Communist Party of Lugansk – Russian Language
Annual Report CPL & CULR- Russian Language
(Translated by Adrian Chan-Wyles PhD)
The revival of the Communist Party in Lugansk is the main result of our activities throughout the year. On August 24th , 2015 at the unification congress of the public organization “Union of Communists of Lugansk Region”, we set the task of preserving the unity of the ranks of the Communists and attracting to these ranks all anti-fascists and patriots of the Lugansk People’s Republic. Realizing that the wide open doors of our union will attract people with different views and ambitions, we did not avoid internal conflicts. On the contrary, exposing deep-rooted contradictions dialectically reveals the truth. This stage of ‘debate’ was necessary to generate the conditions for a Communist Party organization to be constructed. Unity was achieved through the eradication of incompetence. On April 12th , 2016, the first constituent congress of the Communist Party of the Lugansk People’s Republic was held, in which plenipotentiaries from the majority of the former city and district organizations of the (Ukrainian) Communist Party took part. Unfortunately, so far, several party organizations have not yet joined the CPLNR, due to the Party organizations of Krasnodon, Pervomaisk and Lutuginsky districts disintegrating altogether. In this situation it is necessary for our report to assess the reasons for the disintegration of the Lugansk regional organization of the CPU and bring it to the attention of ordinary Communists who have not yet re-registered as members of the CPLNR.
DECOMPOSITION AND REVIVAL OF THE PARTY ORGANIZATION
War is the test of all the economic and organizational forces of each people – said Vladimir Ilyich Lenin. Ordinary Communists and supporters of Socialist causes were the first to stand on the barricades of the “Russian Spring” in 2014, when illegal groups of Ukrainian nationalists were preparing to attack the civilian population of Donbass. The people of Donbass revolted against this unconstitutional coup in Kiev. Red flags and flags of Russia were flying above the buildings of the Lugansk Regional State Administration and the SBU. Half of the composition of the deputy corps of the First Parliament of the People’s Liberation Party was occupied by the Communists. Since the first days of the creation of the sovereign Peoples’ Republics, the Communists have risen to the forefront of the founders, defenders and builders of our Statehood.
However, the leaders of the Lugansk Regional Committee of the Communist Party did not support the masses and did not stand in the forefront of events. The 1st secretary of the Lugansk regional committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine – Spiridon Kilinkarov – left the party organization and fled to Kiev, where he owned property and has business interests. There he began a provocative struggle for power in the CPU, after which he was expelled from its ranks for attempts at secession. Attempts by Kilinkarov to take the leading positions in the alternative CPU through the project of the “Union of Left Forces of Ukraine” were unsuccessful. Yesterday’s other traitorous allies (Kravchenko, Alekseev, Baburin, Golub, etc.) preferred not him, but the oligarch Vasily Volga, but today, this project, not having received the expected approval in the administration of Poroshenko, has ground to a halt, despite the farce of pretence surrounding it. The Central Committee of the CPU, unable to control the situation in the People’s Republic of Lugansk and the People’s Republic of Donetsk, dissolved Luhansk and Donetsk regional organizations together with its structural units.
At this most important time for the people of Lugansk Region, the leadership of the Regional Committee lost its Party organization due to personal ambitions and cowardice. Instead of using a unique chance to implement the Leninist principles of the struggle and initiate the formation of the ruling coalition in the LNR, it cowardly threw away its assets and attempted a collaboration with Kiev. On April 10th, with the signature of the Secretary of the Regional Committee of the CPU Kateryna Popova, the city and district committees received an absurd circular from Kilinkarov “to identify the separatists and hand them over to the SBU.” Until now, some Communists, because of their lack of information, were either informed of their personal obligations by calling the former regional leader the First Secretary, a People’s Deputy, and referring themselves to be the alleged Lugansk Regional Organization of the Communist Party. In fact, the activities of Ukrainian organizations have been suspended in the Lugansk People’s Republic, while the new First Secretary of the Lugansk Regional Committee – Sergei Diakov – was elected at the Regional Conference of the Communist Party in Severodonetsk.
