1 00:00:01,360 --> 00:00:04,280 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff You Missed in History Class, a production 2 00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:13,880 Speaker 1: of iHeartRadio. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. I'm Holly 3 00:00:13,960 --> 00:00:15,480 Speaker 1: Frye and I'm Tracy V. 4 00:00:15,600 --> 00:00:16,040 Speaker 2: Wilson. 5 00:00:16,320 --> 00:00:18,880 Speaker 1: This accidentally turned out to be kind of a well 6 00:00:18,920 --> 00:00:21,720 Speaker 1: timed episode just in terms of what inspired it and 7 00:00:21,760 --> 00:00:25,200 Speaker 1: what's been going on with that inspiration. The show Succession 8 00:00:25,400 --> 00:00:26,920 Speaker 1: just won a kajillion awards. 9 00:00:27,480 --> 00:00:30,760 Speaker 2: Yeah, we originally tried to record this episode the day 10 00:00:30,800 --> 00:00:31,840 Speaker 2: after that happened. 11 00:00:32,320 --> 00:00:35,280 Speaker 1: Well, that was the day after one of the awards shows. Yes, 12 00:00:35,400 --> 00:00:38,000 Speaker 1: there have been seven. They have really been sweeping and 13 00:00:38,040 --> 00:00:40,560 Speaker 1: in my opinion, well deserved. I can talk more about 14 00:00:40,840 --> 00:00:44,040 Speaker 1: Succession on behind the scenes. But this is not a spoiler, 15 00:00:44,080 --> 00:00:47,480 Speaker 1: but in season four, there is a moment where one 16 00:00:47,479 --> 00:00:53,159 Speaker 1: of the characters, Logan Roy, is observing one of his 17 00:00:53,840 --> 00:00:57,880 Speaker 1: low level employees and the employee is understandably nervous because 18 00:00:57,880 --> 00:01:00,640 Speaker 1: this is not normal for this person who runs the 19 00:01:00,680 --> 00:01:04,120 Speaker 1: company to be walking the floor. And he is very 20 00:01:04,920 --> 00:01:08,800 Speaker 1: carefully typing out some stuff, and the Logan Roy characters 21 00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:12,680 Speaker 1: you've typed one email and he calls him a Stakhanovite, 22 00:01:12,720 --> 00:01:14,440 Speaker 1: and I'm like, ah, why didn't Why haven't we ever 23 00:01:14,480 --> 00:01:18,280 Speaker 1: talked about the Siiconfites because this is a really interesting, 24 00:01:19,760 --> 00:01:27,880 Speaker 1: strange orchestrated moment in labor history in the USSR, and it, 25 00:01:28,080 --> 00:01:31,280 Speaker 1: you know, kind of exemplifies some problems in propaganda that 26 00:01:31,280 --> 00:01:33,679 Speaker 1: we're going on. So we are going to talk about 27 00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:38,440 Speaker 1: Alexi Stakhanov and his achievement and how that was parlayed 28 00:01:38,560 --> 00:01:45,400 Speaker 1: into a big moment for Stalin and for his plans. Yeah, 29 00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:46,360 Speaker 1: so it is at. 30 00:01:46,240 --> 00:01:50,080 Speaker 2: The stage of Alexi Stakhanov's achievements and a rise to fame, 31 00:01:50,440 --> 00:01:53,880 Speaker 2: we have to talk about Stalin's five year Plans. In 32 00:01:53,960 --> 00:01:57,120 Speaker 2: nineteen twenty eight, Stalin rolled out a policy to overhaul 33 00:01:57,200 --> 00:02:00,920 Speaker 2: the economics of the Soviet Union. His the regime's assessment 34 00:02:01,080 --> 00:02:05,360 Speaker 2: was that the Soviet Union had become too entwined with capitalism. 35 00:02:05,520 --> 00:02:08,680 Speaker 2: There needed to be a plan to break that. So 36 00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:11,160 Speaker 2: the five year plan cycle was announced, and this game's 37 00:02:11,200 --> 00:02:15,000 Speaker 2: pretty self explanatory in terms of the structure. Every five 38 00:02:15,200 --> 00:02:17,680 Speaker 2: years would focus on a set of goals that was 39 00:02:17,720 --> 00:02:21,880 Speaker 2: intended to achieve what Stalin envisioned was a more perfect 40 00:02:21,919 --> 00:02:25,040 Speaker 2: Soviet Union. We talked about some of this in our 41 00:02:25,080 --> 00:02:27,240 Speaker 2: episode on the Holladamor Famine. 42 00:02:27,840 --> 00:02:31,400 Speaker 1: So just to recap. The first five Year Plan included 43 00:02:31,440 --> 00:02:36,760 Speaker 1: programs to expand industry, generate more energy, and collectivize agriculture. 44 00:02:37,160 --> 00:02:39,800 Speaker 1: And that may sound kind of benign, but it was not. 45 00:02:40,200 --> 00:02:45,360 Speaker 1: The collectivisation of agriculture point was particularly brutal. The Kuluks 46 00:02:45,440 --> 00:02:47,960 Speaker 1: were a class of farmer in the Soviet Union and 47 00:02:48,040 --> 00:02:51,960 Speaker 1: Russia before it who were considered it's often called wealthy peasants, 48 00:02:52,160 --> 00:02:55,919 Speaker 1: meaning that they operated well above a subsistence farming level. 49 00:02:56,600 --> 00:03:00,160 Speaker 1: Kuluks owned their own land and usually livestock, and they 50 00:03:00,160 --> 00:03:03,200 Speaker 1: had the means to employ other people on those farms 51 00:03:03,480 --> 00:03:08,320 Speaker 1: and enough landholdings to lease some out. Kulos became cornerstones 52 00:03:08,360 --> 00:03:11,480 Speaker 1: in a lot of communities because they also conducted financial 53 00:03:11,520 --> 00:03:14,920 Speaker 1: and administrative support in their villages. Sometimes they would even 54 00:03:14,960 --> 00:03:19,760 Speaker 1: issue mortgages, and to Stalin's government, this was capitalist and 55 00:03:19,880 --> 00:03:23,160 Speaker 1: inherently wrong. So part of the First Five Year Plan 56 00:03:23,760 --> 00:03:27,280 Speaker 1: was eliminating the kulos. Prior to the introduction of the 57 00:03:27,280 --> 00:03:30,600 Speaker 1: Five Year Plan, Stalin's regime had already tried to make 58 00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:33,440 Speaker 1: life harder for the Kulox. They did that through things 59 00:03:33,480 --> 00:03:37,320 Speaker 1: like heavy taxation and new laws that restricted their land usage. 60 00:03:38,080 --> 00:03:40,480 Speaker 1: But starting in nineteen twenty nine as part of the 61 00:03:40,520 --> 00:03:43,280 Speaker 1: first five year plan, what has come to be known 62 00:03:43,400 --> 00:03:47,400 Speaker 1: as de Koulokization began with a call to quote liquidate 63 00:03:47,440 --> 00:03:52,000 Speaker 1: the Kulus as a class. This included violent attacks on 64 00:03:52,080 --> 00:03:56,640 Speaker 1: kulock farms as well as deportation, arrest, and property seizure 65 00:03:56,680 --> 00:03:59,960 Speaker 1: by the government, and all of this was done under 66 00:04:00,240 --> 00:04:04,320 Speaker 1: that goal of collectivizing agriculture. Literally, they wanted to put 67 00:04:04,360 --> 00:04:08,280 Speaker 1: all farmers to work under one collective umbrella for the government, 68 00:04:08,680 --> 00:04:12,000 Speaker 1: rather than any of them working for themselves. This was 69 00:04:12,040 --> 00:04:18,240 Speaker 1: all framed in propaganda as necessary to achieve non capitalist industrialization. 70 00:04:19,320 --> 00:04:21,920 Speaker 1: But one of the direct results of this was a 71 00:04:22,040 --> 00:04:25,760 Speaker 1: massive famine that was the Holladamoor. As we mentioned in 72 00:04:25,800 --> 00:04:29,440 Speaker 1: our episode on the Holadamor, the loss of farming expertise 73 00:04:29,520 --> 00:04:33,280 Speaker 1: that came from this decoop acuzation plus bad weather and 74 00:04:33,360 --> 00:04:38,760 Speaker 1: poorly run state farms all meant that the grain industry collapsed. 