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

Equivalents

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