S. Frederick Starr, Red and Hot, The Fate of Jazz in the Soviet Union 1917–80, p. 126. Fitzpatrick, Everyday Stalinism, pp. 94–5.
Kirov, p. 187.
Khlevniuk, Ordzhonikidze, pp. 65–6. Poison: Sudoplatov, pp. 270–1.
RGASPI 558.11.27.24, Stalin notes, 7 May 1929.
Rybin, Ryadom, pp. 14–16.
This account is based on Amy Knight’s excellent reconstruction in her Who Killed Kirov?, pp. 88–99; Tucker, Power , pp. 288–96; Conquest, Great Terror, pp. 43–61, as well as Kaganovich, MR, Svanidze’s diary, Mikoyan’s memoirs, Tak bylo.
12: “I’M ORPHANED”
Kaganovich, pp. 71–2. Mikoyan, pp. 316–8. Kirov, pp. 199–201. Tucker, Power, p. 292.
Eteri Ordzhonikidze. Khlevniuk, Ordzhonikidze, p. 67. Ginsburg in Kirov, p. 197. Kaganovich, pp. 71–2. Mikoyan, pp. 316–8. Kirov, pp. 199–201.
Tucker, Power, pp. 294, 646. Kissing Kirov: Rybin, Ryadom, p. 88. “Take him away the prick”: Radinsky, p. 312. See also Orlov. Kirov, pp. 200–8, inc. Nikolaev.
Tucker, Power, pp. 294–6. Vlasik saw Pauker “shaken” when breaking the news about Borisov in Kirov, pp. 205–9.
On Voikov’s assassination and Stalin’s reaction, see Chinsky, p. 83. On Instantsiya, thanks to Prof. Derek Beales. For verbal orders, see murder of Mikhoels.
Stalin loved Kirov: Rybin, Ryadom, p. 87; Kaganovich , p. 72. Advice on Beria: Stalin quoted Kirov’s advice against Beria after the war to Mgeladze, p. 178. Larina, p. 291.
RGASPI 558.11.773.81, Stalin to Chief of Kolkhoz, D. Emalinanova, on case of M. A. Merzlikov, 27 Feb. 1930. Peter Kapanadze, priest and present of 2,000 roubles: Charkviani, p. 45, letter 7 Dec. 1933. Present to Ukrainian boy: RGASPI 558.11.712, Ivan Boboshko to Stalin: “I received 10 roubles from you, thank you.”
Kirov’s Brain, Zhdanov, Agranov, Yezhov and the funeraclass="underline" Kirov , pp. 214–5. Tucker, Power, pp. 294–5, 298. KR I, pp. 98–100.
Svanidze diary, 5–13 Dec. 1934. Mikoyan, pp. 316–8. Kirov, pp. 5–8. Tucker, Power, pp. 301–2.
Svanidze diary, 5–13 Dec. 1934. Kaganovich, pp. 71–2. Mikoyan, pp. 315–7. Tucker, Power, p. 298. Kirov, pp. 5–7 including Sergo quotation.
Tucker, Power, pp. 297–9. Svanidze diary, IA , 5–13 Dec. 1934.
RGASPI 558.11.800.113, Rudzutak to Stalin and Stalin’s reply 5 Dec. 1934. Larina, p. 173.
Yury Zhdanov: “everything changed.” Also Artyom Sergeev: “Nothing was the same again.” Popovich quoted in Dedijer, Tito Speaks, p. 278. Isakov interviewed by Simonov in Znamya, vol. 5 (1988), p. 69.
This account of 21 Dec. 1934 is based on the memories of two of the guests: Maria Svanidze’s diary, 23 Dec. 1934; interview Artyom Sergeev. We also have Maria’s poem from the archives and the photographs in two versions. I am grateful to Stepan Mikoyan, Natalya Andreyeva and Kira Alliluyeva, all of whose parents were there, for identifying the characters. Poem: RGASPI 44.1.1.361–6. Photograph: RGASPI 558.11.1653.22.
13: A SECRET FRIENDSHIP
Svanidze diary: July, Oct. and 23 Dec. 1934. Anecdotes of Stalin and Zhenya: Kira Alliluyeva. Also Artyom Sergeev and Leonid Redens. Svetlana RR. Richardson, Long Shadow, p. 99.
Khlevniuk, Circle, pp. 149–50.
Kirov, p. 222.
Film: Jay Leyda, Kino: History of Russian and Soviet Film, p. 319. Peter Kenez, Cinema and Soviet Society, pp. 95, 111, 131, 159. Beria in Sergo B, p. 17. Lenin quoted in Figes, Natasha, p. 451 and Soviet Hollywood, p. 477. Medvedev, p. 309. Svetlana OOY, p. 331. Fitzpatrick, Everyday Stalinism, pp. 93–4.
