T oubles o Socialis Economic In eg a ion:
Czechoslo akia and Join P ojec s wi hin he CMEA
in 1970s and 1980s1
jan Lomíček
KEY WORDS
Socialis Economic In eg a ion — CMEA — The Comp ehensi e P og am — Czechoslo akia — Join
P ojec s — O enbu g Gas-Pipeline
INTRODUCTION
Czechoslo ak pa icipa ion in in e na ional join p ojec s wi hin he Council o
Mu ual Economic Assis ance (CMEA) demons a ed analogous p oblems, which
du ing he se en ies and eigh ies accompanied mul ila e al a emp s o in eg a e
socialis economies o CMEA-membe coun ies on a la ge scale. On one hand he e
was an image o CMEA (widely sp ead h ough o icial discou se) showing o ga-
niza ion as ins i u ion which was success ully unc ioning and was su e ing only
om „pa icula o ganiza ional impe ec ions“. On he o he hand in con empo-
a y a chi es we can ind a desc ip ion o many sys emic di icul ies caused by he
se ings o he o ganiza ion i sel .2 Di icul ies ha o igina ed ou o he na u e o
a socialis economic sys em, o mo e p ecisely planned na ional economies, we e
pa icula ly connec ed wi h coo dina ion p oblems o he na ional i e-yea plans,
ul ilmen o con ac ed e ms o deli e y, ixing o long- e m p ices, c edi e-
paymen e c. In he same way on one hand CMEA was ep esen ing he o ganisa-
ion (based on he hegemony o o mal language)3 which was unsel ishly ull iling
p inciples o socialis ic mu uali y and ideas o p ole a ian in e na ionalism. On
he o he hand we can ind la ge olume o a chi als o legal cha ac e as a esul
o long-las ing nego ia ions o na ional expe g oups whose aims we e o gua an-
ee (despi e mu uali y and unsel ishness) ha no coun y would be pu in disad-
an age. In case o many p ojec s wi hin he CMEA (in eg a ion join p ojec s, eco-
nomic o ganisa ions) hese nego ia ions we e he only esul o hei unc ioning,
whe eas o he eal ou comes we e a leas dispu able. The ollowing pape will a
1 This a icle has been published as a pa o he esea ch p ojec GAUK 2012, No 501312
“The ole o he Czechoslo ak Socialis Republic in he s uc u es o Council o Mu ual
Economic Assis ance 1971–1991 as i appea s in a chi al documen s” a he Facul y o So-
cial Sciences, Cha les Uni e si y, P ague.
2 Some selec ed p oblems a e u he discussed in Randall W. S one, Sa elli es and commis-
sa s. S a egy and con lic in he poli ics o So ie -bloc ade, Ox o d: PUP, pp. 3–71.
3 See Alexej Yu chak, So ie Hegemony o Fo m. In: Compa a i e S udies in Socie y and
His o y 45, No. 3, July, 2003, p. 480–510.
62 WISOHIM/ESHP 19
i s ou line de elopmen o mul ila e al economic in eg a ion a emp s wi hin he
CMEA du ing he se en ies and eigh ies. A e ha i will ocus on ques ions o he
mo i a ion o Czechoslo ak side and ole o i s indus y in pa icipa ion in in eg a-
ion join p ojec s on gi en examples. Alongside i will deal wi h issues connec ed
wi h dicho omy o medial discou se o socialis ic economic in eg a ion and p ob-
lems ha we e accompanying i in eal.
