News from the Soviet Union

Religion is the Opiate of the People – Karl Marx

Religion throughout history has played a very backward and reactionary role (barring some exceptions) in the life of humanity. It is no exception now as the events in the world show. These religions, the churches, monasteries, evangelical crusades always seem to be in the black financially. The biggest owners of real estate, land and banks, industries and they seem to get help from the governments.

Take a look at this Russian Orthodox Patriarch Alexy II in Moscow during the Easter services. He looks very well fed, he doesn't have to stand on corners in Moscow and beg. Maybe all the gold crosses on his chest could be used to feed the hungry and sick in present day Russia... or the billions that it cost to refurbish this cathedral could have been used to pay back wages of workers whose earnings in taxes help to pay the good life-style of Patriarch Alexy II.

Well, at least Alexy was true to his religious beliefs, not as Gorbachev, Yeltsin and Putin who attended this church service and dutifully crossed themselves as former "communist leaders"!

 We do wonder whether in all of their breast-pockets they still are keeping their CPSU party cards, just in case, yes, just in case the wind blows to the left?

 Regarding John Paul II as he sprinkles holy water at St. Peter's Square, he is one of the architects of the temporary destruction of Socialism in his native Poland and in all other former socialist countries.

Living Contact of Generations

Not too long ago in our lzmail regional party organization in Ukraine, we had an important event happening. We accepted into our ranks 8 young boys and girls. Looking at their youthful faces and knowing their situation nowadays, we know that it is not easy to frighten these young party members

Above is a photo of young communists who have just lately joined the Communist Party of Ukraine

To help these young people find their path into the ranks of the Communist Party of Ukraine is the results of the party schools that are established. We make certain that experienced party workers, professors, veterans impart their knowledge and experience and this is followed by discussions, sometimes very heated ones, between these young communists and party workers.

From Odessa region to Moldavia is just a stone's throw, as the saying goes. The victory of the Moldavian communists in the last election has started an intensive interest amongst our youth. We get together with our Moldavian comrades to discuss the present situation and make plans for cooperation in the future struggles.

 Together with elder comrades veterans of the communist movement we are leading the work for this our future generations of fighters for socialism.

"Out With Kuchma-Yushenko Regime!"

 Under such slogans there took place a demonstration in Lutsk on March 17 of this year against the anti-people policies of the present bourgeois regime, initiated by the city's Communist Party of Ukraine. There were over 500 demonstrators. The composition of the demonstrators represented a varied section of the population. From the tribune red flags were flying.

The meeting was opened up by the first secretary of the CPU, Member of Parliament Peter Brel who said that such protests are being held all over devastated Ukraine. In his emotional speech the first secretary of the Volyn CPU, deputy P. Phidenko outlined the policies of the present Kuchma-Yushenko regime and how the CPU is organizing the working class into action. He called upon the Ukrainian people to wake up to reality, not to be afraid of political struggles, because only a unified Ukrainian working class can defeat the present hated regime. He also appealed to other parties tojloin ranks together in order to defeat the bourgeois Mafiosi regime of Kuchma!

Many other speakers spoke on the same political and economic theme, from the "Ukrainian Union of Workers," society called "Truthfulness," "Veterans of the Great Patriotic War," "Union of Women" and "In Defense of our Children," urging unity and more struggles. A letter addressed to president Kuchma was read and adopted by the mass meeting demanding that he (Kuchma) voluntarily resign his post as president. Another resolution was adopted with both political and economic demands

 As we go to press, Yushenko was ousted... but Kuchma stays. This is a victory?

The true voice of Soviet Communists

An Appeal to Our Descendants - We Are Leaving

 Behind us lies the unprecedented Twentieth Century, leaving half of our earthly sphere covered with blood. In this Twentieth Century there occurred great tragedies of nations, unheard of sufferings, and thunderous victories, cutting across the entire world. Churning with violent force, the Twentieth Century is leaving, and we are leaving together with it.

