Excerpts from the book NS Khrushchev Time, People, Power (Memoirs, Book 2, Part 3) After Stalins death Remembering today, June 1, 1971, those days have to honestly say that we received after the death of Stalin heavy legacy. The country was devastated. Masterminding, formed under Stalin was, if I may say so, is not good. Huddled together by countless people. Here and unable to innovations Molotov and Beria dangerous for all, and tumbleweed Malenkov, Stalin and blind singer will Kaganovich. In the camps sat 10 million people. Prisons were overcrowded. There was even a special prison for party activists, which was created by the special task of Stalin, Malenkov. In the international environment have not seen the lumen was in full cold war. Load on the Soviet people from the primacy of military production was incredible. During the funeral of Stalin and Beria after they showed me a lot of attention, showed their respect. I was surprised by this. He did not break his demonstratively friendly ties with Malenkov, but suddenly began to establish friendly relations with me. If used to gather together they walk to the Kremlin, and then I was invited. In a word, began to demonstrate my closeness to him. I certainly did not resist, even though my negative opinion about Beria not changed, but rather, strengthened even more. There was an agreement: be the agenda of meetings of the Presidium of the Central Committee together - Malenkov and Khrushchev. Malenkov chaired the meetings, and I just participated in the drafting of the agenda. Beria also increasingly gaining strength, it grew rapidly audacity. All his provocative contraption was put to them in the course of time. Then there was the first clash of the other members of the Presidium of the Central Committee of Beria and Malenkov. The Bureau has already changed in composition. We went back to a narrower range of members, and the Bureau, which was created by Stalin at the plenum immediately after XIX Party Congress, we eliminated (1). Beria and Malenkov made a proposal to cancel the decision taken under Stalin, the building of socialism in the German Democratic Republic. They read out the relevant document, but did not give it to us in his hands, though Beria had written text. He read it on my own and on behalf of Malenkov. Molotov took the first word. He strongly opposed this proposal and well reasoned objections. I was happy that Molotov acts so boldly and soundly. He said that we can not go for it; that there will be a surrender; that to abandon the construction of socialism in the GDR - so disorienting party forces East, and not only in Eastern Germany, lose perspective; it is a capitulation to the Americans. I totally agree with Molotov and immediately asked for the same supporting Molotov. After I made Bulganin, who was sitting next to me. Then the rest were members of the Presidium. And Pervukhin and Saburov, Kaganovich and Beria opposed the proposal - Malenkov relatively GDR. Beria and Malenkov then withdrew his paper. We did not vote and are not recorded in the minutes of the discussion. It seems that the question was not like this. There was a trick. We parted after the meeting, but the soul remains bitter. How can such an important issue to come out with such a proposal? I thought it was - the anti-communist stance. We knew, of course, that uses Malenkov, Beria and Malenkov, a calf, and went with him in this matter. Meeting ended and we went out of the hall three - Malenkov, Beria and me. But nothing has been discussed. On the same day I saw with Molotov, and he told me: I am very pleased that you have taken a stand. I will admit, is not expected because the three of us have always seen you and thought that you take a common position with Malenkov and Beria thought Khrushchev probably already zaavansirovalsya on this issue. fixed, sharp position you have taken, I really liked. And then he invited me to go with him to you. I, in turn, said that too pleased that Vyacheslav took a correct position. And after a while Bulganin calls me: You have not called?. I immediately understood without further explanation: No, I did not call. Me and do not call. And I have already called. And what did you say?. They told me to think again: if I want to hold the post of defense minister?. And who exactly do you call?. First one, then another. Both called. No, I did not call because they know that their call can hurt them. Thereafter, by Beria towards me like appearance would have changed. But I realized that there is a ploy, Asiatic. In this term we put such a sense of what a person thinks one thing and says something quite different. I knew that Beria conducts two-faced policy, plays with me, calms me down, and he is waiting for the moment to deal with me in the first place, when the time was right. At one meeting, he made a suggestion: Since many prisoners or exiles end sentences or links and they should be returned to the place of former residence, offer to make a decision, so that none of them had the right to return without the permission of the Minister of Internal Affairs and remained to live in areas predestined ministry. I was outraged and spoke against, saying: Strongly mind it - outrage. Outrage has been previously admitted. These people arrested state security, the investigation also led state security and state security judged. Troika , which were created in the KGB, created what they wanted. Neither the investigator nor the prosecutor, nor the court, there was nothing, just dragged and killed people. Now, people who have served his sentence by sentence, even triple, again denied all are criminals, and they indicate place of residence by the Ministry of the Interior. This is unacceptable. All