P oblems connec ed wi h „double image“ o CMEA unc ioning a e e lec ed also
in he case o so called in eg a ion join cons uc ion p ojec s, in which Czechoslo ak
Socialis Republic pa icipa ed in du ing he 1970s and 1980s. The opic o his pape
ocusing on in e na ional join p ojec s wi hin he CMEA was selec ed because o
necessa y speci ica ion as i was impossible o co e he p oblems o Czechoslo ak
ole in CMEA in o o. In eg a ion join p ojec s as such also epe i i ely appea in
con empo a y pape s and publica ions om ha pe iod. Besides so called in e na-
ional o ganiza ions we e abo e men ioned in eg a ion p ojec s wi hin CMEA one o
he b anches in which socialis coope a ion and in eg a ion on mul ila e al le el was
(acco ding o he o icial discou se) o a ce ain ex en success ul. This hegemony o
o mal language las ed un il he yea 1989, bu in con empo a y non-public docu-
men s he eali y appea ed conside ably di e en .4 As a his o ical sou ce o his pa-
pe we e used sou ces deposi ed in a chi al collec ions o he Na ional A chi es o
Czech Republic in P ague, pa icula ly collec ions P esidium o he Cen al Commi ee
o he Communis Pa y o Czechoslo akia, O ice o P esidium o Czechoslo ak Go e nmen
and Gus a Husák and om Slo ak Na ional A chi es, collec ion P esidium o Cen al
Commi ee o he Communis Pa y o Slo akia. Recons uc ion o con empo a y o icial
discou se was based on publica ions dealing wi h his o y o CMEA in gene al,5 om
he Czechoslo ak poin o iew6 and om he poin o iew o Czechoslo ak media,
whe e he main sou ce was daily Rudé P á o as he o icial newspape o he Com-
munis Pa y o Czechoslo akia. Besides i he e is also li e a u e which eco ds he
poin o iew o di ec pa icipan s o hese in eg a ion p ojec s (wo ke s, p ojec
a chi ec s, consul an s), ei he con empo a y (o o icial p opagandis ic cha ac e )7
o o memoi cha ac e o igina ed in he ollowing pe iod,8 bu he second ca ego y
is in he case o Czechoslo ak pa icipan s so a limi ed.
4 Public discou se conce ning successes o socialis economic in eg a ion changed im-
media ely also in public p opagandis ic p ess. Good example is mon hly jou nal Maják:
celos a eniš ní no iny p acujících KTUK Dolinská, whe e p oblems o cons uc ion ap-
pea ed almos o e nigh . See Maják, P ague, 1989, no. 1–12 and 1990, no. 1–3.
5 See Bo is Djakin, RVHP: p oblémy a pe spek i y in eg ace, P ague 1980, 199 p.
6 See Bohumil Lehá , Rada zájemné hospodářské pomoci, P ague 1989, 192 p.; Vacla Libán-
ský, Meziná odní socialis ické o ganizace p o hodpodářskou a ědecko echnickou spolup á-
ci, P ague 1980, 260 p.; Milosla Jenšík, P og ess, Ka ačaganak, Dolinská: Českoslo enský
podíl na in eg ačních s a bách So ě ském s azu, P ague 1988, 30 p.; Jose Sm čka, In e -
na ional Economic O ganiza ions and Mul ina ional Co po a ions, P ague 1986, 52 p.
7 See Jiří S ano, My z O enbu gu, P ague 1979, 192 p.
8 See Rol Junghans e al., (eds.), Geheim! — Das eise ne P oblem des Sozialismus, Be lin
2009, 515 p.
jan LOMíčEK 63
SOCIALIST ECONOMIC INTEGRATION ATTEMPTS
Du ing he six ies he a emp s o implemen mul ila e al economic coope a ion
wi hin CMEA began. This p ocess enabled he i s join cons uc ion o huge indus-
ial and anspo a ion p ojec s. O e all i included cons uc ion o mo e han 20 ob-
jec s wi h o al amoun o 2 billions o ans e able ubles. These objec s included o
example he D uzhba pipeline, T anscon inen al gas pipeline, Hunga o-Polish join
company Haldex e c.9 Well-known is he ac ha un il he beginning o he se en-
ies was wi hin CMEA be ween o icials o he join ac i i y o socialis coun ies in
he ield o economy p omo ed he e m coope a ion. Only ew economic expe s ad-
oca ed he e m socialis in eg a ion. Ce ain u ning poin on his ield (and p o-
nouncemen o new cou se) ep esen ed The Comp ehensi e P og am o he Fu he
Ex ension and Imp o emen o Coope a ion and he Fu he De elopmen o Socialis Eco-
nomic In eg a ion, which was app o ed in he yea 1971.10 A he ime o i s app o al on
he XXV. session o CMEA in Bucha es his p og am de ined a new concep o c e-
a ing in e connec ed economic a ea o Eas e n bloc coun ies, which would enable
economic in eg a ion based no only on bila e al economic ela ions o indi idual
coun ies. Comp ehensi e p og am aimed o e o m he dismal s a e he socialis coop-
e a ion showed. The signe s o his p og am also hoped o achie e compe i i e abil-
i y o in eg a ed socialis economies in ela ion economic communi ies o so called
de eloped capi alis ic coun ies. In his meaning he p og am ep esen ed kind o
delayed eac ion agains de elopmen o wes e n ma ke s. The e m coope a ion
was inally subs i u ed in o icial e minology wi h in eg a ion and wi h ha u n
a new pe iod o economic expe imen s om he o ical as well as p ac ical pe spec-
i e s a ed.11
In he ealm o economy and science he in eg a ion based on Comp ehensi e p o-
g am ound he exp ession in es ablishing new ypes o ansna ional collabo a ion.
