Voice from the Past

Lies and Truth at the Bottom of the Biggest Criminal Case in Belarusian History

In 1971, when a scandal shook Soviet Belarus and threatened to bring down the highest-level leaders of the state, a new phrase began to circulate among the Belarusian people: Soon everyone knew the definition of a Boroda Casea secret pool of money and goods, siphoned from Consumer Union warehouses and used by senior officials, who didnt hesitate to spend the embezzled money on extravagances at a time when the average citizen was forced to stand in line just to buy bread. But what of the Boroda Case namesake? When the scandal broke, Matvey Boroda, a Consumer Union Chairman, found himself at the center of a trial that dominated headlines, destroyed lives, and, ultimately, sent Boroda to jail for ten years. From a KGB prison cell, Boroda pleaded with secretaries of the Communist Party to reexamine his role in what would become known as Case 92: While higher ranking officials had escaped prosecution, Boroda had become a scapegoat, serving time for the crimes of his superiors. The so-called first Godfather of the USSR, or a great but humble man who only wanted to be successful in his workwho was Matvey Boroda? The answer lies not in the files of Case 92, nor in the government workers testimonies, nor in the stories created by the media. The answer lies in these pages, where myth and truth intersect to create a Voice From the Past.