75 00:04:39,320 --> 00:04:41,960 Speaker 1: Talked in that episode how a lot of this was 76 00:04:42,320 --> 00:04:46,600 Speaker 1: like in what's now Ukraine because growing grain was such 77 00:04:46,600 --> 00:04:50,680 Speaker 1: an enormous part of the Ukrainian economy. As the country 78 00:04:50,720 --> 00:04:54,360 Speaker 1: started to recover in nineteen thirty three after having experienced 79 00:04:54,600 --> 00:04:58,360 Speaker 1: millions of deaths. The Soviet government tried to cover things up, 80 00:04:58,560 --> 00:05:01,480 Speaker 1: and time was ripe for some sort of story that 81 00:05:01,520 --> 00:05:05,039 Speaker 1: could be used to bolster morale and boast to the 82 00:05:05,080 --> 00:05:10,080 Speaker 1: globe of Soviet superiority. As this disastrous first five year 83 00:05:10,120 --> 00:05:13,080 Speaker 1: Plan came to an end in nineteen thirty two, being 84 00:05:13,120 --> 00:05:15,760 Speaker 1: claimed as a success in spite of all the serious 85 00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:20,080 Speaker 1: problems that had created, heavy industry became the main focus 86 00:05:20,120 --> 00:05:23,160 Speaker 1: for the second five year Plan. This is where a 87 00:05:23,160 --> 00:05:28,320 Speaker 1: man named Alexi Stakhanov became famous. So Alexei Grigorovitch Stakhanov 88 00:05:28,400 --> 00:05:30,960 Speaker 1: was born on January third, nineteen oh six, in the 89 00:05:30,960 --> 00:05:35,000 Speaker 1: town of Lugova, which was in the administrative division municipality 90 00:05:35,080 --> 00:05:38,520 Speaker 1: known as Levinsky Uyezd, which in turn was part of 91 00:05:38,560 --> 00:05:42,480 Speaker 1: the Oriol Governorate. Less than a decade before he was born, 92 00:05:42,720 --> 00:05:46,479 Speaker 1: the Levinsky Uyezd census talied a population of just under 93 00:05:46,520 --> 00:05:47,919 Speaker 1: three hundred thousand people. 94 00:05:48,640 --> 00:05:52,000 Speaker 2: In his early twenties, Alexei met a woman named Yevdokiya 95 00:05:52,320 --> 00:05:55,360 Speaker 2: who was possibly Roma, and the two of them started 96 00:05:55,360 --> 00:05:59,160 Speaker 2: a romantic relationship. They never formally got married, but they 97 00:05:59,240 --> 00:06:02,760 Speaker 2: lived as has wife and they had two children, Claudia 98 00:06:02,880 --> 00:06:06,800 Speaker 2: and Victor. Together Sakanoff became a coal miner working in 99 00:06:06,839 --> 00:06:10,600 Speaker 2: the state run Central Ermino mine in the Donbas region 100 00:06:10,920 --> 00:06:15,040 Speaker 2: and what was at the time Soviet Ukraine. The entire 101 00:06:15,400 --> 00:06:19,080 Speaker 2: coal mining industry had been reorganized from the top down 102 00:06:19,120 --> 00:06:22,320 Speaker 2: in nineteen thirty three, when the leadership within the system 103 00:06:22,480 --> 00:06:25,560 Speaker 2: was assessed as being inefficient and unable to meet the 104 00:06:25,600 --> 00:06:28,039 Speaker 2: goals that had been set by the Communist Party in 105 00:06:28,080 --> 00:06:31,920 Speaker 2: the five Year Plan. New targets were set for all 106 00:06:32,040 --> 00:06:35,400 Speaker 2: mines as part of this reorg. Don Bas was considered 107 00:06:35,400 --> 00:06:39,000 Speaker 2: a poorly performing mine area. It rarely met the production 108 00:06:39,120 --> 00:06:41,480 Speaker 2: goals that had been set for it, and the work 109 00:06:41,520 --> 00:06:43,919 Speaker 2: there was unsurprisingly grueling. 110 00:06:44,760 --> 00:06:47,120 Speaker 1: So the system for this mining was set up as 111 00:06:47,160 --> 00:06:50,440 Speaker 1: sort of an everyman for him self affair, with financial 112 00:06:50,520 --> 00:06:53,919 Speaker 1: incentives to produce the most coal. But that meant that 113 00:06:53,960 --> 00:06:56,800 Speaker 1: each miner was picking at the tunnels on his own, 114 00:06:56,960 --> 00:07:00,440 Speaker 1: lying down, propping up the tunnel himself with laws cut 115 00:07:00,480 --> 00:07:03,720 Speaker 1: to various lengths for that purpose, and then once enough 116 00:07:03,760 --> 00:07:06,520 Speaker 1: coal had been picked out, he loaded it onto a 117 00:07:06,600 --> 00:07:09,200 Speaker 1: cart and then he would hitch that cart to a 118 00:07:09,240 --> 00:07:11,560 Speaker 1: pony and walk the pony out of the mind for 119 00:07:11,680 --> 00:07:14,920 Speaker 1: drop off of the product, and then back in and 120 00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:18,640 Speaker 1: according to the official story, Alexi Stakhanov thought this was 121 00:07:18,680 --> 00:07:21,840 Speaker 1: a really foolish way to run a mine. He had 122 00:07:21,880 --> 00:07:24,960 Speaker 1: a plan to reset the workflow with four man teams. 123 00:07:25,000 --> 00:07:27,680 Speaker 1: So one man did the picking, one man did the 124 00:07:27,720 --> 00:07:32,320 Speaker 1: needed bracing as the coal tunnels were picked out, one 125 00:07:32,440 --> 00:07:35,240 Speaker 1: loaded the coal, and then one managed the ponies and 126 00:07:35,280 --> 00:07:38,160 Speaker 1: walking them back and forth. But he also thought it 127 00:07:38,160 --> 00:07:41,120 Speaker 1: would be better to upgrade from a pick to a drill, 128 00:07:41,280 --> 00:07:44,840 Speaker 1: so he trained to use one. According to the official story, 129 00:07:45,040 --> 00:07:48,760 Speaker 1: Stakhanoff approached the mind's leadership with this plan, and initially 130 00:07:48,800 --> 00:07:52,240 Speaker 1: their reception was lukewarm, but he persisted and he got 131 00:07:52,240 --> 00:07:55,480 Speaker 1: the local party leader involved. The idea was. 132 00:07:55,440 --> 00:07:58,120 Speaker 2: That there would be a test shift using this method 133 00:07:58,160 --> 00:08:01,480 Speaker 2: to see if it was worthwhile. If it failed, Stakhanoff 134 00:08:01,520 --> 00:08:04,400 Speaker 2: would be the one that would take the heat. Initially, 135 00:08:04,560 --> 00:08:07,680 Speaker 2: Stakhanov was not the one intended to actually be the 136 00:08:07,840 --> 00:08:11,640 Speaker 2: miner on this test shift. The Communist party leaders wanted 137 00:08:11,680 --> 00:08:14,640 Speaker 2: somebody to do it who was a member of the party, 138 00:08:14,680 --> 00:08:17,440 Speaker 2: and he was not. Of course, they also wanted that 139 00:08:17,480 --> 00:08:20,880 Speaker 2: person to be strong and skilled. There just weren't any 140 00:08:20,880 --> 00:08:23,480 Speaker 2: other candidates who were as well suited to it as 141 00:08:23,560 --> 00:08:28,200 Speaker 2: Stakhanoff himself was. On August thirty first, nineteen thirty five, 142 00:08:28,280 --> 00:08:32,120 Speaker 2: Alexi Stakhanoff went into the mine for a six hour shift. 