other supported me. Beria again deftly withdrew his proposal. Protocol signed Malenkov, and again the question was not recorded. There have sounded more serious signal by Beria. Then he makes a seemingly liberal proposal: change such and such a decision (called time and number), which provided for the arrest and conviction of those arrested triples for up to 20 years in prison or exile. Beria proposed to reduce up to 10 years. It seemed pretty bid. But I understood correctly Beria and said: It is strictly against this, because it is necessary to review the whole system of arrests, court and investigative practices. It is arbitrary. A question 20 or 10 years condemn, does not really matter because you can first condemn for 10 years, and then for another 10 years, and again at 10. This has already happened. We receive documents stipulating that such techniques are practiced. Therefore, I am totally against. Beria again withdrew his proposal. So I actively opposed Beria on two issues. On the first issue supported the Molotovs speech, the second all other supported me. Thus, I have no doubt that Beria now correctly understands me and already is planning its action because he can not accept the fact that someone was standing in his way. Developed such conditions. What then proposed Beria, this beast? Once we walked, walked, and he began to develop this thought: We all walk under God, as they say in the old days, age, anything can happen to any of us, and we are family. We need to think about old age, and for their families. I would suggest to build personal residences, to be transferred to the ownership of the state to those who built them. For me was not so surprising, not communist course of thinking. He fully elm way Beria. And, besides, I was convinced that all this was said in provocative purposes. And he continues: I propose to build cottages not near Moscow and Sukhumi. Oh, what a city. And he began to say, what a wonderful city. But I suggest building in Sukhumi on the outskirts. Why go out of town? Should be released in the center of a large area to plant a garden there, dilute peaches. And he began to praise, which grow there peaches which grapes. Then he developed his ideas further. He thought it was: what is needed waitstaff what staff. All put them on a broad, lordly leg. Design and construction will lead the Ministry of Interior. In the first place, I believe we must build for Egor (ie Malenkov), then you, Molotov, Voroshilov, and then another. I listen to it in silence until disagree. Then say, To think is necessary. Finished talking, and we both went to the dacha Malenkov. Traveling in a car together. Approached the turn to Rublevskoe highway. There we have to go with Malenkov on the left, and Beria - right. And I sat down with Malenkov in one car. I said to him: How do you look at it? Its pure provocation. Well, why do you feel about him?. I see it through, it provocateur. Is it possible to do so? Come on now do not contradict, that he is doing and thinks that his plan nobody understands. Beria began to develop his idea. Instructed to make projects. When they finished, invited us in, showed the projects and proposed to begin construction. Reported to us on these issues known builder. Now this fellow works as the chief construction enterprises of atomic energy. I knew him before the war and the events in the war. Beria considered him know face him, because he worked with Beria and performed what he told him. After another meeting, I said to Malenkov, Understand, Beria has a cottage. He tells us that there will build myself too, but it will not build itself. But you build and it will be done to your discredit. No, no, what are you. But for me the important was the fact that Beria proposed to build their own cottages necessarily in Sukhumi. The project has been planned to the place where will be built cottage Malenkov. According to the plan anticipated eviction of a large number of people living there. The minister, who reported to us, saying that he should be evicted great number of them, and that such a building - for people things disaster. Joke to say, their property there, how many generations have lived there, and suddenly they are evicted? Beria also explained that the place is chosen so that Malenkov from his summer could see the Black Sea and Turkey to watch. He joked: The Turkish coast is on the horizon, very beautiful. And when everyone had gone and we were alone again with Malenkov, I say to him: Do not you understand what he wants Beria? He wants to make a pogrom throw people break their pockets and build you a palace there. All this will be enclosed by a fence. Starts bubbling resentment in the city. Everyone will be interested, for whom this building? And when all is done, you come, and people see that the car sits. Chairman of USSR Council of Ministers, all the mayhem all evictions are made for you. Indignation not manifest Only in Sukhumi, it spill over to other places. And this need Beria. then you ask yourself about the resignation. Malenkov became thoughtful. Talked about Beria and Molotov cottages. I did not expect this from Molotov Molotov but suddenly agreed. He said only that he let built not in the Caucasus, and from Moscow. I was surprised. I thought that Molotov flash and begin to argue. I do not know how it happened. And since no one has been actively spoke against the machine worked. Drafted, Beria looked at them. After work we stopped to Beria, and he showed me the draft of my garden. Hey, hey, what a nice house, see what. I said, Yes, I really like. Take home project. I brought home a project and, I confess, did not know where to put it. Nina Petrovna, the wife says to me: What have you got?. I told