Victoria Bonnell: Russia at the Barricades

We intend, without delay, to restore law and order, end bloodshed, declare a merciless war against the criminal world, and eradicate the shameful phenomena that discredit our society and degrade Soviet citizens. We shall clean our cities’ streets of criminal elements and put an end to the tyranny of those who pillage the people’s wealth.

We stand for truly democratic processes and for a consistent policy of reforms, which should lead to a renewal in our Motherland and to an economic and social efflorescence that will enable her to take her rightful place in the world community of nations.

A nation’s development must not be based on a drop in the living standards of its citizens. In a healthy society, constant improvement of the living standards shall become the norm.

Without slackening in our devotion to the strengthening and protection of the rights of individuals, we shall concentrate our attention on protecting the rights of the population at large, those who have been hurt the most by inflation, disorganization of production, corruption, and crime.

Developing the multitiered character of the national economy, we shall support private enterprise, granting it the necessary opportunities for developing production and services.

Our prime concern shall be solving the food and housing problems. All available forces will be mobilized to meet these, the most essential needs of the people.

We are calling on workers, peasants, the working intelligentsia, and all Soviet people, within the shortest period of time, to restore labor discipline and order and to raise the level of production, in order to march forward resolutely. Our life and the future of our children and grandchildren, as well as the fate of the Fatherland, depend on this.

We are a peace-loving country, and we shall steadfastly honor all our commitments. We make no claims against anyone. We wish to live with all in peace and friendship. But we firmly declare that no one will ever be allowed to encroach upon our sovereignty, independence, or territorial integrity. All attempts to speak the language of diktat to our country, no matter where they originate, will be resolutely repelled.

Our multinational people has lived for centuries in pride of their Motherland. We have never been ashamed of our patriotic feelings, and we hold it to be natural and right to raise the present and future generations of citizens of this great power in this spirit.

To remain inactive at this hour of crisis for the fate of the Motherland means to take upon oneself heavy responsibility for tragic, truly unpredictable consequences. Each individual who holds our Motherland dear, who wants to live and work in peace and confidence, who does not acquiesce in the continuation of bloody interethnic conflicts, who sees his Fatherland independent and prospering in the future, must make the only correct choice. We call on all true patriots and people of good will to put an end to the present time of troubles.

We appeal to all citizens of the Soviet Union to recognize their duty before the Motherland and extend all possible support to the State Committee for the State of Emergency and its efforts to lead the country out of the crisis.

Constructive proposals of public and political organizations, work collectives, and individuals will be gratefully accepted as an expression of their patriotic readiness to take an active part in the restoration of the age-old friendship in the unified family of fraternal peoples and the revival of the Fatherland.

In order to secure the vital interest of the peoples and citizens of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the independence and territorial integrity of the country, the restoration of law and order, the stabilization of the situation, to overcome the most acute crisis and prevent chaos, anarchy, and fratricidal civil war, the State Committee for the State of Emergency has resolved as follows:

1. All political and administrative organs of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and of union and autonomous republics, territories, regions, cities, districts, towns, and villages must follow without deviation the regime of the state of emergency in accordance with the USSR Law “On the Legal Regime of the State of Emergency” and resolutions of the USSR State Committee for the State of Emergency. In those cases where the specified organs prove unable to conform to this regime, their powers are suspended and the implementation of their function is entrusted to persons specially appointed by the USSR State Committee for the State of Emergency.

2. To disband without delay those power and administrative structures and paramilitary units acting contrary to the USSR Constitution and the laws of the USSR.

3. Immediately to render invalid all laws and decisions adopted by organs of power that contradict the USSR Constitution and the laws of the USSR.

4. To suspend the activities of political parties, public organizations, and mass movements that interfere with the normalization of the situation.

5. Due to the temporary assumption by the USSR State Committee for the State of Emergency of the functions of the USSR Security Council, the activity of the latter is suspended.

6. Citizens, institutions, and organizations must without delay give up all illegally held firearms of all types, ammunition, explosive materials, military equipment and materiel. The Ministry of Internal Affairs, the KGB, and the USSR Ministry of Defense are to provide strict enforcement of this requirement. In case of resistance, the above items must be confiscated by force and the violators prosecuted by the criminal and administrative justice systems.

7. The Prosecutor’s Office, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the KGB, and the USSR Ministry of Defense are to organize efficient coordination of the organs of law and order with the Armed Forces in their effort to establish public order and maintain the security of the state, society, and citizens in accordance with the USSR law “On the Legal Regime of the State of Emergency” and the resolutions of the USSR State Committee for the State of Emergency.

Public rallies, marches, and demonstrations as well as strikes are prohibited.

When necessary, a curfew is to be introduced as well as patrols, inspections, and a strengthening of measures to enforce the border and customs regime.

To assume control of, and when necessary to defend, the most important state and economic organizations as well as essential life-supporting facilities.

To curb decisively the spread of all destabilizing rumors, actions provoking the violation of law and order and contributing to interethnic strife, and insubordination in dealing with the official persons responsible for the maintenance of the state of emergency regime.

8. To establish control over the mass media, this control function to be assumed by a special arm of the USSR State Committee for the State of Emergency which is being set up for this purpose.

9. Organs of power and administration and the heads of institutions and enterprises must undertake measures to increase coordination, order, and discipline in all spheres of our society. They must secure conditions for the normal functioning of enterprises in all branches of the economy; strict observance of the measures directed at strengthening horizontal and vertical links among all economic subjects throughout the entire territory of the USSR; and unflagging fulfillment of designated quotas in production and deliveries of raw materials, products, and spare parts.

To establish a regime of strict economy of technical, material, and hard currency resources, to design and carry out concrete measures against squandering of people’s wealth.