Six hours with Stalin at a reception in the Kremlin

 Enver Muratov

18 December 2005

In 1937, after completing the second year of the Leningrad Mining Institute, I entered the second year of the Budenny Military Electrotechnical Academy by special enrollment, which I graduated in 1941. At the end of April, the command of the academy summoned 27 graduates with honors to a meeting. I was among them. We were informed that on May 5, 1941, the government was inviting us to a reception at the Kremlin. We were all given new uniforms and ordered to arrive on May 3 at 23 o'clock at the Moscow railway station. On the morning of May 4, we arrived in Moscow. We were accommodated in the dormitory of the Artillery Academy. Until 9 am on May 5, we were given free time. On May 5, at 10 o'clock in the morning, they lined up us, made a roll call.

We were warned that when entering the Kremlin, we must present it along with an identity card.

At 16 o'clock. 50 minutes we went to the reception.

The foreman and the captain were standing in front of the Spassky Gate. When it was my turn, I presented my invitation card and identity card to the foreman. He checked them carefully and handed them over to the captain. The latter re-checked my documents and quietly asked: "Do you have any weapons?" I replied that no. He did not search. Said: "Come on in."

When the delegation of our academy passed the Spassky Gate, we proceeded in the same formation to the Grand Kremlin Palace. Here everyone passed the exact same test. The junior and senior commanders of the NKVD checked our documents. In the palace, we went to the Great Andreevsky Hall and took the seats assigned to our delegation. I got seat number 15 in the 31st row. In the forefront were generals and admirals, Heroes of the Soviet Union. The hall was noisy.

17 hours 55 minutes JV Stalin, all the members of the Politburo, People's Commissar of Defense S.K. Timoshenko, marshals and admirals came out onto the stage, where there was a large table. They all stood up. There was thunderous applause. Soon, the People's Commissar of Defense, by raising his hand, invited everyone to sit down ...

Tymoshenko announced:

- Comrades! On behalf of the Central Committee of the CPSU (b) and the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR, the floor is given to Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin.

They all stood up at once. There was thunderous applause. Stalin walked to the podium with a brisk pace. His gray tunic and gray hair were exactly the same color. One might have thought that he had specially selected a tunic to match the color of his hair.

He began his speech very calmly, he spoke without any "paper".

- Comrades! I congratulate the command and teaching staff of military academies and you, graduates, on the successful completion of your studies and wish you fruitful work in the troops and on warships to strengthen the defense capability of our great Motherland. You will return to the troops, and the Red Army men and commanders will ask you questions: “What is happening in the world? Why is France defeated? Why is England defeated? Is the German army really all-powerful and invincible? What can happen in the foreseeable future in the world? " I will try to answer these questions of concern to you, to help you understand the reasons for these events, according to my strength, of course. (Stormy applause.)

I will present the point of view of our party and government on these events. Germany unleashed a war under the slogan of liquidating the enslaving Treaty of Versailles for the reunification of German lands, which were torn away from Germany after defeat in the 1st World War. Therefore, Germany had some sympathy from other peoples. International imperialism helped revive German militarism, believing that aggression would be directed against the Soviet Union. However, a new stage of the world war began. Now Germany is waging an aggressive war for world domination, for the enslavement of other peoples. "Germany is the most powerful country in the world." "We Germans are the smartest and most powerful nation, a race chosen by God, called to rule over all other peoples." "I, Germany, have the strongest, most invincible army." "The German army has the best weapons." All this poses a real threat to all states and peoples, including the Soviet state and its peoples.

Dwelling on the reasons for the defeat of France, Stalin said:

- Believing that after World War I she had the strongest army in Europe, and the Maginot Line was inaccessible to German troops, she stopped caring about her army and its weapons. The unknown generals Gamelin, Jouin and others came to the leadership of the French army. They went bankrupt while doing business. They were defeated in the fight to be elected to parliament. Their claims to ministerial portfolios did not materialize. They failed to become businessmen or ministers, became generals and led the French army. The military began to be treated with disdain. Even girls stopped marrying officers. (Laughter in the audience.)

An army can be strong only when it enjoys the exceptional care and love of the people and government. This is the greatest moral strength of the army, the guarantee of its invincibility. The army must be loved and cherished! (Applause.)