Those in ol ed so called In e na ional economic o ganiza ions wi hin CMEA which
we e u he di ided in o in e s a e o ganiza ions and in e na ional o ganiza ions.
The whole sys em o CMEA- ela ed in e na ional economic o ganiza ions was a bi
unsys ema ic, bu i is essen ial o explain i a li le. Acco ding o economic expe s
in e s a e o ganiza ions we e di ided in o wo g oups: a) o ganiza ions wi h gene al
au ho i y, which was in ac CMEA in gene al and b) o ganiza ions wi h special au-
ho i y ( hose included o example Join olling s ock, In e spu nik, In e elek o,
In e me all, he In e na ional In es men Bank, he In e na ional Bank o Economic
Coope a ion, in e na ional scien i ic ins i u ions e c.). These o ganiza ions we e es-
ablished by indi idual s a es which ac ed as membe s. They we e unc ioning as
in e s a e ins i u ions es ablished o accomplish speci ied goals in a ious a eas o
9 Join in es menn s in CMEA in pu sued pe iod a e analyzed in László Csaba, Eas e n Eu-
ope in he Wo ld Economy, Camb idge, 1990, pp. 99–124.
10 Fo u he analysis see Randall W. S one, Sa elli es and commissa s. S a egy and con lic
in he poli ics o So ie -bloc ade, Ox o d 2002, pp. 115–147.
11 In media discou se p ocess o e m subs i u ions las ed much longe . See L. H udka, Ve
š ábu O enbu gu, Rudé P á o, 11. 5. 1975, p. 3.
64 WISOHIM/ESHP 19
economic ac i i y. In pa icula hey we e ac ing on ields whe e as solu ion a he
han ungainly p ocedu es ca ied by CMEA appa a us was necessa y. The e o e hese
o ganiza ions acco ding o hei cha ac e is ics ( ield o ac i i y, o ganiza ional
s uc u e, sea , legal basis, inancing) cons i u ed a highly he e ogenous complex.12
The second ca ego y acco ding o Comp ehensi e p og am was made o so called
in e na ional socialis economic o ganiza ions. They we e based on (mainly bila e al)
in e s a e ag eemen o es ablished a e he ag eemen o o he in e es ed economic
ins i u ions. Thei aims we e a i s coo dina ion o ac i i ies o hei membe s, o
hei own economic ac i i y, namely in he a eas o ma e ial p oduc ion, a chi ec
p ojec s and cons uc ion, o eign ade and scien i ic esea ch. In e na ional eco-
nomic o ganisa ions we e supposed o ope a e on he le el o domes ic economic
ins i u ions. Unlike in e s a e economic o ganiza ions hey shouldn’ pa icipa e
in ela ions de ined by in e na ional law and hei expec ed membe s we e i s o
all economic ins i u ions. In gene al hose o ganiza ions we e u he di ided in o
in e na ional economic associa ions, join en e p ises and in e na ional economic
pa ne ships.13
The ca ego y o in e na ional economic associa ions included o example In e -
a omins umen , In e ex ilmash, In e chim olokno and o he s, join en e p ises
we e Haldex, join ge man-polish spinning mill D uzhba, E dene , in ca ego y o in-
e na ional economic pa ne ships we e included o example In e neph p oduk ,
Dunaj ans e c. Besides hese he e was one special ca ego y, so called „o he in e -
na ional economic o ganiza ions“ which included especially ins i u ions engaged in
geological su eying o sol ing o he scien i ic p oblems. The abo e men ioned ex
showed ha he sys em o so called in e na ional economic o ganiza ions wi hin
CMEA was a leas qui e he e ogenous. In spi e o se e al uni ying egula ions o
hese o ganiza ions app o ed epea edly by he CMEA Execu i e Commi ee (in 1973
and 1976), he si ua ion hasn’ changed.14
As i was w i en abo e, in e na ional socialis o ganiza ions issues we e li le
bi diso ganised. Some o hem we e ac i e on he ield o ac i i y why hey we e
cons i u ed, and hei successo o ganiza ions ha e been in some o m unc ioning
up o he p esen . O he s emained only in he o m o hei legal base. Besides in e -
na ional economic o ganiza ions was he ealiza ion o accep ed Comp ehensi e p o-
g am exp essed namely in he o m o in eg a ion a angemen s which led o mu ual
in es men and economic ac i i y o CMEA s a es, hus also o he coope a ion in so
called in eg a ion cons uc ion p ojec s.
