Archival documentation proves past Kabard-Balkar political executions

Nalchik/Agency Caucasus – Historical records of political intimidation as well as execution of hundreds of Kabard-Balkar intellectuals during the period of Soviet administration have begun to appear.

A new book has recently appeared in Kabardino-Balkaria under the title of ‘Security Units and Society from 1920 to 1992′ with the aim of shedding more light on political executions, political oppression and political exile that especially took place under the administration of Stalin. Aslan Kazakov, who holds a PhD degree in historiology, wrote his book after he searched through several archives like the one known as the new historical documentation center of Kabardino-Balkaria, a couple of archives jointly operated by officials from both Kabardino-Balkaria and North Ossetia, the KGB (FSB) archive of Russia, the two KGB archives in both Kabardino-Balkaria and Rostov. Kazakov tried to spotlight in his book the historical as well as structural sides to the security units of Kabardino-Balkaria. He also put in his book a list of 299 people who had to leave their countries while he tried to discuss in one part of his book the causes for political immigration. Some of those political exiles were stated in Kazakov’s book to have gone to the Chechen Republic of Ingushetia, Kuban and Dagestan. 

Kazakov’s book cites events in the 1930s when the intelligentsia of Kabardino-Balkaria had begun to feel the oppression of the then administration, which later led to numerous political executions. For instance, a Kabard-Balkar Communist Party document that dates back to 7 December 1937 contains details about how the editors of journalists were expelled from the Republic. 

Also, a 30 June 1937 document reports that 1000 people from Kabardino-Balkaria alone were put under political pressure, with 300 of them listed for execution and eight to 10 others listed for imprisonment.

Kavkazki Uzel was critical of Kazakov’s book because his book did not have anything to say about Betal Kalmik, the then President of Kabardino-Balkaria, who is believed to have had a role to play in exiles as well as political coercion at that time. Besides, the book seems to have ignored the tragic case of the entire Balkar people who had been exiled to both Central Asia and Siberia. KU/ÖZ/FT