143 00:08:32,320 --> 00:08:35,640 Speaker 2: The local Communist Party leader and a journalist were on 144 00:08:35,760 --> 00:08:38,280 Speaker 2: site to report what happened, and when it was over 145 00:08:38,480 --> 00:08:41,520 Speaker 2: he had mined a mind boggling one hundred to two 146 00:08:41,760 --> 00:08:42,600 Speaker 2: tons of coal. 147 00:08:43,080 --> 00:08:46,480 Speaker 1: That is not a typo. It is reportedly fourteen times 148 00:08:46,520 --> 00:08:49,319 Speaker 1: the amount that he would normally produce in a shift, 149 00:08:49,679 --> 00:08:53,880 Speaker 1: all purportedly because of his new method of dividing the 150 00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:57,840 Speaker 1: labor in the minds. So if you're thinking division of 151 00:08:57,960 --> 00:09:01,520 Speaker 1: labor wasn't really a new concert in nineteen thirty five, 152 00:09:01,679 --> 00:09:06,239 Speaker 1: you're right. It wasn't new globally. The assembly line popularized 153 00:09:06,240 --> 00:09:09,440 Speaker 1: by Henry Ford, for example, had been in operation since 154 00:09:09,520 --> 00:09:13,600 Speaker 1: nineteen thirteen. It wasn't new to the Soviet Union either, 155 00:09:14,000 --> 00:09:16,680 Speaker 1: and this form of mining had been championed in Soviet 156 00:09:16,720 --> 00:09:19,120 Speaker 1: mines on and off since the nineteen twenties, but had 157 00:09:19,120 --> 00:09:24,560 Speaker 1: never really gained wide support. Additionally, this situation was set 158 00:09:24,600 --> 00:09:27,360 Speaker 1: up where it was a test, so Stakhanov was the. 159 00:09:27,240 --> 00:09:30,440 Speaker 2: Only miner working in the area during the test. This 160 00:09:30,559 --> 00:09:33,720 Speaker 2: was a situation where he physically didn't have to move 161 00:09:34,000 --> 00:09:37,280 Speaker 2: far from one mining ledge to another. He wasn't sharing 162 00:09:37,320 --> 00:09:39,959 Speaker 2: space with other miners, not having to keep out of 163 00:09:40,000 --> 00:09:42,640 Speaker 2: each other's way. Things like that. We will loop back 164 00:09:42,679 --> 00:09:45,880 Speaker 2: to a discussion about the real nature of that historic 165 00:09:45,960 --> 00:09:46,839 Speaker 2: night in a little bit. 166 00:09:47,679 --> 00:09:51,680 Speaker 1: Publicly, this was a banner pr moment for the Communist Party. 167 00:09:52,200 --> 00:09:55,880 Speaker 1: At last, the idea of a super efficient Soviet Union 168 00:09:56,080 --> 00:09:58,800 Speaker 1: had a touchstone, and in every man who could be 169 00:09:58,880 --> 00:10:02,920 Speaker 1: modeled as a hero. His achievement was first written about 170 00:10:02,920 --> 00:10:05,360 Speaker 1: in the papers of don Bos and soon caught the 171 00:10:05,360 --> 00:10:09,640 Speaker 1: attention of sergo Orzani Kidzie, who was the Minister of Industry. He, 172 00:10:10,000 --> 00:10:13,680 Speaker 1: in turn, according to the official story, brought this story 173 00:10:13,679 --> 00:10:17,360 Speaker 1: of Stakhanov to Stalin, and Stakhanov quickly went from local 174 00:10:17,480 --> 00:10:22,040 Speaker 1: hero to national star. He was also given an instant 175 00:10:22,080 --> 00:10:23,960 Speaker 1: membership in the Communist Party. 176 00:10:24,760 --> 00:10:28,240 Speaker 2: Pravda wrote about Alexi, and the Communist press started touting 177 00:10:28,280 --> 00:10:32,280 Speaker 2: the benefits of the Stakhanov system. Alexi Stakhanov, who was 178 00:10:32,360 --> 00:10:35,320 Speaker 2: the sudden darling of Stalin's government, was moved to a 179 00:10:35,440 --> 00:10:38,079 Speaker 2: nice furnished apartment and given a horse and a buggy. 180 00:10:38,440 --> 00:10:40,880 Speaker 2: This was a luxurious upgrade from the life he had 181 00:10:40,880 --> 00:10:44,840 Speaker 2: been living. Later, his daughter Violetta shared with the BBC 182 00:10:45,040 --> 00:10:47,119 Speaker 2: quote Dad was particularly proud. 183 00:10:46,840 --> 00:10:47,440 Speaker 1: Of the horse. 184 00:10:48,240 --> 00:10:51,240 Speaker 2: A tour was also planned, part lecture tour and part 185 00:10:51,280 --> 00:10:54,520 Speaker 2: training tour, so Alexi could share his knowledge with the 186 00:10:54,559 --> 00:10:55,520 Speaker 2: rest of the country. 187 00:10:56,320 --> 00:10:59,920 Speaker 1: Coming up, we will talk about additional ways that alexistakhanov 188 00:11:00,160 --> 00:11:03,160 Speaker 1: life changed, but first we will pause for a sponsor break. 189 00:11:12,840 --> 00:11:17,160 Speaker 1: As Takano's fame grew, his partnery of Dokia grew increasingly 190 00:11:17,280 --> 00:11:22,040 Speaker 1: more uncomfortable with the situation. She eventually left, and her 191 00:11:22,120 --> 00:11:25,640 Speaker 1: exit from his life is described sometimes as running away 192 00:11:25,679 --> 00:11:28,880 Speaker 1: with a group of Rominy travelers, possibly running away with 193 00:11:28,920 --> 00:11:33,440 Speaker 1: another man. The two children stayed with Alexi, but Alexi 194 00:11:33,440 --> 00:11:35,960 Speaker 1: had women writing him letters all the time, so he 195 00:11:36,000 --> 00:11:38,800 Speaker 1: probably did not take ye of Dokia's exit too hard. 196 00:11:39,600 --> 00:11:42,679 Speaker 1: He could, not, however, read those letters. He openly told 197 00:11:42,800 --> 00:11:44,960 Speaker 1: journalists that he didn't know how to read or write, 198 00:11:45,240 --> 00:11:47,880 Speaker 1: and that party leaders read his letters for him. 199 00:11:48,760 --> 00:11:51,360 Speaker 2: While he was touring the country, Alexi was honored with 200 00:11:51,440 --> 00:11:54,800 Speaker 2: a performance by a school choir in the town of Kharkov, 201 00:11:55,400 --> 00:11:58,199 Speaker 2: and in the choir was a girl named Galita Bondarenko, 202 00:11:58,320 --> 00:12:03,600 Speaker 2: who Alexi was immediately interested in she was only fourteen. 203 00:12:03,640 --> 00:12:06,599 Speaker 2: Modern versions of this story say that he fell instantly 204 00:12:06,679 --> 00:12:10,720 Speaker 2: in love with her. That is obviously romanticizing a very 205 00:12:10,840 --> 00:12:15,680 Speaker 2: unbalanced power dynamic between an adult and a child. He 206 00:12:15,760 --> 00:12:18,280 Speaker 2: wanted to marry her, and he did very quickly. Her 207 00:12:18,280 --> 00:12:21,360 Speaker 2: family was poor and likely thought this match would secure 208 00:12:21,400 --> 00:12:25,200 Speaker 2: a good future for her. After the marriage ceremony, it 209 00:12:25,240 --> 00:12:28,040 Speaker 2: seems like they lived mostly apart for two years, though 210 00:12:28,080 --> 00:12:32,800 Speaker 2: while she finished school. Accounts are pretty fuzzy on this detail. 