If Stalin and Gorbachev were tried, then, of course, only the latter would be convicted.
Folk wisdom
The greatest suffering of the Russian people occurred at the beginning and end Soviet Union. It began with the fact that Trotsky, with his overseas patrons, decided to use the Russian people “as firewood to kindle the world revolution.” But it was Stalin who was the force that prevented him from doing this. Unfortunately, Gorbachev had neither an ice pick nor his own Stalin. Therefore, we suffered no less genocide as a result of the actions of the “soft” revolution or perestroika, as it is commonly called. It seems that there was no war, but what resulted from Gorbachev’s instability and Yeltsin’s betrayal demographic problems destroyed millions of human lives.
It is no secret how those called liberals treat the Russian people. For them, we are “rednecks” and “anchovies.” Mr. Svanidze recently Public Chamber I was indignant for a long time about the fact that the man on the fence wrote “I am Russian!” How did Comrade Stalin treat the Russian people?
There is such an interesting book:
Nevezhin V. A. Stalin’s table speeches: Documents and materials. M., St. Petersburg, 2003.
The stenographic report indicates that Comrade Stalin was pronounced in total 31 toasts, which were about 45 people.
The last toast, “About the Russian People”, delivered well after midnight, was accompanied by stormy applause.
Anyone who wants to know the truth, and not feed on the myths prolific of liberals and Westerners, should familiarize themselves with its verbatim content:
“Comrades, allow me to raise one more, final toast.
I, as a representative of our Soviet government, would like to raise a toast to the health of our Soviet people and, first of all, the Russian people. (Stormy, prolonged applause, shouts of “hurray”).
I drink first of all for the health of the Russian people because he is the most outstanding nation of all nations that are part of the Soviet Union.
I'm raising a toast for the health of the Russian people because he deserved in this war and earned the title before, if you want, guiding force of our Soviet Union among all the peoples of our country.
I'm raising a toast for the health of the Russian people not only because he - leading people, but also because he has available common sense , general political common sense And patience.
Our government had a lot of mistakes, we had moments of desperate situation in 1941–42, when our army was retreating, leaving our native villages and cities of Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Leningrad region, Karelo-Finnish Republic, left because there was no other way out.
Some other people could say: you did not live up to our hopes, we will install another government that will make peace with Germany and provide us with peace. This could happen, keep in mind.
But the Russian people did not agree to this, Russian people didn't compromise, he placed unlimited trust in our government. I repeat, we have there were mistakes, the first two years our army was forced to retreat, it turned out that we did not master the events, did not cope with the created situation. However the Russian people believed, endured, waited And hoped that we will still cope with events.
For this trust in our government that the Russian people have shown us, we thank them greatly!
For the health of the Russian people! (Stormy, long, unceasing applause.)"
Please note, Stalin without unnecessary words admits the mistakes made to all the people.
Being a Georgian by nationality, Stalin regretted that he was not born Russian. He told Marshal of Long-Range Aviation Golovanov about this:
“Stalin regretted that he was not born Russian, he told me that the people did not love him because he was Georgian. His Eastern origin showed only in his accent...”
The best indicator of the relationship between the state and the people is demography.
You can see how much the people “hated” Stalin on the population graph of our country:
The war left a demographic hole, this is understandable. But Stalin era created such a foundation in all sectors that the Soviet people were fruitful and multiplied until the conscious genocide and destruction of the USSR - until the era of Gorbachev-Yeltsin. It is always easier to destroy than to create.
In general, it is periodically useful to turn to primary sources for information, and not listen to third-rate “experts” on de-Stalinization, who do not feed them bread, but let them say something nasty about the people, about the War, about the country and its leaders. Unless we are talking about the oathbreaker Gorbachev, his successor Yeltsin or the young reformers.
KHMELKO Mikhail Ivanovich (1919-1996)“A toast to the great Russian people (To the great Russian people).” 1946 (?). Sketch.
"A toast to the great Russian people." 1947 (?)
"A toast to the great Russian people." 1947 National Art Museum Ukraine, Kyiv.
"A toast to the great Russian people." 1949 State Museum and Exhibition Center "ROSIZO", Moscow.