The former treacherous leadership of the Lugansk Regional Committee of the CPU, is today trying to introduce destructive measures into the work of the Union of Communists of Lugansk and the CPLNR. Using ties in Ukraine, they have tried in every possible way to denigrate both the leadership of the CPU, and the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF). To their side, the former SKL chairman Streltsov passed treacherously, who at the end of his office tried to blackmail the organization openly, after which he was unanimously expelled from the ranks. In provocations against us, the former secretary of the SCL CC for humanitarian assistance – Yuri Sinenko- was caught and convicted by the prosecutor’s office for the embezzlement of children’s clothing, cement and food products, including 5 tons of stew from the Communists of the Republic of Mari El, which were secretly kept by the organization. Sinenko was also unanimously expelled from our ranks. It should also be noted that a number of former regional Party leaders literally robbed their organization: Kilinkarov, Chalenko, Isayenko, Khokhlov and others appropriated party transport and office equipment, and Sinenko not only took 2 cars, but also partially ransacked the building of the Regional Committee, where after it did not possess even a hammer or a nail! Due to all this treachery, betrayal and corruption, t has not been easy for us to revive the Party, to start a new history in our young Republic.
ORGANIZATIONAL WORK AND PARTY CONSTRUCTION
Over the past year in 13 of the 15 cities and regions of the Lugansk People’s Republic, our organizations have been established and operate in: Lugansk, Krasny Luch, Bryanka, Sverdlovsk, Kirovsk, Anthracite, Krasnodon, Perevalsk, Slavyanoserbsky, Krasnodonsky, Anthracite, and Lutuginsky districts. The former party organizations of the Communist Party of Ukraine completely disintegrated in: Pervomaisk, due to the city’s destruction and population migration; in Krasnodon, Krasnodonsky, Lutuginsky and Perevalsky districts – because of relocation or departure of leaders from their duties. Taking into account the retired, many full and part-time members of the former CPU re-registered as members of the CPLNR in: Krasnoe Luch, Anthracite, Bryanka, Sverdlovsk, Kirovsk, Slavyanoserbsky and Anthracite districts – two-thirds of the current composition of city and district Party organizations. The 1st Secretaries of the committees of these organizations retained their leadership, with the exception of Sverdlovsk, where a former member of the CPU city committee was elected leader. Virtually all Communists in the area joined the CPLNR. However, a few of the former members of the Communist Party of Ukraine from Lugansk have not yet joined the CPLNR, but joined the groups that control Kilinkarov from the city of Kiev. Both groups are focused on Russian provocative projects to discredit the Communist Party of the Russian Federation: “The Communists of Russia”, which is represented by Maxim Chalenko and the quasi-party of the Russian Communist Labour Party, with whom Yury Khokhlov is working. The group of Chalenko, which calls itself the “Lugansk Regional Committee of the CPU”, still includes former Party organizations of the cities of Alchevsk and Rovenky. In the city of Krasnodon, Krasnodonsky, Lutuginsky and Perevalsk districts, the Party organizations of the LNR is in the process of formation. Under the leadership of the Secretariat of the Central Committee, they are joined by initiative groups composed of former members of the Communist Party and newly arrived supporters. Work is beginning on re-registration and holding of constituent conferences. Unfortunately, the complete lack of material and technical resources does not allow us to accelerate this process.
Over 700 former members of the former CPU, and over 200 new members have joined the CPLNR membership. In total, taking into account the variable component, the number of CPLNR and, accordingly, SCL is more than 900 members.
It is important to note the growth of the qualitative dynamics of our ranks. Membership of the organization has included the overwhelming majority of Party leaders of the former city and district committees, the former First Secretary of the Lugansk Regional Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine – Vladimir Zemlyakov – and the deputy of the People’s Council – Alexander Andriyanov. Among the Members of the CPLRN are 21 Deputies of the first-convocation Lugansk Parliament, more than 50 Deputies of local councils, militias, and other participants in the defense of Lugansk against Kiev aggression and occupation. The ataman of the Lugansk District of the Vsevelik Donskoy – Colonel Victor Shchekatunov, as well as the First People’s Governor of Lugansk Region – Alexander Kharitonov, who headed the Kamennobrodsky District Party Committee, joined the organization. Also, activists of the youth organization “Heritage” led by leader Yevgeny Tkachev entered the Party.
INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AND WORK WITH PUBLIC ORGANIZATIONS
It is difficult to assess the huge role of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation in the formation of the Lugansk People’s Republic! In the very first months of bitter fighting, the Communist Party organized uninterrupted supply of food, construction materials, medicines, clothes, generators and other equipment to government institutions of the LNR, schools, combat units and the population. During the war and the blockade, the Communist Party sent 54 “red” gumkonvoy for Lugansk and Donetsk with a volume of almost 8,000 tons! This is due to both the rank-and-file Communists, and personally Chairman of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation – Gennady Zyuganov, First Deputy Chairman of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation – Vladimir Kashin, First Deputy Chairman of the UPC-CPSU, and Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party – Kazbek Taisaev! The convoys were formed by Communists from Moscow, the surrounding Moscow region, Voronezh, Tula, Lipetsk, Kursk, North Ossetia, Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachaevo-Cherkessia, Krasnodar, Stavropol and other regions of Russia.
