Stalin about the Russian people. Stalin about the Russian people Raises peoples in time with what was said

As one clever person put it on the portal, the greatness of Stalin's figure is such that he does not at all need protection from "historians" such as Mlechin, Svanidze or Posner.

And yet, on the eve of the great Victory, words of truth must be spoken again and again.

Especially when television takes a hostile position in relation to Soviet history, the Soviet Union, its heroic Red Army, trying in every possible way to belittle our role in the defeat of fascism and exaggerate the role of the United States. And the "modernized" school is raising Ivan from the younger generation, who do not remember kinship.

In particular, I spoke about this the other day with the last Minister of Defense of the USSR, Marshal of the Soviet Union, front-line soldier Dmitry Timofeevich Yazov.

They also touched upon the topic, which the official media in every possible way avoided - about the role of the Russian people in the overall Victory over the enemy. This is the fragment of the interview that I want to quote today.

Every time on the eve of the next anniversary of our Victory, all sorts of "historians" crawl out of the cracks, who are trying to belittle the role of the Soviet Union and Comrade Stalin in organizing the rebuff of Nazi Germany and the Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War, ”Dmitry Timofeevich grinned. - But to tear Stalin away from the Great Victory means simply to be angry with her.

I will cite figures that are not advertised today. During the war years, with the RSFSR numbering just over 110 million people, almost 22 million, that is, about 20% of the republic's population, were called up to serve in the Armed Forces and to compensate for the losses. Russia also accounted for the largest number of mobilized soldiers and officers, young conscripts, non-military women and citizens over 50 years old. This is 63.2% of the total number of conscripts from all union republics.

What does this mean? Yes, the fact that it was the Russian people who bore the brunt of the Great Patriotic War on their shoulders. It is no coincidence that at a gala reception on June 24, 1945, the Georgian Stalin made a toast to the Russian people.

Dmitry Timofeevich, who in a fatherly way calls me "you", took out a book of memoirs from the table, read the text of the toast and said: "Publish it somewhere." Here is this Stalinist toast:

« Comrades, let me 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.

First of all, I drink 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, steadfast character and patience.

Our Government had many mistakes, we had moments of desperate situation in 1941-42, when our army retreated, left our native villages and cities of Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, the Leningrad region, the Baltic states, the Karelo-Finnish Republic, left, therefore that there was no other way out.

Another people could tell the Government: you did not live 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, for they believed in the correctness of the policy of their Government and made sacrifices to ensure the defeat of Germany. And this confidence 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!

To the health of the Russian people! "

I wonder if our wonderful television, which loves the truth so much, will say this in the victorious May days?

Doctor of Historical Sciences V. NEVEZHIN.

On May 8, 1945, an act of unconditional surrender of Germany was signed in the Berlin suburb of Karlshorst. On May 9, Supreme Commander-in-Chief JV Stalin made an address to the Soviet people, in which he declared that a historic day of great victory had come. A few days later, he ordered the General Staff of the Red Army to think over and propose views on the parade of victors on Red Square with the participation of representatives of all fronts and all branches of the military. A wish was also expressed to celebrate the victory according to Russian custom with a feast - to arrange a gala dinner in the Kremlin in honor of the commanders of the front troops and other military men. The famous Victory Parade held on June 24, 1945 is well known from numerous publications and newsreels. Less is known about the gala dinner (reception) arranged exactly one month before. It makes sense to recall him, especially since it was at the Kremlin reception on May 24, 1945 that Stalin made his famous toast: "To the Russian people!"

Science and Life // Illustrations

June 24, 1945. Victory parade. Line by line, Soviet soldiers are throwing defeated enemy banners at the foot of the Mausoleum.

This is how we celebrated the Victory and met the winners in all cities of our country.

The picture is thin. MI Khmelko - a gala reception in honor of the representatives of the command of the Red Army and the Navy, who participated in the Great Patriotic War. The reception took place on May 24, 1945 in the St. George Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace.

A reception in honor of the commanders of the Red Army was held in the St. George Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace. The choice of the venue for the celebration is not accidental. 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 ambitious room in the Grand Kremlin Palace, built in 1838-1849. It is 60 meters long, 19 meters wide and 17 meters high. The hall got 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 crowned 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, the St. George 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 of the military elite - participants in the May Day parades on Red Square (and later on November 7 parades), graduates of the military academies of the Red Army. The "culprits" of the celebration were often pilots - heroes of ultra-long flights, industrial leaders, scientists, literature and art ... The number of guests at such grand feasts was from several hundred to one and a half to two thousand people.

