“Who and why came up with the story that the signing of the new Treaty on Union was scheduled for 20 August?”
Historical anniversaries like this are a double-edged sword. In any case, for us journalists. On the one hand, the 30th anniversary of the August coup is an excellent information opportunity to remember everything. On the other hand, it is difficult to find a plot in this field that would not be passed by monuments and historians far and wide. An observer from the Ministry of Culture tried to solve this problem by visiting the former head of the security service of Russian President Alexander Korzhakov.
– Yes, already I am tired!
– I wouldn't change a party. I drank too much Soviet power. I, one of the best officers of the ninth directorate, fired me because I did not communicate with any “enemy of the people”, but with the Minister of the USSR and a member of the Central Committee! I met Yeltsin in 1985, when he became the first secretary of the Moscow City Committee and a candidate for the Politburo, and I was assigned to his guard. At first they just talked, then they became friends. When it was removed in 1987, I was so worried that I even got eczema from my nerves. I didn't know how to cure me.
In 1989, Vitya Suzdalev and I, my partner, came to Yeltsin to wish him happy birthday. And two days later I was called to the human resources department: everyone, goodbye, retired! Although I have no distrust and overflowing price list. He was on guard from 1968 because he was drafted into the Kremlin regiment. He guarded Brezhnev and Kosygin and worked for Andropov as a bodyguard and was in Afghanistan. And suddenly – it turned out badly …
No, in August 1991 we did everything right. Another thing is that then there were mistakes. Yeltsin made his first mistake when, after the coup instead of staffing, he fled to rest in the Baltic States to visit Gorbunov (at that time – Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Latvia. – AK ). As soon as the three men were buried (White House defenders who died on the night of August 20-21, 1991 in the Garden Ring incident; the funeral took place on August 24. – AK ), immediately he gave up for two weeks.
And it turned out that the people placed Burbulis (at that time – the Secretary of State of the RSFSR. – A.K. ), but Yeltsin was just arguing. I didn't talk to anyone. There were so many normal people, so many normal ideas! And they were squeezed. The device has been cleaned. This is where the question came from: “Where were you on August 19th?”
1993, I can't count as a mistake. The chances for us and for them, Rutskoye and Khasbulatov and their supporters, were 50-50. And if they won, it is not clear what would happen to that country. The civil war would most likely begin. But then, after 1993, Yeltsin changed, of course. He was a completely different person.
When I am asked to characterize Yeltsin, I will say that there was such an ancient Roman god, Janus with two faces, and Yeltsin is Janus with nine faces. I knew him in different situations. When he worked on the Moscow City Committee, when he was dismissed, when he became a Democrat … I thought he really did, but he just changed color. And every time – a new face.
The decision to run for a second term was, of course, a mistake. Moreover, Yeltsin himself did not want to go – he kept telling me about it. His family forced him. Naina and Tatiana later said they had discouraged him from voting. They're lying!
– Do not cancel, but reschedule! I proposed postponing the election for two years because I saw who we were electing. Some rotten log. And it wasn't just my idea. I spoke with Shumeik, who was then chairman of the Federation Council, with many deputies, with the governors … And they all said: yes, it is better to postpone the elections and think about who can replace Boris Nikolayevich.
That was when the question of a successor first appeared. We discussed many candidates, but I personally was in favor of Soskovets (from April 1993 to June 20, 1996 – the first vice-president of the Russian Federation. – A.K. ).
Chernomyrdin was more of a politician at the time. He created the Our Home Russia party, which, however, proved to be useless to him. And Soskovets plowed, did more than all the Black Mrdin deputies combined. Besides, he was completely loyal to Yeltsin. Of course, it was a big mistake that Yeltsin chose not his successor.
– None! We didn't have the main thing in China – our Deng Xiaoping. It wasn't, no, and it's not expected. Because they squeeze every smart person who appears next to the leader.
– Of course! Who among them thought about the earth? Abalkin, yes, I thought, thought Aganbegyan, Shmelev (famous Soviet economists. – A.K. ) … And the men who achieved high positions didn't think about the country at all. They just saved their chairs.
– Puzzles … Maybe there is one. The secret is: who and why came up with the story that a new Treaty on Union was scheduled to be signed on 20 August (1991. – A.K. )?
– No, they had no signatures that day. Take a look: On August 16, we flew to Kazakhstan and returned on the night of the 19th day. This means that there is a little more than one day left until the signature. This event has a very great significance and scope, so in theory everything should be prepared for it. In the Georgiev Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace – Alexandrovsky and Andreevsky were not at that time – special tables, microphones were to be placed, names plates were ready. Somewhere – in the Faceted Chamber or elsewhere – a banquet should be held.
Furthermore: every first person had to be prepared a separate seat, his gastronomic habits were taken into account – who should cook what and how. Everyone should be assigned a car. And not one, but two or three – to have a stand-alone. Output security must be ready. For everyone, as I understand it, a 235th Squadron aircraft (a special squadron serving senior officials. – A.K. ) should be sent …
– Absolutely nothing! That is absolutely certain. If the signature were really scheduled for August 20, we would have to know when and where to go, at what time and from which entrance to enter. But there was no protocol or any sign of preparation. That means it's all a lie. Who did they help with that? Gorbachev, the Gekachepists, anyone else?
