This book examines the relationships between the peasantry and the authorities; both central and local ones; through the prism of the political events of 1937–1939.

During the All-Union Census of the USSR many facts of evading and resisting the census were recorded. The greatest concern of the authorities was caused by the events in the Lepel district of the BSSR; where about 250 people refused to participate in the census for religious reasons. Officials labelled them as silentiaries or members of the Red Dragon sect. Unexpectedly; however; all the district leaders appeared in the dock. They were declared guilty of undermining the authority of Soviet power. In 1937–1939 a number of local officials were brought to trial all over the USSR.

Iryna Ramanava argues that in 1937; after a massive study of public opinion the authorities realized that the peasantry was still a considerable force and may refuse to play according to the rules of new Constitution in the mock grassroots democracy. Urgent measures were needed to reassert power. This book attempts to reconstruct the events of 1937-1939 as urgently taken measures for this reassertion.