Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar

Beria, pp. 47–53. Lakoba, pp. 117–8. Stalin’s album, RGASPI 558.11.1668. Moving around: Stalin to Dmitrov 25 Oct. 1934 in Dmitrov/Stalin , p. 22. Fasil Iskander, Sandro of Chegem. Author’s visit to Museri, 2002.

Gagra house: RGASPI 558.11.728.40–2, Stalin to Yenukidze 13 Sept. 1933. Author’s visit to Kholodnaya Rechka, Gagra, 2002. Stalin in Gagra: Kaganovich Perepiska, p. 378. See also, later, Averell Harriman and other visitors.

RGASPI 558.11.728.40–2, Stalin to Yenukidze 13 Sept. 1933.

This account of the Congress is based on Amy Knight’s Kirov, pp. 127, 171–7, plus KR I, p. 77. Kaganovich, pp. 70–1. Sergo B, p. 17. On proposal of Beria to CC: Kirov warned Stalin: Mgeladze, p. 178. Khlevniuk downplays the relevance of the CC votes story. Tucker, Power, pp. 260–3. Khlevniuk, Circle, pp. 117–23. M. Rosliakov, Ubiistvo Kirova, pp. 28–33. Radzinsky, pp. 297–300.

RGASPI 558.11.746, Kirov to Stalin 15 July 1933.

Rosliakov in Kirov, p. 160.

“My Kirich,” RGASPI 558.11.746.85, Stalin to Kirov 6 Mar. 1929. Calls to Kirov: Svanidze diary, 4 Oct. 1934. Kirov, pp. 158–9, 186. Jokes about “leader of the proletariat,” Artyom Sergeev. Kirov— centre of attention, Sergo B, p. 15.

11: ASSASSINATION OF THE FAVOURITE

Mikoyan, p. 534. Anna Akhmatova quoted in Figes, Natasha, pp. 482–5. Tucker, Power, pp. 260–3, 273. KGB Lit. Archive, pp. 175–6. Mandelstam, pp. 23–4, 82, 112–3, 117, 145–7, 158. Radzinsky, pp. 300–1. RGASPI 558.11.806.117, Stalin to Stavsky on writer Sobolev and creative caprice, 10 Dec. 1935.

RGASPI 558.1.5374, Stalin to K. Stanislavsky 9 Nov. 1931.

RGASPI 558.11.702.6–12 and 41a and 69, expulsion from Kremlin, 4 Sept. 1932. RGASPI 558.11.702.35, Molotov to Bedny cc Stalin 12 Dec. 1930. “Copper Cauldron”: KR I, pp. 79–80.

RGASPI 558.11.754.1–21, V. Kirshon to Stalin and Stalin to Mekhlis 20 Oct. 1932. Kirshon to Stalin and Stalin to Kirshon 9 and 15 Oct. 1932. Reliable writers listed for Stalin: RGASPI 558.11.815, Y. Yakovlev to Stalin 3 July 1933. Pilniak: RGASPI 558.11.786.50.1, Stalin to Pilniak 7 Jan. 1931.

RGASPI 558.11.754.26, Kirshon to Stalin and Kaganovich and Stalin to Kirshon 13 Aug. 1933. Kirshon and Bulgakov in Curtis, pp. 69–71: Kirshon and Leopold Averbakh, ex-head of RAPP and closely connected to Yagoda, attacked Bulgakov’s play Flight and had its run cancelled in early 1929. It was then that Bulgakov, unable to work, appealed to Stalin.

RGASPI 558.11.786. 9–13, Panferov to Stalin 25 Feb. 1934.

“Yeah! Yeah!”: RGASPI 74.2.37, Stalin to Voroshilov, 15 Mar. 1931. “Green steam”: Upton Sinclair to Stalin and Stalin to Sinclair, also commenting on Eisenstein: RGASPI 558.11.804.12, 26 Oct. 1931.

RGASPI 558.1.5374, Stalin to K. Stanislavsky 9 Nov. 1931.

RGASPI 558.11.702.6–12, 41a, 69, Expulsion from Kremlin 4 Sept. 1932. RGASPI 558.11.702.35, Molotov to Bedny cc Stalin 12 Dec. 1930. KR I, pp. 79–80. Kaganovich Perepiska, pp. 149, 164.

RGASPI 558.11.710.24, Bukharin to Stalin and Stalin to Kaganovich on Ehrenburg 9 Aug. 1935. Tolstoy: Tucker, Power, pp. 114–18, 282–320. See the excellent chapter in Nikolai Tolstoy, The Tolstoys. Kaganovich, pp. 105–7. Mandelstam, p. 164. Stalin at the theatre: see Curtis, pp. 250–1, for Bulgakov’s feelings on Stalin’s comments.

RGASPI 558.11.775.99, Meyerhold to Stalin. On Pasternak, see Mandelstam, p. 148. RGASPI 558.11.725.130, Gidosh to Stalin 2 Sept. 1932. Bedny and Babel: Kaganovich Perepiska, pp. 122, 149.

Kirov, pp. 179–81: Rosliakov, Kirov to Maria Lvovna.

This account is based on Yury Zhdanov. Mikoyan, p. 562. MR , pp. 221–2. Artyom Sergeev. Zubok, pp. 112–7.