After the victory, at the end of May, this tradition was renewed. The General Staff and the Main Political Directorate were preparing the reception. Lists of persons invited to a grand feast in the Kremlin were prepared in advance.

For a long time, the main sources of information about the Kremlin reception were the official report published in the central Soviet newspapers and the recollections of eyewitnesses of the events, mainly prominent commanders and military leaders. Now for researchers, the stenographic record made at the reception and preserved in the archive has become available. In it, in more detail than in newspapers, what was happening in the Grand Kremlin Palace in the late evening of May 24, 1945 is reflected.

Suffice it to say that the verbatim record recorded 31 toasts (of which five belonged to the Supreme Commander-in-Chief), in which it was a question of 45 people. From the newspaper report, only 28 toasts follow (of which only two are Stalin's) with the mention of 31 people, since the transcript, which was the basis of the official newspaper report, was previously edited - mainly by Molotov and partly by Stalin. Comparing now both sources, it is possible to find out what kind of revision was made, what paragraphs and individual words were corrected, and what turned out to be removed altogether.

The reception in honor of the commanders of the Red Army began at eight o'clock in the evening. The leaders of the party and the Soviet government, greeted with applause by the guests, appeared in the hall: I. V. Stalin, V. M. Molotov, K. E. Voroshilov, A. A. Zhdanov, N. S. Khrushchev, L. M. Kaganovich, A. A. Andreev, A. I. Mikoyan, N. M. Shvernik, L. P. Beria, G. M. Malenkov, N. A. Bulganin, N. A. Voznesensky. They took pride of place on the presidium.

Following this, V.M.Molotov suggested that prominent Soviet military leaders of the Great Patriotic War go to the presidium: Marshals of the Soviet Union G.K. Zhukov, I.S.Konev, S.M.Budyonny, S.K. Timoshenko, K.K. Rokossovsky, R. Ya. Malinovsky, F. I. Tolbukhin, L. A. Govorov, Admiral of the Fleet N. G. Kuznetsov, Chief Marshal of Artillery N. N. Voronov, Chief Marshal of Aviation A. A. Novikov.

Addressing the guests with a welcoming speech, V.M. art ".

Molotov dedicated the first toast to the Red Army men, Red Navy men, officers, generals, admirals, marshals of the Soviet Union and, above all, to I.V. Stalin, who, as recorded in the reception transcript, "led and leads" the entire struggle and led "to a great victory, unprecedented in history". Molotov raised the second glass "to the great party of Lenin - Stalin" and to its headquarters - the Central Committee. And he dedicated this toast to Stalin.

Then the toastmaster turned his attention to the guests from Poland, who had just gained independence, who were present in the St. George Hall. Four days before that, on May 20, a trainload of coal arrived in Moscow - a gift from Polish miners. It was delivered by a 20-person delegation led by the chairman of the Polish miners' trade union I. Szczesnyak. And Molotov offered to drink "to a democratic, friendly to the Soviet Union Poland", expressing the wish that the Soviet-Polish friendship would become an example for other Slavic peoples. In response, the members of the Polish delegation went up to the presidium table and sang a Polish song of health in chorus. (It is not clear from the transcript of the reception which song was sung; this is probably why the newspaper report says: "The Polish delegation is performing a folk song in their native language in honor of Comrade Stalin.")

The Soviet leader apparently liked the greeting from the Polish miners. The transcript records Stalin's first toast at the reception (there is no such toast in the newspaper report): "For real, working friendship, which is stronger than any other friendship! For our miners and yours!"

Further, Molotov, as follows from the transcript, noted that today there is no MI Kalinin among the participants in the celebration, "who must now take particular care of his health." The 69-year-old "All-Union Headman" was seriously ill, and at the end of April the Politburo granted him leave for treatment. Therefore, it was quite logical to make a proposal to drink to the health of Kalinin, "one of the glorious representatives of the Russian people", the oldest member of the Central Committee of the Bolshevik Party, Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. Here Stalin allowed himself to interfere and proclaimed his own toast: "For our President, for Mikhail Ivanovich Kalinin!" (Stalin's toast at the reception is not included in the official newspaper report.)