They called us the generation of victors. But we were ordinary people. Our mothers did not raise us for bloody battles, nor for universal glory, but for a plain and worthy life. History preordained our fate. We did not choose our time, it chose us.

Our lot was an unforgettable youth - with songs of the Civil War, with the film "Chapayev," rifle and parachute groups, the celebrated non-stop flights of Chkalov, the expeditions to the North Pole, the epics of Cheyuskis, the heroic battles at Lake Khasan, the Khetegur movement, the construction of Komsomolsk-on-Amur. Every day new faces looked at us from the pages of newspapers. How many heroes, how many talented people our Motherland uncovered in mud huts and barracks! She opened the road to the summit for everyone; she gave full scope to all creative geniuses. We all grew, breathing this fresh air into our lungs.

To our fate there befell the most horrible war, a war which the earth had not known till that time. The front-line soldier would dream of this war for the rest of his life. He would again be burnmg in a tank, drowning under bombardment in the Volga, Dnieper, Oder and Visla Rivers. He buried his comrades, he went through burning Russian forests liberating his Fatherland.. We crushed fascism which had enslaved many nations and countries. And rising from its knees, Europe cried out to us in various tongued "Brothers", and it sang, and seated us at the tables, and washed our smoke-covered tanks with tears and tart Balkan wines. Those who were with us in those days know the meaning of happiness.

No one promised us a rest after the war. We just exchanged our automatic rifles for pickaxes and crowbars, and our tanks for tractors. How much heavy labor we performed with bloody calluses how little we ate, how little we slept, until the wounds of our native land were healed, until the tears or widows and orphans were dried. Having recovered, our Motherland started on an unprecedented growth of strength and position in the world. For us this was also another war, and although a peaceful one, a real war nevertheless, resulting in disorders and countless calamities. And just like the Great Patriotic War, it demanded backbreaking exertions and, almost always, sacrifices akin to front-line heroism. But we won this war also.

In our declining years we were able to fulfill one more great debt; to preserve the memory of those who perished in the Great Patriotic War. Here before you are the fruits of our many years of research: three Memory Books of thousands of our departed long-gone names saved from oblivion. In Moscow, on Salutation Hill, at the memorial to the fallen, we have placed these books, written in all the regions of our country. The burden of grief is enormous.

We will not be alive to see what happens to our Motherland. But we have faith, that the seeds planted in us in younger souls will flower! In the most difficult of our present misfortune, in the sharpest of conflicts, we saw young people joining together with us. We know, very well, the relentless memory of youth. After all, it was our authorities that forced them to shed their blood in Chechnya and many other "hot-spots," and at the walls of the "White House." For what reason? We know that the young people are storing up their own heavy questions. There will come a time when they will demand an accounting.

Perhaps we will not be around to see that day and to see your bright faces, children. But in that perilous time we will be with you. Lean upon our lives; in them is the experience of surmounting hardships. Receive from us the will to victory, our righteous anger and the belief in the justice of our struggle. Your battles for the Motherland are before you. No one but you will carry out the difficult work for the rebirth of Russia. And may God give you the understanding of your measure of responsibility.

With love and sadness we bless you for our unreturnable distance.

May we suggest that Gorbachev, Yeltsin, Yakovlev, Shevernadze, Putin and other present rulers read this moving farewell by Soviet war veterans!

Second Demolishing Blow After 1991 Was Perpetrated on Communists

Oleg Shenin
Head of the Union of Communist Parties - CPSU

Not only in Russia, but also in all of the international communist movements it is very well known into what kind of opportunistic quagmire the present pro-bourgeois Zyuganov leadership led the Communist Party of the Russian Federation. Amongst the foreign Marxist-Leninists the top echelon of the CPRF headed by G. Zyuganov has become synonymous with contemporary opportunism, typical selling out of the revolutionary tasks of the working class and all peoples.

