Alexander Vasilevsky

(1895-1977) - Soviet military leader. Marshal. Twice Hero of the Soviet Union. Since May 1942. - Chief of General Staff and Deputy Defense Commissar. In February 1945,. appointed commander of the 3-Byelorussian Front and a member of the Stavka. Supervised stormed Konigsberg. In August 1945,. commanded the Soviet troops during the rout of the Kwantung Army in Manchuria during the offensive. After the war - at the major military posts in the leadership of the armed forces.
The outstanding Marshal Vasilevsky - Much has been written. But everywhere it is still talked about Vasilevsky-captains, and almost nothing was said about Vasilevsky
pores of his childhood and manhood, of his personal and family relationships, without which it is difficult to fully submit Vasilevsky-man. Until now, never appeared a book about him in the series "Life of Remarkable People". This is no accident, since domestic side of life п?.п?. Vasilevsky as it slipped from his contemporaries, thanks in no small measure contributed to the very famous Marshal. Sure, . He was a humble man, . but the reason was not only in this, . but also in the, . that Alexander's father was an Orthodox svschennosluzhitelem and the fact these things in Stalin's personality cult, . when militant atheism was the core of official ideology, . could not fail to haunt her son's career, . come down to more Soviet officials,
.
Now, after a time when one after another passed away the next of kin
A. M. Vasilevsky, knowing reliably vicissitudes of his destiny, the white spots in the biography of the commander
. would have been inevitable, was not found in time zealot, who managed to reveal to us the veil of the past and thus as though dorisovat missing strokes to a portrait of our countryman - Marshal п?.п?
. Vasilevsky. And so began another devotee our countryman, our contemporary, the famous writer, Ivanovo, winner of many literary awards, journalist, man, too much complicated story - Pavel Fyodorovich Belov. For many years he devoted painstaking research hitherto little-known circumstances of the family Wasilewski, and in 1997 published his book "Thorns and the stars", and which could, as the most complete and accurate biography п?.п?. Vasilevsky claim a series of "Life of Remarkable People". Almost all of the small circulation of the book sold outside of the Ivanovo region. We introduce readers to the new journal edited by one of the chapters of this book "Kremlin mercy".

S. Orlov
executive secretary of the Ivanovo writers' organization.

KREMLIN MERCY

Parents, as well as home, do not choose ... These words of Alexander Vasilevsky, presumably, many times repeated with bitterness and pain. Russia, he has always been proud. Sense of responsibility of duty in front of her from childhood inspired his father and mother. He experienced them in acute love and pity, because it was forced to renounce them as of "class-alien elements" and nearly two decades, not even a correspondence. This too went to planida: to suffer and endure, believe and expect that someday will be forced alienation troubling recollection that the grace of a related communication, natural and necessary as air and water, will return.
. Son's father does not respond, "- said Stalin
. But the father answered for her son and the son of the father. All and for vseh.Chasche without a hint of guilt. After the shooting "an enemy of the people" in prison or a link pack off his parents, wife, children ...
. In the thirty-seventh Stalin personally dictated and signed: "Install to continue this arrangement in which all the women exposed as traitors, spies pravotrotskistskih subject to imprisonment in the camps, however, both by 5-8 years."
. A gathering of the Politburo, the task more concrete:
. - We will destroy every enemy, even though he was an old Bolshevik, we will destroy his family, his family,
. Everyone who by their actions and thoughts, yes, and thoughts, attempts at unity of the socialist state, we will mercilessly destroy!
Then have to judge not only the infirm elderly, and young men and fourteen. However, fourteen - this "law", and in large numbers of children particularly vicious enemies of the people sent into exile a man, to always, if he will survive, remember, know: no quarter will be.
Seven Vasilevsky worst has passed.
The most vital success of the future marshal was undoubtedly a meeting with Shaposhnikov. Boris enjoyed the rare confidence of Stalin, who enrolled him in terms of the most trusted men, deservedly esteemed and professional talents of the largest General Staff.
