REPRESSION POLICY AGAINST MYKOLAIV REGION EDUCATION STAFF IN 1920–1930

Abstract

The article is devoted to the Soviet totalitarian regime’s punitive policy against the education staff in Mykolaiv region, taking into account the social and political changes occurred in 1920–1930. The key mechanisms of the Bolshevik government's repressive policy related to Mykolaiv region teachers are displayed in the article on the basis of archival sources mainly.

The analysis of scientific publications shows that despite the increased researchers' interest for issues related to the Soviet totalitarian system formation the historiography of the problem is generally insufficient.

The article reveals the falsification specifics of criminal cases as for Mykolaiv region education staff in the context of the totalitarian system genesis, it also analyzes the terror's consequences against teachers. There is the noted role of ideological campaigns in establishing an atmosphere of informing, labeling, and exposing «nationalists» and «public enemies».

It is also revealed that the origins of the repressive system date back to the early 1920th and the following decade became the repressive culmination, by the time when the proper background had been created for «anti-Soviet elements» elimination.

It is proved that the dominating principle of the Soviet system was the class struggle doctrine. It was considered, that the Soviet society's success in building socialism had caused the resistance of internal and external enemies, who filled the country with various kinds of spies and vermins. Mykolaiv region teachers, as well as teachers throughout Ukraine were accused of «bourgeois nationalism». Under these slogans, a large-scale purge in the area of public education was carried out, which cost thousands lives.