Then Stalin gave a description of the German army. The army has the latest weapons, has mastered new methods of waging war, and has gained extensive experience in waging war.

- I must admit that so far Germany has the best army in the world. But the Germans are mistaken that their army is invincible and its weapons are the best in the world. There have been no invincible armies in history. Carthage believed that his army, led by the great commander Hannibal, was invincible. But this army was defeated by the Romans. Napoleon believed that the French army and he, the great commander, were invincible. However, this great army that invaded Russia was defeated by the Russian army under the command of Kutuzov in the Patriotic War of 1812.

The Germans are also mistaken, believing that the armament of their army is the best in the world, equal to which no other army has. Artillery is the most important means of warfare. We armed the Red Army with artillery and mortars, which not only are not inferior, but even surpass the German artillery and mortars. German tanks really outnumber our tanks in mass. However, our talented designers have created the T-34 medium tank and the KV heavy tank, which are superior in their combat qualities to similar German tanks. Our industry has already mastered the serial production of these tanks. Unfortunately, there are still few of them. The party and the government, our industry are doing everything possible so that these new tanks replace obsolete ones in the shortest possible time. Please don't talk about it!

Aviation! It must be admitted that so far the Germans have the best in the world. However, our aircraft designers are aware of this and in the shortest possible time created samples of aircraft for various purposes, which are superior to the German ones. Now the task is to accelerate the mass production of these aircraft in every possible way and equip the Red Army with them. You can rest assured that the Party, the government, our aviation industry will fulfill this task. Not only we, but also Britain and the United States are also studying the experience of the war, German military equipment, creating samples of artillery pieces, tanks and aircraft that are superior to the German ones. Germany stubbornly ignores these facts, continues to believe that her army has the best weapons, and blindly believes that no state is capable of creating more advanced weapons. An army that considers itself invincible possessing the best weapons and does not believe in the strength and ability of the enemy is doomed to defeat. Germany is waging an unjust imperialist war with the aim of seizing the territory of other countries and enslaving their peoples. These peoples of the occupied countries rise up to fight for their liberation, for the restoration of freedom and independence of their countries. The war against Germany inevitably develops into a victorious war of national liberation. The defeat of Germany in this war is predetermined by history. The war against Germany inevitably develops into a victorious war of national liberation. The defeat of Germany in this war is predetermined by history. The war against Germany inevitably develops into a victorious war of national liberation. The defeat of Germany in this war is predetermined by history.

Comrades! You left the troops and ships 3-4 years ago. Returning from your studies, you will not recognize them. The Red Army and Navy have changed. We have created a qualitatively new army and navy, armed with modern weapons, capable of defending the freedom, independence and territorial integrity of our great Motherland.

Further, he described in some detail the quantitative and qualitative composition of various types of troops: infantry, artillery, armored forces, aviation, the Navy, communications and engineering troops, and cavalry. At the end he warned: "Please do not talk about it!"

The competence of Stalin's assessments of various types of troops and their weapons, I think, can be judged by the opinion of Marshal G.K. Zhukov: "We must pay tribute to Stalin, he was well versed in the qualities of the main types of weapons." Then Stalin dwelled on the issues of training military personnel.

- Military academies and schools are obliged to train command personnel only on new equipment, with the obligatory use of the experience of modern warfare. I have an acquaintance who studied at the Artillery Academy. I looked through his notes and found that a lot of time was spent studying the cannon, which was removed from service in 1916.

He believed that such a practice is unacceptable.

At this time, a remark was heard from the front rows, which irritated Stalin. He said: “Please don't interrupt me. I know what I am saying. I myself have read the notes of a student at your Academy. " Stalin continued:

- It is necessary to improve in every possible way the quality and effectiveness of party-political and educational work in the army. and in the navy. To do this, we need to reorganize our propaganda, agitation, and press.

He further said that it is necessary to analyze the experience of the Soviet-Finnish war of 1932.-1940.

“The lessons of this war are very harsh. It must be admitted that they showed that the Red Army is not prepared for the conduct of a modern war. These lessons are being studied very carefully, and urgent measures are being taken to eliminate serious shortcomings in military equipment and combat training of troops.