Seizing the initiative, Stalin was the first to offer to drink to Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov, the head of foreign policy. At the same time, he clarified: "A good foreign policy sometimes weighs more than two or three armies at the front." Stalin concluded his toast with the words: "To our Vyacheslav!" (Molotov was the only one who was called only by name at the reception on 24 May.)

Then, in a whole series of toasts, the toastmaster suggested raising glasses for the merits of the commanders of the Red Army during the Great Patriotic War. He was the first to name the name of the commander of the 1st Belorussian Front G.K. Zhukov, recalling the merits of the commander in the defense of Moscow, during the defense of Leningrad, called him "the liberator of Warsaw." The transcript of the reception further contains the words of Molotov: "Everyone remembers that under the leadership of Marshal Zhukov, our troops entered Berlin victorious. To the health of Marshal Zhukov!" It also follows that the guests responded to the toast with a warm ovation.

Then the transcript reproduces Stalin's fourth toast: "Down with Hitler's Berlin! Long live Berlin Zhukovsky!", Which caused laughter and applause in the hall. However, in the newspaper report, Stalin's words about "Berlin Zhukovsky" are absent. In general, the whole scene with a toast in honor of Marshal G.K. Zhukov looks different in it than in the transcript. The report says that the heroic defense of Moscow, the defense of Leningrad and "the liberation of the friendly capital (italics mine. - V. N.) Poland - Warsaw. ”Further in the newspaper publication it was emphasized: under the command of Marshal Zhukov, the Soviet troops“ broke into the fascist den - Berlin and hoisted the banner of victory over it. ”From the official report it followed that after Molotov's toast in honor of Zhukov, there was a“ burst of applause ” , but referring not to a well-known military leader, but "in honor of the valiant Red Army and its commanders."

Now Molotov raises a glass to each of them personally: to Marshals Konev, Rokossovsky, Govorov, Malinovsky, Tolbukhin, Vasilevsky (judging by the transcript, Vasilevsky was not at the reception), Meretskov; for the generals of the army Baghramyan and Eremenko.

Paying tribute to the representatives of that galaxy of Soviet commanders, which advanced mainly on the battlefields of the Great Patriotic War, the toastmaster did not disregard the older commanders of the Red Army, who showed themselves back in the Civil War - Voroshilov, Budyonny and Timoshenko (they were promoted largely thanks to the fact that they were Stalin's comrades-in-arms since the time of the First Cavalry Army).

As follows from the stenographic record, Molotov asked those present to "pour the glasses more fully", since he intended to honor the sailors. He offered toasts for the People's Commissar of the Navy N.G. Kuznetsov, Admiral of the Fleet I.S.Isakov and for the commanders of the fleets: the Baltic - Admiral V.F. G. Golovko, Pacific - Admiral I. S. Yumashev. Stalin added to this toast by wishing Admiral Yumashev "success in a possible war!" And this line was not included in the official newspaper report. The reason could be as follows. According to a preliminary agreement with the Western allies (USA and Great Britain), the USSR was then preparing for hostilities against Japan, in which the Pacific Fleet was to take an active part. In such a situation, the publication of a Stalinist toast wishing Admiral Yumashev "success in a possible war" was most likely inappropriate.

Molotov ended a series of toasts in honor of the commanders of the Red Army and the Navy, successively raising a glass to the marshals of the special arms. The official newspaper report mentions the names of only three of the ten commanders for whom toast sounded: Chief Marshal of Artillery N.N. Voronov, Chief Marshals of Aviation A.A.Novikov and A.E. Golovanov. (The names of the other seven military leaders are in the transcript: Air Marshals F. Ya.Falaleev, G.A. Vorozheikin, F.A. Astakhov, S.F.Zhavoronkov, S.A. P. A. Rotmistrov; Marshal of Artillery N. D. Yakovlev; Marshal of Engineering Troops M. P. Vorobyov; Marshal of Signal Corps I. T. Peresypkin.)

As follows from the transcript, V.M.Molotov highlighted the General Staff of the Red Army, raising a glass to its chief, General of the Army A.I. However, in the newspaper report, this Molotov toast is placed at the very end and without mentioning Shtemenko.

