Cannibalism: SHOCKING Photos of 1920 Russian Famine

The Russian Famine (1921-1922): an estimated 5 million people died. Peasants turned to cannibalism in order to survive. The cause of which are said to be multi-facetted–economic disturbance, World War I, The Russian Revolution, and disruption of The Russian Civil War and its communist policies. I think it's more of the latter that contributed to this famine. Communist policies that were enacted at the time are as follows:

1. Nationalization of all industries and the introduction of strict centralized management
2. State control of foreign trade
3. Strict discipline for workers, with strikes forbidden
4. Obligatory labor duty by non-working classes
5. Prodrazvyorstka – requisition of agricultural surplus (in excess of an absolute minimum) from peasants for centralized distribution among the remaining population
6. Rationing of food and most commodities, with centralized distribution in urban centers
7. Private enterprise banned
8. Military-style control of the railways

A couple selling human body parts for food.

WARNING: These photos are SHOCKING and disturbing to many. Proceed with the in mind. Here in lies the horrors of the 1920s Communist Russia famine in pictures...

Communist The Haves vs The Have Nots

In classical communist Marxist ideology, the kulaks (rich peasant farmers) were said to be the class enemies of the poorer peasant farmers. Vladimir Lenin described them as, "bloodsuckers, vampires, plunderers of the people and profiteers, who fatten on famine."
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Lenin intended to "liberate the poor peasant farmers and the proletariat from their oppressors through collectivization and centralized planned economy." In practice, however, the communist government just seized the properties of the kulaks. Those who resisted were either killed or thrown into labor camps.

Another version of the photo of a couple selling human body parts for food.

I would argue that the events after the 1917 Russian Revolution lead to the famine of 1920s. It was this time when the Bolsheviks identified the kulaks as class enemies because they were affluent (they owned land, livestock, machinery, hired labor etc.). As mentioned above, the government seized their means of production for redistribution/collectivization, all in the name of liberating the oppressed (proletariat). In effect, the communist government punished the most productive members of society and rewarded the less productive. No wonder they had a famine!

Mother feeds her daughter's corpse to her surviving children.

Boy from Blahovishchenka (province of Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine), Ilarion Nyshchenko, killed his 3-year-old brother and ate him.

Those who shout for centralization of power should think twice. They're assuming that the powers that be are immune to corruption and errors and have the best of the population in mind. We have historical precedence to know the effects when such policies are enacted.
See more photos of the 1920s Russian Famine here.