Home – Home – Jornals – Humanitarian sciences in Siberia 2018 number

The article considers reasons, course and outcomes of liquidation of concession “Lena Goldfields Ltd” by means of the general strike at its Siberian enterprises in 1930. The English company, working on the Lena gold mines before the October Revolution, and having the opportunity to continue this activity according to an agreement with the Soviet government in 1925, compiled with the basic terms of the agreement on gold mining in Siberia. Despite the existing contradictions and disagreements between the Soviet government and concessional administration, all conflicts were reconciled by finding compromises until 1929. The government ceased to consider the concession as necessary for the economic growth after sharp changes of political and economic conjuncture in 1929-1930, and their interaction turned to a destructive phase. The concessional enterprises in Bodaibo district were subjected to searches by the Joint State Political Directorate, which withdrew the business documents, arrested employees. Newspapers “Pravda” and “Soviet Siberia” published articles criticizing “Lena Goldfields” and pointing multiple violations of the concessional contract terms. The Soviet government didn’t respond to the written applications of the Board of Concession about its future fate, all foreign citizens among the workers and employees of the concession received an order to leave the USSR territory. Naturally, there was no talk of any payments to the Soviet workers of “Lena”. Since spring of 1930, salaries had not been paid, later problems with goods and food delivery began. The proceedings moved to the arbitration in London, and meanwhile (late May - early June of 1930) all the Soviet workers of “Lena” mines declared the general strike. The general strike was a necessary means in the matter of the legal substantiation to transfer gold mines under the state control. The strike committee of Bodaibo district had been created. It led “the fight” of the working class against the foreign capital. As a result of the general strike of 1930 sanctioned by political forces, not by trade unions, all enterprises of “Lena Goldfields” practically came under the government’s control in August 1930.