Echoes of the Soviet spirit
Following the founding of the Communist Party of Vietnam on February 3, 1930, propaganda work was emphasized, laying the groundwork for the spread of newspapers and leaflets. These served as sharp weapons to ignite the revolutionary struggle in the Nghe Tinh Soviet movement. Ninety-four years later, these leaflets retain their sacred value, serving as witnesses to the patriotism and indomitable revolutionary spirit of a proud historical period.
A sacred, noble challenge
“…That was the first time in my life I was assigned the task of distributing leaflets. How could I forget that day, the day I saw the red flag with a yellow star printed on the leaflet. I stood nervously by the window, whispering the lines: “Indochinese Communist Party…”. That night was a bright moonlit night, the vast space reflecting my soul as I encountered the light of the Party through books, newspapers, and leaflets…”
These moving recollections belong to a Party member from 1930 – Mr. Duong Phuc Tua, from Phu Van village, Thuan Son commune, Do Luong district, in the sacred moment of holding a Party leaflet in his hands. This sacred memory is perfectly preserved in the book "Under the Red Banner," currently housed at the Nghe Tinh Soviet Museum. Every time visitors come here and read those words aloud, they feel the breath of a historical period full of hardship but also heroism. His feelings are also the feelings of many others when they place their hands on that small piece of paper, which contains within it the burning belief and aspiration for freedom and independence.
For the revolutionary fighters of that time, distributing leaflets was an extremely noble and sacred task. This task was clearly demonstrated through the revolutionary life of Comrade Tran Nguyen (born in 1910) - a revolutionary fighter and Party member in 1930 from Duc Tho (Ha Tinh province).
In his memoir "The Path to Revolution," he recounts that he was born into a poor family and lost his father early. From a young age, he studied Chinese characters and the Vietnamese Quốc ngữ script with two teachers, Đào Nhật Lãm and Nguyễn Như Cương. These two teachers instilled in him a burning patriotism. And then, as he entered his youth, Teacher Lãm was the one who guided him onto the revolutionary path.
The first task Trần Nguyên was given was to distribute leaflets in areas without a revolutionary movement, in crowded places... To complete this special mission, he had to disguise himself as a merchant selling medicinal herbs or traditional Chinese medicine, hiding the leaflets in each bag of medicine, completing the task under the watchful eyes and intense scrutiny of the enemy.
In his memoir "The Path of the Revolution," included in the book "Under the Red Banner," he wrote: "Comrade Dong and Dao Nhat Lam went to Phan Thiet church to announce my admission to the Party. Comrade Lam said: 'The Party tests your work through rallies, demonstrations, and leaflet distribution. You have fulfilled your responsibility. On behalf of the Party, I certify you as a Party member.'" These lines of memoir, recorded with all the emotion and gratitude, are a testament to the unwavering faith and profound patriotism of these revolutionary fighters.
The Soviet Nghe Tinh Museum still preserves many leaflets of the Party from the Soviet Nghe Tinh movement. With simple and sincere language, these leaflets sometimes sounded like heartfelt appeals, and at other times like forceful persuasion, leaving a deep impression on the people's minds.
"All you soldiers: red-uniformed, blue-uniformed, patrol soldiers, and guard soldiers! You must remember that the French imperialist army forced you to leave your villages, parents, wives, and children, and made you expose your bodies and shed your blood for the benefit of the imperialist army."
Brothers! Have you suffered humiliation and pain yet? You come from the working class and peasantry, so you must defend the workers and peasants in revolution; only revolution can bring about survival…”
Excerpt from a Party leaflet during the Nghe Tinh Soviet movement.
"These leaflets were hidden by the soldiers in their bags or under the bottom of their carrying poles, disguised as market-goers, under the guise of vegetables and fruits. Once they had shaken off the pursuing spies, they would be cleverly distributed at crowded places, village roads, and alleyways. Whenever people found a leaflet, they would secretly read it and pass it on to each other. Through this mutual influence, the ideological transformation among the masses increased, and the Party's leadership role was further enhanced," shared Ms. Tran Thi Hong Nhung, Deputy Director of the Nghe Tinh Soviet Museum, alongside the leaflets with their perfectly preserved handwriting. These are testaments to time, a historical affirmation of an unforgettable heroic period!
A testament to time
Given such difficult and scarce conditions, how were those leaflets produced? The Soviet Nghe Tinh Museum still preserves and displays many artifacts that help us understand the process of creating those powerful leaflets.
Stone tables, clay pots, ink grinding plates, and handmade paper were common tools and materials for two methods of printing leaflets: lithographic printing on stone tables and clay printing. For the clay printing method, soldiers would use pots to cook the clay and use everyday household items such as tea trays, copper trays, wooden trays, or candles, clay molds, etc., as printing stencils. This method had the advantage of being simple, easy to operate, and difficult for the enemy to detect.
Lithographic printing (printing on stone) was more aesthetically pleasing and much more productive, but it was also very laborious. Revolutionary fighters had to secretly engrave documents onto stone, performing many complex steps that were easily detected. The process of printing leaflets was therefore extremely arduous and dangerous. Many of our fighters were imprisoned, beaten, and tortured when suspected by the enemy of being involved in this activity.
Ms. Pham Kim Lan, Deputy Head of the Exhibition Department at the Nghe Tinh Soviet Museum, said that regarding the distribution of leaflets, she always remembers the story of a loyal soldier, Comrade Nguyen Trong Cu (born in 1906). He was born in Ngoc Son village, Xuan Lam commune, now Ngoc Son commune, Thanh Chuong district.
Growing up amidst national turmoil and displacement, he harbored a burning desire to fight for a better life for the people. In early 1928, Comrade Nguyen Trong Cu was assigned the task of distributing leaflets in two villages (Van Lam and Ngoc Son). That night, he secretly planted a flag on the roof of the Ngoc Son village communal house. The next morning, leaflets were scattered all over the roads of the two villages, and the hammer and sickle flag fluttered proudly, bringing joy to the villagers while causing great confusion and anxiety among the colonial and feudal forces.
After numerous activities against the enemy, and especially the active distribution of leaflets, Comrade Nguyen Trong Cu and his comrades were captured by the enemy one morning in October 1931. They took him to Phuc Xa outpost and imprisoned him. There, Comrade Nguyen Trong Cu and many other comrades were brutally tortured, and subsequently sentenced to 16 years of hard labor.
Throughout a long struggle, from the moment he encountered the Party's leaflet and was enlightened by the revolution, Comrade Nguyen Trong Cu and countless other revolutionary fighters wholeheartedly followed the Party without a moment's hesitation. The words in those leaflets remain vividly etched in the hearts of readers today; they are not only a call to action but also the heartfelt voice of steadfast revolutionary fighters.
Through propaganda, the Party gradually enhanced its leadership role, mobilized revolutionary masses, built a solid worker-peasant alliance, and encouraged the people's faith and fighting spirit, contributing to the revolutionary high tide of 1930-1931, culminating in the Nghe Tinh Soviet. Those old, faded leaflets, worn by time, still retain their power – a power unshaken by time, still resonating today...