It is a fact, that even in 1993 Zyuganov was in personal contact with Boris Yeltsin, selling out the revolutionary upsurge of Soviet people and this allowed Yeltsin to deal in a bloody way with the people demonstrating against the policies of the bourgeoisie. Since that time the leadership of the CPRF with Zyuganov heading this sell-out, through the Russian Duma and other channels is doing all they can to stifle the demands of the population, helping the regime to fool the people that the regime will somewhat cooperate with the CPRF for the benefit of the people.

With this in mind Zyuganov states always that "Russia had reached its limit of revolution," that thee is no longer a need for class struggles. He also abandoned the slogan of "Workers of the world unite!"

Even the closest partner and friend of Zyuganov, E. Ligachev, having helped him for over 8 years in the Duma lately wrote: "The CPRF has left many unsolved problems and many mistakes. In particular, to this day there is no concrete program of struggle or the attempts to unite the struggles of the CPRF with the demands of the masses!"

With what are the Zyuganovites in the Russian Duma busy with? They are there to serve the criminal bourgeoisie. On their initiative, even when they had a majority of deputies in the Duma, there was not one proposal on their part that was adopted by the Duma for the benefit of the people, they did not block any laws meant to destroy the gains of the workers that were yet not destroyed by the present regime. There was much demagogy, but there were no results achieved.

Being different from the UCP-CPSU, which demands the resurrection of the Soviet State and Socialism, the CPRF has not a program that in fact opposes the capitalist regime. In order to fool the people (Zyuganov calls them the electorate) the top clique of the CPRF has come up with a new formula that they are the only the "constructive and loyal opposition." This formula was adopted by the last CPRF congress.

Over 150 top party officials of the CPRF, who left their party jobs in all the regions, joined Zyuganov in the Russian Duma and together with the present criminal bourgeoisie are fattening themselves in their cushy jobs at the expense of the people.

Nicely assimilating themselves in the soft and cushy seats in the Duma, with good pay and expense accounts, the top CPRF clique, slowly but dedicatedly are serving the anti-people regime. In order to cover-up these dirty deeds they came up with the formula in order to fool the people, that the CPRF fraction in parliament, unheard of in Communist ideology a form of "free swimming" which allows each "communist" member of parliament to vote as he sees fit, not following any semblance of order or dedication to communist ideals. In fact this means that every CPRF member of the Duma is able to sell his or her vote to the highest bidder. But to cover this treachery they still call themselves "Communists" as does the CPRF use the word "communist" in its name. It is interesting that Zyuganov and his top clique are special welcomed guests at the US Embassy in Moscow!

Zyuganov, Kuptsov, Ligachev and a small number of the clique have upon their shoulders the blame of always supporting capitalism and the robbery of the people, the weakening and disorientation of the party members and of the working class which wants to resurrect the USSR and socialism.

Zyuganov praises himself with the fact that people still vote for him. But the people are not voting for him but for the nostalgia of real and dedicated communists, that there will be in the near future a return to socialism. The present regime supports and is happy to have during any election the facade that there is a communist "opposition." The built-up protests and anger of the masses of the people thus have an outlet to let off steam through this venue. But the people are realizing and comparing the words of Zyuganov with his deeds. That is why with every election fewer and fewer of the people are voting for Zyuganov and the CPRF.

Even the right-wing newspaper "New Newspaper" published in Moscow noted that "such a left opposition is not needed in the Kremlin. People do not look at the CPRF as its defender but are looking for other parties which will represent the demands of the masses of working people." The newspaper stated this fact without realizing its full meaning and truth.

In the past and lately the CPRF echelon headed by Gennady Zyuganov tried and are trying to derail all attempts by the Union of Communist Parties-CPSU headed by Oleg Shenin to unite all communist parties and movements in Russia and all other former republics into a mighty force in struggle for the interests of the people.

We cannot forget the fact that under the demands of the criminal bourgeoisie Zyuganov opened up the campaign to liquidate all the dedicated Marxist-Leninist parties and movements. These CPRF leaders seem to have an abundant finances for this campaign. Even the present regime is admitting these facts now openly.

