Grecheskaya Operatsiya
Encyclopedia
The so-called Greek Operation was an organised mass persecution of the 450 000 Greeks
of the Soviet Union
that was ordered by Joseph Stalin
. Greeks often use the term "pogrom" for this persecution, though this term usually refers to mob violence rather than persecution by police acting under direct orders, as this one was It began in December 1937 and went on for 13 years.
, USSR considered some nations to be "progressive" and some others to be "reactionary". Reactionary nations included the Greeks, the Koreans, the Volga Germans, the Crimean Tatars
, the Chechens, Eskimos in the Chukchi Peninsula
facing Alaska
, USA, and others. Stalin considered that everyone who was born of a "capitalist" ethnicity was an enemy of his regime, no matter their personal political beliefs. Many of the Greeks who came to Russia, particularly to the Black Sea
region, had been involved in trading - by definition a "bourgeois" way of life. Moreover, Greeks may have incurred Stalin's suspicion due to their cultural, religious and linguistic links with Greece
, a nation state outside his control - though by no means all Soviet Greeks felt an identification with Greece or sought to serve its interests.
The late 1930s was the time of the Moscow Show Trials and of mass purges of people perceived as a threat by Stalin, targeting also many people of Russian ethnic origin, as well as many foreign Communists resident in the Soviet Union. The persecution of Soviet Greeks should be seen in this general context.
The prosecution of Greeks in USSR was gradual: at first the authorities shut down the Greek schools, cultural centres, and publishing houses. Then, the secret police
indiscriminately arrested all Greek men 16 years old or older. All Greeks who were wealthy or self-employed professional
s were sought for prosecution first.
On many occasions, the central authorities sent telegrams to police forces with orders to arrest a certain number of Greeks, without giving any individual names, and the police officers were expected to arrest at random any person of Greek origin until they reached the requested total number of arrests, until the process was repeated at a later date. In all, some 50,000 Greeks were affected, more than 10% of the entire community.
was a survivor of the 1922 events at Smyrna
who went to live in Crimea
and arrested there in 1937 during Stalin's Greek Operation. He spent 13 years imprisoned in Siberia
, but he survived, making him one of the few survivors of the 50,000 Greeks who were affected by the Greek Operation.
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
that was ordered by Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
. Greeks often use the term "pogrom" for this persecution, though this term usually refers to mob violence rather than persecution by police acting under direct orders, as this one was It began in December 1937 and went on for 13 years.
History
Under StalinismStalinism
Stalinism refers to the ideology that Joseph Stalin conceived and implemented in the Soviet Union, and is generally considered a branch of Marxist–Leninist ideology but considered by some historians to be a significant deviation from this philosophy...
, USSR considered some nations to be "progressive" and some others to be "reactionary". Reactionary nations included the Greeks, the Koreans, the Volga Germans, the Crimean Tatars
Crimean Tatars
Crimean Tatars or Crimeans are a Turkic ethnic group that originally resided in Crimea. They speak the Crimean Tatar language...
, the Chechens, Eskimos in the Chukchi Peninsula
Chukchi Peninsula
The Chukchi Peninsula, Chukotka Peninsula or Chukotski Peninsula , at about 66° N 172° W, is the northeastern extremity of Asia. Its eastern end is at Cape Dezhnev near the village of Uelen. It is bordered by the Chukchi Sea to the north, the Bering Sea to the south, and the Bering Strait to the...
facing Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, USA, and others. Stalin considered that everyone who was born of a "capitalist" ethnicity was an enemy of his regime, no matter their personal political beliefs. Many of the Greeks who came to Russia, particularly to the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
region, had been involved in trading - by definition a "bourgeois" way of life. Moreover, Greeks may have incurred Stalin's suspicion due to their cultural, religious and linguistic links with Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, a nation state outside his control - though by no means all Soviet Greeks felt an identification with Greece or sought to serve its interests.
The late 1930s was the time of the Moscow Show Trials and of mass purges of people perceived as a threat by Stalin, targeting also many people of Russian ethnic origin, as well as many foreign Communists resident in the Soviet Union. The persecution of Soviet Greeks should be seen in this general context.
The prosecution of Greeks in USSR was gradual: at first the authorities shut down the Greek schools, cultural centres, and publishing houses. Then, the secret police
NKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs was the public and secret police organization of the Soviet Union that directly executed the rule of power of the Soviets, including political repression, during the era of Joseph Stalin....
indiscriminately arrested all Greek men 16 years old or older. All Greeks who were wealthy or self-employed professional
Professional
A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The traditional professions were doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and commissioned military officers. Today, the term is applied to estate agents, surveyors , environmental scientists,...
s were sought for prosecution first.
On many occasions, the central authorities sent telegrams to police forces with orders to arrest a certain number of Greeks, without giving any individual names, and the police officers were expected to arrest at random any person of Greek origin until they reached the requested total number of arrests, until the process was repeated at a later date. In all, some 50,000 Greeks were affected, more than 10% of the entire community.
Survivors
Pavlos Kerdemelidis from PontusPontus
Pontus or Pontos is a historical Greek designation for a region on the southern coast of the Black Sea, located in modern-day northeastern Turkey. The name was applied to the coastal region in antiquity by the Greeks who colonized the area, and derived from the Greek name of the Black Sea: Πόντος...
was a survivor of the 1922 events at Smyrna
Great Fire of Smyrna
The Great Fire of Smyrna or the Catastrophe of Smyrna was a fire that destroyed much of the port city of Izmir in September 1922. Eye-witness reports state that the fire began on 13 September 1922 and lasted until it was largely extinguished on September 22...
who went to live in Crimea
Crimea
Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name...
and arrested there in 1937 during Stalin's Greek Operation. He spent 13 years imprisoned in Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
, but he survived, making him one of the few survivors of the 50,000 Greeks who were affected by the Greek Operation.
See also
- Collective punishmentCollective punishmentCollective punishment is the punishment of a group of people as a result of the behavior of one or more other individuals or groups. The punished group may often have no direct association with the other individuals or groups, or direct control over their actions...
- Greeks in UkraineGreeks in UkraineA Greek presence throughout the Black Sea area existed long before the beginnings of Kievan Rus. For most of their history in this area, the history of the Greeks in Russia and in Ukraine forms a single narrative, of which a division according to present-day boundaries would be an artificial...
- Greeks in RussiaGreeks in RussiaThe Greek presence in southern Russia is dated to the 6th century BC. Today there are about 188,000 people of Greek extraction living in the Russian Federation. Most live in the south and the Black Sea region with large concentrations in Moscow and St. Petersburg...
- Greek diasporaGreek diasporaThe Greek diaspora, also known as Hellenic Diaspora or Diaspora of Hellenism, is a term used to refer to the communities of Greek people living outside the traditional Greek homelands, but more commonly in southeast Europe and Asia Minor...