Zinoviev's Counterattack
While I was trying to persuade the factory directors of Krasni Treugolnik, Zinoviev wasn't sitting still either.
“Supervisor Svanidze! Big trouble!”
“This... this is...?”
It was afternoon on September 11th, five days later.
A notice arrived at the factory.
Before we even opened the envelope, our faces hardened.
It was because the envelope was sealed with a red seal of the Control Commission.
We thought 'finally it came', and our hearts were calm, but others seemed not so.
“The notice demanding your attendance for the party disciplinary review regarding violations of party discipline.”
“Party disciplinary review?! No, Katerina! What wrong did our supervisor commit that this is flying around?!”
“It's simple, Comrade Ivan. They see Supervisor Svanidze as threatening the order of Leningrad.”
Katerina said calmly.
Well, precisely, it could be seen as the price for poking the 'kingdom of Zinoviev'.
'I thought they would choose the method of cutting off the factory and surrounding people first, but unexpectedly chose frontal assault.'
I thought Zinoviev had quite a high card against me.
“Party disciplinary violation... It seems the chairman Zinoviev is aiming for my expulsion from the party.”
“Expulsion from the party?!”
Comrade Ivan jumped in surprise, picking up the notice.
After a moment, he tried to crumple the notice with an angry expression, but barely holding back, he put it back on the desk.
“Is selling Galoshi at a cheap price a crime? The root cause of all this isn't the chairman, is it? If the party membership is revoked, shouldn't that guy be revoked first? Who is it that has turned the whole city into a mud pit!”
— Bang!
Comrade Ivan hit the desk with his palm and hurried towards the door.
“Ivan! Where are you going?”
“To report to Pravda! I can't just sit and take it!”
“Stop it. Leningrad Pravda is already in Zinoviev's grasp. They won't publish newspapers unfavorable to the chairman.”
As Golitsyn the factory director said.
The one who holds power first seizes public power, media, judiciary, right?*
*Actually, after Stalin ousted Zinoviev, the first things cleaned were these three.
“... Tsk, damn it!”
Comrade Ivan fiddled with the doorknob for a long time, then gave up and lowered his hand.
“If Supervisor Svanidze's party membership is revoked, what happens?”
“Non-party members cannot hold positions in federal industrial management. This has nothing to do with executing orders from the military district. Moreover, the moment the party membership disappears, Svanidze can no longer act as a political officer.”
“Impossible...”
“Well, there's more. Zinoviev won't leave me alone. Maybe... Siberia exile could be a relatively lenient punishment.”
The blood drained from Ivan's face.
“Is there no way... no way?”
“Hmm... There is one way, but...”
Golitsyn shook his head.
“We can't do anything. We have to leave it to fate.”
I roughly guessed what the method was, but decided not to say it here, so kept silent.
“Well... It turned out well. If it's only targeting me, it would be easier for us to deal with it.”
“Comrade Supervisor! It's not the time to be so complacent. There's a party membership at stake!”
I know.
That's why it's easier.
It was easier to protect just one than hundreds.
“Then, Golitsyn factory director.”
“Speak.”
“While I'm gone, please take care of the factory.”
“Supervisor!”
“Yasha...!”
Comrade Ivan and Katerina shouted simultaneously.
“Yasha. Wait a moment. If I tell Father...”
“Katya.”
I continued, looking at Katerina.
“This is my fight with Zinoviev. Since the opponent has come to challenge me like this, I must resolve it myself.”
“... Yasha.”
“So, please watch over me.”
“... If Zinoviev does something unreasonable, I won't sit idly either.”
“In that case, I would rather ask Katya to help.”
Katerina nodded helplessly.
I turned to Golitsyn.
“Factory director.”
“You don't need to say more. There is a great debt that must be repaid to you or to Zinoviev.”
'Us' they said.
Golitsyn smiled slyly and continued.
***
September 13, 1925, Smolny Control Commission attached building.
Until half a century ago, this room would have had an icon of the Virgin Mary holding a baby.
However, now only the frame marks remained high on the wall, and below it was Lenin's portrait.
The public party meeting regarding this party disciplinary review, which had the atmosphere of an interrogation room, was attended by three party members including Zinoviev and about a hundred observers.
Behind the long table opposite me sat three people.
Leningrad Soviet Chairman, Zinoviev.
Control Commission Chairman, Bakayev.
And... OGPU Leningrad branch chief, Yagoda.
“Comrade Production Supervisor Svanidze.”
The first to speak to me was Bakayev.
“Comrade Supervisor, you distributed the products of the experimental factory under the Science and Technology Department of VSNKh directly to state stores without going through the distribution system of the Leningrad city consumer cooperatives. Do you admit this?”
“I admit it.”
— Murmur, murmur...
Murmurs spread from the observers.
Bakayev raised his hand to calm the party members.
“Good. Since you admit the charges, the investigation will be easy.”
