Greek Operation of NKVD

The Greek Operation^a[›] (Russian: Греческая Операция, translit. Grecheskaya Operatsiya; Ukrainian: Грецька операція) was an organised mass persecution of the 450,000 Greeks of the Soviet Union that was ordered by Joseph Stalin. Greeks often use the term "pogrom" (πογκρόμ) for this persecution, though this term usually refers to mob violence rather than persecution by police acting under direct orders, as this one was.^[1] It began on December 15, 1937 and marked the beginning of the repressions against Greeks went on for 13 years.^[2]

History

The prosecution of Greeks in USSR was gradual: at first the authorities shut down the Greek schools, cultural centres, and publishing houses.^[1] Then, the secret police indiscriminately arrested all Greek men 16 years old or older.^[1] All Greeks who were wealthy or self-employed professionals were sought for prosecution first.^[1]

On many occasions, the central authorities sent telegrams to police forces with orders to arrest a certain number of Greeks, without giving any individual names,^[1] and the police officers would arrest at random any persons of Greek origin until they reached the requested total number of arrests, until the process was repeated at a later date. In all, some 50,000 Greeks were affected, more than 10% of the entire community of about 450,000.^[1]

Remembrance

A monument to all Greek victims of GULAG was unveiled in Magadan in 2011. ^[3]

See also

• Collective punishment
• Greeks in Ukraine
• Greeks in Russia
• Greek diaspora
• Deportation of the Crimean Tatars
• Greek Autonomous District

Notes

• ^ a: In Greece, Grecheskaya Operatsiya is also known with the transliteration Gretseskayia Operatsia as that is how it was printed in various publications.^[1][4] In Greek, it is known as Ελληνική Επιχείρηση,^[1] which means "Greek Operation".
  

References

Bibliography

• Ethnic Cleansing in the USSR, 1937-1949, a book by J. Otto Pohl, ISBN 0-313-30921-3, ISBN 978-0-313-30921-2, DOI 10.1336/0313309213: Google Books
• Ivan Dzhukha, «Греческая операция. История репрессий против греков в СССР.» — СПб. Издательство «Алетейя», 2006. — 416 с. — (серия: «Новогреческие исследования»). — 2500 экз.. ISBN 5-89329-854-3