Bierut was president of Soviet-occupied Poland in 1947-52. (Arnold Beichman, "Soviet Directives Sought to Keep Poles from Developing Identity," a syndicated column published, among others, in The Penticton Press, 24 February 1994; the full text of the Soviet directives can be found in SR, XIV/1, Jan 1994, 211-213).

The words "Poland" and "Poles" are not mentioned in this text. Instead, the word "locals" [krajowcy] is used. Similarly, "Russia" and "USSR" have been replaced by "our country". The names of Polish organizations such as AK [Armia Krajowa] and BCH [Bataliony Chlopskie] are mentioned, making it clear that these instructions were to be implemented in Poland. It has been conjectured that this text was sent from Moscow to the KGB headquarters in Warsaw located in the Soviet Embassy on Belwederska Street.

Instruction No. NK/003/47
Top secret. Moscow, 2 June 1947
K. AA/OC113 

1. No local informers may be received at our Embassy. Meetings with local informers are arranged by our special services and occur in public places. Our special services receive the information and pass it on to the Embassy.

2. It is particularly important that no contacts are maintained between our military personnel and the country's civilians. It is not permissible for Soviet officers to visit in the homes of the locals, or for our soldiers to maintain relations with local women, farmers or the local population in general.

3. Speed up the liquidation of the locals connected with the KPP [pre-World War II Communist Party of Poland], PPS [Polish Socialist Party], Walterowcy [communists from Poland who fought in the Spanish civil war], KZMP [Polish Communist Youth Organization in the 2nd Polish Republic], AK [The Home Army, or the Polish resistance movement], BCH [Peasants' Battalions], and other groups that were formed without our inspiration. The existence of armed opposition should be used as a pretext for the liquidation of these locals.

4. See to it that in all such actions [against the locals who must be liquidated] those [Polish] soldiers are used who had been living in our [Soviet] territory before they joined the Kosciuszko Army [Soviet-controlled Polish detachments formed on Soviet territory] See to it that they are fully destroyed in action.

5. Speed up the unification of all political parties into one organization and see to it that all key positions are occupied by people certified by our special services. [This unification took place in 1948] All youth organizations should likewise be united, and the people occupying positions from powiat leaders up must be certified by our special services. Liquidate all pre-war leaders of the scouting movement before said unification. 

6. See to it that delegates to the Party congresses do not retain their mandates during the tenure of those Party leaders whom they elected. Under no circumstances can such delegates call a general meeting between Party congresses. If such a meeting has to be convened, those who were active in proposing new conceptions and ideas must be eliminated beforehand. Every Party congress must be staffed by new delegates, and those must be certified by our special services.

7. [missing]

8. Keep an eye on those persons who seem to possess organizational ability and popularity among co-workers. Such people should be offered an opportunity to collaborate, and if they refuse, they should not be permitted to occupy any leadership positions.

9. Make sure that state employees are paid low wages. This refers particularly to those who work in health services, the judiciary, education and middle management. The exception is the police and workers in the mining industry.

10. All administrative organs and most industrial enterprises should be governed by people who actively cooperate with our special services. Those locals who work with them should not be aware of that special association.

11. See to it that the local press does not give any facts and figures concerning the quantity and nature of goods dispatched [from Poland] to our country. It is forbidden to call these dispatches trade. See to it that the press emphasizes the quantity of goods dispatched by us to the locals, and it should be emphasized that these dispatches are part of the trade between the two countries.

12. Influence the local authorities in such a way that all purchases of land, lots and real estate are arranged so that the new owners do not get titles but only permits for use. 

[This legal situation would be worth to take into the consideration regarding the issue of the ownership of the land in the West and North West parts of Poland. In the situation when Erika Steinbach and her "Bund der Vertriebenen" are threatening to take this case to the European Court (Tribunal), and statements that she made, like for example "After (Poland) joins the EU, dislodged Germans will have a right to return to their properties, what is more than the right of the free settlement on the Polish territory" during her meeting with Kohl on the 18.08.98.  and also as reported by The Sunday Telegraph, on the 24.01.1999: "Erika Steinbach, president of the Bund der Vertriebenen, said: 'Before countries such as Poland join the EU, they must make amends for the injustices inflicted on German expellees. They will have to apologise and concede them the right to return in dignity, otherwise relations between Germany and Poland will be forever poisoned.'" and “Poland is not matured enough to be a member of the EU because of her (PolandÂ’s) position in regard to expelled Germans and the compensation”. This was quoted by the major German newspapers such as Der Tagespiegel, Neues Deutschland, Sueddeutsche Zeitung, Frankfurter Rundschau, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. Now, it is very clear what it means for Poland and the Poles living and working the lands of the territories in question. In conjunction with the legal situation, of the unregulated land "ownership" in Poland, it is also perfectly clear, why Steinbach congratulated Kwasniewski for his veto of privatisation (in the Polish meaning uwlaszczenie). And he calls himself "president of all Poles". Indeed, he is a president of the new Targowica. My own K.J]

13. Arrange state policy regarding individual farmers in such a way that family farms are forced to produce net losses, and that their efficiency is the lowest possible. The next step is collectivization of agriculture. If there is opposition, increase the obligatory deliveries of food products to the state, and lower the farmers' access to machinery. If that does not work, make sure that local agriculture does not produce enough to feed the country and begin to rely on imports. 

14. See to it that all legal, economic and organizational documents (except for military documents) are written in such a way as to be imprecise.

15. See to it that the issues which need to be resolved are supervised by several committees, offices and institutions, none of which should have the mandate to solve the issue without consultation with the others. This does not apply to the mining industry.

16. Workers' councils in factories must not be allowed to have influence on the factory's policies. Their mandate is only to discuss alternative ways of fulfilling the orders.

