40 lines
2.0 KiB
Markdown
40 lines
2.0 KiB
Markdown
The **Novocherkassk Massacre** was a
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[massacre](Crimes_Against_Humanity "wikilink") committed against
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nonviolent protesters and [striking](List_of_Strikes "wikilink") workers
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on the [2nd of June,
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1962](Left-Wing_Resistance_to_Authoritarian_Socialism "wikilink") in the
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city of Novocherkassk in the [USSR](USSR "wikilink") by the Red Army and
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KGB. 26 people were killed by soldiers and more than 200 were arrested,
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as well as 7 who were sentenced to death. The massacre was not discussed
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in the media and kept as a state secret until 1992. The massacre is
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commemorated each year on the anniversary of the murders by group of
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survived participants of the protests.
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## Background
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Discontent began with the increase of prices for consumer goods,
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shortages and poor working conditions. Production quotas were increased
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but wages were not, leading to anger. Workers at a traincar factory
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marched across the city, infront of the police station and city hall.
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Strikers carried potraits of [Lenin](Vladimir_Lenin "wikilink") and red
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flags, and were harassed by soldiers. Although tanks were sent in to
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crush, the local commander refused to fire on the strikers. Strikes were
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harassd by soldiers and soon attacked the police station, demanding
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better working conditions, the army soon shot into the crowd, killing
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dozens and soon a week-long curfew was imposed. Orders to kill were
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approved by [Khrushchev](Nikita_Khrushchev "wikilink") himself.
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## Aftermath
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Following the incident, the Soviet government directed extra food
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supplies to the region and began an investigation. Additional arrests of
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workers followed, as did courts martial of military officials involved.
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The whole story was censored by Soviet media and never allowed to any
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other mass media and remained an official secret until 1992, year after
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fall of the Soviet Union, when the remains of 20 bodies were recovered
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and identified in 1992 and buried in the cemetery of Novoshakhtinsk.
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## References
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[Wikipedia](Wikipedia "wikilink") - [Novocherkassk
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massacre](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novocherkassk_massacre) |