Let me clarify: despite the attention to this event, I did not find data on how and how many times the artist painted the picture, from which photographic portraits. There are four versions of the reproduction on the Internet, and the dates for the same painting will be different. I'll bring them all. There is a suspicion that No. 2 (where in the center, between Kalinin and Khrushchev, a certain general (?) with “lost” contrast or acquired “blurring” - as you wish) is not the author’s version, but an unsuccessful copy made from the centerfold of the album. Or this is a photographic recording of an intermediate version in the process of author's correction.
The canvas was repeatedly corrected by the author - depending on what the time, the party and the government dictated: either ZHUKOV was sent into honorable exile in the Odessa Military District, or other marshals and admirals were demoted in rank, or even shot, like BERIA.
The canvas depicts: STALIN I.V., MOLOTOV V.M., KALININ M.I. (although he was not at this reception), KHRUSCHEV N.S., ZHDANOV A.A., VOROSHILOV K.E., BUDENNY S.M., ROKOSSOVSKY K.K., MIKOYAN A.I., MALENKOV G.M. ., Kaganovich L.M.
L.P. BERIA and G.K. ZHUKOV who were present at the table are not shown.
On the evening of May 24, 1945 in the St. George Hall of the Bolshoi Kremlin Palace A reception was held in honor of the commanders of the Red Army. At this reception Joseph STALIN said his famous toast. In the 15th volume of his works he is stated with the reference “According to a newspaper report”:
Newspaper report and sheet from Stalin's archive with shorthand recording and his personal edits.
The corrected text on May 25, 1945 was placed in the central Soviet newspapers, then replicated and interpreted many times by historians. The transcript itself remained inaccessible and was declassified only in the late 1990s.
| From the transcript | From a newspaper report |
I, as a representative of our Soviet government, would like to raise a toast to the health of our Soviet people and, above all, the Russian people. I raise a toast to the health of the Russian people because in this war they have earned and have previously earned the title, if you like, of the leading force of our Soviet Union among all the peoples of our country. I raise a toast to the health of the Russian people, not only because they are the leading people, but also because they have common sense, general political common sense and patience. Our government made many mistakes; we had moments of despair in 1941-42, when our army retreated, left our native villages and cities in Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, the Leningrad region, the Karelo-Finnish Republic, left because there was no other way out. Some other people could say: you did not live up to our hopes, we will install another government that will make peace with Germany and provide us with peace. This could happen, keep in mind. But the Russian people did not agree to this, the Russian people did not compromise, they showed unlimited trust in our government. I repeat, we made mistakes, for the first two years our army was forced to retreat, it turned out that we did not master the events, did not cope with the situation that had arisen. However, the Russian people believed, endured, waited and hoped that we would still cope with the events. For this trust in our government that the Russian people have shown us, we thank them greatly! For the health of the Russian people! (Stormy, long, unceasing applause) |
Comrades, allow me to raise one more, final toast. I would like to raise a toast to the health of our Soviet people and, above all, the Russian people. (Stormy, prolonged applause, shouts of “hurray”) I drink, first of all, to the health of the Russian people because they are the most outstanding nation of all the nations that make up the Soviet Union. I raise a toast to the health of the Russian people because in this war they have earned general recognition as the leading force of the Soviet Union among all the peoples of our country. I raise a toast to the health of the Russian people, not only because they are a leading people, but also because they have a clear mind, persistent character and patience. Our government made many mistakes; we had moments of despair in 1941-1942, when our army retreated, left our native villages and cities in Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, the Leningrad region, the Baltic states, the Karelo-Finnish Republic, left because there was no other way out. Another people could say to the government: you have not lived up to our expectations, go away, we will install another government that will make peace with Germany and provide us with peace. But the Russian people did not agree to this, because they believed in the correctness of their government’s policy and made sacrifices to ensure the defeat of Germany. And this trust of the Russian people in the Soviet government turned out to be the decisive force that ensured historic victory over the enemy of humanity - over fascism. Thanks to him, the Russian people, for this trust! For the health of the Russian people! (Stormy, long, continuous applause) |
Writers and historians have interpreted the meaning of a toast to the Russian people in different ways, sometimes from diametrically opposed positions. This is especially characteristic of post-Soviet Russian historiography.