RGASPI 558.11.27.88, Stalin as songwriter, 8 July 1935. Alexandrov story: Gromyko, Memoirs, pp. 328–9. Leda, p. 319. Kenez, pp. 95, 111, 131, 158–61. Taylor and Christie, The Film Factory, p. 384, quoted in Figes, Natasha, p. 477. See also Gromov, Vlast i Iskusstvo, G. V. Alexandrov, Epokha i kino, and G. Mariamov, Kremlevskii tsenzor: Stalin smotrit kino in later section on Stalin and cinema post-WW2.
RGASPI 558.11.727.33, A. Dovzhenko’s conversation with Stalin, with Postyshev, Kosior and Kalinin in attendance, 27 May 1935. Also: Kenez, p. 133.
Eisenstein: Figes, Natasha, pp. 454–9, 477–81. Kirov and Counterplan: Leyda, p. 290. Kaganovich and Eisenstein: Kenez, p. 138. Stalin on Eisenstein: RGASPI 558.11.804.12, Stalin to Upton Sinclair Oct. 1931. Stalin to Kaganovich 12 Oct. 1931, in Kaganovich Perepiska , p. 101. “Very talented”: Mgeladze, p. 212.
Tucker, Power, pp. 330–1. Brooks, Thank You C. Stalin, pp. 64–6. Stalinism and Kaganovich: KR I, p. 75. Mikoyan p. 31. Cults of leaders: Fitzpatrick, Everyday Stalinism, pp. 72–4.
RGASPI 45.1.803.1, Stalin to F. Samoilova 6 Dec. 1938.
RGASPI 558.11.730.189, Stalin to Zhdanov and Pospelov 24 Sept. 1940. On K. Gamsakhurdia’s The Leader’s Childhood he wrote: “I ask you to prohibit publication in Russian.” RGASPI 558.11.787.2, Stalin to Zhdanov and Pospelov 24 Sept. 1940. RGASPI 558.11.730.188, Stalin to Zhdanov 14 Sept. 1940. When Old Bolsheviks wanted to publish their memories of his early days, Stalin ordered: “Don’t publish!” RGASPI 558.11.1496.17, Stalin to Mekhlis 21 July 1937. RGASPI 558.11.773.84, Stalin to Mekhlis 1930.
RGASPI 558.11.717, Stalin to P. M. Vsiliev 3 Dec. 1930 or 1932.
RGASPI 558.11.786.106, Stalin to Poskrebyshev July 1929.
RGASPI 558.11.711.182, Stalin to Blokhin 29 July 1925.
14: THE DWARF RISES; CASANOVA FALLS
Sudoplatov, pp. 270–1. Tucker, Power, pp. 301–2.
Kaganovich reshuffle: Rees, p. 132. Khlevniuk, Circle, pp. 172– 7.
On Khrushchev: Oni, p. 171. KR I, p. 57; KR II, p. 151. Kaganovich, pp. 99–100. Early years: Iurii Shapoval, the Ukrainian Years 1894–1949 in Taubman, pp. 1–17. Pet: William Taubman, Khrushchev, Man and Era, p. 75.
Yezhov’s rise: M. Jansen and N. Petrov, Stalin’s Loyal Executioner, People’s Commissar Nikolai Ezhov 1895–1940, pp. 25–6. RGASPI 17.3.961.61. Yezhov was appointed to check the NKVD staff and Komsomol. He had been an effective NKVD supervisor for Stalin since December 1934 and soon succeeded Kaganovich as Chair of the Party Control Commission.
“Humane, gentle” Yezhov—Yuri Dombrovsky in Jansen-Petrov, pp. 19–20. A. Polianski, Yezhov: Istoriya zheleznogo stalinskogo narkoma, pp. 1–40. Mandelstam, pp. 324–5. “Small slender man”—Lev Razgon, Plen v svoem otechestve, pp. 50–1. Women on Yezhov: beautiful blue eyes—Vera Trail, unpublished memoirs, pp. 5–11. Nikolai Ezhov, Moscow 1937. Blue-grey eyes, Bukharin’s views and teacher in Central Asia: Larina, pp. 250, 268. On Stalin’s Sukhumi dacha: author’s visit 2002. “Grey-green eyes clever as a cobra”: D. Shepilov, “Vospominaniya,” Voprosy Istorii, no. 4, 1998, pp. 3–25. Size: Jansen-Petrov, pp. 1–11, 14.