He warned once again: "Please do not talk about it!" In conclusion, J.V. Stalin said:

- Comrades! You, the graduates of military academies, have a very responsible and difficult job in the army and on the ships. The party and the government are confident that you will successfully cope with this work, skillfully using the knowledge gained during your studies for this. I wish you success in your future service in strengthening the combat readiness of the Red Army.

They all stood up. Loud applause rang out. Stalin quickly returned to his place on the podium. Tymoshenko raised his hand and asked everyone to sit down. When everyone sat down and silence fell in the hall, he announced:

- Comrades! The party and the government invite you to a banquet in honor of graduates of military academies.

I and my close friend, fellow student Misha Samokhin, went to the St. George Hall. On the way, I met a fellow student at the Mining Institute, Zhenya Chakhirev. In 1937, he also graduated from the 2nd year of the institute and entered the 2nd year of the Artillery Academy with a special set. I asked him, who is Stalin's acquaintance, a student of the academy, whose notes Stalin read? He said that this is his son Yakov Dzhugashvili. At that time a Georgian with sideburns passed by. Zhenya pointed to him: "This is Stalin's eldest son Yakov."

We went to the St. George Hall. There were many tables - for 32 persons each. At the ends of each sat the commanders of the NKVD. The tables were lined with grained and chum salmon caviar, salmon, stellate sturgeon, various meat delicacies, vegetable salads.

In the hall, in the right corner by the stage itself, there was a table, at which sat the generals occupying the highest command posts in the People's Commissariat of Defense - G.K. Zhukov, P.V. Rychagov, A.I. Zaporozhets and others. When Stalin, members of the Politburo and marshals took the stage, everyone in the hall stood up and applause was heard. Tymoshenko gave the floor to proclaim a toast to Stalin.

Stalin made the first toast:

- Comrades! In all wars, the infantry was the main branch of the troops that ensured victory. Artillery, aviation, armored forces protected the infantry, ensured the fulfillment of the tasks assigned to the infantry. Fortresses, cities and towns of the enemy were considered occupied only when the foot of the infantry entered them. So it has always been, so it will be in a future war. I propose the first toast to the infantry. For the queen of the fields - the infantry!

He drank wine from a glass. Since the wine was foaming, I thought it was champagne. Each table was served by four waiters, they poured wine, having previously asked everyone who wants to drink what kind of wine. It was poured from bottles wrapped in napkins, and therefore it was impossible to determine what kind of wine Stalin, members of the Politburo and guests were drinking. Fifteen minutes passed. The waiter on the stage poured wine for Stalin again. Tymoshenko announced:

- Comrade Stalin has the floor for the next toast.

There was thunderous applause. Stalin protested and showed with a gesture that everyone should sit down. He said:

- Comrades! I propose the next toast to the artillery. Artillery is the main striking force of the infantry, paving the way for infantry victory. It destroys pillboxes and pillboxes, protects infantry from tanks and aircraft. Without serious artillery preparation, any infantry offensive is doomed to failure. I suggest you drink to the artillery. Artillery is the god of war.

Everyone drank together and began the concert. They sang n. a. USSR Pirogov, singer Pantofel-Nechetskaya. Twenty minutes passed.

In the hall, General Sivkov rose from his seat and said in a loud bass:

- Comrades! I propose to drink to the world, to the Stalinist peace policy, to the creator of this policy, to our great leader and teacher Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin!

Stalin waved his hand in protest. The guests were confused. Stalin said something to Timoshenko, who announced: "Comrade Stalin is asking for the floor." There was applause. Stalin motioned for everyone to sit down. When the room became quiet, he began his speech. He was very angry, stuttered a little, and a strong Georgian accent appeared in his speech.

- This general did not understand anything. He didn't understand anything. We communists are not pacifists, we have always been against unjust wars, imperialist wars for the redivision of the world, for the enslavement and exploitation of the working people. We have always been for just wars for the freedom and independence of peoples, for revolutionary wars for the liberation of peoples from the colonial yoke, for the liberation of the working people from capitalist exploitation, for the most just war in defense of the socialist fatherland. Germany wants to destroy our socialist state, conquered by the working people under the leadership of the Communist Party of Lenin. Germany wants to destroy our great Motherland, the Motherland of Lenin, the conquests of October, to exterminate millions of Soviet people, and turn the survivors into slaves. Only a war with fascist Germany and victory in this war can save our Motherland. I propose to drink to the war, to the offensive in the war, to our victory in this war.

