READERS REPLY TO SOLDIER'S LETTER FROM DRA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP96R01136R002605130004-9
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 29, 2010
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: March 22, 1984
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Approved For Release 2010/10/29: CIA-RDP96R01136R002605130004-9
?
III. 26 Mar 84 V 5 USSR NATIONAL AFFAIRS
MILITARY DEVELOPMENTS
Like any book, needless to say, it contains certain omissions. One of these is the
absence from its pages of an at-a-glance reference section both for the problem of col-
laboration as a whole and for each operation. It is obviously necessary also to dif-
ferentiate the terms "collaboration" [vzaimodeystviye] and "joint operations"
[sovmestniye deystviya] more precisely. And one more wish. I think that postwar
experience could provide important supplementary material foY. a problem like collabora-
tion. After all, in the almost 40 years since World War II we have held a number of
exercises and maneuvers in which the Army, Air Force, and Navy collaborated. Unfortu-
nately, these questions are missing from the book under review.
But despite these remarks, the book is of definite interest to readers, especially
servicemen.
PM261025 Moscow KOMSOMOLSKAYA PRAVDA in Russian 22 Mar 84 p 2
[Unattributed roundup of reader's letters under the rubric "Reader to Reader": "Letters
to Viktor Yankin" -- first two paragraphs are editorial introduction]
[Text] On 10 February our newspaper published a "better Home" by V. Yankin, a sergeant
in the Soviet Army.
The item generated a great response among KOMSOMOLSKAYA PRAVDA readers. The editorial
office received over 2,600 letters. They are written by veterans, workers, students,
schoolchildren, and entire collectives from virtually all the union republics. All the
letters unanimously support the position of the author of "Letter Home." We are pub-
lishing some of them today. All the letters will be forwarded to Viktor Yankin and his
fellow soldiers.
"You -- the soldiers of the Soviet Army -- provide us with the good fortune of being
able to live and work in peace by defending our peace, sometimes at the risk of your own
lives. That is why I want to express my gratitude for your difficult military labor.
"Valentina Tsinyuk, a Komsomol member, Kovelo."
"I fought my first battle at Ternopol on 3 July 1941 and finished the war at Prague on
15 May 1945. I was wounded six times during the war but I survived and triumphed. You
are right, Viktor, when you say that the defense of the motherland is you duty now.
Stand up for your fatherland as firmly as your fathers did and know that 'our thoughts
are always with you. After all, our Army is the people's Army. "N. Rykov, war and
labor veteran, Chelyabinsk."
"I very much support Viktor Yankin's idea that love for .the motherland unites people
and makes them nobler and more honorable. "Natashe Tllarionova, 10th grade schoolgirl.
Novocheboksarsk."
"I am an kindergarten teacher and I love little children very much. How good it is
that there are young men like those serving in Afghanistan. It is they, after all, who
are standing guard over peace! Thank you! "Irina Tikhomirova, Guryev."
"I am the mother of one of you, my son is serving in the Army. But now I also regard
Sasha, my son's friend, who saved his life, as a son. It could have been someone else
instead of Sasha, but he rushed to the rescue first and now my son is still alive.
All mothers know that our sons -- the reliable defenders of our motherland and home --
will be the state's firm bulwark. After all,. most of you are workers or peasants,
future breadwinners, which means that you are the country's most important people. "A
mother's regards. "L. Butusova, Moscow."
Approved For Release 2010/10/29: CIA-RDP96R01136R002605130004-9
 Approved For Release 2010/10/29: CIA-RDP96R01136R002605130004-9
III. 26 Mar 84 V 6 USSR NATIONAL AFFAIRS
MILITARY DEVELOPMENTS
"My brother Stanislav is also serving in the Army at present. He writes home about
his service and how many real. friends he has found. These young soldiers are united
by a strong friendship, loyalty to the motherland, and heroism. I am proud of my
brother and want to be like him. "B. Dadyk, Novosady village in Brest Oblast."
