Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar

Twenty Letters, pp. 221–9, OOY, p. 320. Vasily’s unpleasantness to Galina, her fear of not seeing children, cuts Redens on his mother’s arrest then kind to him: Leonid Redens. Dive-bombing Tiflis: Charkviani, pp. 55–7. Adjutant Polyansky on drinking and womanizing and deer reserve; B. Voitekhov on seduction of wife; Maj. A. Kapelkin on torturing—all Radzinsky, pp. 525–8. Vasily, pp. 156–60. Also: Zurab Karumidze’s interview with his father-in-law, Gaioz Djejelava, Vasily Stalin’s football coach 1949–52, was invaluable. Beria’s football entourage: Sudoplatov, p. 103.

Kalinin. Tito dinner: Djilas, p. 102. Mgeladze: Stalin calls about Kalinin, p. 42. Stalin’s tenderness, funeral: Rybin, Kto Otravil Stalina? , pp. 37–9. RGASPI 558.11.753.19–20, Kalinin to Stalin 8 June 1944. GARF 7523.64.683.1–6, Stalin, Malenkov, Zhdanov, Shkiryatov, Supreme Soviet Presidium, 11 June 1945. Merkulov to Shvernik 24 May 1945. Kalinina to Shvernik 12 May 1945. Merkulov to Poskrebyshev and Stalin to Gorkin, Secretary of Presidium of Supreme Soviet, n.d. Kalinina to Stalin 9 May 1945. RGASPI 558.11.753.22–9, M. Kalinin to Stalin 24 June 1946. Stalin honoured these requests, also giving his daughter-in-law 25,000 roubles: GARF 7523.65.164.

Stalin vs. Molotov, Mikoyan, famine: MR, pp. 191–2. Mikoyan, p. 497. Rubenstein and Naumov, Pogrom, pp. 18–23; p. 259, for Lozovsky’s testimony of Molotov and Crimean project. Kostyrchenko, pp. 35–7. Lesser Terror, p. 202. Diplomacy: Molotov, Stalin, Polina: RGASPI 82.2.1592.19–20, Molotov to Polina 8 July 1946, Paris. RGASPI 82.2.1592.30–1, Molotov to Polina 28 Aug. 1946. Stalin holiday 1946: RGASPI 558.11.1481.49: 8 Sept. to 21 Dec. Beria’s dinner sing-song: Mgeladze, pp. 63–5. See also: Pechatnov, pp. 17–24. Zubok, pp. 91–103. Mikoyan/famine: RGASPI 558.11.731.120, Mikoyan to Stalin and Stalin to Zhdanov, Mikoyan, Kosygin and Beria 15 Sept. 1946. Famine: KR I, p. 249; II, p. 112. RGASPI 558.11.732.42–54, Serov to Beria, Beria to Stalin, Stalin to Voznesensky, Zhdanov and Patolichev, 15 Oct. 1946. RGASPI 558.11.765.113, Mikoyan to Stalin. RGASPI 558.11.156.47, Stalin to Beria 12 Sept. 1946. RGASPI 558.11.765.116–8, Dvinsky to Stalin, 22 Sept. 1946. Stalin ordered Minister of State Control Mekhlis to check Mikoyan. Khrushchev and famine, statistics: Shapoval in Taubman, pp. 33–4. Kaganovich to Ukraine: Resolution of PB on changes in Ukrainian leadership, 27 Feb. 1947, in PB/Sovmin, p. 46. Taubman, Khrushchev, Man and Era, pp. 203–5. Svetlana OOY, p. 353.

50: “THE ZIONISTS HAVE PULLED ONE OVER YOU!”

Marshall Plan/Jewish Crimea: Zubok, pp. 105–7: Lend-Lease without strings, p. 104. Raanan, p. 81: Zhdanov pro-Arab. Khrushchev on Crimea/Jews: Stepan Staszewski in Oni, pp. 170–2. RGASPI 82.2.1012.21–52, Mikhoels and Epshteyn Fefer; Suslov’s report (pp. 24–38); Suslov and F. Alexandrov to Molotov and A. A. Kuznetsov 20 Nov. 1946 (pp. 46–51); Mikhoels and Fefer to Molotov (p. 52) 16 Apr. 1947; Abakumov to Molotov cc Stalin, Molotov, Zhdanov and Kuznetsov 26 Mar. 1948. Rubenstein and Naumov, Pogrom, pp. 19–40. Kostyrchenko, pp. 51–60. Vladimir Redens. Mikhoels prize “Shirma” decoy: Ehrenburg, Postwar Years, pp. 124–5. “Tell me why are there so many Jews in your organization?” Leopold Trepper quoted in Lesser Terror, p. 175. Sudoplatov, p. 291. Lesser Terror, p. 210, Abakumov arrested Maj.-Gen. I. F. Dashichev for anti-Semitism in July 1942.