According to the tradition that developed back in the 30s, the reception was accompanied by a large festive concert, in which the best musicians, performers, theater and film actors took part. Toast in honor of the famous warriors were interspersed with performances on the stage of the St. George Hall of the soloists of the State Academic Bolshoi Theater of the USSR: I.I. Maslennikova, A.P. Ivanov, M.O. Reisen, V.V. A. Davydova, O. V. Lepeshinskaya, G. S. Ulanova. The concert program also included the best numbers performed by the State Folk Dance Ensemble under the direction of I. A. Moiseev and the Red Banner Red Army Song and Dance Ensemble of A. V. Aleksandrov.

The final series of toasts was dedicated to members of the State Defense Committee (GKO) and military councils of fronts and armies. Judging by the transcript of the reception, this series began with a toast in honor of the State Defense Committee and "the leaders of the supply of the Red Army during the Great Patriotic War" with those military weapons that defeated the enemy and his allies on the battlefields. Further, VM Molotov began to consistently name the members of the State Defense Committee, dwelling in detail on the characteristics of the industry for which he was specifically responsible. In conclusion, he proclaimed a toast to the health of everyone, and above all to the health of J. V. Stalin.

The official report of the last toast of Molotov in honor of Stalin is not, and the toast toast to the members of the State Defense Committee is more laconic than in the transcript, their merits are named in the most general form.

The newspaper publication omitted the closing toast of Molotov, which, judging by the transcript, was dedicated to members of the military councils of fronts and armies, both present and absent. From among those present, the names of two people were named, moreover, members of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks - Colonel-General A.A. Zhdanov (he was a member of the military council of the Leningrad Front) and Colonel-General N. S. Khrushchev (a member of military councils a number of fronts).

It is difficult to explain why Zhdanov and Khrushchev were not mentioned in the newspaper report, as well as the names of twelve military leaders, for whom toasts were proclaimed. Perhaps Zhdanov was reminded of the "nervous breakdown" that happened to him at the beginning of the war. The entire burden of leading the defense of Leningrad, blockaded by the Germans, actually fell then on his closest assistant, A.A.Kuznetsov. Or perhaps the silence in the newspaper report about Zhdanov lay in the reaction to a toast in his honor. According to one version (not confirmed, however, by a shorthand record), Stalin personally proclaimed a toast to the health of Zhdanov, as "the organizer of the defense of Leningrad." Zhdanov, instead of objecting and saying that Stalin was its real organizer, approached the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, clinked glasses with him and thanked him.

As for Khrushchev, then, most likely, Stalin (in general, who sympathized with Khrushchev) was never able to forgive him for his involvement in the most difficult defeat of the Red Army near Kharkov in 1942.

It is difficult to explain the inattention to the member of the Politburo and the State Defense Committee A.A. Never once did Molotov mention the army and navy political workers, although political propaganda work at the front and in the rear has always occupied an important place.

No toast was offered to those generals and naval commanders who died and died of wounds in 1941-1945. Obviously, this was intended, and at the gala dinner only those who went through the whole war and survived were honored.

The last toast, or rather, a small speech at the table, was delivered long after midnight by the Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars, Supreme Commander-in-Chief IV Stalin. When Stalin got up from the presidium table and asked to speak, those present gave him a thunderous ovation. The toast, dedicated to the Russian people, was repeatedly interrupted by long-standing applause. This table speech took almost half an hour. Various authors, primarily historians who wrote about Stalin's toast "For the Russian people!", Took the official report as a basis, but interpreted the content of the toast in different ways. Some perceived Stalin's victorious toast as a programmatic one aimed at changing the guidelines in the ethnopolitical sphere in the post-war era. The leader opposed the Russians to other peoples of the country, so that, relying on the authority of the Russian people, speaking on their behalf, make him a kind of mediator in relations with other nationalities.

Others felt that by noting the decisive role of the Russians in achieving victory, Stalin showed distrust of other peoples who participated in the war. It turned out that it was the Russian people who played the role of the decisive force, and the "other" peoples of the Soviet Union were capable of condemning the Soviet government in difficult times.

According to others, in Stalin's toast there was a desire to see the Russian people obedient, loyal and loyal to him personally. At the same time, in Stalin's toast of May 24, 1945, some saw the starting point for the deployment of new political repressions after the war. Demonstrating a desire to revive the "Russian idea", the leader gave a powerful impetus to the political and propaganda struggle against "servility" to the West and "cosmopolitanism."