The Comp ehensi e P og am o Fu he Ex ension and Imp o emen o Coope a ion
sugges ed he se o measu es which we e acco ding o he con empo a y ma e ials
di ided in o h ee sphe es: 1) measu es imp o ing he sys em o coope a ion, 2) mea-
12 See Václa Libánský, Meziná odní socialis ické o ganizace p o hospodářskou a ědeckou
spolup áci, P ague1980, pp. 12–36.
13 Ibid. Fo ano he app oach see Ha ie Ma ejka, Mo e join en e p ises wi hin CMEA. In:
John P. Ha d , Ca l H. Mc Millan, Planned Economies: Con on ing he Challenges o he
1980s, Camb idge 2010, pp. 171–189.
14 Ibid, p. 27.
jan LOMíčEK 65
su es ocused on in ensi ying coope a ion o CMEA membe s a es in he ma e ial
sphe e which we e supposed o pu he in eg a ion o pa icula b anches o p oduc-
ion in o p ac ice and 3) se o measu es in legal and ins i u ional sphe e o g adually
enhance he ac i i y o exis ing CMEA au ho i ies. The adop ion o Comp ehensi e
p og am s a ed a new pe iod in in es men ac i i ies o CMEA membe s. Du ing he
se en ies and eigh ies he mu ual in es men ac i i y was supposed o exceed om
indus ial b anches o mining, p ocessing and anspo a ion o uel and aw ma e i-
als o manu ac u ing indus y and should be ensu ed bo h legally and ins i u ionally.
This p ocess was o be p o ided by he app o al o A anged plan o mul ila e al in e-
g a ion measu es o he pe iod 1976–1980 accep ed by XXIX. CMEA session in Budapes
and second A anged plan o pe iod 1981–1985 accep ed by XXXV. CMEA session in
Sophia. In he i s pe iod he alue o in es men ac i i ies o CMEA s a es eached
he le el o 9 billions o ans e able ubles, in he ollowing pe iod he alue o in-
es men s doubled. The plan i sel o he yea s 1981–1985 con ained app oxima ely
200 measu es o a ious scale. Compa ed o he six ies, in e es ed s a es began o
pa icipa e in mo e join in es men ac ions beyond hei own bo de s. Tha is why
he In e na ional In es men Bank was es ablished in 1970 in Moscow. I was sup-
posed o enable hese in es men ac i i ies o CMEA membe s. A signi ican pa o
hese p ojec s was o be ealized in he So ie Union. Acco ding o he measu es ad-
op ed on he basis o Comp ehensi e P og am o he ocus o a en ion should come he
sphe e o manu ac u ing indus y, bu mos signi ican in es men ac ions om he
Czechoslo ak poin o iew we e ealized in hea y indus y.15
Pa icula examples o join in es men ac ions du ing he se en ies, in which
Czechoslo akia ook pa , we e on he i s place gas pipeline Soyuz (Czechoslo ak
pa icipa ion was 10% o budge p ice, which was a ound 460 millions o ans e able
ubles), in addi ion o he p ojec s we e asbes os p ocessing plan in USSR (Czecho-
slo akia — 3% o budge p ice), powe line om Vinny sya (USSR) o Albe i sa
(Hunga y) (Czechoslo ak pa — 10% o budge p ice), eeding yeas p ocessing plan
in Mozy (USSR) (Czechoslo ak pa — 6,6% o budge p ice), ai line pe sonnel edu-
ca ion cen e in USSR and so called Mu ual Complex Au oma ic Telecommunica ion