In total, the shorthand record recorded 31 toasts (5 of them belonged to Supreme Commander-in-Chief), which involved 45 people. For example, MOLOTOV dedicated his first toast to the Red Army, Red Navy, officers, generals, admirals, marshals of the Soviet Union and, above all, I.V. Stalin, who “led and is leading” the entire struggle and led “to a great victory unprecedented in history.” Molotov raised his second glass “to the great party of Lenin - Stalin” and to its headquarters - Central Committee. And he dedicated this toast to Stalin.
STALIN was the first of those present to propose a toast to Vyacheslav Mikhailovich MOLOTOV, the head of foreign policy. At the same time he clarified: “Good foreign policy sometimes weighs more than two or three armies at the front.” Stalin concluded his toast with the words: “For our Vyacheslav!” (Molotov was the only one who was called only by name at the reception.)
The newspaper version differs from the shorthand version, which became available not so long ago. For example, STALIN’s fourth toast was as follows: “Down with Hitler’s Berlin! Long live Berlin Zhukovsky! The toast caused laughter and applause in the hall. However, in the newspaper report, Stalin’s words about “Berlin Zhukovsky” are missing.
Toasts in honor of the famous warriors were interspersed with performances on stage by soloists of the State Academic Academy Bolshoi Theater USSR, among whom were I.I. MASLENNIKOVA, G.S. ULANOVA. The concert program included best numbers performed by the State Ensemble folk dance under the leadership of I.A. MOISEEV and the Red Banner Ensemble of Red Army Song and Dance A.V. ALEXANDROV.
The White St. George Hall is one of the order halls, where the idea of memory of many generations of people who served Russia and distinguished themselves in battles for it is embodied. This is the most grandiose room of the Grand Kremlin Palace, built in 1838-1849. It is 60 m long, 19 m wide and 17 m high. The hall received its name from the Order of St. George (established in 1769). The decoration of the hall uses the symbols of this order. Thus, 18 twisted zinc columns are topped with allegorical statues of Victory. In the niches and on the slopes of the pillars there are marble plaques with the names of 546 Russian victorious regiments and the names of the Knights of St. George.
IN Imperial Russia St. George's Hall was the main ceremonial room of the Kremlin. This tradition was revived in the second half of the 1930s: here the leaders of the Bolshevik Party and the Soviet government received representatives military elite- participants in May Day parades on Red Square (later - and parades on November 7), graduates of the military academies of the Red Army. The “heroes” of the occasion were often pilots, industry leaders, scientists, writers and artists... The number of guests at these grandiose feasts ranged from several hundred to one and a half to two thousand people.
There are some rather outrageous conversations that Stalin, paying tribute to the role of the Russians in the Great Patriotic War, through clenched teeth uttered a few words about them in 1945, this famous toast “For the Russian people”...
March 1917. One of the articles says that the great Russian people are the most faithful and best ally of progressive revolutionary forces, and only the Russian people can finally resolve the issue of Marxism. About the victory of Marxism. March 17th! Can you imagine?
Yes, at the same time he is discussing something there on the national issue, that the bourgeoisie is seizing on him, already in 1717 a toast was made to the Russian people.
May 2, 1933. At a meeting with participants in the May Day military parade. I quote: “Russians are the main nationality of the world.”
“Russian is the main nationality of the world. They were the first to raise the Soviet flag. The Russian nation is the most talented nation in the world. Russians used to be beaten by everyone - the Turks, and even the Tatars, who attacked for 200 years. And they failed to capture the Russians, although they were poorly armed. If the Russians are armed with tanks, aircraft, navy“They are invincible.”
February 1931, even earlier. Speaking at the All-Union Conference of Workers socialist industry: “I urge you to return to the concept of the Fatherland, which we will have to defend.”
1934. Bring teaching back to high school National history. Without understanding what the Fatherland is, we cannot further develop, implement necessary transformations and move and win the war.
1936. Nikolai Bukharin published an article in the Izvestia newspaper in which he mocked backwardness pre-revolutionary Russia and its wretched peoples. He called the Russians the Oblomov nation. The Pravda newspaper reacted very sharply to this publication. The editor, an old associate of Stalin, Lev Mehlis wrote: “Only lovers of verbal tricks, who have little understanding of Leninism, can claim that in our country Oblomovism was the most universal character trait, and the Russian people were the Oblomov nation. The people who gave the world such geniuses as Lomonosov, Lobachevsky, Popov, Pushkin, Mendeleev, Chernyshevsky, the people who accomplished under the leadership of the Bolshevik Party October revolution, such a people can only be called the Oblomov nation by a person who is not aware of what he is saying.” Mehlis compared Bukharin’s opuses with fascist propaganda, in which Russians were portrayed as a racially inferior people.
