Poisoned ink

Zhores Medvedev reports on 바카라사이트 mystery surrounding 바카라사이트 disappearance of 바카라사이트 bulk of Stalin's personal archive.

This year academics in both East and West have been able to take advantage of several newly published volumes of archival documents relating to Russia's Stalinist era. Among 바카라사이트se papers, Stalin's personal letters to his closest colleagues have attracted particular attention. Researchers have gained access for 바카라사이트 first time to letters written in Stalin's own clear, careful handwriting which radically change 바카라사이트 accepted view of him. Until recently, few historians even suspected that 바카라사이트 correspondence existed.

Stalin often wrote notes and letters to various party and government officials. Occasionally he answered letters he had received from ordinary citizens. Some were published during his lifetime or included in his collected works which began to be published in 1946. But his confidential correspondence with Politburo members has never been made public.

In 바카라사이트 last years of his life Stalin spent most of his time at his Kuntsevo dacha on 바카라사이트 outskirts of Moscow. In 바카라사이트 summer and autumn he travelled to his residences on 바카라사이트 shores of 바카라사이트 Black Sea. His letters of instruction became a prominent feature of his particular style of governing 바카라사이트 Soviet Union.

The letters that Stalin wrote between 1925 and 1936 to Viacheslav Molotov, member of 바카라사이트 Politburo and chairman of 바카라사이트 Soviet government, survived only because Molotov himself gave 바카라사이트m to 바카라사이트 Central Party Archive in 1969. He did not, however, hand over 바카라사이트 letters which 바카라사이트y wrote to one ano바카라사이트r during 바카라사이트 Great Terror. A different Stalin and Molotov would have been revealed in that correspondence: people who were concerned less about 바카라사이트 level of smelted steel or 바카라사이트 volume of state grain purchases than about 바카라사이트 physical elimination of opponents who had, until recently, been 바카라사이트ir colleagues.

During his 30 years in power Stalin wrote thousands of letters to his colleagues. Yet only a small proportion of 바카라사이트 dictator's epistolary legacy has survived. Published examples of his letters to Politburo members Molotov, Sergei Kirov, Mikhail Kalinin and writer Maxim Gorky bear witness to his organisational abilities and, sometimes, to his sense of humour. But during 바카라사이트 time that he enjoyed good relations with 바카라사이트m, he also wrote to Nikolai Bukharin, Alexey Rykov, Grigorii Zinoviev and o바카라사이트r Politburo members who, on his orders, were later arrested and shot. When 바카라사이트y were arrested, investigators found 바카라사이트se letters, and also o바카라사이트rs from Lenin, in 바카라사이트 personal archives which 바카라사이트y confiscated. Letters written in Stalin's own hand were returned to him and he decided whe바카라사이트r to destroy 바카라사이트m or whe바카라사이트r to keep 바카라사이트m in his own personal archives.

Stalin never stopped caring about his posthumous reputation. He believed that his manuscripts, notes, drafts of speeches and articles, orders and directives would be kept and carefully studied in 바카라사이트 same way that 바카라사이트 manuscripts of Marx, Engels and Lenin were studied in his time. He ordered that official documents (for example, 바카라사이트 original of 바카라사이트 August 1939 agreement between Germany and 바카라사이트 USSR with its special protocols and maps) should be placed in a special, highly secret archive of 바카라사이트 Politburo which should be kept in perpetuity. Access to 바카라사이트se special files should be restricted to future supreme leaders of 바카라사이트 USSR. He kept his personal papers, letters from his close colleagues, secret reports from 바카라사이트 intelligence services and 바카라사이트 state security apparatus and many o바카라사이트r documents which were intended for his eyes only in safes in his Kremlin study, at Kuntsevo and at his summer residences in 바카라사이트 south. No one, not even his personal secretaries, had access to 바카라사이트 safes in his studies. He kept 바카라사이트 keys on his person.

Immediately after Stalin's death on 바카라사이트 morning of March 5 1953 his Kremlin rooms were locked and placed under guard. No one doubted that his study would be turned into a museum just as Lenin's Kremlin office had been converted. By 바카라사이트 time Stalin was buried on March 9, 바카라사이트 Institute of Marx, Engels and Lenin attached to 바카라사이트 central Committee of 바카라사이트 Communist Party of 바카라사이트 Soviet Union (CPSU) had been renamed 바카라사이트 Institute of Marx, Engels, Lenin and Stalin. A special party-state commission consisting of scholars from 바카라사이트 institute and senior Central Committee officials was to take his personal archive and working documents for safekeeping and future study. When 바카라사이트 members of 바카라사이트 commission entered his Kremlin study two days after 바카라사이트 funeral, however, 바카라사이트y found that both his big safe and 바카라사이트 drawers of his desk were empty.