The Communist Party is the only political force in the State Duma, which officially recognized the results of the popular Referendum on the establishment of the LNR on May 11th, 2014. The Communist Party faction submitted to the State Duma a bill on a simplified system for obtaining Russian passports for residents of the Donbass. Also, it was the CPRF in 2014, that initiated the recognition of our Republics by the Parliament of South Ossetia, which at that time was headed by the leader of the Communists of South Ossetia – Stanislav Kochiev.
On the initiative of the UPC-CPSU in October 2014. the public organization “Union of Communists of Lugansk Region” was registered with the aim of legalizing former members of the Communist Party in connection with the suspension of the activities of parties in the LNR. It was the Communist Party of the Russian Federation that gave impetus to the formation of the Communist Movement in the Donbass. At the SCL Congress, and then at the CPLRN Congress, we declared our adherence to the Leninist course of the Communist Party and the UPC-CPSU. Not just in words but also in deeds, as our young Party felt paternal care and reliable support. CPLNR and CPDNR are an integral part of the international community, and our representatives participate in the work of the plenums of the Central Committee of the Communist Party and the Central Committee of the UPC-CPSU. In the near future, the UPC-CPSU Congress will consider the issue of the accession of the CPLNR and the CPDNR to its membership as observers.
The CPLRN coordinates work with the CPDNR, with which we have entered into a joint activity agreement. United by a single ideology, we together began a struggle against the all-powerful oligarchy and Ukrainian national fascism, for the creation of a just society that lives in friendship and cooperation with all the peoples of the world, and above all with the fraternal peoples of the Eurasian Economic Community.
The CPLNR conducts a dialogue on cooperation with European Communists, in particular, contacts have been established with the German Communist Party, whose representatives are planning to visit the Lugansk People’s Republic in 2017.
On the initiative of the CPLNR in July 2016, the constituent Congress of the Union of Soviet Officers of the LNR was held, which was attended by more than 200 delegates, including not only Soviet Officers, but also LNR servicemen, as well as combat Cossacks. The Soviet Generals took part in the work of the Congress, including Lieutenant-General – Gennady Benov, Chairman of the International Union of Soviet Officers, who praised the work of the Communists of the LNR, in particular, on the good preparation of this event. In the fall, the question of the Union of Soviet Officers of the LNR joining the International United Union of Soviet Officers will be considered.
It is important to note the great role of the Cossacks, namely, the Lugansk District of the All-Great Don Army, in the creation of the Union of Officers Organization. Our cooperation with the Cossacks is based on common patriotism and the fight against pro-fascist aggression. Since our Cossacks are militant, hardened in the fight against enemy attacks, they received the support of the Communist Party which was so necessary for our militia during the active phase of the fighting.
In the near future, the first Congress of the Lenin Young Communist League will be held on October 9th, 2016, as well as the Congress of Women Workers.
PROPAGANDA AND WORK WITH THE POPULATION
Conditions of martial law seriously hinder our progressive activities. We have never worked in conditions of the necessary restriction of rights and freedoms. We are aware that one of the directions of Ukrainian diversionary work is the internal political destabilization of our region. Given the electoral preferences and legitimate discontent with the authorities, the left movement is an ideal platform for this. Let’s not hide – such attempts have already been made. Radical elements from the former Regional Organization of the Communist Party in autumn 2015. have already tried to use the plight of the population for organizing riots and blocking the roads. In such an explosive way has our Republic become blockaded, where social workers and pensioners waited for half a year, whilst the “ultra-revolutionaries” demand additional payments and benefits for miners, which did not even in the pre-war years.
On the website of the MGB of the LNR, a statement was published in which the local oligarch – Vladimir Landik and the former Lugansk Communist leader – Spiridon Kilinkarov – were exposed as organizers of market rallies near buildings of the Administrative Centre of the LNR.
Yes, we are a force that has not lost touch with the people! We live with, and we think like the people! Yes, we have dissatisfaction with the policy of the authorities of the LNR, but we take into account the military specifics and we are not going to change the position of the sullied officials to alter the fate of the Republic, which was given to our countrymen by blood and mutilated destinies! We say “NO” to all attempts of the Ukrainian Special Services, which through their agents are trying to draw the Communists into an internal conflict! The Communist Party of the People’s Republic of Lugansk and the Union of Communists of Lugansk Region are a stable force that acts deliberately and realistically. Our two main tasks during the military actions: to strengthen the patriotism of citizens and to preserve the Republic from the fascist yoke! After the military actions, as civil society develops, we will show our strength, as a Party, at the source of which stood the glorious son of the Soviet Union – Kliment Voroshilov!