1939, November, during a conversation with Soviet diplomat Alexandra Kollontai. Stalin: (I quote) “The Russian people - great people. Russians are good people. The Russian has a clear mind, it is as if he was born to help other nations. The Russian people are characterized by great courage, especially in hard times, V dangerous times. He is proactive. They have a persistent character, they are dreamy people, they have a goal, that’s why it’s harder for them than other nations, but you can rely on them in any trouble.”
I emphasize again, this is the year 1939, there is no war.
In 1941, a call to the Red Army soldiers leaving for the front: “to fight for Russia, inspired by the images of Nevsky, Dmitry Donskoy, Suvorov and Kutuzov.”
1943, anthem “The indestructible union of free republics has united forever Great Rus'».
May 24, 1945, a toast made at a Kremlin reception (there is more in the transcript of the toast than in the newspaper version, so I read it in full):
“Comrades, allow me to raise one more, final toast.
I would like to raise a toast to the health of our Soviet people, and above all the Russian people.
(Stormy, prolonged applause, shouts of “hurray.”)
I drink, first of all, to the health of the Russian people because they are the most outstanding nation of all the nations that make up the Soviet Union.
I raise a toast to the health of the Russian people because in this war they have earned general recognition as the leading force of our Soviet Union among all the peoples of our country.
I raise a toast to the health of the Russian people, not only because they are a leading people, but also because they have a clear mind, persistent character and patience.
Our government made quite a few mistakes; we had moments of despair in 1941-1942, when our army was retreating, leaving our native villages and cities in Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, the Leningrad region, the Baltic states, the Karelo-Finnish Republic, That's why. that there was no other way out. Another people could say to the government: you have not lived up to our expectations, go away, we will install another government that will make peace with Germany and provide us with peace. But the Russian people did not agree to this, because they believed in the correctness of their government’s policy and made sacrifices to ensure the defeat of Germany. And this trust of the Russian people in the Soviet government turned out to be the decisive force that ensured the historic victory over the enemy of humanity - over fascism.
Thanks to him, the Russian people, for this trust!
For the health of the Russian people! [Stormy, prolonged applause].”
Booker Igor 05.24.2013 at 10:30
On May 24, 1945, Stalin gave a speech at a reception in the Kremlin in honor of the commanders of the Red Army. This speech has as lasting significance as Churchill's Fulton speech or Kennedy's speech in Berlin. It may seem strange, but certain circles fiercely hate Stalin for this speech even more than for his bloody crimes.
They don’t care about the blood of the Russian people shed by the tyrant, but public tribute to the Russian people infuriates them.
The toast raised by Stalin to the Russian people is short. Here is its full text:
“Comrades, allow me to raise one more, final toast. I would like to raise a toast to the health of our Soviet people and, above all, the Russian people. I drink, first of all, to the health of the Russian people because they are the most outstanding of nations, members of the Soviet Union. I raise a toast to the health of the Russian people because in this war they earned general recognition as the leading force of the Soviet Union among all the peoples of our country. I raise a toast to the health of the Russian people not only because they are the leading people, but also because he has a clear mind, persistent character and patience.
Our government made quite a few mistakes; we had moments of despair in 1941–1942, when our army was retreating, leaving our native villages and cities in Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, the Leningrad region, the Baltic states, the Karelo-Finnish Republic, leaving because that there was no other way out. Another people could say to the government: you have not lived up to our expectations, go away, we will install another government that will make peace with Germany and provide us with peace. But the Russian people did not agree to this, because they believed in the correctness of the policy of their Government and made sacrifices to ensure the defeat of Germany. And this trust of the Russian people in the Soviet government turned out to be the decisive force that ensured the historic victory over the enemy of humanity - over fascism.
Thanks to him, the Russian people, for this trust!
For the health of the Russian people!"
For people who love their Fatherland, such high mark was always pleasant. Even to those who remembered history well and knew that Joseph Vissarionovich, although he was not bluffing, giving praise to the Great Russians, but also tormented these people more than foreigners. Maybe you should beat your own people so that strangers would be afraid? But here we enter “terra incognita” historical science. Despite the abundance historical material, much remains to be explored.
