Home – Home – Jornals – Humanitarian sciences in Siberia 2019 number

The main objective of this article is to analyze the first phase of Stalin’s mass repressions against the top-ranking officials of the Communist youth league (Komsomol) in 1937. The study focuses in particular on the role of the Komsomol General Secretary A.V. Kosarev regarding the implementation of Stalin’s murderous policy against the functionaries of the Komsomol at the onset of the Great Terror. Based on the widespread viewpoint that Kosarev’s intentions were to temper the terror impact on his organization upper ranks, the article scrutinizes the meeting of Stalin and Kosarev 21 July 1937, and proves that such allegations are most likely unfounded. The reassessment of the well-known sources as well as new archival material led to the assumption, that Kosarev’s role in Stalin’s repressive policy was not only of a “pawn” on the chessboard of power, who followed his master’s wishes blindly. On the contrary, the author shows that Kosarev was a single-minded, powerful functionary, who was keen to protect his own interests and tried to use the Great Terror to pursue his own goals. Even if he was seeking to mitigate the effects of the purges, his primary goal was to cover himself and his close associates against the possible accusations by NKVD. All his attempts to protect his promotees from the persecution and detention failed. Finally, he was forced to bend to Stalin’s will; this helped him to avoid being arrested, even if not for a too long time.