Svetlana OOY, pp. 139–41, 319. Morozov puts on airs, Jews into family: Vladimir Alliluyev (Redens). “Worming their way into the family”: Svetlana quoted in Rubenstein and Naumov, Pogrom, p. 35. Interview Volya Malenkova. Example of Svetlana being asked favours: Yuri Soloviev asked her to inquire why he had been expelled from the elite Institute of Foreign Relations and she arranged a meeting with Deputy Minister Dekanozov. Svetlana RR: “Being who I am, no one left me…” Vasily helped chums: Svetlana OOY, p. 320. Kostyrchenko, pp. 79–85. Svetlana RR. Morozov’s father was soon arrested. “Stalin never asked me to divorce”: Svetlana, Twenty Letters, p. 196. Sergo Beria confirms Svetlana wanted to divorce—Sergo B, p. 152. If she doesn’t divorce, American spy, Mikoyan, p. 362. Vaksberg, Stalin Against the Jews, pp. 155–7. “ French wrestling”: GARF 8131.32.3289.117, Ivanov on methods of Vlodzirmirski, Rodos, Komarov and Shvartsman. GARF 8131.32.3289.181, Komarov to Prof. Yudin quoted in Rudenko at Beria’s trial. He later boasted of his bestial cruelty and hatred of his Jewish victims. Komarov’s letter to Stalin: Kostyrchenko, pp. 123–4. Rubenstein and Naumov, Pogrom , p. 281: Komarov to Lozovsky, p. 288. Vladimir Alliluyev: “Did Zhenya murder…” Rubenstein and Naumov, Pogrom, p. 40. Investigator G. Sorokin: testimony on Instantsiya in Stalin Against Jews, p. 156. “Lie low,” says Vlasik, Svetlana to jail too, Olga knows: Kira Alliluyeva. “Nothing happened without him knowing.” Leonid Redens: Svetlana and Vasily cut them dead. Yury Zhdanov. Mikoyan, pp. 362–3: Stalin on Svetlana’s marriages. Stepan M, p. 145. Interpreter: Oleg Troyanovsky. “Are you crazy?”: Yuri Soloviev. RGASPI 558.11.1481.51, Stalin’s 1947 holiday 16 July–21 Nov.

51: A LONELY OLD MAN ON HOLIDAY

Houses: based on author’s visits to Kholodnaya Rechka, Lake Ritsa, New Athos, Likani Palace, Livadia Palace, Sukhumi dacha etc., 2002. Lenin icon: Orlov in Rybin, Ryadom, p. 91. 1947 road trip: Vlasik, pp. 35–40. Upset on dugouts at Kharkov and Valechka: Svetlana, Twenty Letters, p. 197. Chats to children at seaside: Mgeladze, p. 87; missing Georgia, p. 82; J. B. Priestley and old peasant aged 150, p. 68: reading timetable, p. 113; gardening, roses, mimosa, pp. 53, 96, 142; singing “Suliko” with Vlasik and Poskrebyshev, p. 128. Books: RGASPI 558.11.786.131, Stalin to Poskrebyshev. Yury Zhdanov. Martha Peshkova. Livadia Palace 1948: Vlasik, p. 44. On Miron Merzhanov: Martha Peshkova. Also: Vasilieva, Deti Kremlya, p. 287. Dinners: KR I, pp. 325–8. Films: Svetlana, Twenty Letters, p. 198. Georgian government on permanent call: Charkviani, pp. 1, 34, 45, 53; Mgeladze, pp. 53, 95–7, 128, 142 etc. Interviews with: Alyosha Mirtskhulava; Eka Rapava; Nadya Dekanozova; Nina Rukhadze. Underwear and sofa sleeping: Charkviani, pp. 34–7. Yury Zhdanov. Martha Peshkova. Poskrebyshev as C-in-C: Mgeladze, pp. 72–5, 82; map: pp. 78–9; meeting schoolchildren, p. 87; racing to dacha, p. 146; toasts pp. 80–1. Songs: Charkviani, pp. 54, 64–66; Mgeladze, pp. 129–30. Kindness to Artyom Mikoyan: Mikoyan, p. 564. Stalin’s tempers: Charkviani, pp. 38–45. Making peace between Khrushchev and Kaganovich: interview Oleg Troyanovsky. Also Troyanovsky, pp. 148, 156–64.

Svetlana leaves: Charkviani, p. 58. This account of the founding of the Cominform is based on Zubok, pp. 110, 130–4, 136, as well as the Zhdanov/Stalin correspondence in RGASPI, e.g. 558.11.731.19, Zhdanov to Stalin and Stalin to Zhdanov; RGASPI 77.3. Also: Molotov vs. Zhdanov: Nikolai Krementsov, Stalinist Science, pp. 155–7. Holloway, p. 254. Jakob Berman in Oni, pp. 281–2. Raanan, p. 101. Dedijer, Tito Speaks , pp. 303–6. RGASPI 558.11.762.14, Beria and Malenkov to Stalin 6 Nov. 1947. Yury Zhdanov. On Rada staying with the Malenkovs: Igor Malenkov. Volya Malenkova. Julia Khrushcheva: Svetlana, Twenty Letters, p. 198. Malenkov, Beria’s “spineless… billygoat”: KR I, p. 336. Zhdanov’s illness and Prof. Yegorov asked Stalin to extend his holiday until 2 Dec. 1947: PB/Sovmin, p. 269 n.1.

Sergo B, p. 158. Golovanov in MR, p. 303. Yury Zhdanov. Oleg Troyanovsky. Also Troyanovsky, pp. 148, 156–64.

52: TWO STRANGE DEATHS

On verbal orders to the actual killers from the Instantsiya : Victor Levashov,