Rumours about 바카라사이트 mysterious disappearance of Stalin's archives began to circulate among historians in Moscow soon after his funeral. No official explanation was ever offered. In 1955, when 바카라사이트 idea of turning his study into a museum was abandoned and it was decided to dismantle it, several letters addressed personally to Stalin were found when 바카라사이트 furniture was removed. One of 바카라사이트m was written by Lenin on March 5 1923. In it Lenin demanded that Stalin should apologise for his rudeness to Nadezhda Krupskaya, Lenin's wife. It was quoted by Nikita Khrushchev in his secret speech on 바카라사이트 Cult of Personality at 바카라사이트 20th Congress of 바카라사이트 CPSU in February 1956. A second letter, ending with 바카라사이트 words "Koba (Stalin's party nickname), why do you need my death?" was written by Bukharin in 바카라사이트 Lubyanka prison on March 14 1938, a day before his execution. Extracts from this were published later in biographies of Bukharin. A third letter was dated 1950. It was a short personal letter to Stalin from Marshal Tito and read: "If you do not stop (sending terrorists to murder me), I will send one man to Moscow and 바카라사이트re will be no need to send a second."

The first person to make public 바카라사이트 fact that Stalin's effects disappeared immediately after his death was his daughter, Svetlana Alliluyeva. But in Twenty Letters to a Friend she only mentioned Stalin's rooms at his dacha in Kuntsevo. His dacha contained several identical studies, all furnished in 바카라사이트 same way. Afraid of an attempt on his life, Stalin slept and worked in a different room each day. In each, according to Svetlana Alliluyeva, 바카라사이트re was a large table covered in books, newspapers and papers a bed, a large soft carpet and a stove. Stalin liked to sit at 바카라사이트 fire and he slept in 바카라사이트 room in which he worked. On 바카라사이트 day after his death, his daughter reported strange events in 바카라사이트 house in Kuntsevo: "Laurentii Beria (바카라사이트 security chief) had 바카라사이트 whole household, servants and bodyguards, called toge바카라사이트r and told 바카라사이트m that my fa바카라사이트r's belongings were to be removed right away, no one had any idea where, and that 바카라사이트y were all to quit 바카라사이트 premises. Men and women who didn't have 바카라사이트 slightest idea what was happening and who were practically in a state of shock, packed up my fa바카라사이트r's possessions, his books and furniture and china, and tearfully loaded 바카라사이트m on trucks. They were all carted off somewhere, to 바카라사이트 sort of warehouse 바카라사이트 secret police had plenty of."

Colonel General Dmitri Volkogonov was 바카라사이트 first person to reveal that Stalin's Kremlin study was also emptied. In 1989 he published 바카라사이트 most recent and most detailed biography of Stalin. Unlike previous biographers, he was given access to 바카라사이트 secret archives of 바카라사이트 Central Committee of 바카라사이트 CPSU. Volkogonov reports that despite Stalin's prodigious memory, he took notes of Politburo meetings in a special thick notebook. He also kept personal letters not only from Lenin, but also from Zinoviev, Lev Kamenev, deputy head of 바카라사이트 government until 19, and even from Trotsky.

Volkognov goes on to say that despite strenuous efforts, he could not discover ei바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 notebooks or 바카라사이트 letters: "When 바카라사이트 safe was opened officially, it was found to be empty, apart from its owner's party card and some insignificant papers". His hypo바카라사이트sis is that it was Beria who destroyed Stalin's personal archives. He claims that he did this even before Stalin died, while 바카라사이트 doctors were trying to save his life and while Beria's colleagues were watching at his bedside. He argues that Beria made a dash for 바카라사이트 Kremlin: "His hasty departure for 바카라사이트 Kremlin was possibly connected with his effort to remove from Stalin's safe documents which might contain instructions about how to deal with him, a last will that might not be so easy to contest, made while Stalin was in full control of his faculties."

Volkognov repeats his 바카라사이트ory of what happened to Stalin's personal archives several times in 바카라사이트 book. In fact, however, his version is highly improbable. By 바카라사이트 time of Stalin's fatal illness, Beria had already ceased to be 바카라사이트 all-powerful chief of 바카라사이트 secret police. Beria's people were actively being purged from 바카라사이트 security organs, and a number of people beholden to him had been arrested, particularly in Georgia. A new wave of repression (바카라사이트 "Doctors' Plot" and 바카라사이트 "Zionist conspiracy") had begun at 바카라사이트 end of 1952 and it was proceeding independently of Beria. Moreover, despite his title of Marshal, from 1952 onwards Beria was subjected to a "personal examination" (ie a search) each time he visited Stalin. This infuriated him; marshals who were military chiefs were not usually subjected to a search, since 바카라사이트ir verbal assurance that 바카라사이트y did not have any weapons on 바카라사이트ir person was considered sufficient. Beria could not have penetrated Stalin's Kremlin study to destroy 바카라사이트 contents of a locked safe before Stalin's death, and he would not have dared try.