Stalin drained his glass, everyone in the audience did the same. There was silence. The concert continued. Sang n. a. USSR I.S.Kozlovsky, danced by Galina Ulanova and Konstantin Sergeev.

When the break was announced, all the members of the Politburo left. To my right was a very friendly man who gave me his hand and introduced himself: "Chaadaev, SNK manager." He said, “Young man, you are very lucky. I have never heard that Joseph Vissarionovich spoke so much and with inspiration, and without looking into a prepared text ... "

I remembered the words of Anri Barbusse_about Stalin: “A man with the head of a scientist and the face of a worker, in the clothes of an ordinary soldier, lives in a small house. Whoever you are, the best in your destiny is in the hands of that person. He is a true leader, Stalin is Lenin today. " I wanted to take a look at this small house. I left the Grand Palace. On leaving, no one asked me for my documents. When I went to the small house, four tall men in civilian clothes appeared and surrounded me from the ground. One of them checked my documents and asked what I was looking for in the Kremlin. I was scared and did not say that I wanted to look at the house in which Stalin lives, suggesting that this could arouse suspicion and new questions. I said I wanted to see the Tsar Cannon. He said that I'm not looking for her at all where she stands, and asked one of the four men to show me the Tsar Cannon ... Two people accompanied me to the Tsar Cannon. Soon there was one who showed me this gun ... Then he asked me if I would find my way back to the Grand Kremlin Palace. I replied that I would not find it, and asked to accompany me.

When I went up to the foyer, the guests were already entering the St. George Hall, taking their seats.

On the stage came Stalin and all the members of the Politburo, Timoshenko, admirals and marshals, only Kalinin was not among them. Everyone in the hall stood up, there was a round of applause. Tymoshenko gave the floor to Stalin.

Stalin proclaimed a toast to the tankers. Further, while the banquet lasted, toasts were proclaimed only by Stalin: for pilots, military sailors, signalmen and motorcyclists, sappers, cavalrymen. When we drank to the cavalrymen, Budyonny got up from his seat and went up to Stalin. They hugged and kissed. Each time Stalin made a toast, he briefly defined what tasks one or another branch of the army would perform during the war.

But these toasts, delivered after the break, I listened not with such intense attention as those that Stalin uttered at the beginning of the banquet. My thoughts kept returning to the toast "To the war!" I thought anxiously: "So the war is coming soon?"

The concert continued between the toasts, artists from Moscow and Leningrad academic theaters performed, and scenes from the ballets Swan Lake and The Nutcracker were shown.

At 24 o'clock, Stalin and all the members of the Politburo, as if on command, got up and, without saying goodbye, left the stage. The marshals and admirals followed them. They removed the large table at which they were sitting, and the jazz artists of Utesov, Skomorovsky, Rosner and others began to appear on the stage. In the hall, the tables were moved up to the walls, and the dancing began. Ladies appeared - actresses, concert participants, ballerinas. I danced with the soloist of the Bolshoi Theater, singer Sokolova. Received from her a compliment: "You dance well" and an invitation to the next dance. At that time, one of the graduates of our academy came up to me and told me that General Govyadkin was calling me. I asked the lady's forgiveness and went to the general. On the way, I thought about why they summon me to the authorities ...

The head of the academy stood at the exit from the hall, surrounded by several graduates. Next to him was the commissioner of the academy, Colonel Yemelyanov. The general said: “Comrade Muratov! The owners are long gone, I think it's time for us, the guests, to leave the Kremlin too. " I asked him for permission to say goodbye to the lady. Having received the go-ahead, I went up to Sokolova, thanked her for her attention, apologized and, saying goodbye, returned to the meeting place of our delegation. At half past midnight on May 6, we all left the Grand Kremlin Palace, lined up and left the Kremlin through the Spassky Gate. When leaving the Kremlin, no one checked our documents.