Modern American professor Robert Tucker, who wrote a biography of Stalin that was recently published in Russian translation, notes that serious “researchers have barely begun to analyze the personality of Stalin and those psychological motivations, which encouraged him to achieve unlimited, autocratic power through purges and terror. The complex mechanism of interaction of these psychological motivations with political goals and the ideas of Stalin.
Not enough attention was paid to the problem of formation political appearance Stalin in his youth, although relevant numerous facts have been at hand for a long time. What made him a Marxist? Why did he leave the seminary at the age of twenty and choose a career as a revolutionary? Why did you become a Bolshevik, a supporter of Lenin, while the majority of Georgian Marxists preferred Menshevism? What were his personal goals in the revolutionary movement? All these questions remain open. But it is important to get an answer to them if we want to better understand the actions of the mature Stalin."
In 1888, young Soso entered a school where teaching was conducted in Georgian, and Russian was studied as a foreign language. A couple of years later, at the height of the tsarist government’s policy of Russification of border lands, mandatory spoken language Russian became the language in classes, and Georgian took the place of foreign language. Only two lessons per week. Georgian guys, talkative by nature, had difficulty speaking Russian and constantly lost their way. native language. Like medieval schoolchildren in Europe, so that they would quickly master Latin and not get lost in various barbaric dialects, Georgian boys were punished: they were beaten with a fist or a ruler, kneeled on small stones for one or two hours, or forced to stand in the corner. Or the offender had to hold a wooden stick at arm's length, sometimes until lunch, if it did not go to another offender.
Tucker further writes: “Some of the newly appointed government officials, similar to the school inspector Butyrsky, further inflamed the situation by openly demonstrating their contempt for Georgian language and in general to everything Georgian. The crude methods with which the authorities tried to turn Georgian boys into Russian boys only strengthened their feeling national pride. While studying the Russian language, many began to hate the Russians themselves." It’s surprising that after this, the future Secretary General fell in love with the Russian language and the Great Russians themselves! In any case, the overwhelming majority of his peers turned away from Russia for a long time.
But, captivated by the ideas of internationalism, Dzhugashvili showed insight and adequately responded to the challenge of the time. An American historian and part-time psychoanalyst finds the following explanation for such a revolution in youthful souls: “Russia was the first to carry out a communist revolution and from an actual colony Western Europe turned into the center of a world movement, which gave rise to a kind of “Russian red patriotism” among some Russian communists. They were not only proud of their belonging to the Russian nation, but also looked at themselves primarily as Russians and did not value Soviet power And Soviet Federation, how many were drawn to a “united, indivisible” Russia.” Note, this is written by an author who competently analyzes Russian history, and does not hype like a huge part of Stalinophobes or Stalin-lovers. Leave emotions for your loved ones - there is no point in meddling with your tastes in the area recent past. otherwise writings from scientific research turns into bad journalism, every now and then straying to the level of libel.
In contrast to the leader of the world revolution, Lenin, deeply respected by Stalin (including Tucker, who writes about the reverence that Joseph Vissarionovich felt for his senior comrade, and only for him alone, sweeping aside all his other closest associates), to whom “Russian nationalism” was alien , it was "deeply rooted in Stalin's character." Let us quote another passage from the work of an American historian: “Stalin became Russified while still a young revolutionary, considering the Bolsheviks to be a “true Russian faction” Marxist movement. Ironically, the man who, in Lenin's opinion, was valuable to the party as a representative of small nations, and who for a long time agreed with this definition of his main role in the party, represented an emerging Russian nationalist even before their meeting and for many years until the moment when, to his horror, Lenin discovered that he had fully formed Russian nationalist views.
Stalin identified himself with Russia, this was the basis of his arrogant attitude towards the culture of small peoples, especially those of the Caucasus, which we discovered in the work “Marxism and national question“- this determined the zeal with which he took Lenin’s side and opposed “national-cultural autonomy” in the party.”
A very remarkable paragraph: “In Stalin’s view, there was no contradiction between the class category “true proletarian” and the national category “real Russian.” On the contrary, these concepts were combined. In Stalin’s opinion, Bolshevism, or Leninism, was truly Marxist, class revolutionary movement international in nature and at the same time thoroughly Russian. In April 1926, in one of the internal party memoranda addressed to Kaganovich and other members of the bureau of the Communist Party of Ukraine, Stalin defined Leninism as the “highest achievement” of Russian culture.”
