Lavrentii Beria, From the Report of L. B. Beria to I. V. Stalin, V. M. Molotov and A. I. Malenkov. July 1944
Translated by James von Geldern
Original Source: Ikh nado deportirovat’ (Moscow: Druzhba narodov, 1992).
In fulfillment of the decree of the State Defense Committee, the NKVD moved 602,193 residents of the Northern Caucasus, among them 496,460 Chechens and Ingushetians, 68,327 Karachaevs, and 37.406 Balkirs to permanent residence in the Kazakh and Kirghiz SSRs from February through March 1944.
Removing this contingent from the territory of the Northern Caucasus to their new places of residence was performed in satisfactory fashion. 428,948 people were moved into kolkhozes, 67,403 into sovkhozes. 908,542 people were given over to industrial enterprises for use as labor.
The main mass of the special settlers was settled on the territor of the Kazakh SSR (477,809 people). However the republic organs of government of the Kazakh SSR did not devote the necessary attention to the issues of housing and providing work for special settlers from the Northern Caucasus. As a result the living conditions of the special settlers in Kazakhstan and their acquaintance with socially useful work was not found to be in a satisfactory state. The families of the settlers situated in kolkhozes were not accepted as members of the farm labor pool. The distribution to the special-settler families of garden plots did not take place in satisfactory fashion, nor did the securing of living space. Special settlers placed in the sovkhozes and given over to industrial enterprises were not provided with work in arduous fashion, and there were observations of typhus, unsatisfactory living and work conditions, thefts, and felony crimes.
Deputy Kommissar of Internal Affairs Kruglov and a group of assistants were dispatched to Kazakhstan in May 1944 to put the work of the Kazakh SSR in order.
In July 2196 special setters were arrested for various crimes. All cases are being investing by a Special Session.
429 Special NKVD Commendants have been created to watch over the living regime of the special settlers, to prevent fugitives from fleeing, to ensure the Cheka-like efficiency of serving and aiding the settler families to be quickly set up in their homes.
The work conditions of the special settlers has been improved. Of the 70,296 families housed in kolkhozes, 56,800 (81%) have been accepted into the farm labor pool. 83,303 families (74.3%) have been provided with garden plots.
12,683 families lived in their own homes. The work of the children’s work colonies has been organized. In June 1944, 1268 children were placed in them. Employment has been improved. Thus, of the 16,927 people in Jambul District of working age and capacity, 16,396 had work; in Akmolin District of 19,345 people, 17,667 were counted as working, and 2746 were old people or children.