Paper abstract:

Soviet power did every effort to build “Homo-Sovieticus” ignoring major traditional values. Representatives of all strata willing or proposing reforms for better conditions for the population were under the threat of repressions. Torture and repressions were of high instruments of terror during whole existence of Soviet State.

Soviet repressions were held in 3 phases throughout the state and in four phases in SSR of Uzbekistan where “Cotton Affair” was a specific policy. Peasants being aware of the fertility level better and suggesting growing other things besides cotton were called sabotagers, clergymen were massively arrested or exiled, poets and writers were executed as “dissidents”, politician were accused of being foreign agents.

The accusations were in the following sequence: 1) ignoring the fulfilment of state commands; 2) counterrevolution and anti-Soviet propaganda; 3) sabotage; 4) having connection with fascism; 5) reconnaissance.

Since Soviet regime was being built in a new ideology and economic way, every event happening there was in the attention of foreign press. Repression policy of Soviet power from kulakization to cotton affair [Uzbek Deal] was continuously highlighted too. The early articles about Central Asia on the issue were published in English-speaking newspapers in 1924 with short texts. Articles gradually grew in both number and format since then.

As is known, the period between 1937 and 1938 was the peak of Soviet mass repression. This is the reason why the number of articles increased sharply in the UK and the US newspapers. One of the key points of high interest to the issue is connected with calling British Embassy staff in judicial processes as witnesses and their participation in 1938. A trial on former 21 high status statesmen and accusing some of them such as Bukharin, F. Khodjaev, Rykov, Akmal Ikramov to collaborate with British power on the 1920s in order to build a buffer state in Turkestan with the help of British support was one of the highest accusations and the reason to make the British embassy staff come to the trial.

The presentation at the CESS conference highlights British-Soviet relations in the 1920s, the participation of the British embassy staff at the court, the predictions of judgement after their provided evidences that might have happened.