Shaposhnikov have a wealth of erudition, perfectly trained memory, worked on his own admission, to the point of exhaustion. Prominent theoretical knowledge he has happily combined with practical experience. As a professional to the bone, Boris could not stand dropouts, skygazer, people arrogant and conceited. General Staff invite only graduated with honors from the military academy. He conquered his subordinates civility, restraint, respect their opinion. For these reasons, relatively small staff of the General Staff as a whole has successfully completed its mission in difficult conditions of the Great Patriotic War.
. Vasilevsky was for Boris Mikhailovich man close, something the second "I"
. They have the same dedication to serve his country, wide and bold ideas. They sickened soldafonstvo.Eto were military intellectuals higher test.
Alike in their ancestral roots and. Both of the commoners. Father Vasilevsky - priest. Parents Shaposhnikov greatness and prosperity, too, did not differ. Much, finally opens up and explains the relations of these outstanding people of the fact that Boris to the end of his days was a man of deeply religious.
Grace leader to Shaposhnikov eventually passed to his pupil, the benefit that has taken over from the teacher all the best qualities, and in defending their own opinion was strongly. Stalin bold but honest, intelligent and unselfish able to distinguish - can not do without them. Moreover, nothing for themselves, these people are not required, talent is not boasted.
Chief of General Staff, Vasilevsky Shaposhnikov saved in the thirty-seventh year. "Boris Mikhailovich I owe, and the attention to my person - Vasilevsky wrote in his book" The point of all life "- which sometimes has given me personally Stalin". It primarily had in mind the case
When Shaposhnikov told the secretary-general of a forced break his assistant with his parents and asked them to help normalize relations. Stalin made it here under any circumstances.
. In the spring of the fortieth year, after protracted meeting of the Politburo, which discussed the report of the General Staff for the defense of the country, Stalin invited the audience to dinner in his apartment - one floor below Kremlin office
. Served stewed soup, well razoprevshuyu buckwheat, a lot of boiled meat, stewed fruit, fruit. Stalin drank Khvanchkara "- a light Georgian wine. Military leaned on vodka and cognac. Stalin liked to feast, and they are often arranged.
At this time the company has assembled a broad, toast sounded much. For Vasilevsky toast leader in his honor was a complete surprise.
- I propose to raise a glass - said Stalin - for the colonel Vasilevsky, First Deputy Chief of Operations Staff. All of us dear Boris Shaposhnikov other comrade Vasilevsky a great future, which we will be very glad. The health of comrade Vasilevsky!
. After all drank together, Stalin once again turned to the Colonel:
. - And tell us, comrade Vasilevsky, why vi - so Stalin reprimanded you - after the seminary did not go to popyN
. Feast subsided.
. - Neither I nor my father - said embarrassed colonel - had no such desire
. We are a family of four brothers, and none became a priest.
Stalin sneered.
- Well, well. You do not have the desire. Clearly. And here we are with Mikoyan wanted to go to the priests, but we somehow did not take. Why did not realize until now.
The voltage at the table instantly asleep. All laughed and started to bite. A few minutes later Stalin Vasilevsky said:
- Please tell us why you and your brothers, yes, it is not helping ottsuN far as I know, one of your brother - a doctor, the other - an agronomist, three - commander, pilot. Hence, the secured person. I think you all could help parents, then the old man would not now, but long ago would have thrown
his church. She needed him to somehow exist ...
- I, Comrade Stalin, broke off all communication with parents in one thousand nine hundred and twenty-six, - said Alexander M..
- I and in all forms, he wrote in his autobiography and write: communication with parents do not have. Otherwise, not only would not take place in the ranks of our party, but hardly served in the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army, especially in the General Staff.
Was said in those days safely. Wasilewski excitement stopped.
- Continue, continue - has prompted Stalin.
- Oh since the conversation went, all the lay out, do not hesitate. Here, only their own.
- Recently, I received a letter from her father, Stalin. The only thing for many years. On the same day informed the secretary of the party organization of the General Staff. Secretary requested that I continue to maintain the relationship with his parents the previous procedure.
- What a fool your secretary! - Smiled Stalin.
- This is an abnormal phenomenon. Comrades, members of the Politburo, I think, agree with my assessment.
You, Comrade Vasilevsky, immediately check with their parents relationship, give them sistematicheskuyumaterialnuyu help. But the party organization of the General Staff report: you are allowed. Politburo permits.