"Hello, Viktor! This is Fatima Turtbayeva writing to you from Kazakhstan. Like
you, many of my friends are now serving in the ranks of the Armed Forces. You young
men of my generation are having to perform your duty as a man and a solider in
difficult times. But I believe that you, the young men of the eighties, will do
everything to defend peace on earth. "F. Turtbayeva, Chimkent."
"My whole family read your letter. My .wife cried and the tears welled up in my eyes,
too. As a participant in the war I particularly value everything that our country's
young people are doing to defend the dear motherland. I believe that your letter,
Viktor, will be a warning to those who are now dreaming of 'crusades' against the
USSR and the socialist countries. "A. Potemkin, Odessa."
"We who are writing to you are young rural teachers from Omsk Oblast. We believe that
you will fulfill your duty to the motherland honorably. We are striving to teach our
pupils to be like you -- bold, courageous, ready for exploits. "L. Shvartskopf,
Omsk Oblast."
"We, the members of.the Hero of the Soviet Union N.F. Karatsupa Young Dog Breeders
Club, are also preparing for Army service. We are proud that army dogs raised by
members of our club are helping in the performance of the difficult service on the
country's borders. "Moscow."
"At present I am working at opening up the oil wealth of the northern Tyumen Oblast.
I would like Viktor and his friends to-know: Boys, if you need us, we are ready to
stand beside you. "Vladimir Shevchenko, Tyumen."
"I come from the Tajik city of Ura-Tyube. I served in the Soviet Army and fulfilled
my internationalist duty in Afghanistan. During my period of service I deeply under-
stood the strength of our friendship -- the friendship of the peoples of the Soviet
Union. I am now working at the No 1 automobile transportation office where I also
worked before entering the Army. I have not forgotten and will never forget the
lessons that Army service taught me. "M. Nishonov, Tajik SSR."
"Our group discussed 'Letter Home.' We began discussing the fact that some young.
people prefer to take a passive stance in life. They like being protected by their
parents but despite their apparent prosperity, their life cannot be called full-blooded.
It is squalid. It is hard to imagine now the heavy price that is paid by our country
for each day of peace. All the young people in our group have decided to do everything
they can for our motherland's prosperity. "Students group No 123 of the College of
Education, Izhevsk."
Approved For Release 2010/10/29: CIA-RDP96R01136R002605130004-9
 Approved For Release 2010/10/29: CIA-RDP96R01136R002605130004-9
?
III. 26 Mar 84 V 7 USSR NATIONAL AFFAIRS
MILITARY DEVELOPMENTS
PM231430 [Editorial Report] Moscow KOMSOMOLSKAYA PRAVDA in Russian on 13 March 1984
publishes on page 2 under the rubric "Following Onr Publications" and the heading "Accord-
ing to the Law of Duty" a feature consisting of readers' letters and official replies in
response to the paper's 26 February item on the official mistreatment of a Soviet Soldier
disabled in Afghanistan. The feature opens with the following editorial comment:
"I. Rudenko's feature 'Duty' published in KOMSOMOLSKAYA PRAVDA on 26 February generated
a large amount of emotional interest among our readers. The editorial office had receiv-
ed 969 comments as of 12 March. The authors unanimously support the newspaper item,
ponder the reasons for the callousness and heartlessness which are still encountered in
our life, and offer their assistance to the hero of the sketch, A. Nemtsov. We thank all
those who have responded to our publication. We publish some of the letters today to-
gether with official replies."
"The fate of Aleksandr Nemtsov, about whom I have read in KOMSOMOLSKAYA\ PRAVDA, has
literally shaken me. I remember Pavka Korchagin: Indeed, his life also contained a
turning point of this kind, and he also mastered his fear and death itself. I believe
that Shasha Nemtsov comes from the same stock as Korchagin."
"The Goncharovs" write from Karaganda:
"We sometimes seek heroes only in the past, and dredge through history. Yet they are
frequently living alongside us. The example of Aleksandr Nemtsov is the best proof. A
man like that will not abaondon his friends in misfortune and will fulfill his duty to
the motherland to the end."