her. Wife indignantly: This is an outrage!. I could not explain anything Nina Petrovna, and said only: Come on, remove it, then well talk. So, the case began. Beria boosted construction, but prior to his arrest so nothing was done on the merits. When he was arrested, we all immediately canceled. A project for a long time cottages lying somewhere near me. Then Beria developed frenzied activity to intervene in the life of the Party organizations. He fabricated the document on the situation in the Ukrainian leadership. The first blow of the number they conceived he decided to strike a Ukrainian party organization. I figured that he developed this business in order to pull back and my person. He collected the materials he needed through the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the USSR, and began to involve in preparation of the case head of the regional Interior Ministry. Chief of police in Lviv was Strokach (2). Now hes dead. It was an honest Communist and a good soldier. Before the war he was a colonel in command of the border troops. During the war he worked as Chief of Staff of Ukrainian partisans and always reported to me about the condition of enemy-occupied territory. I saw that this is an honest and decent man. After the war, he was appointed Commissioner of the Interior Ministry in Lviv region, where the act Bandera. Later we learned that when he was approached by the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine and asked him compromising materials on party workers, the Strokach said it was not his business, and the regional party committee secretary, let address there. Then Strokacha Beria called and said that if he becomes clever, it will be turned into a camp dust. But in 1953 we first knew nothing, though felt that there is an approach to the game, it subordinate to the Ministry of the Interior. Berias note on leading cadres of Ukraine were discussed in the Central Committee. As a result, it was decided to release Melnikova from duties of the Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party, and in its place to elect Kirichenko (3). Beria was the idea that local, national cadres allegedly not allowed to the leadership that they will not pull out, and offered to enter into the Presidium of the Central Committee of the Communist Party Korneychuka. This was done at the plenum. But I already told comrades after Beria was arrested as he passed the plenum. Kornejchuk misunderstood why his candidacy was put forward, and began to speak in favor of all sorts of words of Beria. Not realized, for which Beria was trying so hard. Next note Beria concerned Balts, then Belarus. And the same orientation. In its proposals, not all was wrong. CPSU Central Committee and by the time he headed for the nomination of national cadres. And we decided that in the republics of the post of first secretary of the Central Committee should take a local person and not sent from Moscow Russian. Generally, Beria had anti-Russian orientation. He preached that the field dominance of Russian reigns, it is necessary to besiege them. So all and understood and began to smash not only Russian, but also those of national staff who were not fighting with Russian dominance. This happened in many Party organizations of the national republics. I have repeatedly said Malenkov: Can not you see where slopes deal? Were going to crash. Beria took knives for us. Malenkov me: Well, and what to do I see, but what to do?. I told him: We must resist, at least in this form: you see that the questions posed by Beria, are often anti-party orientation. It should not take them, and mind. You want me to be left alone? But I do not want to. Why do you think you will be alone, if you start to object? You and I - already two. Bulganin, Im thinking just because I once exchanged views with him. Others too will go with us, if we argue argued, with party positions. You did not give the possibility to say a word to anyone. Once Beria will offer you now in a hurry to support him, saying: It is true, correct sentence, I am for, who can be against? And once you vote. And you give me an opportunity speak to others, hold your self, do not jump, and you will see that not one person thinks differently. I am convinced that many do not agree on some issues with Beria. I suggested: We do make up the agenda. Cmon, put sharp questions, which, in our view, correctly entered Beria and begin to contradict him. I am convinced that we thereby mobilize other members of the Bureau, and the solutions will not Beria accepted. Malenkov finally agreed. I was, frankly, and surprised and delighted. We have made the next agenda of the meeting of the Presidium of the Central Committee. I do not remember what questions were then, many years have passed. At the meeting we were arguments against on all issues. Others have also supported, and the ideas have not been Beria. It happened in several sessions in a row. Only then Malenkov found hope, it turns out that you can fight with Beria purely partisan methods have their own influence on the issues and to reject those proposals which, in our view, are not useful for the party and the country. We have seen that Beria began to force things. He already felt over the members of the Bureau, put on airs and even outwardly demonstrated its superiority. We experienced a very dangerous moment. I believed that an urgent need to act, and Malenkov said that we should talk to other members of the Bureau on this matter. Apparently, the meeting is not work, and we must face to face talk with everyone to know the opinion on the fundamental question relationship to Beria.
Posted on: Mon, 09 Jun 2014 19:20:52 +0000
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