211 00:12:33,320 --> 00:12:36,559 Speaker 2: Translations are ambiguous in the language that they used to 212 00:12:36,640 --> 00:12:40,839 Speaker 2: talk about it. Their daughter, Filetta, described this relationship as 213 00:12:40,880 --> 00:12:44,520 Speaker 2: one where Galina respected Alexei like an elder more than 214 00:12:44,559 --> 00:12:48,280 Speaker 2: having loving feelings toward him. He was described by family 215 00:12:48,320 --> 00:12:51,640 Speaker 2: as possessive and jealous with his wife, although this couple 216 00:12:52,200 --> 00:12:55,160 Speaker 2: did seem to develop something of a real partnership over 217 00:12:55,200 --> 00:12:58,480 Speaker 2: the years. Yeah, it's really weird that age gap thing 218 00:12:58,600 --> 00:13:01,800 Speaker 2: is talked about in very KG language where it's not 219 00:13:02,120 --> 00:13:04,760 Speaker 2: clear if they were really living as a married couple 220 00:13:04,800 --> 00:13:07,160 Speaker 2: for a couple of years at all or not. And 221 00:13:07,240 --> 00:13:10,120 Speaker 2: I think that is purposely KG because nobody wants to 222 00:13:10,160 --> 00:13:14,079 Speaker 2: discuss how yucky it is Alexi continued to travel the 223 00:13:14,120 --> 00:13:17,360 Speaker 2: country while Gallina returned to life as a student. His 224 00:13:17,480 --> 00:13:20,760 Speaker 2: fame had been instant and the so called Stacanovite movement 225 00:13:20,800 --> 00:13:24,240 Speaker 2: had begun, But while many were cheering him as an 226 00:13:24,240 --> 00:13:27,080 Speaker 2: example of a hero worker, there were other people who 227 00:13:27,080 --> 00:13:30,560 Speaker 2: did not share that enthusiasm. He later claimed that he 228 00:13:30,559 --> 00:13:33,120 Speaker 2: had been attacked on the street by workers who didn't 229 00:13:33,160 --> 00:13:36,920 Speaker 2: appreciate him promoting the idea that everyone should be exceeding 230 00:13:36,960 --> 00:13:41,320 Speaker 2: their work goals by a factor of ten. Anti Stacanovites, 231 00:13:41,400 --> 00:13:44,680 Speaker 2: Stalin would later say, met with violence and loss of 232 00:13:44,800 --> 00:13:48,480 Speaker 2: jobs for their attitude. In the years immediately following the 233 00:13:48,559 --> 00:13:53,160 Speaker 2: fervor of Stacanovism, the movement's detractors were branded as sabaturs. 234 00:13:53,760 --> 00:13:58,520 Speaker 2: Some were punished for this with hard labor. On November seventeenth, 235 00:13:58,600 --> 00:14:02,040 Speaker 2: nineteen thirty five, after several months of campaigning for the 236 00:14:02,080 --> 00:14:05,679 Speaker 2: adoption of Stakhanov's intense work ethic for the benefit of 237 00:14:05,720 --> 00:14:09,240 Speaker 2: the country, Stalin spoke at the first conference of the 238 00:14:09,240 --> 00:14:13,760 Speaker 2: Stakhanov Movement, gathered in Moscow. It was a rousing speech 239 00:14:13,840 --> 00:14:16,920 Speaker 2: that appealed to the assembled attendees as being the most 240 00:14:16,960 --> 00:14:20,600 Speaker 2: progressive and advanced members of the workforce as evidence of 241 00:14:20,640 --> 00:14:24,720 Speaker 2: the superiority of a socialist society. Quote. It has already 242 00:14:24,720 --> 00:14:28,480 Speaker 2: been said here that the Stakhanov movement, as an expression 243 00:14:28,520 --> 00:14:31,680 Speaker 2: of new and higher technical standards, is a model of 244 00:14:31,680 --> 00:14:35,400 Speaker 2: that high productivity of labor which only socialism can give 245 00:14:35,920 --> 00:14:41,240 Speaker 2: and which capitalism cannot give. That is absolutely true. There 246 00:14:41,280 --> 00:14:44,840 Speaker 2: were other points made in Stalin's speech, including the importance 247 00:14:44,880 --> 00:14:47,800 Speaker 2: of Stacanovism for the next step of the Soviet government. 248 00:14:48,120 --> 00:14:50,960 Speaker 2: He said, quote its significance lies also in the fact 249 00:14:51,160 --> 00:14:54,240 Speaker 2: that it is preparing the conditions for the transition from 250 00:14:54,280 --> 00:14:58,640 Speaker 2: socialism to communism. And when Stalin described the workers who 251 00:14:58,720 --> 00:15:02,800 Speaker 2: had embraced Daconivism, those words painted them as follows. 252 00:15:02,880 --> 00:15:05,960 Speaker 1: Quote. They are mostly young or middle aged working men 253 00:15:06,000 --> 00:15:09,400 Speaker 1: and women, people with cultural and technical knowledge, who show 254 00:15:09,440 --> 00:15:13,240 Speaker 1: examples of precision and accuracy in work, who are able 255 00:15:13,280 --> 00:15:15,760 Speaker 1: to appreciate the time factor in work, and who have 256 00:15:15,840 --> 00:15:18,880 Speaker 1: learned to count not only the minutes but also the seconds. 257 00:15:19,520 --> 00:15:22,720 Speaker 1: The majority of them have taken the technical minimum courses 258 00:15:22,800 --> 00:15:26,320 Speaker 1: and are continuing their technical education. They are free of 259 00:15:26,360 --> 00:15:31,800 Speaker 1: the conservatism and stagnation of certain engineers, technicians and business executives. 260 00:15:32,080 --> 00:15:36,560 Speaker 1: They are marching boldly forward, smashing the antiquated technical standards 261 00:15:36,560 --> 00:15:40,720 Speaker 1: and creating new and higher standards. They are introducing amendments 262 00:15:40,760 --> 00:15:44,240 Speaker 1: into the designed capacities and economic plans drawn up by 263 00:15:44,240 --> 00:15:47,920 Speaker 1: the leaders of our industry. They often supplement and correct 264 00:15:47,960 --> 00:15:51,000 Speaker 1: what the engineers and technicians have to say. They often 265 00:15:51,080 --> 00:15:54,000 Speaker 1: teach them and impel them forward, for they are people 266 00:15:54,240 --> 00:15:57,360 Speaker 1: who have completely mastered the technique of their job, and 267 00:15:57,400 --> 00:16:00,440 Speaker 1: who are able to squeeze out of technique the maximum 268 00:16:00,560 --> 00:16:01,960 Speaker 1: that can be squeezed out of it. 269 00:16:02,520 --> 00:16:05,720 Speaker 2: But the part of Stalin's speech that's most quoted and 270 00:16:05,760 --> 00:16:09,680 Speaker 2: most written about was the propagandist way he painted Staconovism 271 00:16:09,680 --> 00:16:13,000 Speaker 2: as something that organically grew out of the bedrock that 272 00:16:13,040 --> 00:16:16,920 Speaker 2: the Soviet government had laid. Quote. What first of all 273 00:16:16,960 --> 00:16:19,320 Speaker 2: strikes the eye is the fact that this movement began 274 00:16:19,480 --> 00:16:24,320 Speaker 2: somehow of itself, almost spontaneously, from below, without any pressure 275 00:16:24,360 --> 00:16:28,120 Speaker 2: whatsoever from the administrators of our enterprises. More than that 276 00:16:28,280 --> 00:16:30,880 Speaker 2: this movement, in a way arose and began to develop 277 00:16:31,040 --> 00:16:34,280 Speaker 2: in spite of the administrators of our enterprises, even in 278 00:16:34,280 --> 00:16:38,360 Speaker 2: opposition to them. The basis for the Stakhanoff movement was, 279 00:16:38,440 --> 00:16:42,480 Speaker 2: first and foremost the radical improvement in the material welfare 280 00:16:42,560 --> 00:16:47,240 Speaker 2: of the workers. Life has improved comrades, life has become 281 00:16:47,280 --> 00:16:50,680 Speaker 2: more joyous, and when life is joyous, work goes well. 282 00:16:51,120 --> 00:16:54,640 Speaker 2: Hence the high rates of output, hence the heroes and 283 00:16:54,720 --> 00:16:58,520 Speaker 2: heroines of labor that primarily is the root of the 284 00:16:58,560 --> 00:17:04,719 Speaker 2: Stakhanoff movement. Aside from being propaganda, this was all a 285 00:17:04,760 --> 00:17:08,600 Speaker 2: flat out lie. The country had just been through a famine, 286 00:17:08,960 --> 00:17:13,000 Speaker 2: a series of purges at Stalin's order as well. This 287 00:17:13,160 --> 00:17:15,919 Speaker 2: was not a time of joy or prosperity for most 288 00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:19,800 Speaker 2: of the population. Far from it. And this Stakandamit movement, 289 00:17:19,880 --> 00:17:23,000 Speaker 2: as we'll discuss in just a moment, was really orchestrated. 