"The feature 'Duty' published in KOMSOMOLSKAYA PRAVDA is very thought-provoking. Not
least with regard to the lofty title of Komsomol member and a person's attitude toward
his Komsomol badge. Sasha Matrosov bore it on his breast; now Sasha Nemtsov bears it.
But do all their contemporaries realize what a great pride and honor this is? Do they
always have sufficient courage to be honest and principled to the end, even in situa-
tions far less distressing than the one in which the hero of the sketch "Duty" found
himself? I think not."
"01ya Korotkova and all our family" write from .Moscow:
"For many years now we have been living without war. My generation, and I am a year
older than Sasha, knows of war mainly from books, movies, and our elders' accounts.
Why should we, who have grown up in prosperity, sometimes be unable to heed someone
else's pain and fail to rush to the aid of someone in trouble? The feature makes us
think not only about our duty to the motherland, but also about our duty to the people
who have accomplished exp"lofts for the sake of our motherland.
'Things are hard for Sasha Nemtsov now. Great strength of will and courage are needed
to cope with a misfortune to take up a worthy place among the people again. I want to
believe that after the KOMSOMOLSKAYA PRAVDA item he will find many loyal, good friends.
"P.S. Today I sent Sasha a letter and a parcel of books."
Approved For Release 2010/10/29: CIA-RDP96R01136R002605130004-9
 Approved For Release 2010/10/29: CIA-RDP96R01136R002605130004-9
III. 26 Mar 84 V 8 USSR NATIONAL AFFAIRS
MILITARY DEVELOPMENTS
T. Nazaryants writes from Beltsy in the Moldavian SSR
"The day after the KOMSOMOLSKAYA PRAVDA item, my son and I telephoned Sasha Nemtsov.
For a long time the girls from, the intercity exchange could not get through to Nikopol,
but they did eventually connect us. Sasha was pleased and surprised that complete
strangers had decided to take a part in his destiny. At the end of our talk, we told
Sasha that in Moldavia he now has reliable, loyal friends, and on the same day we sent
him a letter. I believe that friendship with Sasha will help my fourth grader son to
grow up a real man."
A.P. and A.N. Cherenushkin write from Smolensk:
"We are pensioners now, war and labor veterans, but we must respond to your article.
Sasha Nemtsov and his friend Tolik fulfilled their duty utterly, and proof of this is
the order of the Red Star on Sasha's breast. We bow our heads to Sasha and his dead
comrade. They are real patriots. People will be proud of them."
Pensioner M.F. Kovaleva, a former plant Komsomol official, writes from Leningrad:.
"Sasha's example must be used to educate young people in how to love their comrades and
the motherland and defend common interests."
Reserve Sergeant P. Garin writes from Dnepropetrovsk:
"Since reading the feature in KOMSOMOLSKAYA PRAVDA, I still cannot rest. It is very
important that Sasha Nemtsov and people like him should know that we are eternally grate-
ful to them for what they have done, that they will never be forgotten by us. 3 am dis-
tressed to the point of tears that at the Komsomol Gorkom and the Nikopol social
security department Sasha should have met callous, heartless people who caused him
heartache. I believe that the strictest party sanctions should be imposed on them."
The second half of the feature is published under the subhead "Official Replies" and
begins with the following letter from V. Boyko, first secretary of the Dnepropetrovsk
Ukrainian Communist Party Obkom:
"The Dnepropetrovsk Ukrainian Communist Party Obkom Bureau, having examined the report
'Duty' published in KOMSOMOLSKAYA PRAVDA on 26 February, believes that it raised
important moral problems and rightly criticized the indifference and callous attitude
of some officials of the city of Nikopol toward Komsomol member Aleksandr Nemtsov.
"This exceptional, extraordinary fact has been given a principled assessment and steps
have been taken to prevent a similar occurrence in the future. The culprits have been
severely punished. In particular, A.V. Kapliyenko, first secretary of the Komsomol
Gorkom, A.A. Kuzmenko, deputy director of the Yuzhnotrubnyy plant, and B.F.Ztierdev., chief
engineer of the crane building plant, have been expelled from the party and dismissed
from work. Yu. I. Kovalenko, chairman of the gorispolkom, has been severely reprimanded,
with the penalty entered on his record card. N.G. Grebenishchikov, chief of the city
social security department, has, been dismissed. The question of the imcompetence of
city Military Commissar N.I. Shevchuk has been raised. Strict party sanctions .have been
imposed on other officials who displayed a lack of attention toward Aleksandr Nemtsov's
family.
