Appeal of the Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR V. I. Lenin to the international proletariat
Documents of foreign policy of the USSR. Volume 4. p. 250. Moscow. Gospolitzdat. 1960
August 2, 1921
In Russia, there is a famine in several provinces, which, apparently, is only a little less than the disaster of 1891.
This is a grave consequence of the backwardness of Russia and the seven years of war, first imperialist, then civil, which the landowners and capitalists of all countries forced upon the workers and peasants.
Help Wanted. The Soviet republic of workers and peasants expects this help from the working people, from industrial workers and small farmers.
The masses of both are themselves oppressed by capitalism and imperialism everywhere, but we are sure that, despite their own plight, caused by unemployment and rising costs, they will heed our call.
Those who have experienced the oppression of capital all their lives will understand the position of the workers and peasants of Russia—they will understand or feel, by the instinct of a working and exploited man, the need to help the Soviet Republic, which had to be the first to undertake the grateful but difficult task of overthrowing capitalism. For this the capitalists of all countries are taking revenge on the Soviet Republic. For this they are preparing new plans for a campaign, intervention, counter-revolutionary conspiracies against her.
With the greater energy, we are sure, with the greater self-sacrifice, the workers and small farmers of all countries will come to our aid.
2. VIII. 1921
I. Lenin
* In 1921, in the first year of peaceful construction, Soviet Russia was beset by a severe disaster - an unprecedented drought and famine in the most important grain-producing regions of the country: in the Volga region, in the Southern Urals, in the Crimea and in several provinces of Ukraine. The main reasons for this were the devastation caused by the imperialist and civil wars, foreign intervention and blockade, as well as the economic backwardness of the country. The crop failure covered about 40% of the country's sown area. By the end of 1921, the threat of starvation hung over millions of people.
The Soviet government took decisive measures to combat hunger. “Let the entire working class,” wrote V. I. Lenin, “as one person, stands up to heal the grievous wound of the Volga region, and the fertile Volga region will repay us with its bread in future years. This is the only way we will preserve Soviet power and defend the freedom we have won against all the villainous encroachments of the capitalists of the whole world”(Leninsky collection XXXIV, p. 425).
On July 18, 1921, the Central Commission for Assistance to the Starving was established under the All-Russian Central Executive Committee. The Soviet government developed a system of measures to combat hunger, in particular, food purchases in other countries were sharply increased (see Doc. No. 74, 77, 254). “Vladimir Ilyich,” noted L. B. Krasin, “personally monitored almost every steamer departing from abroad and literally bombarded us with telegrams and notes, begging us to do everything possible to help the starving regions as soon as possible” (L. B. Krasin, "Issues of foreign trade", M., 1928, p. 48).
A massive voluntary movement to help the starving began in the country. Informing the Central Commission of Assistance of his decision to send 1 million pounds to the starving. seeds, 600 thousand pounds. grain, to organize 75 orphanages for the children of the Volga region, to deduct 1 pound from each pood of harvest, the workers of the Altai province wrote: “The Altai peasants and workers, in full consciousness of fraternal comradely solidarity, fulfill these obligations to the starving brothers, workers and peasants of the Volga region as a sacred duty entrusted to them by the great cause of the revolutionary struggle.
The Soviet government organized the collection and delivery of seed material to the starving regions. By the beginning of autumn 1921, 12 million poods had been delivered there. seeds for autumn sowing, and the total seed fund sent for the needs of spring sowing in 1922 amounted to 39 million pounds. In total, from September 1921 to the end of 1922, in order to combat hunger, the Soviet state transferred 160 million pounds to the peasants of the provinces struck by hunger. bread and spent 156 million rubles. gold.
In the struggle of the Soviet people against hunger, a certain role was played by the help of foreign organizations that collected funds and food for the benefit of the starving. The Soviet government concluded a number of agreements with foreign organizations to help the starving (see Doc. Nos. 193 and 201). The workers of many countries rendered great and disinterested help to the Soviet Republic.
The published appeal of V. I. Lenin to the international proletariat met with a warm response from the working people of many countries of Europe and America, in which a broad movement of solidarity with the Soviet country began working committees of assistance were created, funds were collected in favor of the starving Russia, etc. In France, Holland, Italy and in several other countries, workers contributed their one-day earnings to the famine relief fund. In Finland, local trade union organizations have called on their members to donate hourly wages to starving Russia every week. The Friends of Soviet Russia organization, founded in October 1921, operated in the USA and Canada. Addressing the US workers with an appeal to help the Soviet Republic, the Friends of Soviet Russia pointed out that the capitalists, who “blocked Russia, starved her people and ruined her industry.” But the capitalists, it was pointed out in this appeal, will not succeed in crushing Soviet Russia. “The Russian workers will weather the storm and emerge victorious from it. We pay tribute to their great sacrifice and heroism. They inspire workers all over the world.” "Friends of Soviet Russia" has established its branches in many cities in the United States and Canada and has established close ties with the local branches of the largest American and Canadian trade unions. As of December 31, 1921, this organization collected 350 thousand dollars, in money and for 250 thousand dollars, clothes, shoes, medicines, etc. In the early summer of 1922, a group of specialists, members of the organization, arrived in Soviet Russia, who brought 21 tractors with her. This tractor detachment worked successfully in the Perm province; in his letter to society dated October 20, 1922, V.I.
A great deal of work to help the starving in Soviet Russia was carried out by the International Committee for Workers' Aid (Mezhrabpom). By the beginning of November 1921, with his assistance, 2860 thousand marks were collected in Germany, 91 thousand guilders in Holland, 2500 pounds sterling in England, 100 thousand crowns in Norway, 150 thousand francs in France, Belgium - 35 thousand francs, in Austria - 2500 thousand crowns, etc. Significant funds were collected by the working people during special aid campaigns carried out in various countries on November 7, 1921. During 1921-1922. The Mezhrabpom collected over 5 million rubles. gold.
At the same time, the reformist leaders of several trade unions in Germany, England and other countries essentially sabotaged the provision of assistance to Russia. The Amsterdam International imposed a number of conditions on the provision of aid, requiring, in particular, the establishment of its direct control over its distribution.
The broad movement for rendering assistance to the Soviet state was a vivid example of the international proletarian solidarity of the working people.
By the end of 1922, the consequences of the famine in Soviet Russia were largely eliminated.
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