Informer 001: The Myth of Pavlik Morozov

Rating:
Summary: An exceptional piece of detective work
Review: How did a malevolent miserable tale-telling brat who often came to school stinking of urine become a model for millions of young Communists across the Soviet Union? In the 1980s Yuri Druzhnikov decided to find out the truth behind Pavlik Morozov -- allegedly killed by relatives in the 1930s for informing the authorities that his father was hoarding grain -- and produced this stunning book. By talking to Morozov's mother, neighbours and some of the police investigators on the case he builds up a very different picture from the public myth. To say too much more would betray his conclusions, but it's safe to say that here is another of those books which no self-respecting historian of Stalinism can afford to ignore.