"Horn and hooves" of late Stalinism

From the book by historian Oleg Khlevnyuk "Empire Corporation"

In the Historia Rossica series, Oleg Khlevnyuk’s book “Impostings Corporation. Shadow economy and corruption in the Stalin USSR. ” Its main character was the adventurer Nikolai Pavlenko, who, shortly after the end of the Great Patriotic War, created a fictitious construction organization, which received many state orders and existed before the arrest of its founder in 1952. With the permission of the New Literary Review publishing house, we publish an excerpt from the head of the Corporation Creation.

Starting from February 24, 2022, we were all in the face of the advancing barbarism, violence and lies. In this situation, it is extremely important to preserve at least the remnants of culture and support the values ​​of humanism - including for the sake of the future of Russia. Therefore, the editorial office of Gorky will continue to talk about books, reminding our readers that the world remains in the world and fiction.

Oleg Khlevnyuk. Empire corporation. Shadow economy and corruption in the Stalinist USSR. M.: New Literary Review, 2023 . Content

Arriving in Lviv, Pavlenko repeated the scheme that successfully worked in 1942, when he received a contract for the construction of military hospitals. He again used the seal and stamp of the “Military Construction Management Office No. 2” and fabricated the certificate in his name as the head of this site. With a false certificate, Pavlenko began to look for state economic organizations that would agree to give him a row for construction work.

The task was complicated by the fact that Pavlenko had neither money, nor equipment, nor materials. He could offer his customers only labor, which he hoped to recruit after concluding the contract. Not all organizations agreed to such conditions. As Pavlenko said during interrogation, he stopped his choice at the enterprises of the coal industry, since in other organizations “there were no equipment, in particular vehicles and mechanisms for the production of construction”.

At the end of February 1948, Pavlenko managed to conclude an agreement for the construction of roads with the Lvovestugol trust. The contract was significant - 1.5 million rubles, but it did not take place, since the trust was not opened with funding. Despite the failure, Pavlenko continued to search in the same direction and negotiated with the head of the capital construction department (OKS) of the Lvivugol trust. Pavlenko proposed to provide in a row for road construction work, promising to highlight specialists and road workers. The chief of the ACS, who undoubtedly experienced the deficit of the builders, agreed. As Pavlenko explained during the investigation, "by the time I turned to the ORS head, I had no specialists or workers yet, but I could easily recruit them with the consent of the trust to conclude an agreement with me."

In March 1948, the agreement was reached. Pavlenko concluded an agreement with the Zolochevsky mine administration for the production of road construction work for 350-400 thousand rubles. The contract on behalf of the mining was signed by the chief, and authorized Lvovugol, manager of the Trust, L. Plyatchenko. Pavlenko on behalf of his organization, called the Military Construction Office (ATS), pledged to build a cobblestone road to the mines group, and the Zolochevsky mining department financed work, issuing a 10 percent advance, and provided scarce transport, construction equipment and fuel and lubricants, overalls and bedding. In the Zolochevsky branch of the State Bank, again with the help of fake documents, an account was opened for the organization. They came to him, and then the customer’s money was removed.

Having concluded an agreement, Pavlenko called the employees with whom he worked during the war and in Kalinin. With their help, an organization was created and, according to Pavlenko, 60–70 workers were hired. The constantly exaggerating numbers Konstantinov spoke in interrogations about 150 workers. The whole team moved to Zolochevsky district, where the “headquarters” of the ATS was organized. In June - September 1948, four more contracts were signed with the same mine administration for more than a million rubles.

As the investigation found out several years later, from the very beginning there were bribes and services that he provided to various officials from the very beginning. The bribe, according to the arrested, at the initial stage of the creation of the organization, received the manager of the Lvivugol trust, managing the Zolochevsky branch of the State Bank and the inter -regional Lviv Prombank office. The explosives, which was used for career work, was received for a reward from friends Pavlenko in the military unit. For the head of the Zolochevsky mining department, Pavlenko arranged a feast. Through the chairman of the Zolochevsky district council, a mobilization of the able -bodied population and horse -drawn transport of two rural councils in the manner of labor was carried out.