Sys em. Wi hou Czechoslo ak pa icipa ion we e a he ime ealized p ojec s such
as cons uc ing cellulose p ocessing plan in Us -Ylim and also some p ojec s o join
en e p ises such as so ie -mongolian E dene .16
In he i s hal o he eigh ies he key in es men issues om he Czechoslo ak
poin o iew we e especially coope a ion in he cons uc ion o Khmelny skyi Nu-
clea Powe Plan (USSR) (Czechoslo ak pa icipa ion — a ound 15% o budge p ice)
and coope a ion in powe line cons uc ion om Khmelny skyi Powe Plan o Rz-
eszow (Poland). Also in es men s in o cons uc ion acili ies ealized in Mozy and in
Mu ual Complex Au oma ic Telecommunica ion Sys em con inued. Following objec s
o mu ual in es men s wi hin CMEA we e in es men ac i i y in econs uc ion and
u he cons uc ion o in e na ional ailway and oad ne wo k.
15 See Bohumil Lehá , Rada zájemné hospodářské pomoci, P ague 1989, pp. 136–158.
16 See V a isla Válek, Společná in es iční činnos členských s á ů RVHP, P ague 1984,
pp. 42–54.

66 WISOHIM/ESHP 19
Fu he p og ess in in eg a ion a emp s wi hin CMEA was The Comp ehensi e P o-
g am o Scien i ic and Technical P og ess up o he Yea 2000 which was a i ied in Decem-
be 1985 du ing XLI. ex ao dina y CMEA Session in Moscow. The gene al sec e a y o
Communis Pa y o he So ie Union (CPSU) Mikhail Go bacho on ha occasion said:
“In oday’s wo ld wi h complica ed condi ions o economic g ow h, s eep d op o eco-
nomic boom and se e e compe i ion ha e clea pe spec i e and secu i y g ea impo -
ance o he u u e. And such pe spec i e and secu i y gi es o he com ade coun ies
socialis economic in eg a ion and hei bila e al and mul ila e al coope a ion wi hin
CMEA. Bu his weal h doesn’ lay on he su ace. We ha e o do a lo o wo k o ake ad-
an age o i . We ha e o accomplish collec i ely a lo and ca y ou many la ge asks.”
As i was om he speech despi e o mal s e eo ypized language clea , CMEA
membe s s a ed o ealize he necessi y o close coope a ion as an escape ou e
om di icul economic si ua ion. In eg a ion a emp s ound exp ession also in he
adop ed o mal he o ic o Communis pa y o Czechoslo akia. In he documen
called P incipal di ec ions o economic and social de elopmen o Czechoslo akia o yea s
1986–1990 and p ospec s o he yea 2000, which was a i ied on XVII. cong ess o Com-
munis pa y o Czechoslo akia in yea 1986, i is men ioned no only he necessi y
o secu ing 22% g ow h o o eign ade wi h CMEA membe coun ies, bu also he
necessi y “… o de elop i s o all in e b anch and in e sec o al exchange. Special
a en ion mus be paid o in eg a ion join p ojec s, which p o ide supplies o uels,
ene gies and aw ma e ials and s enhg en economic esis ance o he pa ne ship.”17
This s a ed a bi hec ic endea ou o ca ch up wi h wes e n economies which
included in ensi ying he in eg a ion a emp s. I was mani es ed by accele a ed e-
aliza ion o u he join in eg a ion p ojec s, such as gas pipeline P og ess and i on
o e p ocessing combined plan in he a ea o K i oy Rog in Uk aine.
