Grossman: Samogonnye respubliki (!)

[Robert Chandler]

Dear all,

Can anyone help with this?

Из  романтики  революции, из безумств Пролеткульта, из зеленых самогонных
республик,   из  хмельного удальства  и  мужичьего  бунта,  из  матросского
бешенства  на  "Алмазе" поднимался  новый, могучий, еще не виданный Россией
полицмейстер.

The ‘police chief’ is, of course, Stalin. As for these ‘green samogon
republics’, am I right to imagine that the reference is to the peasant
rebellion in the Tambov Province that culminated in late 1920?  I have come
across the phrase  the ‘Green Army’ in this connection, though I have not
come across ‘green republics’.

‘The Almaz’ was a cruiser in the Imperial Russian Navy, but I haven’t been
able to find out any more about it.

Vsego dobrogo,

R.



-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
  options, and more.  Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
                    http://seelangs.home.comcast.net/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------