The peasants attracted to duties actually worked for free at the Pavlenko facility. However, it is obvious that the organization Pavlenko coped with its obligations. Otherwise, the leaders of the coal industry would not dare to enter into contractual relations even for bribes. Indeed, in the fall of 1948, the construction of roads for the Zolochevsky mine administration was successfully completed.

At the same time, the expansion of the front of work began at the expense of new orders. In 1948, the first agreement was concluded with the Kremenets mine administration; Then, from June 1948 to November 1949, five more contracts followed. In total, they were slightly less than agreements in the Zolochevsky district. Together with the reputation of a bona fide contractor, the ATS received a new order from the same Trust Lvivugol - two contracts for the construction of the road and bridges to the Kolomyia mines. As always, the case did not do without maintaining a special relationship with local leaders. After the signing of the contract, the feast of Pavlenko was organized with the managing trust of the Lvivugol trust and his deputy, the head of the Kolomiysky mining department, the secretary of the local district district committee and other officials. The payments of “rewards” continued to the heads of the Lvivugol trust.

However, while these were relatively small contracts, about a million rubles. Pavlenko was looking for additional income and turned to the enterprises of the oil industry. Since the beginning of 1949, he entered into an agreement with the Borislavneft Trust to build highways and bridges. Forces from the site of the Kolomiysky mines were relocated to Borislav, a well -known center for the oil industry of Ukraine. Here, the technique provided by the customer was again used, but Pavlenko, who added in weight, managed to restore part of the vehicle and some construction equipment received from the mine administrations under the previous agreements. In 1949, relatively small work for the Borislavsky city committee and the Nikolaev cement plant in the Drogobych region were performed in 1949. In both cases, roads were also built.

In general, the beginning was laid. Having completed work under contracts with the Lvivugol trust, Pavlenko became one of the reliable customers of the industry. Later, during a search, Pavlenko found a certificate on the icon “Excellence in the Ministry of Coal Industry of the USSR”, which indicated that he was awarded by order of the Minister of May 9, 1949.

At the initial stage of the work of the newly -haired construction organization, the main methods of its activities developed and the first successes were achieved. The ATS was ready to receive a larger order. However, he still had to compete for him.

Expansion of the front of work

The first major order was the construction of the road to the Poritsky coal mines. The external circumstances of the conclusion of the agreement on this object were described in his testimony by Yu. B. Konstantinov.

In early June 1949, Pavlenko drove the first Victory light car. It was bought in a car shop in Kyiv. Such a car was a rarity and a symbol of success. It began to be released at the Gorky Automobile Plant in mid -1946. After the monetary reform, since September 1948, the government decided to organize the retail sale of Passenger cars and Victory for the population for cash. Pavlenko took advantage of this resolution.

Cars-both the first and subsequent-bought in the name of any of the heads of the organization, and then transferred to the balance of the ATS. The acquisition of such a machine was a difficult task. So, in the second half of 1948, “Victory” was planned to sell only 900 pieces throughout the country. In stores to make a purchase, they were included in the lists, according to one of the contemporaries, "fabulously long, like a Chernomor beard." The successful purchase of a car for Pavlenko was most likely not without a bribe, which was usually for the Soviet automobile market as a whole.

At the new prestigious “victory” Pavlenko went to Lviv and a few days later on the phone gave Konstantinov an instruction to prepare “lunch and meeting the general”. The “coal general” among themselves the leaders of the ATS called the head of the Ukrainian mine -building head L. D. Vergasov, since he had blue stripes on his uniform trousers. Soon, the head of the Lvivugol trust A. A. Datuashvili, L. D. Vergasov and the Minister of the Local Fuel Industry of Ukraine arrived in the “headquarters” of the organization on two cars. For a great importance that demonstrates Pavlenko’s possibility, or for real security reasons, they arrived, accompanied by a truck with protection from an armed detachment of the ATS.

