The Tax Starving

From Ipon

"Голодать от тягла"

About 15,000 Sakhaliyan's starved to death between 1954-1960 and another 30,000 fled from the food shortages accross the border to the Primorsky State and China, in a 6 year period refered to as 'Golodat Ot Tyagla'. This was a direct result of the crippling shipping taxes the USSR imposed on Sakhaliya, prompting them to seek friendship in China. It lead to a massive decline in Sakhal-Soviet relations, and was also a slight propellant in the Sino-Soviet split.