Meaning of kurkul | Babel Free

Definitions

A rich or supposedly rich peasant, targeted during Soviet collectivization, especially in the context of Ukraine or Ukrainians; kulak.

historical

Examples

““Kurkuls are our enemy,” he shouted, “and we must exterminate them as a social class. There should be no place for the sharks among the harmless fish,” he added. Then he described the kurkuls as an evil tool of capitalists who were preparing an attack on the Soviet Union.”

“[p 308] The kulaks (in Ukraine we called them “kurkuls”) had been beaten and kicked out. [p 310] We were not afraid, however. We went after the “kurkuls,” who were strong and ruthless in their hatred of everything new.”

““I know. But you still have grain hidden from when you were a kurkul,” Fedir insisted.”

“His collectivization of the farms was intended to eliminate the “Kurkuli” as a class (Kurkul means rich peasant). The Kurkuli or Kulaks were the target when Stalin implement The Great Famine of Ukraine, or the “Holodomor” (Death by Starvation), which would kill in excess of 10 million Ukrainians.”

CEFR level