For two days the feast continued, then we went to inspect the executed orders. Returning a few days later, Pavlenko said that there would be great work, as the ATS offered an agreement for the construction of highways to the Poritsky mines in Vladimir-Volynsky district. It was a really large jackpot.

However, soon the desired order almost sailed from his hands. The fact is that initially the Poritsky mines subordinate to the Lvivugol trust, with the head of which Datuashvili Pavlenko established a special relationship. However, they did not manage to conclude an agreement for the construction of roads with this trust - technical documentation was not ready. Pavlenko began to deploy work without a contract on the basis of a letter to Datuashvili. Such a step undoubtedly suggested a fairly high level of trust between Pavlenko and the leadership of the trust, but was fraught with certain risks. Indeed, at the end of 1949, the Westshachtostroy trust was organized with the place of stay in the city of Vladimir-Volynsky, to which the construction of the Poritsky mines passed.

Pavlenko was faced with the threat of losses and an unsigned contract. As Konstantinov later testified, the leadership of the Westshachtostroy expressed doubts that the ATS would cope with such a voluminous order. Pavlenko had to use all his ties in the Ministry of Coal Industry in Moscow and at the local level. By joint efforts, the resistance of the ill -wishers was broken. On February 1, 1950, Pavlenko signed the desired agreement. It provided for the construction of construction work for 2.9 million rubles. In June of this year, an additional agreement was concluded at once by 6 million rubles.

It was the largest of the orders that Pavlenko had ever received. The terms of the contract were quite standard. The contractor ensured the performance of the work with his work force and some materials (stone, sand, gravel). The customer transmitted an advance, design and estimate documentation, machines and mechanisms, fuel and some building materials, prefabricated houses for workers.

Construction was carried out on a grand scale. According to Konstantinov, 350 workers were assembled to the site - though Pavlenko spoke about 150-200 workers. The organization of Pavlenko already had at his disposal 50 vehicles, an excavator, two bulldozers, four scraper, two tractors, a grader, a groove, etc. The equipment was received from the customer, and partly bought or stolen. The chanquituator abandoned by someone in non-working state was found and repaired.

At the same time, the construction of the railway line began to the Zdolbunovsky Cement Plant in the Rivne region. Not far from the cement plant organized workshops for the repair of vehicles at the disposal of the ATS. The cement plant became the long -term customer of the organization Pavlenko. The work, although not very large, was carried out for him back in 1950-1951.

The highway for the Westshachtostroy trust was completed in the fall of 1950. After that, the forces were relocated to the city of Yykhvi in ​​Estonia, for the construction of the highway for the Estonzlantzestr Trust. This significant order for 5.3 million rubles. It was received through Moscow on the recommendation of the head of the relevant administration in the Ministry of Coal Industry A. T. Kartosia, after the successful implementation of the contract with the Trudshachtostroy trust. Both trusts were subordinate to Cartosia.

The construction site in Estonia was headed by one of the closest employees and relative Pavlenko Konstantinov. About 50 people went to Estonia. Three trucks, an excavator, three scraper, bulldozer, a tractor, six horses with robes were transferred there. In conditions of universal deficit, it was necessary to carry a lot of food: several carriers of pickles, potatoes, meat.

Cooperation with the Lvivugol trust, the oldest partner Pavlenko, did not stop. In the Transcarpathian region in September 1950, and then in January 1951, agreements were signed to build a railway line from the Mukachevo station to the Berezinskaya mine No. 2 with the Mukachevsky mine administration of this trust. The total cost of work was 1.7 million rubles. The construction of the branch used forces and means that remained in 1950 in the Rivne region. However, the work was not completed due to the conservation of the construction of mines. This was compensated by other objects, in particular, the construction of roads for the Dorogobuzhugol trust, which has been carried out since the end of 1950. This contract was estimated at 3.2 million rubles.

