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“You have Justified the Confidence of the People…”

Today is Memory Day of Mikhail Alexandrovich Sholokhov. Again flowers and wreaths will be laid at his tomb and bust over the River Don. Numerous readers will remember with a kind word the author of the unsurpassed examples of literature of the XX century. The words of thanks will be said by those who once pleaded M.A.Sholokhov as national deputy, who asked for his help, which he often rendered to the people who had had lost their hope of justice.

The people from far and near corners of the country, those who were desperate to find the truth in the authorities, went with their troubles directly to Sholokhov, wrote to him letters which were more like confessions. For many of them such an act was like an appeal to the final authority.

This is confirmed by the numerous written responses from the residents of the cities and villages of our country. Here, for example, such a letter came to the writer’s home address in 1970, from the former collective farmer Vera Dmitriyevna Degtyaryova from the Chertkovo District the Rostov Region (cited with minor cuts):

“Dear Mikhail Alexandrovich Sholokhov! I am very grateful to you. I visited you with my complaint. Thank you… as Deputy of the USSR Supreme Soviet. You have justified the confidence of the people and helped me in my life.

I am 58. I have worked at the collective farm for 30 years, and once I had to say at the collective farm meeting about the bad work of the authorities of our collective farm. And from that day on, they started revenging me. They framed a false protocol of the collective farm meeting, which was never held, expelled me from the collective farm for nonworking workdays and took away my kitchen garden. I was accused of usurping the garden, was judged by an indicative district court and was fined 30 rubles. They deprived me of pension, cut off the radio and electricity wires. For two years I had suffered and unsuccessfully appealed to the district CPSU committee, to the regional CPSU committee, I wrote a complaint to Moscow, but it turned back to the district. And in the district I was said: the decision of the collective farm meeting is the law. And no one helped me out of my grief.

My husband died in the Great Patriotic War fighting against fascists. I even started thinking of finishing my life by myself and thus getting rid of my “friends”. And the last – I decided to go to you and did it. And only your active assistance on

my complaint about the authorities of the collective farm and the district had worked. I was reinstated as a collective farmer, my garden was returned, my pension was appointed, the wires were connected. I listen to the radio, the light is on in my room, there is something to cook shchi or borshch from. And there is milk.

I am at a loss how I can thank you for your help on my complaint. Come round to me, you will be my guest of honour. I am thankful deeply to you and your wife, and your family, and all who live in your household for your high hospitality. I thank your parents and all the highest things in the nature that bestowed you with such a gift, with such a mind.

We were not mistaken in you, when we entrusted you with the title of the deputy of the USSR Supreme Soviet. I have found…your photo and took it home. I inserted the photo into the frame and put it in the place of honor. Now you are always in front of me, people’s savior. You have extended my life…

For all the good I thank you a lot and wish you happiness in your future life. Thank you. Vera Dmitriyevna Degtyaryova. June 28, 1970”.

How simply and sincerely the resident of the Don province expresses her gratitude! Not in vain, it turns out, she came to Stanitsa Vyoshenskaya, to deputy Sholokhov almost having lost faith in the search for truth and justice. The writer helped, he was able to understand essentially and solve the difficult situation. This is another example of the responsible attitude of M.A.Sholokhov, elected representative of the people, to his deputy duties.

Alexey Kochetov