the Union and the most powerful power structure, walks like a poor relative. Moreover, Vladimir Ilyich, in front of whom Felix maintained the reputation of being honest and incorruptible (and who, it must be said, was very skeptical about Felix’s economic possibilities), was already in a certain state in Gorki.

In Glavkontsesskom, which issued licenses for private entrepreneurial activity, a certificate-note dated March 25, 1923, signed not by just anyone, but by the deputy head of the Secret Operational Directorate and head of the Special Department of the GPU, Genrikh Yagoda, flew. A third person (after Dzerzhinsky and Menzhinsky) in the then KGB hierarchy.

Point 7 is noteworthy, showing exactly how the concessionaires from Lubyanka wanted to solve the problem of laying a railway to oil fields:

“If the GPU provides a labor force of up to 2,000 people, and the NKPS provides material and rolling stock from the Vladimir-Ryazan line, then in 1.5 years the Guryev-Makat railway can be built with low costs for sleepers and freight (sleepers can be prepared using the means of the GPU ), and taking into account the freight at the expense of the NKPS, the road will cost a small amount, including the remuneration of the highest qualified personnel, small materials and traveling expenses - about 250,000 rubles.

At the end of the same reference, potential oligarchs - Comrade Yagoda and Comrade Dzerzhinsky, modestly standing in his shadow - asked for the following benefits:

“a) the right to freely acquire abroad and import duty-free various types of machinery, equipment and various goods and materials necessary for crafts and factories;

b) the right to independent free trade in products of their production both within the RSFSR and abroad;

c) establishment of certain norms for all taxes, which will henceforth be applied to the Company's operations, so that the total amount of such taxes does not exceed the value of 5% of useful production;

d) exempt from excise duties on oil products produced from production for 5.5 years, as well as from trade tax.

<…>

We ask you to submit a concession for 25 years, after which the entire enterprise in good order and on the go passes free of charge to the full ownership of the Republic.

The response of the Soviet bureaucrats somewhat disappointed the oil kings.

“The Main Concession Committee is in the GPU

Moscow, Vorontsovo field, 6. tov. Berry

At the same time, an extract from the protocol No. 16 is forwarded.

Clause 1 in the case of the Joint Stock Company for the exploitation of the Ural-Emben oil fields.

Замупрделами GKK Orlov

Extract

From the protocol No. 16 of the meeting of the Main Concession Committee under the Council of People's Commissars for concessions on 14/IV-1923.

Listened: On the organization of a Joint Stock Company for the exploitation of the Ural-Emben oil fields.

Resolved: 1. a) The GCC does not object to the essence of the draft agreement on the organization of the Ural-Emben oil fields and considers the principles of organization set forth in the note of the Founders of the Company, signed by Comrade Yagoda

25/III-23, generally correct.

b) The GCC does not consider it possible to submit a draft agreement for approval by the Council of People's Commissars before the founders of the Company submit to the Glavkontsesssky a project for financing this Joint Stock Company.

c) To allow the founders of the Society in the person of comrade t. Yagoda, Khalatova and Gorozhan conduct preliminary negotiations with foreign capitalists on the subject of the participation of the latter in society, subject to the indispensable condition of systematically informing the GKK about the progress of the negotiations.

Diamonds for AO

So, it all came down to funding. There were no such idiots who would voluntarily transfer their funds to the Chekists among the "foreign capitalists". Then the Lubyanka businessmen proposed an alternative project for financing their JSC.

But in the eyes of other Bolshevik leaders, he turned out to be too straightforward (if not brazen) attempt to enrich himself at the expense of the state. At a meeting on April 19, 1923, the government refused to transfer oil resources into the hands of Dzerzhinsky and his comrades.

However, Iron Felix continued to lobby for the project. Why did he appeal to the Politburo (the fiefdom of Comrade Stalin), where he found support.

"RSFSR ... May

1923

Deputy Chairman of the SNK and STO Moscow, Vozdvizhenka,

A. I. Rykov

4th House of Soviets, apt. 13.

Politburo of the Central Committee of the RCP (b)

Secret

<...> The implementation of the project approved by the GCC can be started only after the founders of the Society have at their disposal at least a small amount of funds to start work (up to 5 million). The state of our budget does not allow us to allocate these funds, but the GPU has at its disposal and constantly receives a number of valuables, which are confiscated by judicial decrees and, as a general rule, are handed over to the Gokhran.

I consider it absolutely expedient for 23 and 24 to transfer these values ​​to the disposal of the founders of this Society, who will work under the power of attorney of the NKPS for the development of the Emba region.

In the Politburo of the Central Committee of the RCP (b)

In forwarding Comrade Rykov's letter to the Politburo, I petition for permission from the GPU to sell valuables for the operation of EMBA. <...> Allow us, the GPU, together with the NKPS, to take on this task, to intensify the zeal and work of the GPU to search for and capture illegally taken away valuables in order to fulfill a great historical task. This will not divert the GPU from its direct tasks—for the entire economic side falls on the economic body—on the People's Commissariat of Railways and the Ryazan-Ural road.

F. Dzerzhinsky

Moscow

May 11, 1923

No. 577/t".

As can be seen from the documents, Stalin and Dzerzhinsky exerted vigorous pressure on the All-Russian Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars. Already in 1923, these two were deeply imbued with the idea of ​​​​creating a joint-stock company "USSR" on the basis of free wage labor.

The time has not yet come. It will come up a little later.