Rostov. 12/VII.

Comrade Molotov!

I would like you, after reading this letter, to then acquaint the Seven with it.

1) The Rostov fellows came to see me. It turns out that the gross harvest this year is approaching the figure of 500 million poods, i.e., the record figure of 1914 (I am speaking of the Southeast). The surplus comes to 270-300 million poods. In the opinion of the Rostov friends, our export apparatus (in the Southeast) can handle 150-170 million poods. Thus, 150-170 million poods can be exported abroad from the Southeast region. Not bad. This fact ought to be taken into account.

2) From the newspapers it is evident that the economic organs in the USSR have already outlined a program for the construction of new factories. I fear that they will start building in the border regions without taking into account a number of unfavorable factors in this regard, and then, if we miss the moment, it will be impossible to correct the mistakes made. They want, for example, to build new factories in Petrograd, in Rostov, which is inexpedient. I think that in drawing up the construction program, in addition to the principle of locating factories near raw materials and fuel, two further considerations should be taken into account: the bond with the countryside and the geographic-strategic position of the regions for the new factories. Our main rear is the Urals, the Volga region, the Black Earth South (Tambov, Voronezh, Kursk, Oryol, etc.). It is precisely these regions (not counting the Urals) that suffer from the absence of industry. Yet it is precisely these regions that constitute the most convenient rear for us in the event of military complications. Therefore it is precisely in these regions that industrial construction should be developed. Petrograd in this respect is absolutely unsuitable. There will, of course, be pressure from the localities, but it must be overcome. This question is so important for us that it should be put before the CC plenum if that were to prove necessary for overcoming the pressure from the localities. It would be good to find out the opinion of the Seven on this score.

I shake your hand.

I. Stalin.

P.S. I am leaving for Sochi today.

Letters of I.V. Stalin to V.M. Molotov. 1925-1936. Pp. 30-31.

RGASPI F. 558. Op. 1. D. 5388.