Evening star., 1953-06-13
Top Party Official
In Ukraine Purged
For Making Errors
BY the Associoted Press

Wet press disclosed today that
the top man in the Ukrainian
Communist Party has been dis
missed from his post. He is
Leonid Melnikov. first secretary
of the Ukrainian organization
since 1949 and an alternate
member of the Soviet Communist
Party's presidium.
Melnikov'S custer was an
nounced in a communique on a
meeting of the Ukrainian party's
central committee in Kiev. It
said the committee had named
A. I. Kirichenko, formerly second
secretary, to succeed Melnikov.
(The custer of Me]nikov--
the highest ranking official
purged from the party organi-
zation since Georgi Malenkov
succeeded Stain as Premier
may indicate a shift in Mos
cows policy toward non-Rus-
sian minority peoples in the
Soviet Union.
CAS- a protege of Khrushchev,
boss Of the party organization
throughout Russia. he had
been considered close to the
Kremlin.)
Errors In Policies.
The communique said the
ousted chief was charged with
failing to provide leadership,
with mistakes in selection of
personnel and errors in carry
ing out the party's policy toward
non-Russian nationalities.
It said big mistakes in the
republics collective farm pol
icy had been discovered. But
the root of Melnikov's trouble
appeared to be the nationalities
question.
He was accused of a policy
of classification. particularly in
the western districts Of the
Ukraine, and with suppressing the
Ukrainian language in higher
schools in these districts. Un-
der his leadership. it was
charged. persons from other re-
gions of the republic were ap-
pointed to leading posts in the
western areas.
Soviet newspaper editorials
have been stressing the friend
ship of the various nationalities
of the Soviet Union. The trend
appears to be in the direction
of exposing and dismissing any
persons guilty of carrying out
policies which might undermine
this friendship.
Writer Gains Authority.
The communique also made
clear that Alexander Kornei-
chuk, well-known Ukrainian
writer. has acquired considerable
authority in the republics gov
eminent and party. 1t said that
Korneichuk. identified as first
deputy premier of the Ukraine,
had been elected to the bureau
OF the party's Central Committee.
A former Ukrainian foreign
minister, Korneichuk is the hus-
band of another well-known So
Wet writer. Wanda Wasilewska.
Melnikov has been head of the
Ukralnian party organization
since his former chief, Nikita S.
Khrushchev. was transferred to
Moscow. Khrushchev is now first
secretary Of the Soviet Com
munist Party.
Last October Is. Melnikov was
elected a full member of the
Soviet Communist Party's presi-
dium. On the death of Stain.
however. the presidium was re-
organized and he was made an
alternate instead of a full men,
Der.
Many Reports of Unrest.
There have been many reports
OF unrest in the Ukraine. the
site of strong separatist move
ment since the 10Th century.
Many Ukrainians collaborated
with the Germans during World
War II.
Melnikov, himself, has made
scorching attacks on Ukrainian
writer's. artists and intellectuals
for emphasizing Ukrainian ma
tionalism in their works.
On March 18, he wrote an ar
ticle for Pravda, the organ Of
the Soviet Communist Party,
calling for continued vigilance
against the penetration of the
Ukrainian Communist Party by
its enemies.
Last month, the Soviet Union
announced it had caught, tried
and executed group of alleged
American-trained spies found in
the republic.
The western Ukraine. formerly
eastern Poland, was annexed to
the republic in 1899 after the
German conquest of Poland.
Most of the people of the area
RuthenianS. as are manv Of the