290 00:17:23,720 --> 00:17:27,280 Speaker 1: At the conclusion of this speech, Stalin said quote finally 291 00:17:27,440 --> 00:17:29,800 Speaker 1: two words about how it would be fitting to mark 292 00:17:29,840 --> 00:17:33,399 Speaker 1: this conference. We here in the Presidium have conferred and 293 00:17:33,480 --> 00:17:36,280 Speaker 1: have decided that this conference between the leaders of the 294 00:17:36,280 --> 00:17:39,159 Speaker 1: government and the leaders of this Stakhanov movement must be 295 00:17:39,280 --> 00:17:42,159 Speaker 1: marked in some way. Well. We have come to the 296 00:17:42,200 --> 00:17:44,600 Speaker 1: decision that one hundred or one hundred and twenty of 297 00:17:44,640 --> 00:17:47,600 Speaker 1: you will have to be recommended for the highest distinction. 298 00:17:48,520 --> 00:17:51,920 Speaker 1: The implication here, of course, was that Alexi Stakhanov himself 299 00:17:51,960 --> 00:17:55,720 Speaker 1: would of course receive such a distinction, but he would 300 00:17:55,720 --> 00:17:59,119 Speaker 1: wait a really long time for it. On December sixteenth, 301 00:17:59,200 --> 00:18:02,800 Speaker 1: nineteen thirty five, I've Time magazine ran a cover story 302 00:18:02,880 --> 00:18:06,199 Speaker 1: titled Heroes of Labor. To be clear, this was not 303 00:18:06,240 --> 00:18:09,640 Speaker 1: a piece praising the Stacanobite movement. That opens by mentioning 304 00:18:09,680 --> 00:18:13,120 Speaker 1: a number of new words that the world had learned 305 00:18:13,240 --> 00:18:17,960 Speaker 1: thanks to Stalin and describing some of Stalin's horrific moves, 306 00:18:18,000 --> 00:18:22,960 Speaker 1: including the eradication of the kulux. Then it pivoted to Stacanovism, stating, 307 00:18:23,040 --> 00:18:27,919 Speaker 1: quote the great new addition to vocabulary's Stacanovism. Today, a 308 00:18:27,960 --> 00:18:31,800 Speaker 1: fresh battle has opened over Staconovism, and thus far enraged 309 00:18:31,880 --> 00:18:36,560 Speaker 1: workers have done most of the shooting in coal mines, factories, railways, 310 00:18:36,600 --> 00:18:40,679 Speaker 1: and even on the Dictator's favorite collective farms. In recent weeks, 311 00:18:40,840 --> 00:18:46,879 Speaker 1: desperate Russian workers have slain stakanovitees pride and sabotage. Six 312 00:18:46,920 --> 00:18:51,120 Speaker 1: months ago, the most violent of Dictator Stalin's henchman, big nosed, 313 00:18:51,320 --> 00:18:54,719 Speaker 1: hot eyed Commissar for Heavy Industry Grigory or Zona Gizzi, 314 00:18:55,240 --> 00:18:59,080 Speaker 1: demanded that Russian workmen pitch in and really learned to 315 00:18:59,200 --> 00:19:02,000 Speaker 1: use the machine tools their government was buying from the 316 00:19:02,040 --> 00:19:06,360 Speaker 1: capitalistic world at drastic sacrifices of food and other Russian goods. 317 00:19:07,240 --> 00:19:10,439 Speaker 1: The Time article frames the Takanov story as one in 318 00:19:10,480 --> 00:19:13,720 Speaker 1: which the Communist Party had found a good story and 319 00:19:13,800 --> 00:19:17,960 Speaker 1: flag bearer in the minor equipping. Quote One Alexis Takanov, 320 00:19:18,040 --> 00:19:20,760 Speaker 1: a skilled pneumatic drill operator in the don Bos coal 321 00:19:20,800 --> 00:19:24,040 Speaker 1: trust sector, was discovered by the Soviet press this year 322 00:19:24,320 --> 00:19:28,560 Speaker 1: to be performing prodigies. Soon was raised by Bolshevik puffs 323 00:19:28,560 --> 00:19:31,880 Speaker 1: to the status of a hero of labor. This write 324 00:19:31,960 --> 00:19:34,359 Speaker 1: up goes on to mention that there's a contradiction in 325 00:19:34,400 --> 00:19:39,200 Speaker 1: this whole campaign, since Communist leaders had been criticizing capitalism 326 00:19:39,280 --> 00:19:42,800 Speaker 1: for its constant efforts to speed up production. It also 327 00:19:42,840 --> 00:19:45,560 Speaker 1: points out that while a handful of workers like Stakhanov 328 00:19:45,600 --> 00:19:48,280 Speaker 1: were being given lavish gifts by the government for what 329 00:19:48,320 --> 00:19:51,760 Speaker 1: they had done, those outside that small group wondered what 330 00:19:51,800 --> 00:19:54,600 Speaker 1: would happen if more workers did start to produce at 331 00:19:54,640 --> 00:19:58,960 Speaker 1: such extreme levels. There was surely no way everyone could 332 00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:02,479 Speaker 1: get the same incentive and be given new apartments and 333 00:20:02,560 --> 00:20:03,520 Speaker 1: carts and more. 334 00:20:04,200 --> 00:20:07,160 Speaker 2: Alexi was moved to Moscow in nineteen thirty seven, where 335 00:20:07,200 --> 00:20:10,080 Speaker 2: he was given an executive position in the coal ministry 336 00:20:10,119 --> 00:20:13,399 Speaker 2: in a luxury apartment, as well as cars and other amenities. 337 00:20:14,000 --> 00:20:15,959 Speaker 2: For a man likes to Khanoff, who had grown up 338 00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:19,800 Speaker 2: poor and found himself suddenly surrounded by the party elite, 339 00:20:19,880 --> 00:20:22,560 Speaker 2: it was a big adjustment. The way of life in 340 00:20:22,640 --> 00:20:26,920 Speaker 2: Moscow working in political circles was challenging. He was introduced 341 00:20:26,960 --> 00:20:29,800 Speaker 2: to someone at a party by Stalin as a future 342 00:20:29,920 --> 00:20:35,040 Speaker 2: government minister, and according to family accounts, he was terrified. Galina, 343 00:20:35,080 --> 00:20:37,320 Speaker 2: who had also grown up poor but had a much 344 00:20:37,320 --> 00:20:40,520 Speaker 2: better education than her husband, is described as the person 345 00:20:40,600 --> 00:20:44,200 Speaker 2: who helped him through this adjustment by having more savvy 346 00:20:44,359 --> 00:20:47,480 Speaker 2: regarding the commingling of social and professional aspects of their 347 00:20:47,520 --> 00:20:51,240 Speaker 2: new lives. Alexi and Galina had two daughters while they 348 00:20:51,240 --> 00:20:54,520 Speaker 2: were living in Moscow. Violetta was born in nineteen forty 349 00:20:54,640 --> 00:20:57,600 Speaker 2: and Allah in nineteen forty three. They also had two 350 00:20:57,680 --> 00:21:02,360 Speaker 2: other children who died in infancy. Alexei and Gallina's daughter, Violetta, 351 00:21:02,400 --> 00:21:05,960 Speaker 2: told the BBC a terrifying story about an experience that 352 00:21:06,040 --> 00:21:09,120 Speaker 2: Galina had while they were living in Moscow. To set 353 00:21:09,119 --> 00:21:11,280 Speaker 2: the stage, we have to talk for a moment about 354 00:21:11,359 --> 00:21:15,320 Speaker 2: Laverenti Barria, who was a terrifying figure in Stalinist Russia. 355 00:21:15,960 --> 00:21:19,199 Speaker 2: Barria joined the Communist Party in nineteen seventeen and was 356 00:21:19,240 --> 00:21:22,920 Speaker 2: eventually assigned to intelligence, leading to his appointment as head 357 00:21:22,960 --> 00:21:26,480 Speaker 2: of the Georgian Secret Police. His rise through the party 358 00:21:26,520 --> 00:21:29,800 Speaker 2: ranks continued, and in nineteen thirty eight he became head 359 00:21:29,840 --> 00:21:33,800 Speaker 2: of the Soviet secret police, the NKVD, and also part 360 00:21:33,800 --> 00:21:35,080 Speaker 2: of Stalin's inner circle. 