Hence it is clear why liberals of the Gorbachev perestroika model so zealously attacked everything connected with our revolution. They successfully survived more than one European revolution, in particular, the Great French and after that they did not stop worshiping everything French, but the Muscovites began to cross their throats. Along with revolutionary excesses, such “critics” tried to get rid of any manifestation of “Russianness.” Marquis de Custine reviled Tsarist Russia, his current heirs continue to do this with today’s Russia, in the meantime they mocked the power of the Soviets. As a result, some people do not like the Russian regime, but Great Russia itself.
On May 24, 1945, at a reception in the St. George Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace in honor of the commanders of the Red Army, J.V. Stalin, during a table speech, made his famous toast dedicated to the Russian people. This small table health resort of the Generalissimo took almost half an hour, as it was repeatedly interrupted by the long-lasting applause of those gathered and became truly historical.
Let us present the text of this Stalinist toast in its entirety, in the form in which millions of Soviet citizens saw it on the pages of central newspapers.
“Comrades, allow me to raise one more, final toast.
I would like to raise a toast to the health of our Soviet people and, above all, the Russian people. (Stormy, prolonged applause, shouts of “hurray”).
I drink, first of all, to the health of the Russian people because they are the most outstanding nation of all the nations that make up the Soviet Union.
I raise a toast to the health of the Russian people because in this war they have earned general recognition as the leading force of the Soviet Union among all the peoples of our country.
I raise a toast to the health of the Russian people, not only because they are a leading people, but also because they have a clear mind, persistent character and patience.
Our government made many mistakes; we had moments of despair in 1941-1942, when our army retreated, left our native villages and cities in Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, the Leningrad region, the Baltic states, the Karelo-Finnish Republic, left because there was no other way out. Another people could say to the government: you have not lived up to our expectations, go away, we will install another government that will make peace with Germany and provide us with peace.
But the Russian people did not agree to this, because they believed in the correctness of their government’s policy and made sacrifices to ensure the defeat of Germany. And this trust of the Russian people in the Soviet government turned out to be the decisive force that ensured the historic victory over the enemy of humanity - over fascism.
Thanks to him, the Russian people, for this trust!
For the health of the Russian people! (Stormy, long, non-stop applause).”
The transcript of Stalin's speech contains some minor differences from the published version. In particular, the Baltic states were not mentioned among the territories that our army was forced to leave in the first years of the war, and at the end of the newspaper version the emphasis was shifted to words about victory over fascism, while the following Stalinist words given in the transcript were partially cut out: “I repeat, we made mistakes, for the first two years our army was forced to retreat, it turned out that we did not master the events, did not cope with the situation that had arisen. However, the Russian people believed, endured, waited and hoped that we would still cope with the events. For this trust in our government that the Russian people have shown us, we thank them greatly!” This happened as a result of Stalin’s personal editing of the text of his toast before putting it into print.
At the same time, as the son of A.A. Zhdanov, Yuri Andreevich (from 1949 - Stalin’s son-in-law), claimed, his father told him that at the reception the first phrase of the toast sounded like this: “I would like to raise a toast to the health of the entire Russian people”, but someone dared to loudly, for the whole hall, insert a remark: “of the Soviet people.” Stalin was silent for a while and repeated the above phrase without changes. However, in the newspaper version, the beginning of the toast was adjusted: “I would like to raise a toast to the health of our Soviet people and, above all, the Russian people”.
This historical toast was perceived (and continues to be perceived) in different ways. Some saw in it a programmatic statement and the logical conclusion of the process of “Russification” of Soviet power, others saw it as a belittlement of the role of other nationalities (for example, a participant in a reception in the Kremlin, I.G. Erenburg, was so amazed and annoyed by Stalin’s toast that he could not hold back his tears); still others are just a smart political move and an attempt to rely on the Russian people, since the main consolidating force during the Great Patriotic War was not Bolshevism, but traditional Russian patriotism.
