The development of virgin lands

The initiator of the virgin land development program was N.S. Khrushchev. The development of virgin and fallow lands in 1954 began mainly with the creation of state farms. The development of virgin land began without any preliminary preparation, with a complete lack of infrastructure — roads, granaries, qualified personnel, not to mention housing and a repair base for equipment. The natural conditions of the steppes, sandstorms and dry winds were not taken into account, gentle methods of soil treatment and grain varieties adapted to this type of climate were not developed. Huge resources were concentrated on the implementation of this project: in 1954−1961, virgin land absorbed 20% of all Soviet investments in agriculture. Because of this, the agrarian development of traditional Russian farming areas has been thoroughly slowed down.

The development of virgin land proceeded at an accelerated pace: if 13 million hectares were supposed to be plowed in two years, then in reality 35 million hectares were plowed. In 1954−1960, 41.8 million hectares of virgin land and deposits were raised. In the virgin lands only in the first two years 425 grain state farms were created, agricultural giants were created later.

More than a million boys and girls have become virgin lands. In 1954−1955, over 350 thousand young people went on Komsomol vouchers to virgin areas. Only 20 thousand families from different regions of the USSR settled in Kazakhstan. Thousands of virgin lands were awarded orders and medals, the title of Hero of Socialist Labor.

The territory of Northern Kazakhstan has changed due to virgin development. Large enterprises, towns, and cities have appeared, employment has increased, and people’s living conditions have improved.

The development of virgin lands was also manifested in the names of settlements. In 1963 Ust-Uysky district of the Kurgan region was renamed Tselinny, and the village of Novo-Kocherdyk was renamed Virgin lands (Tselinnoye) village.

The first result of the development of virgin land was a sharp increase in agricultural production. If in 1954 85.5 million tons of grain were harvested in the USSR (27.1 million tons of them on virgin land), then in 1960 — 125 million tons (including 58.7 million tons on virgin land).

However, the development of virgin lands has had a negative impact on the nature of Siberia and Northern Kazakhstan. Tens of millions of hectares of various natural areas, as well as territories of pastures and hayfields, were destroyed. Plowing of virgin land in river valleys has led to soil erosion on the slopes. As a result of the impact of technology, there was a massive death of animals and plants, and the use of pesticides and fertilizers led to an increase in the population of rats and crows.

"Virgin epic - as it was"

(to the 70th anniversary of the beginning of the development of virgin and fallow lands in the USSR based on the materials of GBUTO GATO)

In September 1953, a Plenum of the Central Committee of the CPSU devoted to the development of agriculture was held in Moscow. His work was supervised by N.S. Khrushchev, who was elected First Secretary of the Central Committee at this Plenum. His report quite frankly admitted that agriculture was in deep crisis. The village gave everything it could and even more to restore the national economy destroyed after the war.

At a joint meeting of the bureau of the Tyumen Regional Committee of the CPSU and the executive committee of the regional Council of Workers' Deputies on February 9, 1954, in order to ensure the implementation of the resolution of the September Plenum of the Central Committee of the CPSU on the development of grain farming … and especially the production of the most valuable food crop — wheat, a resolution was adopted on the expansion of grain crops in 1954−1955, due to the development of virgin and fallow lands lands of at least 135 thousand hectares and receiving in 1955 from these lands at least 15−17 million pounds of grain. This task, as the most important state task, was assigned to the district committees and district executive committees, MTS, state farms and collective farms, the Department of agriculture and the state farm trust.

From February 23 to March 2, 1954, a Plenum of the Central Committee of the CPSU was held in Moscow, which made the final decision on the rise of virgin and fallow lands in the east of the country. The Tyumen region was also classified as "virgin".

"We are going friends, to distant lands, we will become new settlers, both you and I," the whole country sang at that time. Plowing the virgin land required a large number of workers. In the first three years alone, since the beginning of the implementation of the decisions of the party and the government, 56 thousand families moved to virgin lands, mainly from collective farms in Central Russia. Urban youth also went to the virgin lands on Komsomol vouchers. The development of virgin land has become a real "Komsomol shock construction site".

Tyumen Komsomol members also gathered on new lands. On March 4, 1954, as reported by the newspaper Tyumenskaya Pravda (the printing organ of the Tyumen regional and city committees of the CPSU, regional and city Councils of Workers' Deputies), a meeting of Komsomol members of Tyumen who left for the regions of the Tyumen region to develop virgin and fallow lands took place in the regional committee of the CPSU. Opening the meeting, the secretary of the Regional Komsomol Committee, i.e. Pakhotin said that at the call of the Communist Party, on the initiative of the Komsomol members of Moscow, fifteen hundred Komsomol members of Tyumen, Tobolsk, Ishim and other cities and regional centers decided to go to the development of new lands. V.P. Toptygin, Deputy head of the Department of Agriculture, said that the state was sending first-class equipment to help the virgin lands, which made it possible to fully mechanize sowing and harvesting operations. Our region was allocated 520 tractors "DT-54" (the most massive Soviet general-purpose diesel tractor) and S-80 (Stalinets — Soviet tracked tractor, the first post-war model of the Kirov plant in the city of Chelyabinsk), 340 combines, 550 tractor plows, 640 tractor seeders, 320 disc huskers.

On March 9, 1954, the first group of Komsomol members and youth of the city of Tyumen left for Ishim, Maslyansky, Kazansky, Aromashevsky, Berdyuzhsky and other districts of the region. These were the very first messengers of the Tyumen Komsomol.

And then the real battle for virgin bread began. Many difficulties and serious problems were encountered by virgin lands on their way — since there was simply no real agrochemical service in the developed areas, there were few competent soil scientists, and in pursuit of fulfilling the plan for plowing the land they did not want to hear, many absolutely useless saline lands, swampy soils, and small forests were plowed. But people were obsessed with the idea of feeding the country in spite of all the difficulties.

Virgin lands provided about 40% of grain harvests, and in harvest years — 50−60%. The increase in agricultural production amounted to 34% compared to the previous five years. The village has not known such a pace of development since the NEP. In 1956, the virgin land finally yielded a magnificent harvest. Grain production has increased by about one and a half times. In order for the entire population to feel this victory, bread was served free of charge in public canteens.

On October 20, 1956, by Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, the medal "For the Development of Virgin Lands" was established to reward persons who took an active part in the development of virgin and fallow lands.

Source: vk.com/@-210 490 503-celinnaya-epopeya-kak-eto-bylo-k-70-letiu-nachala-osvoeniy