361 00:21:36,080 --> 00:21:39,760 Speaker 1: He was a callous and violent man known for casually 362 00:21:39,880 --> 00:21:43,760 Speaker 1: ordering mass executions. He became known by the nickname the 363 00:21:43,840 --> 00:21:47,879 Speaker 1: Kremlin Monster, and he was a serial sexual predator who 364 00:21:48,000 --> 00:21:49,760 Speaker 1: raped an unknown number of women. 365 00:21:51,040 --> 00:21:54,320 Speaker 2: One of his predatory activities has been described as something 366 00:21:54,400 --> 00:21:57,800 Speaker 2: of an open secret in the Communist Party. He would 367 00:21:57,840 --> 00:22:00,199 Speaker 2: have his driver take him around Moscow at night, and 368 00:22:00,240 --> 00:22:02,320 Speaker 2: when he saw a woman or girl that he thought 369 00:22:02,359 --> 00:22:05,600 Speaker 2: was attractive, he'd stop the car. They would pick her up, 370 00:22:05,680 --> 00:22:09,919 Speaker 2: usually by invitation. Sometimes he would send his staff out 371 00:22:09,960 --> 00:22:12,240 Speaker 2: to search for prey, and then they would be taken 372 00:22:12,320 --> 00:22:15,560 Speaker 2: back to Barria's home. Some left at the end of 373 00:22:15,560 --> 00:22:19,480 Speaker 2: the night, but the discovery of remains of numerous women 374 00:22:19,600 --> 00:22:22,960 Speaker 2: on the site later during a construction project indicates that 375 00:22:23,040 --> 00:22:25,720 Speaker 2: a lot of them did not survive their time with him. 376 00:22:26,280 --> 00:22:30,040 Speaker 1: Yeah, his whole story is so upsetting and there are 377 00:22:30,080 --> 00:22:34,119 Speaker 1: so many horrifying details. But to circle back to Alexei 378 00:22:34,200 --> 00:22:36,960 Speaker 1: Stakhanov's wife, Galina and how this all ties to her. 379 00:22:38,000 --> 00:22:40,399 Speaker 1: One day, as she was out shopping, a car that 380 00:22:40,480 --> 00:22:43,000 Speaker 1: had been slowly following her pulled up next to her 381 00:22:43,000 --> 00:22:46,640 Speaker 1: and asked her to get in, and she did. Laventi 382 00:22:46,680 --> 00:22:49,000 Speaker 1: Barria was not in the car, but she was driven 383 00:22:49,040 --> 00:22:52,840 Speaker 1: to his home. Galina in this story is clearly a 384 00:22:52,920 --> 00:22:55,480 Speaker 1: very cool headed woman because when she was brought into 385 00:22:55,520 --> 00:22:57,880 Speaker 1: the house and kind of realized the danger she was in, 386 00:22:58,400 --> 00:23:00,639 Speaker 1: she told the officer there that she was married to 387 00:23:00,680 --> 00:23:04,320 Speaker 1: Alexei's Takhanov and that she was pregnant, and that put 388 00:23:04,359 --> 00:23:06,560 Speaker 1: an end to things. After that, she was escorted back 389 00:23:06,600 --> 00:23:09,399 Speaker 1: out to the car and she was taken home, But 390 00:23:09,440 --> 00:23:12,359 Speaker 1: Alexi was angry with Galina for having gotten into the 391 00:23:12,400 --> 00:23:15,359 Speaker 1: car because Barry's practice of looking for victims was so 392 00:23:15,480 --> 00:23:18,520 Speaker 1: well known. It seems like she thought, this is somebody 393 00:23:18,560 --> 00:23:20,640 Speaker 1: in the government who knows my husband and they need 394 00:23:20,640 --> 00:23:26,160 Speaker 1: me for something. But despite this incident, the Dakhanov stayed 395 00:23:26,200 --> 00:23:28,640 Speaker 1: in Moscow, and Alexi continued to work for the coal 396 00:23:28,680 --> 00:23:30,879 Speaker 1: mining industry into the nineteen fifties. 397 00:23:31,640 --> 00:23:34,560 Speaker 2: Takanov didn't stay in Moscow forever, though, and we'll talk 398 00:23:34,600 --> 00:23:37,440 Speaker 2: about what precipitated his move after we hear from the 399 00:23:37,480 --> 00:23:50,680 Speaker 2: sponsors that supports Stuffy missed in history class. On March fifth, 400 00:23:50,760 --> 00:23:54,159 Speaker 2: nineteen fifty three, Joseph Stalin had a stroke and died, 401 00:23:54,760 --> 00:23:58,600 Speaker 2: and once the ensuing power struggle over his successor was complete, 402 00:23:58,840 --> 00:24:02,879 Speaker 2: which included the Erast trial and execution of Lverenti Barria 403 00:24:02,960 --> 00:24:06,280 Speaker 2: for treason, Nikita Khrushchev was the new Premiere of the 404 00:24:06,280 --> 00:24:09,879 Speaker 2: Soviet Union, and Khrushchev made a point to shift the 405 00:24:09,920 --> 00:24:12,800 Speaker 2: Communist Party and the government away from the structure that 406 00:24:12,840 --> 00:24:16,679 Speaker 2: it had become under Stalin. During a closed session of 407 00:24:16,680 --> 00:24:19,680 Speaker 2: the twentieth Congress of the Communist Party held in February 408 00:24:19,760 --> 00:24:23,360 Speaker 2: nineteen fifty six, Krisjeff gave what was called his Secret 409 00:24:23,440 --> 00:24:26,399 Speaker 2: Speech about the problems of the Stalin government and the 410 00:24:26,440 --> 00:24:30,040 Speaker 2: reforms that were needed. In it, he noted, and I 411 00:24:30,080 --> 00:24:34,680 Speaker 2: will say we are quoting an English translation that was released, 412 00:24:34,720 --> 00:24:42,679 Speaker 2: so this may have been heavily edited for English speaking audiences, 413 00:24:42,760 --> 00:24:44,840 Speaker 2: but this is what we have in it, He noted, 414 00:24:44,880 --> 00:24:47,880 Speaker 2: quote at present, we are concerned with a question which 415 00:24:47,920 --> 00:24:51,440 Speaker 2: has immense importance for the party now and for the future, 416 00:24:51,840 --> 00:24:54,280 Speaker 2: with how the cult of the person of Stalin has 417 00:24:54,320 --> 00:24:58,600 Speaker 2: been gradually growing, the cult which became, at certain specific stages, 418 00:24:58,720 --> 00:25:02,560 Speaker 2: the source of a whole of exceedingly serious and grave 419 00:25:02,640 --> 00:25:07,919 Speaker 2: perversions of party principles, a party democracy of revolutionary legality. 420 00:25:08,840 --> 00:25:12,440 Speaker 2: Under kruz Jeff there were, as promised, big changes which 421 00:25:12,480 --> 00:25:17,520 Speaker 2: got the nickname de Stalinization. A lot of Stalin's programs 422 00:25:17,560 --> 00:25:21,480 Speaker 2: and decisions were overturned or eliminated, and eventually those reforms 423 00:25:21,600 --> 00:25:25,040 Speaker 2: impacted Alexi Stakhanoff. It was determined that there was no 424 00:25:25,160 --> 00:25:27,679 Speaker 2: reason to keep him in Moscow, and in nineteen fifty 425 00:25:27,720 --> 00:25:29,760 Speaker 2: seven he was given orders to go back to where 426 00:25:29,760 --> 00:25:32,639 Speaker 2: it had all started, which was don Bass. He was 427 00:25:32,680 --> 00:25:35,399 Speaker 2: made chief manager of the mine at theres, which was 428 00:25:35,480 --> 00:25:38,520 Speaker 2: definitely a step down from the cushy job he'd had 429 00:25:38,520 --> 00:25:41,560 Speaker 2: in the capitol, although he continued to give talks to 430 00:25:41,680 --> 00:25:45,399 Speaker 2: students and consult with other minds. He had been in 431 00:25:45,480 --> 00:25:47,919 Speaker 2: Moscow for twenty years at that point, and to be 432 00:25:47,960 --> 00:25:51,520 Speaker 2: shuttled eleven hundred kilometers away felt to him like he 433 00:25:51,600 --> 00:25:56,080 Speaker 2: was being discarded. Saconovism as a movement had been lauded 434 00:25:56,200 --> 00:25:59,399 Speaker 2: and credited for achieving goals than Stalin's five year plan, 435 00:25:59,720 --> 00:26:01,360 Speaker 2: and it just kind of sputtered out. 436 00:26:02,160 --> 00:26:05,880 Speaker 1: Stakhanov's family stayed in Moscow so Violetta and Allah could 437 00:26:05,920 --> 00:26:09,439 Speaker 1: finish school there. Feeling isolated and as though he had 438 00:26:09,440 --> 00:26:13,399 Speaker 1: been exiled by the Khrushchov government, Alexi began drinking heavily. 