Zhdanov: Yury Zhdanov. Martha Peshkova. RGASPI 77: Zhdanov papers. For relationship with Stalin, see RGASPI 558.11.730.2–9, Zhdanov to Stalin, n.d. 1934. RGASPI 558.11.83.143, Kaganovich and Zhdanov to Stalin 23 Aug. 1934, RGASPI 558.11.86.2–16, Zhdanov to Stalin 3 Sept. 1934. RGASPI 558.11.730.18, Zhdanov to Stalin 6 Sept. 1934. “Have you read this new book?” Stalin to Zhdanov, according to Zhdanov’s aide, A. Belyakov, quoted in Rybin, Oktyabr 1941, p. 51. Weak, intellectual, wanted to be agriculturalist, picked books with Stalin, prim, loved flowers: Svetlana OOY, pp. 360–2. Zubok, pp. 112–7.

RGASPI 558.11.76.113, Stalin to Beria 19 Sept. 1931. Chinsky, p. 47.

Stalin to Dmitrov, changing history: Dmitrov diary, 7 April 1934, p. 14. A selection of Stalin’s intensely annotated history books includes Kutuzov: RGASPI 558.3.25.2. D’Abernon’s Ambassador of the World: RGASPI 558.3.25.32. Vipper’s History of Greece: RGASPI 558.3.36. Von Moltke, German–French War of 1870: RGASPI 558.3.224. Ivan the Terrible : “Teacher” RGASPI 558.3.350.

Mamre tree, warm atmosphere: Yury Zhdanov. Sholokhov: Gromov, Vlast i Iskusstvo, p. 144. Jokes, Zhdanov shocked: Artyom Sergeev. “Take to my heels”: Kirov to Chudov in Kirov, p. 181. E. G. Evdokimov to replace Philip Medved as Leningrad NKVD boss: Kirov, p. 161: D. B. Sorokin, Medved’s brother-in-law. Evdokimov: see Robert Conquest, Inside Stalin’s Secret Police, NKVD Politics 1936–1939, p. 25.

RGASPI 558.11.730.2–9, Zhdanov to Stalin, n.d. 1934. RGASPI 558.11.83.143, Kaganovich and Zhdanov to Stalin 23 Aug. 1934. RGASPI 558.11.86.2–16, Zhdanov to Stalin 3 Sept. 1934. RGASPI 558.11.730.18, Zhdanov to Stalin 6 Sept. 1934. Zhdanov to Stalin: “Before the Congress, Gorky once again tried to criticize the lists even though they’d been agreed with them before… he complained Kamenev was not elected to the Secretariat. He did not want to go to the Congress or chair the Plenum. Pity… he’s very tired.” RGASPI 558.11.730.1, Stalin to Kaganovich, Zhdanov, Stetsky and Mekhlis 24 Aug. 1934. Kaganovich reported on Gorky’s demands and how the entire leadership of himself, Molotov, Voroshilov and Zhdanov had coped. RGASPI 558.11.742.21, Kaganovich to Stalin 12 Aug. 1934 and RGASPI 558.11.742.28, Kaganovich to Stalin 12 Aug. 1934.

RGASPI 558.11.730.10, Zhdanov to Stalin Sept. 1934. PB sittings: Khlevniuk, Circle, p. 122.

RGASPI 558.11.730.37–40, Zhdanov to Stalin 1 Sept. 1935.

RGASPI 558.11.730.21, Stalin to Zhdanov and Kuibyshev 11 Sept. 1934.

RGASPI 558.11.730.22, Stalin to Zhdanov, Yagoda and Akulov 9 Oct. 1934.

Destinations of the leaders are found in Kaganovich’s letter to Stalin of 1 Sept.: RGASPI 558.11.50.64 Kaganovich Perepiska, p. 470. Kaganovich writes from Kiev. Kirov headed out to Kazakhstan, Mikoyan to Kursk, Chubar to the Middle Volga, Kaganovich to Ukraine, Zhdanov to Stalingrad, Voroshilov to Belorussia and Molotov to Siberia. M. D. Borisov was the bodyguard. RGASPI 79.1.170.1,2, 3, Kirov to Kuibyshev 18 Sept. 1934 and 23 Sept. 1934. KR I, p. 61. Kirov, p. 185. RGASPI 558.11.730.23–36, Zhdanov to Stalin 8 Oct. 1934: Zhdanov reported to Stalin that there were bread-collecting problems in the Stalingrad region: “Some workers must be sent to trial there,” he wrote on 8 Oct. The Party leaders down there were “weak.” Kirov to Moscow: Kirov, pp. 183–4. Call and arrival, Stalin in bad mood: Svanidze diary, 14 and 26 Nov. 1934.

S. Frederick Starr, Red and Hot, The Fate of Jazz in the Soviet Union 1917–80, p. 126. Fitzpatrick, Everyday Stalinism, pp. 94–5.

Kirov, p. 187.

Khlevniuk, Ordzhonikidze, pp. 65–6. Poison: Sudoplatov, pp. 270–1.

RGASPI 558.11.27.24, Stalin notes, 7 May 1929.

Rybin, Ryadom, pp. 14–16.

This account is based on Amy Knight’s excellent reconstruction in her Who Killed Kirov?