Finally, the fourth drew attention to the style, to the verbal and symbolic content of Stalin's toast "For the Russian people." The leader extolled the epic qualities of the Russians, such as "a clear mind, steadfast character and patience." His speech not so much acquired the necessary and appropriate political tone in such cases, as it was spoken "in the human dimension." Since speech, nevertheless, was a form of "toast to health," this made it especially trustworthy.

It should be emphasized that the authors who discussed this topic took as a basis the official text of Stalin's drinking speech, previously edited by him. The now available stenographic record makes it possible to re-analyze its content and find out what kind of semantic correction was made by Stalin's hand before the publication of the newspaper report on the gala dinner in the Kremlin on May 24, 1945.

One way or another, Stalin, speaking before the commanders of the Red Army literally two weeks after the victorious end of the bloody war for the USSR against Nazi Germany and its allies in Europe, undoubtedly felt like a triumphant. And if there is no doubt about the well-known adage "the winners are not judged", then it is all the more true that the winners do not judge themselves. It was clear to Stalin, as the winner, that he should not blame himself before the Russian people at his finest hour.

And nevertheless, having read the stenographic record, one can agree with the opinion that was established in the research literature that Stalin actually admitted the guilt of the Soviet government (and his own, but only verbally) for the mistakes and "moments of desperate situation" that developed in 1941- 1942 years.

Two versions of recording the Stalinist toast "To the Russian people": according to the transcript and according to the newspaper report.

Transcript

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. (Stormy, prolonged applause, shouts of "hurray").

I raise a toast to the health of the Russian people because they deserved in this war and earlier earned the title, if you will, 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.

But the Russian people did not agree to this, the Russian people did not compromise, they placed boundless confidence in our government. I repeat, we had mistakes, for the first two years our army was forced to retreat, it turned out that they did not master the events, did not cope with the situation. However, the Russian people believed, endured, waited and hoped that we would still cope with the events.

For this trust in our government, which the Russian people have shown us, we are very grateful to him!

To the health of the Russian people! (Stormy, long-lasting applause.)

Newspaper report

Comrades, let me 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. (Loud, prolonged applause, shouts of "hurray".)

First of all, I drink 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, steadfast character and patience.

Our government had many mistakes, we had moments of desperate situation in 1941-1942, when our army retreated, left our native villages and cities of Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, the Leningrad region, the Baltic states, the Karelo-Finnish republic, left, because there was no other way out. Another people could tell the government: you did not live 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, for they believed in the correctness of the policy of their government and made sacrifices to ensure the defeat of Germany. And this confidence 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!

To the health of the Russian people! (Stormy, long-lasting applause.)

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 drinking health resort of the Generalissimo took almost half an hour in time, as it was repeatedly interrupted by long-lasting applause from the audience and became truly historic.

Here is the text of this Stalinist toast in its entirety, in the form in which it was seen by millions of Soviet citizens on the pages of central newspapers.

“Comrades, let me 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").

First of all, I drink 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, steadfast character and patience.

Thanks to him, the Russian people, for this trust!

To the health of the Russian people! (Stormy, long-lasting applause) ”.

There are some minor differences from the published version in the transcript of Stalin's speech. In particular, the Baltic states were not mentioned among the territories that our army was forced to leave in the early years of the war, and at the end of the newspaper version the emphasis was shifted to words about the victory over fascism, while the following Stalinist words given in the transcript were partially cut out: “I repeat, we had mistakes, for the first two years our army was forced to retreat, it turned out that they did not take possession of the events, did not cope with the situation. However, the Russian people believed, endured, waited and hoped that we would still cope with the events. For this trust in our government, which the Russian people have shown us, thank him very much! " This happened as a result of Stalin's personal editing of his toast before placing it in print.

