Antonov Ovseyenko Anton

After the arrest of his father's mother was arrested (as the wife of an enemy of the people) and committed suicide in prison in the Khanty-Mansiysk. Anton was also arrested as a 'son of the enemy of the people' in 1940. In the camps of Turkmenistan, then near Saratov. After the war, was released, but in 1948. re-arrested for anti-Soviet agitation and propaganda; sent to one of the Vorkuta camps. In 1956, Mr.. rehabilitated, and released, returned to Moscow. In 1967. together with 43 old Bolsheviks who survived the Stalinist purges, calls upon the authorities to protest against attempts to rehabilitate Stalin. In 1983. 'Chronicle Yress', published in the United States, published his historical study of Stalin's 'Portrait of a Tyrant', containing, in particular, important information about the murder of SM. Kirov. Almost blind, he was persecuted by the KGB. In November 1984. was re-arrested, accused of anti-Soviet agitation and propaganda, expelled from Moscow. In 1986. returned to Moscow.

AV. Antonov Ovseyenko - the author of numerous publications about Stalin: 'Portrait of a Tyrant' (New York, 1980), 'Theater of Joseph Stalin' (Moscow, 1989), 'Stalin without a mask' (Moscow, 1990). A number of works he devoted Ordzhonikidze and other associates of Stalin. The most significant of them - 'Beria' (Moscow, 1999). As sources are widely used private archival material, memories of the old Bolsheviks and Mensheviks.

In the preface to the book "Stalin without a mask 'AV. Antonov-in particular, wrote: 'On Stalin created a lot of books. However, interest in him and his work continues unabated. This is understandable: people want to look at the bottom of the terrible abyss, where they tried to push. Stalin himself, his political portrait - an enduring theme. For, without knowing it, not knowing the essence of Stalinism, is difficult to imagine the tragedy of the Soviet people. And its a shame ...

Stalinism - is an epoch. Age heinous, bloody crimes. Stalinism - political banditry, addressed in public policy. In terms of the ethical phenomenon, which lies on the other side of humanity ... With Stalin's name is connected the whole system, which registered the society to a dead end ... Stalinism, with its aggressive genocide and sexual abuse of personality, with its theory and practice of violence, its consequences proved to be ruinous world wars. Reached the heights of social pathology, Stalinism gave dangerous metastasis in all parts of the world ...

The image of Stalin, I tried to show the offender the way he was, to reveal the criminal nature of. The facts suggest that it is precisely such. For all his "versatility" and "contradictory". Stalin's crimes against the Party and people, against peace and humanity, should be characterized by the highest level - both public and even international. In full accordance with its high social status (encourage people like Churchill, to treat it with reverence) ... Even now, does not translate ideologues, for whom Stalin was the great leader, a winner of Hitler and the architect of socialism ... But no one did so much to discredit communism, as he. Stalin inflicted on the world communist movement accurately calculated blow ...

Our age is notorious grand robberies, murders of Presidents ... But all these crimes pale in comparison with the crimes of Stalin. He succeeded in a historically short period of time away from the land of peasants, workers - factories, the intelligentsia - the right to self-creativity, deprived people of all freedom, even freedom of movement. This is a robbery of the century.

... Maybe the book is overloaded with dark scenes. Perhaps the author could not suppress the human senses, survived the horrors of terror (such reproaches I have heard more than once). But in this book is not fiction. I tried to certainty, not only on a duty of the historian ... I happened to meet with many participants in the events of past years and with the victims of terror. More than two decades I have studied the Soviet and foreign literature, periodicals, and documents available to me ...

Write the truth about Stalin - a duty to all the dead from his hands. To those who survived the night. Prior to those who come after us ... The past should be explored and publicly condemn ... We are trying to survey the legacy of Stalin. But it belongs not only to history. It lives in the actions, habits, thoughts. Ignorance and silence - also from the Stalinist inheritance. Silence is not an open wound to heal. Unmasking Stalin - an act of justice, and the fact that justice is administered today makes our days brighter and clears the mind and heart '(Antonov-Ovseyenko A. Stalin Unmasked. M., 1990. S. 5-7).