From August 2015 to August 2016, we held 10 rallies and meetings of respect, as well as gatherings of the population and organizations, together with delegations of Russian Communists and Deputies of the State Duma of the Russian Federation with the Communist Party of Lugansk. A few words about the most significant events:
– November 7th, 2015, again, after the disintegration of the Luhansk Regional Party Organization, we duly noted the 79th anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution. More than 500 of our activists and supporters gathered near the monument to Lenin for the rally. Unfortunately, in 2014 the traditional event was not held;
– On December 18th, 2015, we solemnly opened the first monument in Donbass to the victor over fascism – Comrade Joseph Stalin. In this way, we protested the dismantling of Soviet monuments and the “de -Communisation” in the Ukraine and supported the fighting spirit of the Lugansk citizens. The event was attended by State Duma Deputies Kazbek Taisaev and Vladimir Rodin;
– on the eve of the New Year holidays, thanks to the humanitarian assistance of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, we held a large children’s concert in the Lenin Palace of Culture, where we distributed 1,000 gifts to disabled children from all over the Republic. The event was attended by State Duma deputies Kazbek Taisaev and Vladimir Rodin;
– On January 21st, 2016, at the foot of the monument to Voroshilov, we held a rally dedicated to the anniversary of the birth of Kliment Yefremovich, our distinguished compatriot and founder of the Lugansk cell of the Communists;
– we have duly noted the 71st anniversary of the Great Victory. May 8th, 2016 we organized a national holiday with a field kitchen in honour of an unknown soldier near the mass grave in the village of Teplichnoe. In addition to our activists with Cossacks, about 300 local residents took part in the event, schoolchildren were taken by bus. On May 9th, a line of Communists led a separate column of the “Immortal Regiment” and held it under the flags of the USSR whilst participating in the Victory Republican Parade. The city and district organizations also took an active part in the celebrations of the anniversary of Victory Day;
– We have organized visits of the State Duma Deputies Kazbek Taisaev, Vladimir Rodin and Nikolai Kuzmin, the First Secretary of the Leningrad Regional Committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation – Regina Illarionova, the Generals of the Soviet Army Gennady Benov and Anatoly Topchiy. Guests visited labour collectives, military units, churches, schools, and met with the Communist activists.
– Our initiative to issue Russian passports to Residents of the Lugansk People’s Republic and the Donetsk People’s Republic was supported by the Deputies of the Russian Parliament from the Communist Party and submitted for consideration in the form of a bill.
All our events and all our work are covered on the websites of the Communist Party of Russia, the UPC-CPSU and the recently we have opened our own website for the CPLNR..
OUR HUMANITARIAN MISSION
Despite the fact that many organizations, military units and residents of the Lugansk People’s Republic have received humanitarian assistance from the Communist Party of Russia, our resources have been very limited throughout the year. Nevertheless, 500 low-income families, the Church of the Peschan Icon of the Mother of God, and a boarding school in the village have been helped food, building materials, children’s winter jackets and shoes. Hundreds of low-income citizens received a small pension. The patronage over the school and the settlement has been taken, and 2 playgrounds have been restored. On April 9th, we held a public distribution for humanitarian aid, in which over 300 Lugansk citizens took part. Also, through the city committees and the district committees, the distribution of a small batch of pasta sent to the people of Donbass by the Communist Party of Russia was organized. On the New Year holiday, we gave the children 1200 gifts from the Communist Party. Military and medical institutions issued medical supplies to the people.
It is necessary to note the great assistance of the regional organizations of the Communist Party, especially the Leningad Oblast Committee. Thanks to the personal initiative and support of the First Secretary – Regina Illarionova – we managed to hold a Teacher’s Day in one of the schools in Lugansk and two ‘New Year’ children’s parties.
Dear comrades, Over the past year, we have come a long way! Internal struggle, party building in the most difficult conditions, complete lack of material base, difficult work with the population – we should not lower our hands in despair – but on the contrary – we must keep fighting as we have become hardened in the struggle to towards goal, to the victory of our ideals! Perhaps we have not done everything, because, of course, we are capable of more. But we are moving in the right direction. We feel the support of the masses and reflect the people’s wonders! We are facing an important stage of the struggle – to break through the political blockade and defend the interests of our citizens!
Allow me, dear friends, to wish you great successes, new achievements, the long-awaited victory over the fascist threat, and in your person – peace and prosperity to all citizens of the Lugansk People’s Republic!
Let the cooperation of fraternal peoples of Russia and the world grow stronger and develop the foundation of the principles of Socialist Internationalism!
THE SANGHA KOMMUNE (SSR) 