INTEGRATION CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS
The p inciple o so called in eg a ion cons uc ion p ojec s was in ac pa ial in-
ol emen o CMEA membe s in p ojec ealiza ion in exchange o he pe cen age
sha e o he inal p oduc ion du ing he gi en pe iod. In eg a ion pa icipan s in ac
p o ided wi h hei cons uc ion capaci ies, machines, acili ies and manpowe an
in es men c edi o he a ge economy (abo e all o he USSR). This c edi had o be
subsequen ly epaid o he con ac pe iod in he o m o mined uel, aw ma e ials
o inal p oduc s.
Ou o join in eg a ion p ojec s o he se en ies and eigh ies we e in Czechoslo-
ak media and o icial ma e ials accen ed i s o all p ojec s o gas pipeline Soyuz
(gas mining and gas anspo a ion om he ese oi in O enbu g), gas pipeline
P og ess (gas mining and anspo a ion om ese oi in Jambu g), gaswo k com-
pound Ka achaganak and i on o e p ocessing combined plan in he a ea o K i oy
Rog, si e Dolinska.
17 See Milosla Jenšík, P og ess, Ka ačaganak, Dolinská: Českoslo enský podíl na in e g ač-
ních s a bách So ě ském s azu, P ague 1988. p. 3.
jan LOMíčEK 67
1) Soyuz. P ojec O enbu g (which was also a popula name o he whole gas pipe-
line) included pa icipa ion o all CMEA Eu opean coun ies in he cons uc ion o
gaswo ks complex in O enbu g and 2677 km long gas pipeline Soyuz om O enbu g
o he wes e n bo de s o he USSR. The cons uc ion ended in yea 1979.
2) P ojec P og ess. In case o P og ess gas pipeline ( om Jambu g) Czechoslo-
akia ook pa in cons uc ion o a 300km long sec ion o e coming he Ca pa hian
moun ains and ou comp ession s a ions in yea s 1986–1988, pa icipa ion also in-
cluded a supply o cons uc ion acili ies (ma e ials, po able buildings and means
o anspo ).
3) P ojec Ka achaganak. Pa icipa ion included he cons uc ion o sec ion o
U al gaswo k complex Ka achaganak in Aksay locali y du ing he pe iod planned
a i s o he yea s 1986–1990. I included namely cons uc ion o building acili-
ies — communica ions, cons uc ion bases and cen al o ices o So ie companies,
housing cons uc ions and public acili ies. Cons uc ion was planned o be ex ended
also a e 1990.
4) P ojec Dolinska. I on o e p ocessing (en iching) combined plan in Dolinska
locali y in he a ea o K i oy Rog in Uk aine ep esen ed one o he las huge in es -
men p ojec s jus immedia ely be o e he s a o he pe iod o economic ansi ion
o cen ally planned economies o Eas e n Bloc. Czechoslo ak pa icipa ion included
cons uc ion o magne ic sepa a ion shed, 1500 apa men s, kinde ga en, school and
o he public acili ies (Czechoslo ak in es men s made 13,7% o o al cos s o con-
s uc ion), a ound 200 Czechoslo ak builde s ook pa in cons uc ion wo ks.18
The ollowing pa o his pape will examine some p oblems a ising om Czecho-
slo ak pa icipa ion in wo in eg a ion join p ojec s men ioned abo e — p ojec
Soyuz and en iching combined plan in Dolinska. Soyuz (O enbu g) gas pipeline was
la e p omo ed by So ie pa y as a model ype o in eg a ion p ojec and was used
also as a con ac ual pa e n in he case o o he in eg a ion cons uc ion p ojec s.
In some ways i also p e igu ed he p oblems which accompanied he Czechoslo ak
pa icipa ion in CMEA in eg a ion a emp s in nex pe iod.
