Kharkov
To the Chairman of the Ukrainian Council of People's Commissars, Rakovsky

I have sent to the Gubernia Executive Committees, Gubernia Military Revolutionary Committees, Soviet Labour Army 1, Siberian Revolutionary Committee, Tatar Revolutionary Committee, Bashkir Revolutionary Committee and Kirghiz Revolutionary Committee, a copy to the Gubernia Statistical Bureaux, a telegram of the following content:

"The start of the demographic, occupational and agricultural censuses is set for August 28, 1920.

In towns the demographic and occupational censuses continue for a week. In rural areas two weeks. The agricultural census one and a half months, counting from August 28. The success of the censuses, which are of tremendous importance for the building of the Soviet Republic, depends entirely on the regularity and preparedness for the work of the Gubernia Statistical Bureaux, their provision, by way of labour duty, with census workers, the organisation of rapid and timely movement of census personnel and materials across the territory of the gubernia, provision of suitable premises, lighting, food, money tokens, and also other measures of assistance from all Soviet institutions.

The Gubernia Executive Committee, Gubernia Land Department, Gubernia Food Committee, Gubernia Cheka, Gubernia Department of Public Education, Gubernia Finance Department, Gubernia Committee for Labour, and the Administration Department are obligated to render all possible assistance to the Central Statistical Administration and its local bodies with all the means at their disposal.

The matter of the censuses is not a departmental matter, but a matter of the Republic, the matter of all Soviet institutions. Insufficient assistance, negligence, carelessness, from whomever they may originate, will be prosecuted with all the severity of the revolutionary time, as for grave offences in office.

The Chairman of the Gubernia Executive Committee is entrusted with special care for the successful conduct of the censuses. I make it his duty to report on 1, 15 and 25 August by