Memoirs of Zhang Wentian's wife Liu Ying (4): Studied in Moscow and was involved in the struggle of the branch bureau

Study in Moscow

From the spring of 1929 to the winter of 1932, the Party Central Committee sent me to Moscow to study. I first studied at the Communist Labor University of China for one year, and after the dissolution of this school, I went to the International Radio School run by the Communist International for two years. Nearly four years of study abroad life, compared with the bloody storm during the Great Revolution, compared with the hardships and hardships on the Long March, of course, is much more peaceful and stable, but it is not all smooth sailing...

Enter "Lauda"

I live in an office in Shanghai, I am struggling to be unable to move, Hunan can no longer go back, and in Shanghai, there is no professional cover, and I will be suspected when I open my mouth. At this time, the news came that the Moscow "Lauda" was going to recruit new students. Zhou Enlai (Central Organization Minister) and Yun Daiying (Central Propaganda Minister) decided to send me to study.

Just after the Spring Festival in 1929, we set off. A group of seven people, first on the passenger ship from Shanghai to Dalian, squeezed in the cabin, not attracting attention at all. Before leaving, Yun Daiying personally talked to me. Tell me that the predecessor of "Lao Da" was "Zhongda" (Sun Yat-sen University in Moscow), which was founded in 1925 during the cooperation between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party. After the defeat of the Great Revolution, it was renamed "Laoda" in 1928, but the Kuomintang still existed, and more importantly, it was influenced by the struggle within the United Communist Party, and the contradictions and struggles in the school were very complicated. Yun Daiying told me not to take part in unprincipled factional struggles there, to study conscientiously, to raise my standards, and to return to China to better engage in revolutionary work in the future.

After we arrived in Dalian, we took a train and entered the Soviet Union via Harbin and Manzhouli. When we got to the USSR, someone picked us up.

We are the last batch of new students at "Lao Da", with a total of about 200 students, divided into four classes. I was in the fourth shift. In the same class were Kong Yuan, Qian Ying, Yuan Zhongxian, Liu Zhuoxi, Xia Zhixuan, Shi Jingyi, and so on. Xia Zhixu is Zhao Shiyan's wife, and Shi Jingyi is Chen Qiaonian's wife, both originally living in Shanghai. Their husbands died, and the organization sent them to Moscow to study. Each of us was given a Russian name, and my name was Yukna. Chinese classmates call each other by their Russian names, do not talk about the situation in China, etc. Ye Jianying also went in 1929. During military training, he became the battalion commander of our girls' battalion. At that time, he did not know his real name and surname, and everyone called him "Lao Yang."

"Lauda" is located at 16 Volkhunka Street, in the central district of Moscow. In front of the door is a square, opposite the famous Moscow Cathedral. The main building of the school is a rather elegant three-storey building. The girls' dormitory is located on Galins Street, not far from the school. It was originally a large dance hall with a magnificent interior. Above the walls is a circle of reliefs with patterns, the columns are also carved, and the roof dome is painted with colorful religious stories. The beds are neatly arranged, with Simmons mattresses, crisp white sheets, and fluffy duck down pillows. The fireplace in the house was warm. I have never seen such a good place to live in China.

Here, the first person I met was Shuai Mengqi. It has been a year since she came to Laoda, and as soon as we talked, we knew that she was a fellow from Hunan Province. She was thirty-two at the time, "eight years older than me, and we all called her big sister." She saw that my clothes were dirty and changed her shirt for me. She also gave a detailed account of the school, asking me to be vigilant against Kuomintang agents and Trotskyists. That's when my friendship with my handsome sister began.

After this group of new students arrived, the school unified us to equip. From vests, pants, and socks to suits, coats, all new inside and out. A short man like me measured it to order. The thick tweed coat feels too heavy on the body, but it can't withstand outdoor activities without it, and the cold is minus 20 or 30 degrees. In addition to hair shoes, each person also issued a pair of galoshes with rubber soles. At that time, Moscow was frozen in winter, and it was necessary to wear such galoshes over leather shoes so that you would not slip when walking.

The director of the school was Mif, a staunch Stalinist. The specific work is managed by the branch bureau. Bogu, Wang Jiaxiang, Xia Xi and other Chinese comrades participated in the leadership of the branch bureau. The first semester mainly offered four courses: political economy, history of social development, party building and Russian. The instructors in charge are all Soviets and Chinese serve as interpreters, called teaching assistants. Comrade Wang Jiaxiang is an assistant teacher who teaches us the course of party building. At that time, he and Zhang Wentian, Shen Zemin, and Guo Shaotang were all studying at the Red Professors' College, and Chinese students called them the "Four Great Professors." Zhang Wentian also went to the "University of Labor" part-time class, and he was the instructor of the workers' class that entered the school in 1928. Sometimes he also served as an interpreter for school meetings.