PROJECT ORENBURG
In yea s 1970 and 1971 he in e go e nmen al ag eemen s be ween Czechoslo akia
and USSR and Czechoslo akia and GDR o e con ac s o capaci y ex ension o so
called T ansi gaspipeline we e al eady concluded. The gaspipeline in ques ion ans-
po ed So ie gas in wes e n di ec ion. Acco ding o hese ag eemen s he supposed
anspo ing capaci y ill 1980 should each 28 billions m3, whe e mo e han one hal
(16,5 billions m3) was des ined o he anspo o So ie gas o he coun ies o Wes -
e n Eu ope (Aus ia, I aly, F ance, Wes Ge many).19
18 Ibid, p. 5–28.
19 See The Na ional A chi es (NA), P ague, P esidium o Go e nmen , ca . 189, 203/1/33,
1975, Repo om ba gaining o e impo o na u al gas o Czechoslo akia, cons uc ion
o T ansi pipeline.
68 WISOHIM/ESHP 19
P ojec O enbu g was designed o ie oge he he inishing ne wo k o T ansi
gaspipeline and O enbu g na u al gas ese oi and supplemen in his way equi ed
capaci y o So ie na u al gas o he expo (no only) o he wes e n coun ies.
Gene al ag eemen on coope a ion du ing u iliza ion o O enbu g gas ese oi and
cons uc ion o long-dis ance gas pipeline O enbu g — wes e n bo de s o USSR
was signed in he summe o 1974. The Con en o abo e men ioned ag eemen is
impo an pa icula ly because o la e e e ences du ing ba gaining wi h So ie
pa y abou ollowing in eg a ion p ojec s. I is logical ha in he case o O enbu g
p ojec wha was emphasized was i s in eg a ion unc ion wi h espec o he social-
is sys em a he han men ioning he p io i ies o So ie ene ge ic expo . A simila
si ua ion can be ound wi h machine equipmen used du ing he cons uc ion — em-
phasized was he ac ha he cons uc ion is almos sel -su icien using machines
om Eas e n Bloc, no men ioning he ine i abili y o u iliza ion o machine y om
de eloped capi alis coun ies.
Gene al p o ide o Czechoslo ak sec ion o cons uc ion was T ansi gas pipe-
line P ague, na ional co po a ion (n. c.), which was o p o ide hando e o u nkey
cons uc ions, o eign ade ac i i ies we e unde he compe ence o Fo eign ade
o ganiza ion Simex. Acco ding o he o iginal ag eemen he Czechoslo ak pa y was
supposed o p o ide a comple ed cons uc ion o he second sec ion o gas pipeline
om Alexand o Gay o Sokh ano ka in he lengh o 562 km, including he cons uc-
ion o i e comp essing s a ions (locali ies Kalininskaya, An ipo ka, Pallaso ka, F o-
lo o, Sokh ano ka) and o he ela ed cons uc ions, pe iod o hando e was ixed on
he hi d qua e o 1978.
The p ojec was om he e y beginning acing se e al oubles; i s o all i was
a di icul y wi h mee ing he deadlines o he p ojec , which was on he o he hand
de ac o he p oblem o he whole sys em o planned economies.
Fi e-yea plan se ing didn’ coun oo much wi h ”sudden ac ions” which we en’
planned su icien ly in ad ance and ha was also he p oblem o O enbu g p ojec .
The p ojec was unning la e om he e y beginning, in ac om he phase o p oj-
ec documen a ion au ho izing which was comple ed by he So ie pa y behind
schedule. On he o he hand he So ie pa y demanded one-yea sho ening o con-
s uc ion pe iod o Czechoslo ak sec ion, which mean inishing in au umn 1977. This
was no he only demand So ie pa y had. They also eques ed he inc ease o T ansi
gas pipeline anspo a ion olume ( om 28 bil. m3 o 37 bil. m3 ill 1980), which
mean no only ex ending o pipeline i sel , bu also cons uc ion o comp essing
s a ions. Wha was behind i was clea — decla ed in e na ionalism had o s ay back
behind, he g ow h o So ie o eign ade demands was abo e all.