At the same time, as the son of A.A. Zhdanov Yuri Andreevich (since 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 loudly, for the whole audience, to insert a remark: "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 still continues to be perceived) in different ways. Some saw in it a programmatic statement and a logical completion of the process of "Russification" of the Soviet regime, others - the belittling of the role of other nationalities (for example, the participant of the reception in the Kremlin I. G. Ehrenburg was so amazed and annoyed by the Stalinist toast that he could not hold back his tears); still others - just a competent 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. According to the historian AI Vdovin, already in the 1930s, Stalin characterized the Russian people as the basis of the “Soviet people”. Indicative in this case, writes Vdovin, is 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 most daring Soviet nation. I am a specialist in national affairs. I read something these days. I once said to Lenin: the best people are the 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 synopsis of Lieutenant General R.P. Khmelnitsky (then the commander of a rifle division), Stalin, during a table speech at a reception in the Kremlin of participants of the May Day parade, said the following words: “... Leaving aside the issues of equality and self-determination, Russians are the main nationality in 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 peoples. So, on April 22, 1941, welcoming the participants in the decade of Tajik art, Stalin uttered the following words: “... I want to say a few words about the Tajiks. Tajiks are a special people. These are not Uzbeks, not Kazakhs, not Kyrgyz, they are Tajiks, the most ancient people of Central Asia. Tajik means the bearer of the crown, as the Iranians called them, and the Tajiks justified this name. (...) You must have felt during the decade that they, the Tajiks, have a finer artistic sense, their ancient culture and special artistic taste are manifested in music, and in song, and in 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, with an ancient 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 in everything that is necessary. "

Therefore, it is difficult to say what was more in the Stalinist toast of 1945 - sincere admiration for the Russian people or elementary political pragmatism. But one thing is obvious - this toast made a great impression on contemporaries. Only in some he caused patriotic delight, while in others - skepticism. So, for example, the well-known philosopher A.A. Zinoviev, who ended the Great Patriotic War with the rank of captain, immediately after the publication of the Stalin's toast, dedicated a poem to this event, which contained the following lines:

The chief raised his glass. He took a sip of wine.

The Father's eyes have brightened.

He wiped his mustache. No fault

Didn't darken his face.

The hall was filled with jubilation in a moment ...

And the tormented Russian people

With tenderness he licked tears with delight,

Letting go of all his sins ahead.

Meanwhile, as noted by A.I. Vdovin, the leaders of the propaganda apparatus tried to prevent misinterpretations in the understanding of the Stalinist toast. The leading articles of Pravda explained that "the patriotism of the Soviet, Russian people has nothing to do with singling out their own nation as" chosen "," superior ", with contempt for other nations." It was also argued that the Russian people, “the elder and mighty brother in the family of Soviet peoples, had a chance to shoulder the brunt of the struggle against the Nazi bandits, and they honorably fulfilled this great historical role of theirs. Without the help of the Russian people, none of the peoples of the Soviet Union could defend their freedom and independence, and the peoples of Ukraine, Belarus, the Baltic states, Moldova, temporarily enslaved by the German imperialists, could not free themselves from Nazi bondage. " Therefore, it was noted further, “Party organizations are obliged to widely propagandize the wonderful traditions of the great Russian people as the most outstanding nation of all the nations that make up the USSR. Party organizations should explain that the Stalinist 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 generalization of the historical path that the great Russian people passed ", and" the history of the peoples of Russia is the history of overcoming ... enmity and their gradual rallying around the Russian people ", whose mission is to" help all other peoples of our country to rise to their full height and stand next to their older brother - the Russian people. " And in 1947, the artist MI Khmelko created a large ceremonial canvas entitled "Toast to the Great Russian People", for which he received the Stalin Prize the following year.

Prepared Andrey Ivanov, Doctor of Historical Sciences

Stalin makes a toast: "To the Russian people!"

Mikhail Khmelko

At the recently opened exhibition "Russia is my history" in Perm, a short retelling of Stalin is presented as a quotation of Stalin, completely distorting the meaning of the saying, the correspondent of IA Krasnaya Vesna reports on December 25.