Meanwhile, even before the start of the war, Stalin began to distinguish the Russian people from other peoples of the Soviet Union. As historian A.I. Vdovin reports, already in the 1930s Stalin characterized the Russian people as the basis of the “Soviet people.” Indicative in in this case, writes Vdovin, I imagine Stalin’s toast to the Russian people, pronounced on July 6, 1933, during a visit to his dacha by a delegation of artists: “Let's drink to the Soviet People, to the Soviet nation itself, to the people who made the revolution before anyone else. For the bravest Soviet nation. I am a specialist in national affairs. I've read something these days. I once said to Lenin: the most best people- Russian people, the most Soviet nation... Let's drink to the Soviet nation, to the wonderful Russian people". And in May of the same year, as follows from the summary note of Lieutenant General R.P. Khmelnitsky (then commander of the rifle division), Stalin, during a table speech at a reception in the Kremlin for participants in the May Day parade, said the following words: “...Leaving aside issues of equality and self-determination, Russians are the main nationality of the world, they were the first to raise the flag of the Soviets against the whole world. The Russian nation is the most talented nation in the world..."
However, in fairness, we note that Stalin made similar toasts in relation to other nations. So, on April 22, 1941, greeting the participants in the decade of Tajik art, Stalin said the following words: “...I want to say a few words about Tajiks. Tajiks are a special people. These are not Uzbeks, not Kazakhs, not Kyrgyz, these are Tajiks, the most ancient people Central Asia. Tajik means bearer of the crown, that’s what the Iranians called them, and the Tajiks lived up to this name. (...) You must have felt during the decade that they, the Tajiks, have a finer artistic sense, their ancient culture and a special artistic taste is manifested in music, song, and dance. Sometimes our Russian comrades mix everyone up: a Tajik with an Uzbek, an Uzbek with a Turkmen, an Armenian with a Georgian. This is, of course, wrong. Tajiks are a special people, since ancient times great culture, and in our Soviet conditions they have a great future. And the entire Soviet Union must help them in this. (...) I raise a toast to the prosperity of Tajik art, the Tajik people, to the fact that we, Muscovites, are always ready to help them with everything they need.”
Therefore, it is difficult to say what was more in Stalin’s toast of 1945 - sincere admiration Russian people or elementary political pragmatism. But one thing is obvious - this toast made a great impression on his contemporaries. Only for some did it evoke patriotic delight, while for others - skepticism. So, for example, the famous philosopher A.A. Zinoviev, who graduated from the Great Patriotic War with the rank of captain, immediately after the publication of Stalin’s toast, he dedicated a poem to this event, which contained the following lines:
The leader raised his glass. He took a sip of wine.
The Father's eyes brightened.
He wiped his mustache. No guilt
She didn’t darken his face.
The hall instantly filled with jubilation...
And the tormented Russian people
With tenderness he licked the tears with delight,
Forgiving him all his sins in advance.
Meanwhile, as A.I. Vdovin notes, the leaders of the propaganda apparatus tried to prevent misunderstandings in the understanding of Stalin’s toast. Pravda's editorials explained that "the patriotism of the Soviet, Russian people has nothing to do with singling out their nation as the 'chosen', 'superior', or with contempt for other nations." It was also argued that the Russian people, “the eldest and mighty brother in the family Soviet peoples, had the opportunity to take upon himself the main burden of the fight against Hitler’s robbers, and he fulfilled this great task of his with honor. historical role. Without the help of the Russian people, none of the peoples that make up the Soviet Union could defend their freedom and independence, and the peoples of Ukraine, Belarus, the Baltic states, and Moldova, temporarily enslaved by the German imperialists, could not free themselves from Nazi bondage.” Therefore, it was further noted, “party organizations are obliged to widely propagate the wonderful traditions of the great Russian people as the most outstanding nation of all the nations that make up the USSR. Party organizations must explain that Stalin's assessment of the Russian people as an outstanding nation and the leading force of the Soviet Union among all the peoples of our country is a classic summary of that historical path which the great Russian people went through,” and “the history of the peoples of Russia is the history of overcoming... enmity and their gradual unity around the Russian people,” whose mission is to “help all other peoples of our country rise to their full height and stand side by side with his older brother - the Russian people." And in 1947, the artist M.I. Khmelko created a large ceremonial canvas called “A Toast to the Great Russian People,” for which next year received the Stalin Prize.
Prepared Andrey Ivanov, Doctor of Historical Sciences