Conference of the Avant-Gardist Kolkhozine Men and Women of Tajikstan and of Turkmenistan with the Directors of the Party and the State

4 December 1935

Intervention of Comrade Gueldyev Ene, Kolkhozine president of the Executive Committee of the Farab district (Turkmenistan).

On behalf of the Kolkhozine men and women, Komsomols and pioneers in the Farab district, I address an ardent, fraternal and friendly greeting to the Politburo and especially to Comrade Stalin (applause).

On this solemn and joyful day, I cannot help but speak of the past of the Turkmenian women. Previously Turkmenian men took 5 or 6 women at the same time, They sold small girls of 8 - 10 years old. They considered a woman's place to be only in the house, a slave to the domestic household. Now the situation is very different. Comrades Lenin and Stalin suggested that it is indispensible to attract the Turkmenian women into all spheres of construction, to draw them into the Kolkhozes, into factories, into the management of Soviet work. We put these suggestions into practice.

I want to tell you what happened in the district of Farab, to give an example of the ways in which suggestions made by Comrades Lenin and Stalin, regarding women, have been realized in practice. The district of Farab is very backward. In reading the discourse of Comrade Stalin, we have worked unceasingly in order to transform the district of Farab into an avant-garde district, and we have succeeded.

Our women do not only work in cotton, they also work in other branches of the economy. The women especially work in the carpet industry. Our carpet workers have become masters of their art. Moreover, the women of the Farab district now work in the silk industry. This year we have surpassed the plan concerning the production of silk.

Comrade Stalin said to the 1st Congress of the Kolkhozine Oudarniks that woman is a great strength in the Kolkhoz. One cannot improve on this illustration as an example of our Farab district. The majority of men in the district work in navigation and Sovkhozes, Three - quarters of all work in the district is undertaken by women. And these women in the current year have brought the Farab district to the avant garde level.

This year we have encountered great difficulties on two questions. The first, the hand mills. The women have wasted an enormous amount of time grinding cereal in the hand mills. I propose that help be given to the women in the Farab district and throughout Turkestan in order that they do not waste time working in the hand mills.

Stalin: There are no power mills over there.

Gueldyev Ene: Very few, hardly any. Our second difficulty is the khochany work. We have few male workers in our district.

Stalin: What is khochany work?

Gueldyev Ene: It is the cleaning up of the canals. All the time, in winter as well, we have to work in the water, up to our knees. I ask that help be given to the Farab district by supplying it with excavators and other machines in order to transfer the weight of the work onto the machinery.

We are backward in things concerning our level of culture. We actually live in old kibitikas (old covered carts) in these rough little tents. We have no wood for building and it is for that reason that I am asking you now to give us help with some building materials and cement so that we can build and organize in an exemplary fashion, the Kolkhozine villages.

Molotov: They must have help.

Gueldyev Ene: Our great Party has led us along a great and joyous road, has given us a joyful life. Once we heard these suggestions from our leaders, we forced ourselves to work even harder to make better harvests, and to try to reach a higher standard of living.

Kolkhozine men and women, Komsomols and pioneers of our district address a fraternal and friendly greeting to the Politburo and especially to Comrade Stalin. (Lengthy applause – all rise – shouts of "Hurrah!")

I extend greetings to Comrade Stalin on behalf of the carpet workers of the Turkmenian Republic, an ardent salute and a portrait of V. I. Lenin (applause, shouts of "Hurrah", ovations to the addresses of Comrades Stalin and Molotov).

Long live Stalin, well-beloved leader, friend and teacher of the people! (The cheers grow into an ovation – shouts of "Hurrah!")

The Kolkhozine women have asked me to personally present this portrait of Comrade Lenin to our well beloved leader and to embrace him on behalf of all of us. (She embraces Comrade Stalin amidst lengthy applause and shouts of "Hurrah!")

Stalin: (looking at the portrait of Lenin) – What an impressive work. (Lengthy ovations to Stalin).

Address from Comrade Aga Iousoup Ali, President of the Bolshevik Kolkhoz of the Turkmenian district of Bairam-Altusk (in Turkmen).

On behalf of the Kolkhozine men and women of Turkmenistan, I address a warm greeting to Comrade Stalin and the Politburo. (Applause).

I have been delegated to the 2nd Congress of the Kolkhozine Oudarniks of the U.S.S.R. Under the leadership of Comrade Stalin, we have elaborated on the statutes of the agricultural artel. As a delegate, I have taken the spirit of the Congress to heart. So my contribution was 3,250 Kgs. of cotton per hectare. I promised Comrade Stalin that this year I would bring my quota to 4,000 Kgs. per hectare. I say to him now, the promise has been fulfilled. (Applause).

Returning from the Congress together with all the Kolkhozines of our "Bolshevik" Kolkhoz, we studied in depth and detail, the statutes of the agricultural artel. The Kolkhozines have equally considered my promise to Comrade Stalin at the Congress. They have unanimously accepted it, and have decided to take to heart the word of their own president. When I spoke of the Stalinist statutes of the agricultural artel, I mentioned a couple of points about the number of cattle each Kolkhozine could own. "It is as if Comrade Stalin is present among us and knows the need of each individual Kolkhoz member." This is the extent of the influence on people of the statutes. We have promised to fulfil our obligations to our leader and we have kept this promise which we gave at the 2nd Congress of the Kolkhozines.

As a result of this, we have brought in nearly one million roubles in revenue from cotton. Therefore we have exceeded our aim by 200,000 roubles, according to the fixed price of cotton.

Stalin asks if this is what only one Kolkhoz has brought in.

Aga Iousoup Ali: Yes, just one Kolkhoz.

Stalin: How many groups?

Aga Iousoup Ali: Forty seven.

We now have electric lighting and radio. We have schools, we have money, but, Comrade Stalin, we are still living in these little tents as before.

Stalin: You need wood for building.

Aga Iousoup Ali: I ask you for help in getting building materials.

Molotov: That's fair.

Aga Iousoup Ali: We have money, we have everything, but in Turkmenistan there is no wood for building. I ask for immediate help in this matter.

What people could come here before to a Congress? Previously only the Tsarist generals, the governors, the high functioneers could be here. Today, we are all present here at this Congress together with Comrade Stalin. This was never possible under the old regime. I live in the district of Bairam-Altusk. In this district there is an old property of Tsar Nicholas II. Iousoup Kahn, Voli-Kahn, used to live there.

We used to work for them and we never knew how much we earned. He ruined us continuously.

Now the Party has opened up for us a bright and joyful life. We owe this to the leadership of Comrade Stalin, to the leadership of our great Party. Long live Comrade Stalin, great leader and beloved by the people! Long live the members of the Politburo! (Prolonged applause)

Pravda
5 December 1935