– Of course, I was aware!
– Looks like it. If the goal of the coup was to overthrow Gorbachev, then the Gekachepists probably wouldn't have told him when they arrived on Foros 18 so as not to worry: they would solve it, put things right, and then he would come. And he did not answer: “Do what you want!” Oleg Baklanov, one of the smartest in this society, spoke in particular. And I believe his words.
– Well, who knows? At that time (Nikolai Kruchina died on August 26, 1991. – A.K. ) all investigating authorities were under great tension and it is unlikely that Kruchina's death would be seriously investigated. By the way, a little later, his predecessor Pavlov also committed suicide (Nikolai Pavlov, head of the CPSU Central Committee in 1965-1983, died on October 6, 1991. – A.K. ). And in exactly the same alleged way.
Could it be the work of KGB agents? All I know is that the KGB liquidation and murder department did exist. He was in leadership “C”, which was part of the First Headquarters. These people could poison the poison and adjust the accident to make everything look believable. Or they could stab something and throw it out the window … In general, the story, I agree, is dark.
– At that time, Yeltsin was like that, everything is right. It is no coincidence that so many people supported him. So why did we climb the tank on August 19? Because people came running! Tens of thousands of people gathered in the square and they were all for him.
– No, the plan was to arrest him. Vitya Karpukhin told me about it (commander of the special unit “A” KGB of the USSR in 1988-1991. – A.K. ). Then we became friends – and we hunted together and stayed with each other. He was a good guy. Well, he said there was an order to detain Yeltsin. Do not kill, but if there is a fight, then, as they say, do not spare ammunition.
If Yeltsin had left Arkhangelskoye in one car, it probably wouldn't have been hard to do. However, it turned out to be a relatively large kortege – eight cars. And then people from the Russian leadership came to him and other guards arrived, and there were many “own” militias: “Arkhangelskoye” is the same farm of the Council of Ministers of the RSFSR.
In short, they passed: Yeltsin was to be arrested early in the morning on the 19th day. Then it wouldn't be possible without blood and the alpha and the army – and most importantly – had no desire to shed their own and other people's blood for the leadership that disappointed them so many times.
And when we were in the White House and were constantly warned against an attack – people came to me from both sides and said that “there” everything was ready and about to begin – although I admitted such a possibility, but the worm doubts were very big. There were too many people around.
If you remember history, then Nicholas II, although called bloody, did not order the shooting of humans on January 9, 1905. Those who were lower commanded. Who would dare to issue such an order in August 1991?
– There was one contact. True, I did not communicate myself. Last year, my youngest grandchildren – I am only seven – 10 years old. Date of the first round. The family was going to celebrate – Irina Semyonovna, my ex-wife, daughters, other grandchildren … In general, all my relatives. I wasn't there, so they celebrated in our Moscow apartment on Osennaya Street, and I don't go to Moscow because of my feet.
It had just gathered – the bell rang: Naina! Not alone, with the guards, but she left the guards at the elevator. For the first time … Well, for the first time since 1996, of course. When we were friends, the Yeltsins didn't leave us. We were practically like one family.
“Can you?” – “Be able”. How else? Still a neighbor: their apartment is in another riser – right through the wall. We chose it on purpose – so that Yeltsin could hold a glass from his balcony, and I poured it. And he poured and gave him a good cucumber … But now he doesn't live in this house. He lives in a state house and comes here once a week to check that everything is fine, if something is going.
In general, there is nowhere to go – they put the guest at the table. We drank, we talked … And finally she said, “Please forgive me for what happened to you. Yes, we are to blame … ”She simply repented. In addition, I pulled out an envelope with money – for gifts for my grandchildren. But well, my daughter – she didn't take the money.
– Why? She made peace with my family. She came and apologized … But with me – of course not.
– I do not forgive traitors, but this was a natural betrayal.
– If one person betrays another, then it is normal for the other person to tell the truth about the traitor. I was betrayed on June 20, 1996, and I did not betray anyone – neither before nor after. It was not necessary to expect me to take these secrets with me to the grave, to bury myself, and to be disgracefully silent.
I was once asked: what do I regret the most in life? I said I regretted it when Yeltsin told me, “Write a resignation letter” – and I took it and wrote it. It wasn't necessary because he had no reason to fire me.
I was actually fired for catching thieves. And it was Yeltsin who ordered me to catch them. That's all, I don't regret anything anymore.
– I share pessimism. In this sense, it is practically the same as under Brezhnev. If not worse. Because then at least one could complain. Saying: I will not go to the polls until the gas is installed, the roof is repaired, the playground is not repaired. And then everyone did it!
But I do not anticipate any changes. In any case, I will not live to see these changes. They came up with a good way: as soon as people become absolutely unbearable, they immediately roll the dice – they add a little pension, benefits and salaries. For a few bottles of vodka, a few kilograms of potatoes … And people are happy!
There are many who believe that we must do our utmost to maintain the current “stability.” Fools! Stability can only be where there are normal choices. I didn't like one – they chose the other. Here it is, real stability.
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