Zyuganov has his helpers in some of the other former Soviet republics. There is P. Georgadze in Georgia, P. Simonenko in Ukraine, A. Masaliev in Kirghizia and some others. These leaders of their own "parties" are studying and learning from Zyuganov, the "older brother." With their help Zyuganov lately has tried and underhandedly has succeeded in bringing under his wing the dismembered UCP-CPSU and to dismiss Oleg Shenin from his position as Chairman.

As is now a fact, on January 20 of this year, Zyuganov and his helpers Ligachev, Kopyshev and helped by Georgadze of Georgia held a meeting which they called the ⁴Plenum" of the UCP-CPSU. They called this plenum but only 37 out of 101 members of the Council of the UCP-CPSU came to this illegal plenum. The statutes say that there must be over 50 members present to make any decision. They started an underhanded agitation campaign to get this "quorum" and installed their business partners who own industries and are also members of the CPRF besides even registering some dead members who were members of the Council… thus they managed to have the 50 votes.

Then they proclaimed the "legality of the 50 members" of the Council of the UCP-CPSU!

Through such falsification Zyuganov and his helpers accomplished this traitorous deed. The Russian criminal bourgeoisie was delighted and sent congratulations. This is the second demolishing blow in the last 10 years after Yeltsin outlawed the CPSU across the USSR.

Oleg Shenin, Chairman of the UCP-CPSU gave an interview about this farce to the newspaper 'Glasnost".

"Members of our Union of Communist Parties - the present Communist parties of Abkhazia, Kazakhstan, Predniester Moldavian Republic, Tadzhikistan, Estonia, South Ossetia, Russian Communist Workers Party, Union of Communists of Latvia - in their letters to us stated their outrage at what transpired inside the UCP-CPSU. We received 8 documents from eight different communist parties where they demand the holding of an Extraordinary Congress in June-July of this year and empowering Shenin to prepare the documentation and to be the main speaker at this congress.

"I think that no matter how hard it is for us at this moment, due to the very treacherous action of Zyuganov and his clique, we are going ahead with the plans for this Extraordinary Congress. We shall accept many parties and organizations that have for a long time asked to be admitted into the UCP-CPSU. But we made a mistake in that in order to present a myth of unity we came closer to the position of the opportunists and revisionists when they came up with un-Marxist theory of "one Republic- one Party" thus many dedicated Marxist-Leninist parties were left out of the ranks of the UCP-CPSU. But life at the moment has shown us the mistake of such a policy - that instead of uniting we are dispersing our strength. We will accept those parties that are based on unity and for the resurrection of the Soviet Union and Socialism in all of the former republics of the USSR. When we have achieved this unity and the resurrection of the USSR - then there shall be established one mighty Communist Party.

"Irrespective of all intrigues and mechanizations that are being led by these elements or the decisions that these usurpers made on January 20th of this year, we are proceeding with the unification of communists in order to form a strong and one united Communist Party. We are going to structure it, minus the past mistakes into a mighty force. It shall be based only on the Marxist-Leninist principles, with no variations or departures from the aims. Life again has confirmed the bitter truth, if the opportunists and revisionists infiltrate any of the communist parties or movements, this is always dangerous, its always a hidden enemy, who at any given moment can do great harm and they will not stop. We are not going to stop under any circumstances or problems; we are going to march ahead in unifying all of our forces.

Stalin – Enemy of the Cult of Personality

So much has been written about the "Cult of Stalin" by enemies of socialism and communism that unfortunately many people, even some who profess and call themselves "communist" believe this lie, which works on the principal that Goebbels of Nazi Germany used so effectively: "Repeat a lie often enough and people will believe that it's the truth".

We reprint just a few quotes of J.V. Stalin that he made when he fought against the cult of any personality... all started by the enemies called "social revolutionaries" (Trotskyites) of the type that was Trotsky and Khrushchev. Of course it was supported by imperialism and the propaganda machine of the social-democrats.

"Lenin taught us that real Bolsheviks can only be those that not only know how to explain and teach the workers and the peasants, but also know how to learn from them."