The study at "Lao Da" is very intense. Classroom questions are scored and exams are rigorous. By the end of the semester, the results of the whole class were announced, and the pressure was quite high. So every morning when we got up at six o'clock and ran at school, the school didn't open until eight o'clock, and we read Russian on the big lawn outside the door. I returned to the dormitory after studying at nine o'clock in the evening. Such high requirements, intellectuals like me feel very difficult.

Get involved in the struggle

In the middle of the whirlpool of struggle, it is very difficult to avoid getting involved in the struggle. Although I have kept in mind Comrade Yun Daiying's instructions, when I am in the "University of Lao," I cannot avoid expressing my attitude on one specific issue after another, and I cannot help but participate in the debate.

I am a person who loves to talk and laugh, like activities, have a certain culture, and after the training of white terror, when the party and league members registered after entering the school, I served as the leader of the class and the group member, and also became the poster committee member of the whole school. Generally speaking, the poster of the "Laoda" is the public opinion position of the branch bureau, but the views of the branch bureau that do not agree should also be reflected, so this is also one of the focal points of the struggle.

When we entered the school, we were mainly about lesson planning. It seems nothing remarkable now, but it seemed serious at the time. After the defeat of the Great Revolution, most of the cadres (many of whom were comrades of workers and peasants with low education) who were sent to study because they could not gain a foothold in the country did not approve of the formalized teaching plan stipulated by the branch bureau.

I think that the duration of study is four years, so many courses are read step by step, and you have to learn Russian, it is really not necessary. The struggle between revolution and counterrevolution in China is so fierce that I hope to return to China as soon as possible after short-term training, and it has been quite a long time to study for one or two years. The branch bureaus insisted on cultivating a number of backbone cadres with theoretical roots for the long-term plan of the Chinese revolution, so they must carry out formal education and training. And the debate between those who support the branch bureau and those who oppose the branch bureau on the issue of teaching is not an isolated issue. Because there were contradictions between the Comintern and the CPC delegation to the Comintern at that time, the struggle between Stalin and the Trotskyites in the CPC was still fierce, and the branch bureau was supported by the Comintern and Stalin, so the Chinese comrades who supported the branch bureau also resisted the CCP delegation.

People like me, who have a deep affection for the Chinese revolution and the Communist Party of China, have the flame of revenge burning in their hearts, and hope to study and improve and return to China as soon as possible to join the struggle, naturally do not approve of the teaching plan of the branch bureau, and are not satisfied with the attitude of the comrades who support the branch bureau against the CPC delegation. And people like me make up a large proportion of the students of the "University of Labor". In this way, in normal times, arguments are inevitable. Especially in the poster committee, which later had to argue almost every day. At that time, the poster was published almost every day, and Chen Changhao, chairman of the poster committee, was one of the staunch supporters of the branch bureau.

In the summer of 1929, all the students of the "University of Law" went on vacation to the Black Sea seashore. The sanatorium became a place for comrades with two different points of view to argue with each other. At the end of the summer, a school work summary meeting was held after returning to school, and fierce debates broke out at this meeting.

The meeting lasted for ten days and ten nights, known as the "Ten Days Conference". I participated in both. The two speakers were mainly old students. Most of the freshmen who went in 1928 and 29 listened to their debates as I did. The venue was chaotic, with applause and cheers when agreeing and booing when opposed, because the two factions of view were sharply opposed, so the sound of applause and cheering was often mixed with boos and booing. Even shake their fists and threaten each other when intense. The issues of contention were mainly the question of teaching plans, the question of the right and wrong of the failure of the Great Revolution, and the theoretical and tactical issues of the Chinese revolution.

At the end of the "10-day meeting", a vote was held, and formally the branch bureau obtained a majority, in fact, many people abstained, and those who abstained did not actually approve of the branch bureau, but only had concerns and did not clearly express their position.

At the time of the "Ten-Day Congress," the "cleansing of the party" was already underway within the United Communist Party. The chaotic situation of the "10-day congress" caused the school leaders, even the United Communist Party and the Communist International, to think that the ranks of the "University of Callabor" student party members were seriously impure and decided to carry out a "cleansing of the party." Soon, under the direct leadership of the Supervisory Committee of the United Communist Party, the Qing Party Committee was established.

The main goal of the "Qing Party" is, of course, to eliminate the Trotskyists, but in fact it has been seriously expanded. The most fundamental point in the "University of Labor" is to see whether the attitude towards the branches and bureaus is for or against. Although the Qing Party should also examine classes, history, and understanding of the Chinese revolutionary issue, these do not play a decisive role.

In short, you support the branch bureau, that is, the political position is firm and correct, it is the driving force, even if there are some problems in other aspects; If you oppose the branch bureau, your political stand is shaken to the point of being wrong, and even if you are from a good background and have revolutionary qualifications, you must be examined and punished. I did not firmly support the branch bureau, and I even expressed disapproval and opposition on a number of issues, and I became the target.