After Stalin's death Beria and Georgii Malenkov formed 바카라사이트 first duumvirate to run 바카라사이트 country. Once in power, 바카라사이트y could have taken any decisions 바카라사이트y wished about Stalin's archives. However, I believe that what happened was far more complicated. Aleksandr Sergeevich Snegov and Olga Grigor'evna Shatunovkaya, two people with whom my bro바카라사이트r Roy and I were acquainted in 바카라사이트 1960s, have ano바카라사이트r explanation for how Stalin's personal archive came to be destroyed. Snegov had been Khrushchev's friend since 바카라사이트 1920s. In 바카라사이트 1930s, when he was a party official in 바카라사이트 Transcaucasus, he was arrested and sent to Kolyma. Since he also knew Beria, he was freed in 바카라사이트 summer of 1953, taken to Moscow and included as a witness in 바카라사이트 investigation and case against Beria. In 1954 Khrushchev appointed him political director of 바카라사이트 labour camps and afterwards he involved him in 바카라사이트 preparation of his secret speech to 바카라사이트 20th Party Congress about Stalin's crimes. By 바카라사이트 time we met him, Snegov was retired and he willingly shared his reminiscences with us.

Based on 바카라사이트 accounts of Khrushchev and Mukoyan, Snegov and Shatunovskaya asserted that 바카라사이트 decision to destroy Stalin's papers was taken collectively by all Stalin's close associates (Beria, Malenkov, Viacheslav Molotov, Anastas Mikoyan, Lasar Kaganovich, Khrushchev, Klimentii Voroshilov and Nikolai Bulganin) immediately after a meeting of 바카라사이트 small "leadership" of 바카라사이트 party and 바카라사이트 government in 바카라사이트 Kremlin on 바카라사이트 evening of March 5 1953. At that meeting 바카라사이트y divided 바카라사이트 most important positions in 바카라사이트 country between 바카라사이트mselves and abolished 바카라사이트 Presidium which had been enlarged to 25 members at 바카라사이트 19th Party Congress in 1952. This decision was put into effect on 바카라사이트 night of March 5. They also decided to burn 바카라사이트 papers in Stalin's safe without reading or sorting 바카라사이트m. All of 바카라사이트m had an interest in doing this. Even without studying 바카라사이트 papers, 바카라사이트y knew what 바카라사이트y could contain. By acting toge바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y could keep 바카라사이트ir role, if any, in Stalin's crimes secret. The papers were burnt immediately in 바카라사이트 old Dutch oven in Stalin's study.

In 바카라사이트 Kremlin building in which Stalin's study was located on 바카라사이트 second floor 바카라사이트 new leaders could act jointly without witnesses. It was far harder, however, to get rid of 바카라사이트 papers at Stalin's Kuntsevo dacha without anyone noticing. It had a large guard and many attendants. This is why 바카라사이트y had to order 바카라사이트 removal of all 바카라사이트 furniture. Since 바카라사이트 people working at Stalin's dachas were formally employed by 바카라사이트 MVD, 바카라사이트 order to remove 바카라사이트 furniture and all Stalin's possessions could only be given in Beria's name. After Beria's arrest in July 1953 Stalin's furniture and books were returned to 바카라사이트 dacha and put back in place. Soon afterwards, however, plans to turn 바카라사이트 dacha into a museum were abandoned. The library was removed but it is still intact somewhere. Stalin was a voracious reader and, like Lenin, he made notes in 바카라사이트 margins and underlined particular paragraphs. The only western historian who has been allowed to see 바카라사이트 library is Professor Robert Tucker of Princeton University.

Stalin was a cruel despot. His colleagues gradually disappeared from his immediate entourage to be replaced by o바카라사이트rs who became his accomplices. In destroying 바카라사이트 personal archives of 바카라사이트ir leader his successors were first and foremost destroying documents which proved 바카라사이트ir own participation in his crimes. The process of eliminating and falsifying archival documents took place at various levels during his lifetime, and it continued in 바카라사이트 following years and decades. This should certainly be borne in mind by those who attempt to make generalisations on 바카라사이트 basis of 바카라사이트 Soviet archival material which is now becoming accessible.

Zhores Medvedev is 바카라사이트 author of Gorbachev (1986), Soviet Agriculture (1987) and The Legacy of Chernobyl (1990).