Resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine on the Cancellation of Financial Privileges, 1957

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On 12 February 1957, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine issued a resolution canceling the temporary financial allowances that had been in place since 1948. At first glance, this measure seemed aimed at addressing social inequities and equalizing compensation among various categories of party officials. The resolution’s title (“On the Cancellation of the Payment…”), its rationale (“excessive gap”), and its directive (“to completely cancel”) suggest a democratic gesture, in line with the spirit of the Khrushchev era, which sought to improve social standards. However, the actual details of the resolution, including the new salary levels for the privileged nomenklatura listed in two appendices, undermine the impression that this was a sincere effort by Khrushchev to bridge the gap between the government and the people. The financial losses for the nomenklatura due to the elimination of temporary allowances were minimal. Simultaneously, bonuses for seniority and special working conditions were also abolished.

On 21 February 1957, the Presidium of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine approved draft resolutions from the government on ending financial privileges for the Soviet nomenklatura, establishing funds for personal allowances to official salaries, and setting salaries for specialists within the Office of the Council of Ministers of the Ukrainian SSR. The appendices to the resolution contained new, non-personalized official salary rates.

Title:: Resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine on the Cancellation of Financial Privileges, 1957
Year:: February 12, 1957
Source:: Central State Archive of Public Associations and Ukrainian Studies, 1/16/85, 29
Original language:: Ukrainian

“On the Cancellation of the Payment of Temporary Allowance”

Resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine, 12 February 1957

The CPSU Central Committee, in its resolution of 29 January 1957, noted that the previously established temporary allowances granted to certain categories of senior employees in addition to their base salaries had resulted in an excessive disparity between their earnings and those of the majority of state and party apparatus staff.

To address this pay disparity, the CPSU Central Committee decided to fully abolish these temporary allowances and establish new salary levels for the affected employees. In line with this resolution, the payment of temporary allowances to senior party officials was discontinued effective 1 February 1957, with the following salaries implemented:

a/ for the senior officials of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine as outlined in Appendix 1;
b/ for senior officials of the oblast and city committees of the Communist Party of Ukraine as outlined in Appendix 2.

It was also stipulated that bonuses for seniority, as well as bonuses for handling confidential and highly classified documents, would no longer be granted to party officials holding the positions specified in Appendices 1 and 2 during their tenure in these roles.

Special thanks to Orysia Kulyk for providing the document.

Central State Archive of Public Associations and Ukrainian Studies, 1/16/85, 29

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Worked on the material:

Research, comment: Viktor Krupyna
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Translation into English: Yuliia Kulish

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Resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine on the Cancellation of Financial Privileges, 1957

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