The days of the 1930's were days filled with terror for most Russian citizens. The terror began with the Kulaks (property owning farmers) in 1929 and culminated with the purges of the Red army in the late 30's. It has been documented that between 1929 and 1939 over ten million people were killed in purges of one kind or another. Another twenty million people had been deliberately starved or worked to death in the Gulags.

Outside the party the terror grew.  People were encouraged to inform on their friends and relatives. Laws were tightened to an absurd degree. One example was one law in 1935 that made the illegal carrying of a knife punishable by five years in prison and a decree of that same year extending all penalties, including death, down to twelve-year-old children.