At the exposition dedicated to the XX century, at the stand entitled “Toast of Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin”, the following text was placed: “I drink to the great Russian people. Another people would have kicked us out. "

However, in reality, the famous toast made by J.V. Stalin at the Kremlin reception on May 24, 1945 in honor of the commanders of the Red Army, sounded completely different:

“Comrades, let me 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, above all, the Russian people. First of all, I drink 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 they deserved in this war and earlier earned the title, if you will, 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 desperate situation in 1941-42, when our army retreated, left our native villages and cities of Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, the Leningrad region, the Karelo-Finnish Republic, left, because there was no another 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 have happened, be aware. But the Russian people did not agree to this, the Russian people did not compromise, they placed boundless confidence 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, which the Russian people have shown us, we are very grateful to him! To the health of the Russian people! "

The words "would drive out", which are indicated as a quote, are absent in the actual quote from Stalin. The text passed off as Stalin's dictum is thus understood in a Russophobic way: passive and the most narrow-minded of all peoples, the Russian people are ready to endure anything they want over themselves. In reality, however, Stalin extols the Russian people as a leading, self-possessed, outstanding among other nations.

Leaving aside the issues of equality and self-determination, Russians are the main nationality of the world,
she was the first to raise the flag of the Soviets against the whole world. The Russian nation is the most talented nation in the world [compare Russian and German capitalism in terms of armament before October and now with us]. The Russians were beaten by everyone - the Turks and even the Tatars, who attacked for 200 years and did not manage to take possession of the Russians, although they were poorly armed then. If the Russians are armed with tanks, aircraft, and the navy, they are invincible, invincible ...

An excerpt from I. V. Stalin's conversation with A. M. Kollontai (
November 1939)

The Russian people are a great people. The Russian people are a kind people. The Russian people have a clear mind. He is, as it were, born to help other nations. Great courage is inherent in the Russian people, especially in difficult times, in dangerous times. He is initiative. He has a strong character. He is a dreamy people. He has a purpose. Therefore, it is harder for him than for other nations. You can rely on him in any trouble. The Russian people are irresistible, inexhaustible.

JV Stalin's speech at a reception in the St. George Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace on May 24, 1945 on the occasion of the victory of the USSR over Germany

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").

First of all, I drink to the health of the Russian People because it is 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, steadfast character and patience.

Our government made many mistakes, we had moments of desperate situation in 1941-42, when our army retreated, left our native villages and cities of Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, the Leningrad region, the Baltic states, the Karelo-Finnish republic, left, because it did not there was another way out. Another people could tell the Government: you did not live 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, for they
believed in the correctness of the policy of his government and made sacrifices to ensure the defeat of Germany. And this confidence of the Russian People in the Soviet Government turned out to be the decisive force that ensured the historic victory over the enemy of mankind - over fascism.

Thanks to him, the Russian People, for this trust!

To the health of the Russian people!

Stalin I. V. Works. - T. 18. - Tver: Information and Publishing Center "Soyuz", 2006. P. 606–611 (appendix).

Stalin I. V. About the Great Patriotic War of the Soviet Union. Publishing house 5th. - Moscow: Gospolitizdat, 1946 .-- S. 196-197.

The fate of Russia in terms of the toast "To the Russian People!"

It is characteristic that this summer, 2009, the film "Stalin - Generalissimo" was shown on one of the central television channels.
I hope that I am not mistaken with the name of the film, which I could not find later on the Internet. The film began with footage from the 1945 Victory Day parade. The off-screen announcer quoted the Victory Order signed by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief Stalin.

And after the frames of the chronicle there were memoirs-comments
Stalin's grandson A.V. Burdonsky. His words sounded like an incomprehensible dissonance: he spoke without reason about Stalin's inner sense of guilt before the Russian people in the first months of the war.

Perhaps,
this interruption of meaning remained unnoticed by the majority of today's viewers. But for those who are familiar with the historical materials of that time, everything was absolutely clear: the filmmakers began it, apparently, with Stalin's toast to the Russian People. It was this toast, it seems, was commented on by A.V. Burdonsky, whose interview was recorded before the editing of the final version of the film.

Toast, Stalin
admitted that the Soviet government made many mistakes during the desperate situation in 1941-42. “A different people,” Stalin said, “could tell the Government: you did not live up to our expectations, go away, we will install another government ...” It was this text from all of Stalin's speeches that could be interpreted as an admission of guilt. It is this text that the filmmakers, who claimed to be an “objective” assessment of the Generalissimo: there are merit, there is also guilt - apparently, they wanted to reflect.

It was only along with the guilty notes that Stalin then expressed something more sacramental in relation to the Russian People. Stalin expressed that
that now, in today's reality, in connection with the upcoming celebration of the 65th anniversary of Victory in the Patriotic War in May 2010, someone would probably prefer not to emphasize it. Moreover, in the performance of such a majestic authority at that time as the LEADER OF THE PEOPLE Joseph Stalin.