He chuckled and flipped a page.
“Next is about the Galoshi production sabotage.”
— Clack!
“Over the past month, the Galoshi production of Krasni Treugolnik has practically stopped. There was a shortage in the city, and citizens had to walk through the mud without Galoshi. All of this was due to Comrade Svanidze's selfish greed. Do you agree?”
“... What?”
At the moment of trying to refute the absurd accusation, Zinoviev raised his hand slightly and spoke.
“Details will be told by the witnesses directly.”
— Creak...
Zinoviev gestured, and the side door opened.
Five familiar faces appeared from inside the door.
Including the first factory director of Treugolnik, total five factory directors.
They were the proletarians who had visited the experimental factory a week ago and united with the promoter of high-temperature accelerator in front of them.
“You must speak well. Who deceived you and ruined the factory to this point.”
“Ugh...!”
Especially the 7th factory director pointed out was trembling all over as if sitting on a bed of thorns, facing his sharp gaze.
“Witness, please state your case.”
The 7th factory director slowly raised his head.
He opened his mouth, closed it, and mumbled again.
All eyes were on his mouth.
“... Comrade Chairman.”
“Hurry up, speak.”
The 7th factory director took a deep breath and continued.
“It was due to Comrade Chairman's... command.”
“... What?”
“The main culprit of this Galoshi storm... was from Comrade Chairman Zinoviev's command...!”
The meeting hall became quiet as if cold water was poured.
I vividly watched Zinoviev's face distorting harshly.
Piercing the sudden long silence, it was the first factory director, Smirnov, who continued.
“The cause of the incident was after Comrade Chairman Zinoviev inspected the experimental factory.”
One word unleashed like a broken dam.
“The chairman determined that the secret to mass production of Galoshi at the experimental factory was 'low-temperature kiln' baked 'quickly'. Then, pointing out the production capacity of Treugolnik, he ordered us to bake at low temperature quickly like the example of the experimental factory. We are workers who have worked at Treugolnik for our entire lives. We know better than anyone that Galoshi cannot be produced at that temperature. Nevertheless, the products from the kiln were just gray dough.”
“This guy is now...!”
“We immediately reported this fact! However, it was Comrade Chairman Zinoviev who didn't reverse the order saying there wouldn't be defective products!”
— Murmur! Murmur! Murmur!
Hundreds of party members murmured, and some stood up and said something.
“Thanks to this, this August's Galoshi production became a mess! Even if we went to the chairman's office in a group, Comrade Zinoviev didn't even listen. We had no choice but to give up with tears in our eyes.”
Smirnov's gaze turned to me.
“In such a situation, Comrade Supervisor Svanidze, without hesitation, produced Galoshi despite the factory's bleeding, and even disobeyed the orders for the sake of the city's citizens. Moreover, a few days ago, he distributed the accelerator for Galoshi production at low temperature to the factory directors here without any compensation! So that we could make decent Galoshi without violating a single letter of Comrade Chairman's orders!”
— Murmur, murmur, murmur...
The observers looked surprised as if they were hearing this for the first time, alternating between Zinoviev and me.
“Comrade Supervisor Svanidze did not commit sabotage. Rather, he is the savior who saved this city where Galoshi disappeared. If we are to find a saboteur...”
— Click!
“The Comrade Chairman Zinoviev sitting over there can be called a saboteur!”
— Murmur!! Murmur!! Murmur!!
“Quiet! Everyone, be quiet!”
Bakayev shook the desk bell madly.
But the clinking sound was buried in the noise and not heard.
“Nonsense!”
Zinoviev jumped up in the commotion and shouted.
“Making false testimony in the solemn party disciplinary review meeting! Comrade Control Commission Chairman! These are all accomplices of the party's betrayers sitting in this place! It's obvious that they are kissing and making false statements!”
Zinoviev shouted about false testimony and looked at Yagoda.
As the OGPU Leningrad branch chief, he thought he would clean up this commotion.
However, unfortunately, Yagoda just crossed his arms and said nothing.
Rather, he was looking at Zinoviev with a face as if watching an interesting play.
Helplessly, Zinoviev's finger pointed at the factory directors one by one.
“Immediately review their party memberships too, and the crime of false testimony...”
“They did not make false testimony.”
When Zinoviev was about to shout in anger.
— Thud, thud, thud.
Several gentlemen in black suits entered the meeting hall.
They all held black document bags in their hands.
“... Why are you here?”
Bakayev opened his mouth wide, put down the bell on the desk, and asked.
“It's been a while, Comrade Bakayev.”
The gentleman in front lightly bowed to Bakayev and spoke.
“Greetings. Please answer the question! Why are the lawyers from Alexander Litsey here?!”
“Why?”
One of them took out a document from his pocket and unfolded it.
“The delegation of representatives assisting Comrade Yakov Svanidze's summons is in the meeting hall. Is that so surprising?”