In 1938 there was a book published for children "Childhood of Stalin" by the CC of the Soviet Komsomol. Stalin wrote them a letter on February 16,1938 which said in part:

"I am absolutely opposed to this book being published. This book contains unfathomable lies and sayings which are not substantiated, overemphasis, glorification and other innuendoes. The authors went way overboard and swallowed so much that they are choking on these falsehoods and over-glorification. This is a tragedy for the authors But this is not the main criticism of this book. This book has a tendency to imprint on the minds of the children and adults a cult of a personality, cult of heroes, real or believed. This is very dangerous This theory of "heroes" and masses" is not a Bolshevik theory, but the theory of social revolutionaries. People give birth to heroes... that is how Bolsheviks should reply to these social revolutionaries. This book is water for the mill of social revolutionaries. Any book of such caliber will be to the advantage of the enemies of the people. And this brings harm to our Bolshevik work."

Regarding the phraseology that began to be used by the intelligencia about Stalin, he admonished them in these words:

In many receptions that Stalin had, he always criticized the cult of personality tendencies. Stalin said many times that it is those people who came late into the revolutionary movement from the other side, and now are trying to ingratiate themselves to take advantage as the wind blows. In one instance he was very upset that those people that bootlick and also perpetuate the cult are just "Bootlicking fools!"

In 1946 Stalin wrote a letter to a Colonel of the Red Army, Dr Professor Razin, who wrote in many articles, all praising Stalin as a genius during the Great Patriotic War: "... my ears are hurting from all those hymns dedicated to Stalin. It is even shameful to read and hear them".

When he was speaking to a group of scientists and academics who wrote a biography of him Stalin said very forcefully: "This work is full of praise of Stalin, his personality… bordering on a religious cult! What must a reader of these volumes do after he reads it? Go on his knees and pray to me? We do not need any more icons! Nowhere in these 6 volumes is there one very important notation, that I am just a student of Lenin..."
("Pravda" No.28-29, 1999)

Nikita Khrushchev, a hidden Trotskyite, was the most slavish in praising Stalin before he died The rest is history that should open up the minds of those who still swallow the Big Lie of the Cult of Stalin, while pretending that they are for Socialism and Communism!

From
Workers-Peasants Pravda
Ukraine

Insult and Fabrication

I.V. Knyshov and his mother demonstrate for the rights of the working class in front of Lenin monumnent in Krasnyj Luch.

It is already 3 years that I am under constant scrutiny by the Kuchma police... under the Docket # 9004 because I wrote an article and the article was published first of all in the newspaper "Bolshevik" organ of the AUCPB in Odessa. My article was headed "Blaming President Kuchma's Ukrainian Fascism." This letter of mine to the editor and republished in many other progressive newspapers had caused a stir and thus a constant harassment of myself and my family. The case is on going in the city of Krasnyj Luch and one of the prosecutors in charge is E.N. Chekhov.

Instead of following the court procedures and even the present laws, the courts are making my life unbearable with constant harassment and thus I cannot find employment any place in Ukraine.

The attacks against me are only because I organized and am constantly helping the coal miners in their struggles for better working conditions, back pay and no to unemployment. The police harassment is constant, even over the telephone. I received threats and on the advise of my comrades I recorded these threats and now the police and judges and prosecutors want me to give them the tape, which I refuse to do.

One prosecutor himself after he heard the tape wrote me a note (NSC has a copy of that hand written note) which states that Knyshov has the right to sue for defamation of character and also for threats on his life. He assured me that my case No. 9004 would be lifted. Whether this will come to pass I do not know.

I feel that these class enemies, these Kuchma security services know very well that behind me, an ordinary worker, there stands the party - All Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks, which the present regime is afraid of. If these enemies could only get me, they would tear me limb from limb.

What kind of "democracy" can we talk about in the present nationalist bourgeois Ukraine?

I.V. Knyshov in Krasnyj Luch, Ukraine.

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