From the Transcarpathian region, Pavlenko relocated the labor and equipment obtained from the Lvivugol trust to the Zvenigorod district of the Kyiv region. Roads were built here for the Yurkov Rossstroy trust. The contract was concluded in mid -1951 by 2 million rubles. Since the fall of 1951, a road was also built in the Stanislav region under an agreement with the Dolinsky drilling office. At the end of these works, in the city of Vozhatin, Stanislavsky Region, car repair shops were opened.

Work in the Kyiv region and Estonia ended simultaneously in December 1951. However, Pavlenko did not remain without new orders. Part of the organization moved to the Kaluga region for the work for the Kalugashakhtostroy trust, which was now headed by Datuashvili. Orders were also carried out in Belarusian Mogilev. Here, with the help of the manager of the Belarusian Republican Office of Prombank, five contracts were concluded in the amount of about 4 million rubles. They provided, in particular, the construction of paved and railways for the Ministry of Construction of Ultrous Engineering Enterprises worth 1.3 million rubles. (True, this construction was frozen) and the railway line to the meat processing plant. About 100 people were transferred to Mogilev, including about 20 “guards”.

After the order was completed in the Kaluga Region, the Pavlenko organization, which worked there, was transferred to the city of Sakhnovschina, Kharkov region for the construction of the railway line for the Polotzerno point. Work was also performed in Kharkov.

Since the end of 1951, Pavlenko's attention attracted the possibilities of concluding contracts in Moldova. In the fall of 1951, one of the employees of Pavlenko was sent to the republic in order to find a place for car repair workshops. He did not find premises for workshops, but said that it was possible to get an order for the construction of an access road for the Graittea-Vino-Belief State Farm near Chisinau. The state farm was ready to provide stone and housing for builders. At this time, Pavlenko was idle part of the workers at other facilities, and he became interested in the proposal. In October, Pavlenko went to Moldova. On November 21, 1951, an agreement was concluded with the director of the state farm. The object was not very expensive, only 200 thousand rubles. The road was completed in a few months, at the beginning of 1952. In this regard, Pavlenko was represented by the deputy minister of the food industry of Moldova M. A. Azaryev.

In establishing contacts with officials, Pavlenko had a rich experience and soon received a letter from Azaryev to the director of the Vinno-Konyachny Plant in the Balti, which proposed to conclude an agreement for the construction for the railway branch factory. The work was started, but not completed, since the customer could not provide sleepers and rails. In the spring of 1952, orders were received for the paving of household yards for the Gramitzhta state farm and the construction of a railway line and a road for the winery factory in Tiraspol, and in August the roads for the Graittyashta state farm. In total, in Moldova, the organization Pavlenko concluded 11 contracts for 2.5 million rubles.

In September 1952, two months before the disclosure and liquidation of the ATS, work in Mogilev and Sakhnovshchina was completed. The organization of Pavlenko focused on the facilities of Moldova, Ukraine and the Tula region. In the city of Pervomaisk, in the Odessa region, cobblestone stone was prepared, and contracts with the Pervomaisky Garmonkhoz and the director of the Pervomaisky Central collective farm market were concluded. In Tiraspol, work continued for the wine-cony plant and the construction of a railway line for a glass factory. В городе Калараше был принят договор на строительство внутризаводских площадок на новом консервном заводе. Такую же работу выполняли в селе Страшены и в Кишиневе на строящихся винных заводах.

До последнего момента действовала площадка в Днепропетровске в Украине. Там строились железнодорожные ветки и автоподъезды для завода № 12 угольной промышленности. В Запорожье создавали карьер для добычи камня и мастерские по ремонту автомашин. В Тульской области были заключены небольшие контракты при помощи Датуашвили. В приговоре суда говорилось, что в августе 1952 года, совсем незадолго до провала организации, велись переговоры в Запорожье и Харькове о заключении новых контрактов. Константинов утверждал, что в конце октября — начале ноября 1952 года уже была достигнута договоренность с трестом «Запорожстрой» на строительство шоссейной дороги. На этом объекте предполагалось организовать штаб всего УВС. В общем, организация явно не собиралась останавливаться на достигнутом.