Each class set up a Qing Party Committee, which was chaired by the old Bolsheviks sent by the United Communist Party. After the Qing Party began to study, it was up to each person to write materials. It is required to write down one's family origins, experiences, performance after coming to "Lao Da", and opinions in various issues and arguments. Each class has an interpreter, and Zhang Qinqiu is assigned to our class to be in charge of translating. She translated the materials submitted by each person into Russian for the Qing Party members of the Soviet Union to read and study.

The extremely strict Qing Party meeting was held one class after another. Students from other classes can participate when this class is in session. Each person first introduces himself and then reviews, and then the masses expose and ask questions. If you don't answer the questions well, or pick out a lot of faults, the future is very worrying. I remember that there was an old student in the translation class, who was in love, rushed back to attend the Qing Party meeting because he had gone to Leningrad to meet his partner, and did not answer well the theoretical and tactical questions of the Chinese revolution, such as the question of rich peasants, the question of revolutionary motive force and targets, and so on. This classmate, who had a high family composition and an unclear attitude in her usual struggles, said that she was a "conciliator" and did not attach importance to the Qing Party, and was later expelled from the party.

The Qing Party Congress lasted for a long time, and the criticism was very sharp. After one by one, the meeting was adjourned. During the intersessional period, the Qing Party members studied the materials written by each person and the exposure and criticism of the meeting, drew conclusions, and determined what punishment to give. Finally, the general meeting is held separately as a class to announce the conclusion.

The person presiding over our Ban Qing Party was an old Bolshevik in his 50s. Before the meeting, I asked the old Russian man who presided over the Qing Party what punishment he would give me. He laughed and said "expulsion from the party" and I said "no." I knew that I had no big problems, and I did not participate in any organizations and groups, and the old man in charge of the Qing Party was obviously joking. The formal meeting began, and the Qing Party members sat in a row in front of everyone, very serious. From heavy to light, the sanction decisions are announced one by one. At the end, the punishment I gave was "advice".

On the spot, a classmate proposed that Yukena's punishment was light, and another classmate, Darasova (that is, Qian Ying), was similar to her, and the punishment was "warning". The old Bolshevik explained that their situation was different, that Yukena had been tested under the white terror at home, that she had always been loyal to the party and to the revolution, and that this time she had made individual mistakes on specific issues, and that punishment should be lighter. I listened to it at the time, and I am really grateful that he can understand comrades so deeply and treat comrades so generously.

International Radio School

After the end of the "Qing Party," many of the old students who had been expelled were sent back to China, and the "Laoda" was dissolved in April 1930. I received a very light punishment and decided to stay with some of the new students in the Lenin Institute to continue my studies. But, from the bottom of my heart, I no longer want to study in Moscow. I confided my desire to return to China, Krisainova, the last president of the "University of Law", who was sympathetic and said that she could consider my request.

At this time, the international delegation of the Communist Party of China responded to the request of the country to send a group of Chinese students to train and train specialized personnel for radio work. The matter was discussed by Zhou Enlai, the international delegation of the Communist Party of China, with the female president of "Lao Da", and the female president agreed. Zhou Enlai put forward a list, I remember that there were eleven people, including Zhu Zichun, Li Jingyong, Xia Xi's lover Tan Guofu, and I was also one of them.

I was determined to return to China and was reluctant to learn radio. The principal conveyed the opinion of the CCP delegation, asking us to learn the same skills here, so that it would be easy to find a career after returning to China, and it would be convenient to cover revolutionary work. When I was in Shanghai, I had already tasted the pain of not having a professional cover. At that time, students who graduated from Sun Yat-sen University also had to go to factories for internships and learn the same skills. In this way, I dismissed my intention to return to China and entered the International Radio School run by the Communist International at the end of 1930.

In addition to Chinese, the school is also American and British, German, Bulgarian, and Romanian nationalities. The school is located on the outskirts of Moscow, extremely secretive. I don't usually go into town. Because there was a Kuomintang government embassy in the Soviet Union, I was afraid that I would be discovered by Kuomintang agents when I entered the city. When I went to the city on vacation, I stayed in a small guest house at the school and was not allowed to go to the street near the embassy.

The content of the study is very specialized, there are radio principles, radio production, and also learn the technology of sending and receiving telegrams. Remember that the theory class was taught by a Soviet Jew and translated by Li Jingyong. Li Jingyong studied at the Department of Electrical Engineering of Jiaotong University for two years, and when he arrived at Sun Yat-sen University in Moscow in 1926, he was good at both English and Russian, and Moscow published his translation of Engels' "The Origin of the Family, Private Property, and the Origin of the State" Chinese the course.

The ten of us are the second batch of Chinese students to enter this school, and the first group includes Xu Yixin. We, the Chinese students, study very hard, whether it is theoretical courses or practical operations, we have learned very well.

Wang Ming traveled from Shanghai to Moscow and began to send these radio students back to China. I remember that Li Jingyong returned to Shanghai in 1932, when Zhu Zichun had married him, and they went back to Shanghai together to engage in radio stations with international contacts.

In the winter of 1932, I completed my studies here and officially graduated, hoping to return to the motherland immediately to participate in practical struggles.