439 00:26:14,119 --> 00:26:16,359 Speaker 1: He was often asked to come to Moscow by his 440 00:26:16,400 --> 00:26:21,080 Speaker 1: family to visit, but he pretty frequently declined. Despite the 441 00:26:21,119 --> 00:26:25,439 Speaker 1: falloff and enthusiasm for Staconovism after its initial surge and 442 00:26:25,480 --> 00:26:30,240 Speaker 1: its relegation to history once Stalin was gone, Stakhanoff continued 443 00:26:30,280 --> 00:26:32,560 Speaker 1: to be a heroic figure throughout the time of the 444 00:26:32,560 --> 00:26:36,719 Speaker 1: Soviet Union. In nineteen seventy he finally received the accolade 445 00:26:36,720 --> 00:26:39,480 Speaker 1: that he thought he had been promised in Stalin's speech. 446 00:26:39,480 --> 00:26:42,520 Speaker 1: In November of nineteen thirty five, he was given the 447 00:26:42,560 --> 00:26:47,560 Speaker 1: honorific hero of Socialist Labor. His drinking became so problematic 448 00:26:47,560 --> 00:26:50,480 Speaker 1: that he got into trouble at various times. He is 449 00:26:50,520 --> 00:26:53,199 Speaker 1: alleged to have been in a brawl at the restaurant 450 00:26:53,280 --> 00:26:56,359 Speaker 1: in the Metropolis Hotel that resulted in the loss of 451 00:26:56,400 --> 00:27:00,440 Speaker 1: his accolade and of his Communist Party card. November of 452 00:27:00,520 --> 00:27:03,960 Speaker 1: nineteen seventy seven, in don Bas, Alexistikanoff had a stroke 453 00:27:04,119 --> 00:27:08,399 Speaker 1: and he died shortly thereafter. Nineteen seventy eight to the 454 00:27:08,400 --> 00:27:12,400 Speaker 1: city of Kadyevka was renamed Stakhanoff. This was a coal 455 00:27:12,440 --> 00:27:16,320 Speaker 1: mining city in what is modern day eastern Ukraine. Though 456 00:27:16,320 --> 00:27:19,560 Speaker 1: his reputation may have tarnished, he did still hold an 457 00:27:19,760 --> 00:27:23,679 Speaker 1: iconic status, particularly in the coal industry. In two thousand 458 00:27:23,680 --> 00:27:26,399 Speaker 1: and six, to Khanov's pneumatic hammer was included in a 459 00:27:26,440 --> 00:27:29,479 Speaker 1: display at the Kremlin Museum as part of an exhibit 460 00:27:29,520 --> 00:27:32,760 Speaker 1: about gifts given to Soviet leaders in the twentieth century. 461 00:27:33,680 --> 00:27:37,040 Speaker 2: There are historians who break down the flaws and improbabilities 462 00:27:37,040 --> 00:27:40,439 Speaker 2: in the entire Stakhanov achievement story, who say that that 463 00:27:40,560 --> 00:27:43,520 Speaker 2: famous night when he produced such an enormous amount of 464 00:27:43,680 --> 00:27:47,600 Speaker 2: coal was staged by the Communist government. In a nineteen 465 00:27:47,640 --> 00:27:51,200 Speaker 2: eighty five New York Times article discussing the fiftieth anniversary 466 00:27:51,240 --> 00:27:57,359 Speaker 2: of Stakhanov's record shift, journalist Sergei Schmemen writes, quote konstantinji Petrov, 467 00:27:57,480 --> 00:28:01,240 Speaker 2: the chief of the Mines party organization, recalled that Stakhanov's 468 00:28:01,240 --> 00:28:04,440 Speaker 2: wife strenuously resisted his attempt to make her husband a 469 00:28:04,520 --> 00:28:06,920 Speaker 2: hero until she was silenced with. 470 00:28:06,880 --> 00:28:08,120 Speaker 1: The gift of a cow. 471 00:28:09,560 --> 00:28:12,640 Speaker 2: That wife was his partner, yef Dokia, was not as 472 00:28:12,720 --> 00:28:16,639 Speaker 2: actually married to him. This suggests that Stakhanov knew ahead 473 00:28:16,640 --> 00:28:18,800 Speaker 2: of time that he would be successful, and that this 474 00:28:19,080 --> 00:28:22,679 Speaker 2: so called test was mostly for publicity. Yeah, yev Dokia 475 00:28:22,800 --> 00:28:25,159 Speaker 2: was like, I don't I don't want everybody looking at 476 00:28:25,160 --> 00:28:29,400 Speaker 2: our family. This article also notes that the entire shift 477 00:28:29,560 --> 00:28:33,560 Speaker 2: was meticulously planned, and that Stakhanov had two men propping 478 00:28:33,600 --> 00:28:36,199 Speaker 2: in his tunnel, and that Petrov was also in the 479 00:28:36,240 --> 00:28:38,880 Speaker 2: mind holding a light for him through most of the shift. 480 00:28:39,520 --> 00:28:42,959 Speaker 2: There were also additional people on hand to expedite the 481 00:28:43,120 --> 00:28:46,440 Speaker 2: entire process, not just a four man crew as was 482 00:28:46,480 --> 00:28:50,480 Speaker 2: often reported. The article quotes an interview that Petrov gave 483 00:28:50,520 --> 00:28:53,400 Speaker 2: in the early nineteen eighties, saying quote, I suppose to 484 00:28:53,520 --> 00:28:56,440 Speaker 2: Khanov need not have been the first. It could have 485 00:28:56,480 --> 00:28:59,640 Speaker 2: been anybody else. In the final analysis, it was not 486 00:28:59,720 --> 00:29:02,960 Speaker 2: the individual face worker who determined whether the attempt to 487 00:29:02,960 --> 00:29:06,479 Speaker 2: break The record would succeed but the new system of 488 00:29:06,600 --> 00:29:11,520 Speaker 2: coal extraction. But Alexi was the first. Why then, well, 489 00:29:11,640 --> 00:29:14,520 Speaker 2: because before a record can be set, a man has 490 00:29:14,560 --> 00:29:17,520 Speaker 2: to believe in its feasibility and in his own powers. 491 00:29:18,040 --> 00:29:21,160 Speaker 2: We had been looking for just such a stalwart fellow. 492 00:29:22,040 --> 00:29:25,120 Speaker 2: In twenty fifteen, Alexi's daughter Violetta, gave an interview in 493 00:29:25,160 --> 00:29:28,280 Speaker 2: which she talked about her father, their life, and his legacy. 494 00:29:29,080 --> 00:29:32,800 Speaker 2: She simultaneously spoke very highly of her father and alluded 495 00:29:32,840 --> 00:29:35,320 Speaker 2: to some of the less ideal aspects of the story, 496 00:29:35,720 --> 00:29:39,239 Speaker 2: including her mother's very young age when Alexi chose her 497 00:29:39,280 --> 00:29:42,760 Speaker 2: to be his wife. Stakhanov emerges from her interview as 498 00:29:42,800 --> 00:29:47,440 Speaker 2: almost a cautionary tale, a man who was suddenly intensely 499 00:29:47,480 --> 00:29:50,680 Speaker 2: famous because it served the people in power, and then, 500 00:29:50,960 --> 00:29:53,880 Speaker 2: in losing it, couldn't handle the fall back out of favor. 