"All the questions concerning the material, daily living, and medical services for
Aleksandr Nemtsov and his family mentioned in the report have been resolved.
"Considering Aleksandr's state of health, it has been decided to build a house of the
homestead type for his family. In accordance with Aleksandr's expressed wish, he will
be given work within his power at the Yuzhnotrubnyy plant and helped in continuing his
studies.
Approved For Release 2010/10/29: CIA-RDP96R01136R002605130004-9
 Approved For Release 2010/10/29: CIA-RDP96R01136R002605130004-9
III. 26 Mar 84 V 9 USSR NATIONAL AFFAIRS
MILITARY DEVELOPMENTS
"The disgraceful instance of the heartless attitude toward Aleksandr Nemtsov has. .also
been sharply assessed during a discussion of the KOMSOMOLSKAYA PRAVDA item at the
Nikopol party gorkom, the Komsomol gorkom and obkom, and the relevant soviet organs `and.
collectives' party organizations.
"Here it was noted that this incident took place in a city where much has been done to
improve the living and daily existence conditions for the defenders of the motherland
and the families of dead servicemen.
"The incident became possible as a result of the blunting of the sense of responsibility
of some workers, the slackening of control over the fulfillment of party and government
decisions on these questions by the party gorkom and gorispolkom, and the manifestation
of formalism in the work of some Komsomol committees.
"The party obkom is taking specific steps to ensure that Great'Patriotic War veterans,
defenders of the motherland, and the families of dead servicemen are surrounded every-:
where with care and attention.
"The solution of all these questions has been taken under daily control by the party
obkom secretariat. In conjunction with the Ukrainian Komsomol Central Committee, the
Komsomol obkom is rendering aid to the Nikopol Komsomol Obkom in improving work within
the Komsomol and educational work in the city Komsomol organizations.
"It is planned to discuss questions of stepping up attention toward the needs of defen-
ders of the motherland and their families at the party and Komsomol organizations of
collectives whose activities are linked with serving the working people."
The feature ends with the following unattributed report:
"The newspaper item was examined at a Ukrainian Komsomol Central Committee Bureau
session. The editorial office has been informed by V. Moronenko, first secretary of the
republic's Komsomol Central Committee, that the decision taken by the bureau notes that
the article raised moral problems of exceptionally great importance for-the education
of young people and Komsomol cadres and the aktiv. Those guilty of formalism and red.
tape have been strictly punished.
"I. I. Lelikov, secretary of the Yuzhnotrubnyy plant Komsomol committee, has been strict-
ly sanctioned, with the penalty entered on his Komsomol record card. His further hold-
ing of this post has been deemed inexpedient. S.A. Kapersak, Komsomol obkom secretary
for agitation and propaganda, has been sanctioned, and V.M. Gavrikov, chief of the
sports and mass defense work section, has been strictly sanctioned.
"The Ukrainian Komsomol Central Committee Bureau has demanded that the republic's
Komsomol committees pay special attention to forming in Komsomol cadres and the aktiv an
implacable attitude toward arrogance and bureaucratism and instances of an inattentive
formal and bureaucratic approach toward the examination of young people's verbal and
written appeals. Steps are being taken in: all oblast Komsomol organizations to improve
housing and consumer conditions, provide access to study and work, and. involve in public
life servicemen released into the reserve for reasons of health and invalidity.
Ukrainian Komsomol Central Committee workers have been sent to all oblast Komsomol
organizations to assist the Komsomol committees in organizing this work.
"The Komsomol members and young people of the No 7 shop at Nikopol's Yuznotrubnyy plant
have now assumed patronage of Aleksandr Nemtsov."
Approved For Release 2010/10/29: CIA-RDP96R01136R002605130004-9