The scientist and the party nomenklatura: the confrontation in the Kazakhstan virgin

Abstract

The purpose of the study: introduction into scientific circulation of new sources that reveal the selfless work of the Soviet scientist A. Barayev, defending his opinion before the leadership of the Soviet Union, despite the risk of dismissal from work, as well as his work in the development of virgin agriculture. Sources on which the study is written: the Main sources were the documents of the party Fund of the all-Union research Institute of grain economy. Previously, these documents were not available, after declassification and remained without attention of historians. It should be noted that these documents shed light on many problems of those years, show us a very unsightly side of life associated with the struggle of the scientist for his idea, or persecution, organized by the party organization of the Institute, against a large and very famous scientist. A brief summary of the article: The article examines the history of development of virgin and fallow lands in Northern Kazakhstan. We offer an interesting history of Kazakhstan virgin lands, including the attitude of the First Secretary of the CPSU N. Khrushchev to scientists farmers of the all-Union Institute of grain farming in Northern Kazakhstan. In this history the personality of the Director of all-Union Institute of grain economy Alexander Barayev is especially brightly allocated. The dispute on the Kazakh virgin lands, and the strength of the will of the scientist before the leadership of the Soviet Union, further discussions of scientists and interference of party organizations in disputes - all this well reveals the Soviet daily life on the ground. The disagreement of the well-known scientist, Director of the all-Union Institute of grain economy A. Barayev with the representative of the highest party leadership of the Soviet Union arose on the use of clean steam (small irrigation, the factor of moisture accumulation in the soil and fertility, as well as the possibility of effective weed control) as a method in the development of arid lands of Northern Kazakhstan. At the beginning of the dispute was on the fields of virgin land, and gradually it began to gain momentum. After removing N.Khrushchev from the post of the discussion began to develop among colleagues, but in the institution itself. The members of the Institute argued a few years and some have parted ways. The party organization of the Institute took an active part in the discussions of scientists, and at its numerous meetings dealt with these cases. Conclusions: The article analyzes the internal life of the Institute, and the struggle of scientists for the idea in the development of virgin and fallow lands in Northern Kazakhstan. Despite numerous harassment and pressure from party organizations, scientists survived in difficult periods in their work. In the end, they were able to adopt a new system of agriculture, and make the Institute of grain farming the center of the fight against soil erosion of the Soviet Union.