17. The trade unions must not be permitted to oppose the factory administration's orders. They should be given other work, such as organizing vacation trips and excursions, taking care of food supplies, entertainment and education, distribution of goods in short supply, and supporting the decisions and opinions of political authorities.

18. See to it that only those employees and supervisors are promoted who discharge the duties assigned to them in an exemplary way, and do not show a tendency to analyze matters exceeding these duties.

19. See to it that those locals who occupy high party, government and economic posts work in conditions which compromise them in the eyes of their subordinates and which make it impossible for them to return to the environment from which they came.

20. The local officer cadre can be given elevated positions on condition that they are infiltrated by our special services.

21. The ammunition arsenals for every branch of the military should be supervised particularly carefully during maneuvers and exercises. See to it that it is checked frequently and unexpectedly.

22. Laboratories and research institutes should be supervised with particular care. 

23. Inventors and patent seekers should be watched carefully. They should be encouraged and supported, and all discoveries should be registered and sent to the central authorities. Only those inventions should be utilized which are useful in the mining industry and in preliminary preparation of raw materials; also those mentioned in special instructions. Do not utilize those inventions which would increase work efficiency at the expense of mining, or at the expense of the production of raw materials; or whose implementation would necessitate the neglect of the assigned [political] tasks.

24. See to it that transportation is interrupted periodically (with the exception of transportation described in Instruction #NK 552-46).

25. Inspire the convening of councils devoted to local problems, collect suggestions and proposals made during such meetings, register those who made them, but conduct policy according to instructions which you received from the authorities.

26. Popularize interviews with workers about the production process. The interviews should contain criticism of the past or of the present disorders, but do not permit the reasons for these disorders to be eliminated.

27. The public statements of those locals who serve in administration may refer to national and historical events but they must not lead to uniting the national spirit.

28. Make doubly sure that in the cities that are being rebuilt, and in new cities, no water systems independent of the main water system are installed. Old water systems and street wells must be systematically liquidated.

29. While rebuilding the industry and building new industry make sure that industrial waste is directed to rivers which will be used as reservoirs of drinking water.

30. Apartments in new districts and in the cities that are being rebuilt must not contain closets in which food could be stored for long periods of time and in large quantities. These apartments must not be endowed with any additional areas in which livestock could be kept.

31. See to it that private firms and artisans receive only that machinery and raw materials which make it impossible to produce items of good quality and at a price that is lower from one paid for state-produced items.

32. The administrative bureaucracy at all levels must be developed to its maximum. Criticism of this bureaucracy is permitted but make sure that it is not diminished in size and do not allow it to work efficiently.

33. All quotas in the mining industry and in areas defined by special instruction must be fulfilled. Quotas for local consumption should not be fulfilled.

34. The [Catholic] Church must be put under special supervision. Educational activities must be organized in such a way as to instill general contempt for this institution. Pay particular attention and put under special control Church printing houses, libraries, archives, sermons, pastoral visits, catechesis and funeral ceremonies. 

35. In elementary and trade schools, and particularly at universities, remove the teachers who are generally respected and who are regarded as authorities. Replace them with the teachers [appointed by us]. Strive to break off the perception of connection between various subjects of study. Reduce to a minimum the publication of source materials. Remove Latin, Greek, general philosophy, logic and genetics from middle schools. In history it must not be taught what a given ruler wanted to do or did for the country. Instead, show that kings were tyrants and that the people fought against tyranny. In trade schools specializations must be very narrow.

36. Encourage the celebration of anniversaries and occasions related to the locals' fight against the occupying powers under the partitions, except for the part of Poland which belonged to Russia. In particular, emphasize the struggle against the Germans and the struggle for socialism.

37. See to it that nothing is published about those locals who spent time in our country before the October Revolution and during World War II.

38. In case an organization is formed that would support friendship with our country but strive to control economic activity [in Poland], immediately undertake the necessary steps (independently of the government of the locals) and accuse that organization of nationalist and chauvinist tendencies. The recommended forms of activity are as follows: damage or deface our [Soviet] cemeteries and monuments [which were set up in Poland after World War II], publish flyers insulting our nation, our culture, the meaning of treaties [between Poland and the USSR]. Make use of the hatred toward us [which exists in Poland]. You can engage the locals to do this work.

39. See to it that bridges, roads and other means of transportation and communication are built and/or enlarged so that in case of a military intervention it would be possible to get to the center of opposition quickly and from all sides.

40. See to it that all political adversaries are arrested. Make sure the appropriate accusations are launched against people who enjoy authority among the locals. Liquidate those people by means of so-called situational occurrences, accidental accusations that need not be widely known. You can also arrest them for criminal misdeeds.

41. Do not permit rehabilitation of people who had been sentenced for political offences. If it is absolutely necessary to rehabilitate, make sure that it is presented as a judicial mistake and that no judges, witnesses, prosecutors or informers are accused of anything.

42. Those management officials who were appointed by the Party must not ever be tried, even if their activities caused losses or brought about dissatisfaction of their subordinates. In drastic situations they should be recalled, moved to other localities and given similar or higher appointments. In extreme situations give them non-administrative appointments and treat them as reserves for future use.

43. Publicize widely the trials against the top administrative officials (generals, members of the cabinet, directors of departments, educational leaders) accused of activities directed against the people, against socialism, against industrialization. This will mobilize the masses to be watchful.

44. Make sure that job rotation is maintained and that the people who came from the lowest strata and have the lowest qualification for the job are treated preferentially.

45. Make sure that recruitment to universities and institutions of higher learning is carried on among people from the lowest social strata, and especially among those who do not show interest in professional matters but only want to get a diploma.

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