V.L. Malkevich I.L. Mitrofanov A.S. Ivanov A.S. Ivanov V.L. Malkevich V.L. I.L. Mitrofanov THE USSR FOREIGN TRADE UNDER N.S. PATOLICHEV 1958—1985 UNDER N.S. PATOLICHEV THE USSR FOREIGN TRADE V.L. Malkevich, I.L. Mitrofanov, A.S. Ivanov THE USSR FOREIGN TRADE UNDER N.S. PATOLICHEV 1958—1985 Under the general editorship of Dr.sc.oec V.L. Malkevich Society of maintenance of literary heritage Moscow 2012 1 The USSR foreign trade under N.S. Patolichev V.L. Malkevich, I.L. Mitrofanov, A.S. Ivanov UDC 94(47).084.8:[929:339.5](091)Patolichev N. S. BBK 63.3(2)63-8Патоличев Н. С.+ 65.428д(2Рос)Патоличев Н. С. М19 Dedicated to the hundredth anniversary of Nikolay Semyonovich Patolichev’s birth and in loving memory of him V.L. Malkevich, I.L. Mitrofanov, A.S. Ivanov THE USSR FOREIGN TRADE UNDER N.S. PATOLICHEV (1958—1985) М. Society of Maintenance of Literary Heritage: 2012, 360 p. ISBN 978-5-902484-56-1 Agency CIP Russian State Library The book is devoted to a man of outstanding personality of the Soviet state – Patolichev Nikolay­ Semyonovich (1908–1989) – the Minister of Foreign Trade of the USSR from 1958 to 1985. During this period under his direction a powerful complex for foreign economic activities was formed, which played an exclusive role in the development of industry, energy, transport, agriculture and meeting the demands of the population. Thus, that was quite an outstanding period in the Russian Foreign Trade history. The authors of the book for many years have been engaged in the system of foreign economic rela- tions, participated or continued undertakings of N.S. Patolichev. Vladislav Leonidovich Malkevich, the General Director of the Central Exhibition Complex “Expo- centre”, used to work in the Ministry of Foreign Trade of the USSR (MFT) as a member of the Board (the Chief of Engineering and Technology Department), the Deputy Minister, the First Deputy Minis- ter, the President of the Chamber of Commerce of the USSR. Igor Leonidovich Mitrofanov in 1980–1990s was engaged in scientific researches in the field of for- eign trade, and then was the Chief of the General Directorate of the government regulation of foreign trade activity, the First Deputy Minister of Trade of the Russian Federation. Alexander Sergeyevich Ivanov having graduated from the Moscow Institute of International Rela- tions has devoted all his life to the development of foreign economic relations of the USSR and Russia, worked under the direction of N.S. Patolichev from the first days of his stay in the Ministry and now continues working in the field of foreign trade research in the All-Russian Market Research Institute. The work presented to the reader is based on the archive of N.S. Patolichev, the memories of his daughter N.N. Trubitsina-Patolicheva, his colleagues and contemporaries. The authors tell of what was done by N.S. Patolichev and with his support, about the invaluable experience of building up and devel- oping foreign trade, about the new standarts created in those years which are still being effected. After having read the book, the reader would acquaint himself with the rewarding experience of those years, which is highly important for today’s participants of foreign economic activities. The Patolichevs express their deep appreciation to V.L. Malkevich for taking the initiative to write the book and for arranging its publication. Published with financial support of the Central Exhibition Complex “EXPOCENTRE” and Joined Stock Bank “PERESVET” ISBN 978-5-902484-56-1 © V.L. Malkevich, I.L. Mitrofanov, A.S. Ivanov, 2012 © Society of maintenance of literary heritage, 2012 2 To the Reader Here is a book about a person from the recent history of our coun- try and his hard and intense life in which selflessness, and some- times self-sacrifice fully served the state and nation. Here a person and the era are inextricably linked. They deserve each other and have mutual influence. We are talking about an outstanding statesman — Nikolay Se- myonovich Patolichev. During the very difficult decades his name was constantly on the hearing. The activity of Nikolay Semyonovich was always tangible and — importantly — necessary for the sur- vival and development of the country, as well as for being closer to the international economic community. The realities of today often return us to the experience and the appearance of a galaxy of the most significant representatives of the Soviet era, and N.S. Patolichev was one of them. His selfless work dur- ing the period of initial five-year plans as well as the Great Patriotic War, in the postwar reconstruction and modernization of the economy is described in detail in Nikolay Semyonovich’s meaningful memoirs — those by the man awarded the title of Hero of Socialist Labour and two “Hammer and Sickle” gold medals, the recipient of 11 Orders of