Novocherkassk massacre

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Novocherkassk massacre Новочеркасский расстрел
Tombstone to the victims of the massacre, also known as the "Stone on Blood". The writing reads: "2 June 1962".
Location	Novocherkassk, Rostov Oblast, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Date	2 June 1962; 61 years ago (1962-06-02)
Attack type	Shooting
Weapons	Sniper rifles, machine guns, APCs, cars, tanks
Deaths	26 (officially)
Perpetrators	Soviet Army, KGB
Motive	Quelling protests

The Novocherkassk massacre (Russian: Новочеркасский расстрел, romanized: Novocherkasskiy rasstrel) was a massacre which was committed by the Soviet army and KGB against unarmed civilians who were rallying on 2 June 1962 in the Soviet city of Novocherkassk.^[1][2] A few weeks prior to the massacre, workers at the Electro Locomotive Novocherkassk plant (NEVZ) had organized a peaceful labor strike which later resulted in bloodshed and the killing of about 26 people.^[3]

On January 1, 1962, the wages at the NEVZ were lowered by 30–35%.^[3] At the same time, the production quotas which were set up for workers as a part of the Soviet Union's planned economy were raised. These events also coincided with a sharp nationwide increase in the prices of dairy and meat products (up to 35% according to one account), raising them above the budget of many workers.^[3][a][5] Protesters gathered near the city's central administrative building did not disperse when ordered by the surrounding Soviet troops, who then opened fire,^[6] killing 26 and wounding 87, including children.^[7]

Arrests, show trials and cover-ups ensued: about 240 were arrested, seven people were convicted of various crimes such as "mass disorder" and sentenced to death and hundreds of others were imprisoned for up to 15 years (though the prison terms of some were later reduced).^[8] News of the events never appeared in the state-controlled press and the Soviet government continued to conceal it until April 27, 1991; however, it was described in a few underground samizdat publications.^{[9][10]: 390 [11]} The 26 dead were secretly buried by KGB operatives in secret graves which were not disclosed to relatives and friends until June 2, 1994, when almost all bodies were discovered and reburied at the official memorial.

In 1992, shortly after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the events were investigated by the Chief Military Prosecutor's Office. The major suspects among the highest-ranking Soviet officials such as Nikita Khrushchev, Anastas Mikoyan, Frol Kozlov and several others who were deemed responsible for the massacre had died by the time of the investigation.^[12][13] Each year, the massacre is commemorated on its anniversary by a group of surviving participants. Some of the victims of the massacre were symbolically compensated for their illegal imprisonment and deaths. In 1990, a museum was dedicated to the victims of the massacre next to the square where it took place.

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