Disqualification of reproach to the spiritual callousness and greed, Vasilevsky called the real reasons why the break with his father and mother, - a fear to put a cross on his own career. And what gensekN pretended it was opened to him only during the feast, but before he did not know he knew and the grandfather did not know about the attitude towards people like Vasilevsky in the party, army and the country. As if never read the personal affairs of senior officials, where periodically updated questionnaire and people twisting themselves inside out, telling them who their grandfathers and grandmothers, fathers and mothers, uncles and in-law, is not soiled with it,
. God forbid, someone from the hydrogen bonds with the "enemies" and relatives outside the Fatherland and
. other and other
. Size of questionnaires, the number of questions to them directly dependent on the height of his post. With this order to conceal the origin was a more expensive: bodies are not dozing.
And if the secret becomes clear, orgvyvody followed immediately, in what he could see
navigator AFLRO brother of Marshal Victor Vasilevsky: he hid his "priest's" origin, for which he was expelled from the party.
"Comrade Stalin, as well as members of the Politburo, all present at a dinner party - Marshal Vasilevsky wrote in his memoirs - a ban on correspondence" surprised ". Stalin and his associates, therefore, nothing to do with such foolishness had. Blame halfwits on the ground, like the party secretary of the General Staff of the Red Army. It was he who, through Vasilevsky, and followed the highest order to restore selectively trampled justice.
. Shaposhnikov could not tell Stalin that had befallen Vasilevskogo grief - the death of the mother, with whom he has not seen since the eighteenth year
. This is what was his father's letter. However, the secretary-general spoke with Alexander Mikhailovich as if live, and his father and mother
. Now, when I opened the details of life Wasilewski, left a bitter aftertaste, and such lines of the book "The point of all life:" I must say that after several years of Stalin, for some reason, once again thought of my parents, asking how and where they live
. I replied that his mother died, and his father lives in Kineshma his eldest daughter, a former teacher, lost during the Great Patriotic War, her husband and son.
- And why do not you take a father, and perhaps, a sister to sebeN Probably, they are here it would be no worse - advised Stalin.
Mikhail Aleksandrovich Vasilevsky 80 years blowjob in 1946. Then his son, Marshal, will turn to the Supreme Commander with a request to go for a few days to Kineshma, to visit relatives. Stalin replied:
- Chief of General Staff of driving around for personal reasons once. Send for family aircraft will not fly for health reasons, the railway will give the command to provide car.
Wasilewski, of course, did not go to Kineshma.
There will be a day when the marshal sure will see, finally, his father's house, brought from Novopokrovsky in the city before the war, shortly after the death of his mother and father's church closure. On July 31, 1949 in Kineshma scheduled opening of a bronze bust of twice Hero of the Soviet Union, Marshal Vasilevsky. Alexander received an invitation from the Ivanovo oblast, and municipal party committees Kineshma. He will report to Stalin and hear:
- I do not know, comrade Vasilevsky, that you are an ambitious man. Before you did not give reason to think so. Well, if you have a lot of free time on the new post of Minister of Defense, go to your Kineshma, admire him in bronze.
This marshal later told the guests, fellow countrymen, and they recalled how he waited. The rain, however, in a park on the street Ostrowski gathered a lot of people. Here and there could be heard:
Sam something priedetN "is heard, promised". They waited in vain ...
A trip to Kineshma needed was Alexander and his family as the air. Go up the stairs, he "Pokrovsky home obnimis in its old walls with his father and sister, Catherine, bow down mother's grave in an abandoned ancestral nest - and the longtime host of complex family relations could come loose by itself. Native would have taken it as a penance. But Comrade Stalin twice, in his usual calm, mocking manner, opposed absent Marshal. And what encouraged to bring to Moscow, his father and sisters - this is very, very different ...
Little has changed in the relationship with his family after a brief meeting in the summer of 1946. at Alexander's dacha outside Moscow with his father and sisters, Elena and Vera after 28 years of separation. Besides his sister Catherine of travel declined, remembering the mother's dying words of the great sin of apostasy ...
Pavel Belov