Lenin, the highest decoration of the Soviet Union, apart from many other orders and medals of the USSR and foreign countries. In the postwar years, having acquired most valuable experience of economic redevelopment of the country, N.S. Patolichev headed the foreign trade of the USSR, and attained in this field such an out- standing success which no one repeated in the past century. This book is about the leader, under whose direction in the coun- try previously focused on isolation and self-sufficiency, a powerful complex for foreign economic activities was formed, which became an important independent factor of the country’s growth and mod- ernization, as well as developing market structures. Nikolay Semyonovich understood that his task was no less com- plicated than the moving of the largest industrial enterprises to the east during the Second World War. He took up the matter with his inherent will, toughness and desire to overcome the field of state ac- tivity not yet mastered by him. Studying the materials of that time one can see that the Minister of Foreign Trade did not have a shad- 3 The USSR foreign trade under N.S. Patolichev V.L. Malkevich, I.L. Mitrofanov, A.S. Ivanov ow of doubt about the chosen way, concentration and boldly daring mind prevailed in him. In certain periods of a country’s life, mostly critical ones, the for- eign trade is of particular strategic importance. So was it in the post- war years, when our country had lost millions of the active age peo- ple in the war and needed a reliable source of rebuilding its strength. One of the most important was the foreign trade. This meant as much as the creation for the Soviet Union of the equitable international trade and political field under the initiative and the direction of N.S. Patolichev. That was the period of forming an industrial export sector, providing for annual supplies of high- tech products and technologies abroad. The largest developed countries of the world up to now continue producting by some licenses acquired in the USSR in those years. At the same time new industries and large-scale infrastructure proj- ects (oil and gas pipelines, high-voltage power transmission lines, trading and fishing fleet) have been created, a network of interna- tional marketing of domestic products and the reliable forecasting of a market conjuncture have been established. An impeccable im- age of a Russian business partner has been formed. We have been taking advantage of all that up to now. Unfortunately, Nikolay Semyonovich had no time to tell about the progress of foreign trade, although he had started this work. He bequeathed to me, along with his colleagues and friends to complete this work. Therefore, his colleagues, the Soviet veterans and the employ- ees of foreign trade of various executive-levels and periods of work, considered it to be their duty to tell about the activity of the Min- ister, about what he had made and what had been made under his support — using the archive of Nikolay Semyonovich, publications of those years, documents and materials of the Ministry, memories of his daughter Natalia Nikolayevna. I am convinced that the book about N.S. Patolichev and the for- eign trade in 1950—1980s will be useful not only for contemporary participants of foreign trade activity, international economists, po- litical scientists, university students of humanities, but also for a wide range of readers interested in the history of the foreign trade of the country, as well as for foreign researchers. Dr.sc.oec V.L. Malkevich 4 К читателю Introduction Moscow, September 2008. The grandly decorated hall at the Expo Center was crowded. On that day World War II and foreign trade veterans, international economists, public figures, academics and official foreign representatives, major economic leaders gath- ered to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Nikolay Se- myonovich Patolichev, an outstanding public figure and statesman of our country. He was the organizer of tanks’ production in the critical days of the German offensive, the head of the restoration of the destroyed city of Rostov-on-Don, of the postwar revival of Belarus (every fourth citizen of which was killed during the Nazi invasion), and finally, the minister, who headed the Soviet foreign trade during about three decades, the branch of economy which has made a great contribution in forming and developing the national economy. Nikolai Semyonovich’s friends and fellows in arms from Yaro- slavl, Chelyabinsk, Minsk, Moscow were speaking. The outstanding character of the statesman, patriot, enthusiast, wise organizer, whose activity was connected with coherent and devoted work of twenty thousand employees of the Ministry of foreign trade, was emerging from the small but significant details and his huge achievements.