A he same ime Czechoslo ak pa y go in o p oblems in he sphe e o machine
p o ision o he cons uc ion. The So ie Minis y o Fo eign T ade decla ed ha o
he yea 1975 (in spi e o he demand o sho ening o he cons uc ion) he Czecho-
slo ak sec ion could coun only wi h app o ed supplies and in he case o acquisi ion
o o eign specialized machine y om capi alis coun ies i was o expec delay o
supplies bo h in he ma e o capaci y and he da e o deli e y (acco ding o he Gen-
e al ag eemen was So ie pa y supposed o main ain he equipmen o he cons uc-
ion si e wi h specialized machine y). Czechoslo ak pa y was in ha way o ced o
jan LOMíčEK 69
y o main ain supplies on i s own. In addi ion du ing Czechoslo ak-So ie nego-
ia ions Czechoslo ak leade ship pu a s ain on adminis a ion and o ganiza ion o
Czechoslo ak p o ide s ela ed o he esou ces sa ing, especially in he sphe e o
machine equipmen supplied o he Czechoslo ak sec ion o Soyuz cons uc ion.
P olonged nego ia ions we e conduc ed because So ie side was o ake on some
o he Czech obliga ions due o he sho ening he cons uc ion pe iod o he p ojec .
In hese nego ia ions Czechoslo akia me hapho ically go a aw deal. So ie pa ne s
insis ed on disad an ageous compensa ional condi ions o Czechoslo akia. In gi en
speech minis e o oil and gas acili ies cons uc ion Sche bina said ha “demands
o So ie pa y a e adequa e, because Czechoslo ak pa ne s would ha e o buy in
any case all demanded (and e en mo e) machine y and would ha e much highe
cos s connec ed wi h ealiza ion o con ac ed wo ks, demand o se e al housand
o wo ke s, housing capaci ies and ealiza ion o cons uc ion in di icul clima ic
condi ions.”20
A e he nego ia ions he So ie side a e all ag eed o ake on he cons uc ion
o he pa o he Czechoslo ak sec ion o pipeline. The sec ions in ol ed he passage
o e he Volgog ad dam, o e he Don i e and pa o pipeline anging om 150–200
km. All wi h one condi ion — ha Czechoslo ak pa ne will eques he So ie help.
Howe e his equi ed app op ia e compensa ion om he Czechoslo ak side wo h
30 millions o So ie ubles (o in he o m o ans e o al eady pu chased cons uc-
ion machine y om capi alis s a es) and in addi ion supplies o 1000 Ta a ucks
du ing pe iod o 1975–1978.21
A e he Czechoslo ak-So ie nego ia ions p ojec O enbu g go dispensa ions
in miscellaneous sec o s — in case o cons uc ion ma e ials supplies, supplies o
cons uc ion acili ies, cons uc ion equipmen , including supplies om domes ic
p oduc ion and om p oduc ion o capi alis coun ies. And inally he p ojec go
also excep ion o he Czechoslo ak cen ally-planned economy in gene al. The epo
on O enbu g p ojec om Janua y 1975 o P esidium o go e nmen s a ed: „I is ex-
pec ed ha necessa y equipmen s (o he p ojec ) will be no possible o co e om
planned p oduc ion wi hou dis up ion o al eady made con ac o -cus ome con-
ac s. The e o e i is necessa y ( o he p ojec ) o he S a e A bi e o Czechoslo a-
kia o exemp con ac o s in subs an ia ed cases om inancial sanc ions esul ing
om non- ealiza ion o ea lie made economic con ac s wi h ega d o high p io i y
p o ision o cons uc ion o Czechoslo ak sec ion o gas pipeline O enbu g.“22 The
20 See NA P ague, P esidium o Go e nmen , 203/1/33, 1975, epo Cons uc ion o Czecho-
slo ak sec ion o O enbu g gas pipeline, 28. 5. 1975, p. 4.
21 This e m appea ed as one o he bigges p oblems, because du ing 1975–1976 we e hese
ehicles aken om supposed capaci y designa ed o he domes ic ma ke , du ing ollow-
ing pe iod he ea e om he expo capaci ies designed o he wes e n coun ies. Ea li-
e So ie sugges ion demanded supplies e en highe up o 2500 ucks in ha pe iod be-
yond s anda d expo a es o he USSR. Fo illus a i e pu poses 1000 ucks o con em-
po a y p oduced model T148 ep esen ed one six h o o e all yea expo o hese ucks.
22 See NA P ague, P esidium o Go e nmen , 203/1/33, 1975, Repo on p epa a ion and e-
aliza ion o Czechoslo ak sec ion o O enbu g gas pipeline, 31. 1. 1975, p. 6.