501 00:29:54,840 --> 00:29:57,920 Speaker 1: In twenty twenty one, an article in the periodical The 502 00:29:58,000 --> 00:30:01,760 Speaker 1: Conversation points to to com of as the harbinger of 503 00:30:01,840 --> 00:30:05,880 Speaker 1: modern workplace culture of overachieving at the expense of employee 504 00:30:05,880 --> 00:30:09,120 Speaker 1: well being. And to be clear, there is absolutely a 505 00:30:09,160 --> 00:30:12,840 Speaker 1: problem of workplace culture and management that can negatively impact 506 00:30:12,840 --> 00:30:16,680 Speaker 1: employees and lead to both physical and mental burnout at best. 507 00:30:17,280 --> 00:30:19,640 Speaker 1: But that's a complex issue. You can't really lay it 508 00:30:19,680 --> 00:30:22,040 Speaker 1: at the feet of one person, or even attribute it 509 00:30:22,080 --> 00:30:25,400 Speaker 1: to one moment or cause. It was not as though 510 00:30:25,440 --> 00:30:29,200 Speaker 1: worker exploitation was invented with the Communist Party's handling of 511 00:30:29,200 --> 00:30:33,320 Speaker 1: Alexis Stakhanov's story. The Industrial Revolution had already led to 512 00:30:33,400 --> 00:30:36,480 Speaker 1: plenty of exploitation and abuse of workers, and even then 513 00:30:36,760 --> 00:30:40,520 Speaker 1: it wasn't new. Additionally, the adoption of the idea of 514 00:30:40,680 --> 00:30:44,320 Speaker 1: a sort of super worker who routinely overperforms is a 515 00:30:44,400 --> 00:30:47,240 Speaker 1: choice that a lot of companies have opted to adopt 516 00:30:47,280 --> 00:30:50,600 Speaker 1: and use to goose performance output in the twentieth and 517 00:30:50,640 --> 00:30:53,120 Speaker 1: twenty first centuries. So we can't really say it's this 518 00:30:53,240 --> 00:30:55,280 Speaker 1: moment that caused this problem. 519 00:30:55,480 --> 00:30:58,480 Speaker 2: And it's worth noting that even with the staging that's 520 00:30:58,520 --> 00:31:02,120 Speaker 2: now recognized as having happened in that August nineteen thirty 521 00:31:02,120 --> 00:31:06,120 Speaker 2: five test shift that made Alexista Khanoff famous, it was 522 00:31:06,200 --> 00:31:09,800 Speaker 2: still a pretty remarkable feat. The pneumatic drills at the 523 00:31:09,800 --> 00:31:12,640 Speaker 2: time were just beasts that were hard to control and 524 00:31:12,760 --> 00:31:17,000 Speaker 2: exhausting to handle, and Stakhanoff did run it for six hours, 525 00:31:17,720 --> 00:31:21,080 Speaker 2: So although his effort was exploited by Stalin, and though 526 00:31:21,120 --> 00:31:22,920 Speaker 2: he didn't really come up with the whole idea of 527 00:31:22,960 --> 00:31:26,360 Speaker 2: a division of labor, even if he had help, the 528 00:31:26,640 --> 00:31:30,760 Speaker 2: accomplishment itself was still pretty impressive. Yeah. I mean, I 529 00:31:32,240 --> 00:31:34,280 Speaker 2: feel so bad for him in all of this story 530 00:31:34,320 --> 00:31:37,280 Speaker 2: because they clearly were like, we want an uneducated person 531 00:31:37,440 --> 00:31:40,240 Speaker 2: that we can exploit who is also a. 532 00:31:40,280 --> 00:31:43,720 Speaker 1: Very strong part. Like he ran a drill for six hours, 533 00:31:43,760 --> 00:31:46,120 Speaker 1: which is a lot. And I think that's why his 534 00:31:47,440 --> 00:31:49,760 Speaker 1: status as kind of a hero in the coal mining 535 00:31:49,800 --> 00:31:53,080 Speaker 1: industry in particular has sustained a little bit more, even 536 00:31:53,120 --> 00:31:56,120 Speaker 1: though there are obviously problems with his life and some 537 00:31:56,160 --> 00:31:59,360 Speaker 1: of his decisions, Right, that's all. I just wanted to 538 00:31:59,440 --> 00:32:02,160 Speaker 1: make that note at the end, so nobody goes, do 539 00:32:02,200 --> 00:32:03,880 Speaker 1: you not know how hard it is to do? 540 00:32:03,960 --> 00:32:06,640 Speaker 2: I'm like, I do know how hard physical labor is, 541 00:32:06,640 --> 00:32:08,240 Speaker 2: and I don't want to take that away from him 542 00:32:08,560 --> 00:32:10,600 Speaker 2: while we can also talk critically about the rest of it. 543 00:32:12,000 --> 00:32:15,240 Speaker 1: But I have a really fun listener mail that made 544 00:32:15,240 --> 00:32:18,640 Speaker 1: me smile and smile. It is from our listener Ashley, 545 00:32:18,760 --> 00:32:22,440 Speaker 1: who writes Dear Tracy and Holly, longtime listener, first time writer. 546 00:32:23,040 --> 00:32:27,440 Speaker 1: I am an actuary fully credentialed Fellow of the Society 547 00:32:27,440 --> 00:32:30,840 Speaker 1: of Actuaries, and January eighth was my birthday, so imagine 548 00:32:30,840 --> 00:32:33,560 Speaker 1: my surprise when you accidentally gave me one of my 549 00:32:33,560 --> 00:32:36,880 Speaker 1: best birthday presents ever. I really enjoyed both episodes and 550 00:32:36,960 --> 00:32:38,960 Speaker 1: the behind the scenes. I laughed a bit when you 551 00:32:39,000 --> 00:32:42,640 Speaker 1: talked about technological advancement. When I was a baby actuary 552 00:32:42,680 --> 00:32:45,440 Speaker 1: about twenty years ago, I had forecast models that would 553 00:32:45,440 --> 00:32:48,360 Speaker 1: take a week to run. Now that same model would 554 00:32:48,400 --> 00:32:52,160 Speaker 1: probably take an hour. So does our work go faster Nope, 555 00:32:52,200 --> 00:32:54,640 Speaker 1: not at all. We just make the models more complicated. 556 00:32:55,120 --> 00:32:57,680 Speaker 1: I really appreciate your careful and consider it approach to 557 00:32:57,680 --> 00:32:59,760 Speaker 1: sharing history. Thank you so much for all you do. 558 00:33:00,000 --> 00:33:02,000 Speaker 1: I listen to the podcast a lot while running, and 559 00:33:02,040 --> 00:33:04,920 Speaker 1: it certainly makes the miles go faster. I do not 560 00:33:05,040 --> 00:33:07,280 Speaker 1: have pets, so no pet tax, but my family and 561 00:33:07,320 --> 00:33:09,760 Speaker 1: I love to travel when we can. Attached as a 562 00:33:09,800 --> 00:33:12,760 Speaker 1: photo of Sue the Dinosaur from the Chicago Field Museum. 563 00:33:13,080 --> 00:33:15,160 Speaker 1: Best wishes to you both for a wonderful twenty twenty 564 00:33:15,160 --> 00:33:17,920 Speaker 1: four Listen. I will always take a picture of Sue. 565 00:33:18,440 --> 00:33:20,600 Speaker 1: The Field is one of my favorite museums in the world. 566 00:33:20,680 --> 00:33:22,680 Speaker 2: I know I've said on the show before I love 567 00:33:22,720 --> 00:33:25,240 Speaker 2: it also like this is one of those emails that 568 00:33:25,320 --> 00:33:27,600 Speaker 2: was a gift to me because anytime we talk about 569 00:33:27,600 --> 00:33:30,880 Speaker 2: a profession, I'm always worried that people in that profession 570 00:33:30,880 --> 00:33:32,560 Speaker 2: will be like you, Dang goong, you know what you're 571 00:33:32,560 --> 00:33:34,720 Speaker 2: talking about. You can read all the books you want, 572 00:33:34,760 --> 00:33:39,200 Speaker 2: but the reality maybe very Really, Ashley, you gave me 573 00:33:39,280 --> 00:33:41,520 Speaker 2: the gift, so I thank you. If you would like 574 00:33:41,560 --> 00:33:44,280 Speaker 2: to email us, you can do so at History Podcast 575 00:33:44,320 --> 00:33:46,960 Speaker 2: at iHeartRadio dot com. You can also find us on 576 00:33:47,040 --> 00:33:49,640 Speaker 2: social media as Missed in History and if you have 577 00:33:49,720 --> 00:33:52,800 Speaker 2: not subscribed yet, you can do that. We are easy 578 00:33:52,800 --> 00:33:55,280 Speaker 2: to find on the iHeartRadio app or anywhere you listen 579 00:33:55,360 --> 00:34:03,120 Speaker 2: to your favorite shows. Stuff you Missed in History Class 580 00:34:03,200 --> 00:34:07,200 Speaker 2: is a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, 581 00:34:07,360 --> 00:34:10,960 Speaker 2: visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen 582 00:34:11,000 --> 00:34:12,000 Speaker 2: to your favorite shows.