Stalin, in particular, said: “But the Russian people did not agree to this [to that,
to drive out the government - AP], because he believed in the correctness of the policy of his government and made sacrifices to ensure the defeat of Germany. And this confidence of the Russian People in the Soviet Government turned out to be the decisive force that ensured the historic victory over the enemy of mankind - over fascism. "

As you can see, nothing else but the TRUST OF THE RUSSIAN PEOPLE
The Soviet Government, according to Stalin, turned out to be the decisive force of the Victory over the enemy of humanity (!!!). The very activation in the public consciousness, and, moreover, the interconnection of such metaphysical concepts as “trust of the Russian People to the Government”, “the decisive force of historical victory”, “victory over the enemy of mankind” seemed dangerous to someone. And all the toast of the leader, it seems, was cowardly cut out.

They cut it out, because none of the "leaders" who ended up at the head of the great people yesterday and today,
and did not dare to really call on the Russian people for the historic Victory as the enemy of today. And even to name the enemy of humanity acting today in its present guise. Except, perhaps, the fact that after the tragedy in Beslan, then Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first and last time cautiously mentioned that "some forces abroad" are waging an undeclared war against Russia.

The development of the global financial crisis has shown
that today the real enemy of humanity is the world financial oligarchy, which, behind the facade of pseudo-democratic societies, manipulates the drive belts of international conflicts and wars, and anti-people (orange) revolutions and anti-people (black) counter-revolutions, as well as crises from the most local to the most global.

Today in Russia a second is being prepared - this time even without a voucher -
wave of privatization. The way it is planned shows that the world oligarchy seems to be preparing to get out of the global crisis at the expense of the national and natural resources of Russia, the Russian people, in particular. Indeed, until the printing press of the world financial issue becomes a global property and is not controlled by all the peoples of the world through their legal representatives, any privatization is just a preparation for the fact that everything that goes on sale, in particular, privatized in Russia, is will eventually be bought up by the current owners of the printing press. They are, in fact, capable of issuing as many printed capital (bankable bank guarantees, depositary receipts and similar financial instruments) as will be required for settlements with the transitional primary owners of national values.

If the justice of this truth
we do not realize with a perspicacious national mind, we do not feel it with a sensitive national heart or a sober national liver, then we feel very painfully with the Russian folk skin. In the meantime, judging by the VTsIOM data on the ratings of the Russian authorities, neither the first nor the second skins still give a fullness of painful sensations. Awareness of the bitter truth can, however, come when the process comes to the point that they will tear in three skins.

In general, robbed by the first wave of oligarchic privatization,
plundered then by years of rampant bureaucratic corruption, the Russian people now seem to be preparing for the next stage of robbery through privatization. This was during the Patriotic War of 1941-45. His confidence in his "Soviet Government turned out to be a decisive force that ensured a historic victory over the enemy of humanity - over fascism." At the present time, the Russian people remains demobilized and demoralized, and the corrupt officials and the oligarchs who corrupt them continue to successfully test their trust in their state with new, new and new victims.

Another moment of truth
that is, the verification of the data by VTsIOM by life (unless it comes earlier) will come before the upcoming elections to the authorities and, then, by the presidential elections in Russia in 2012. Will the Russian people continue to believe in the correctness of the policy of their government and go on sacrifices not for the sake of victory over fascism, as it was then under Stalin, but for the sake of someone's private or narrowly corporate interests, as it is now?

After Stalin's death, the inventory of his property consisted of a cup holder and a pair of worn-out boots, which his beloved daughter Svetlana could not forgive him.
With such wealth, he could be with the people. Today, the skins of the people and the bureaucratic oligarchic skins are very different and tear their hardships of life in different ways.

In May 2010, the Kremlin will host a gala reception on the occasion of the 65th
th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. There is a Victory Committee in the country. It was first headed by the current Prime Minister, now the President of Russia. Will anyone remember the Russian People during the celebration? About His sacrifices and about His decisive contribution to the Victory of His trust in his government?

Or for reasons of political correctness (
see 282 Art. Of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) will the top officials refrain from the overdue recognition of this truth noted by the Leader of the Nations, so that, as the advisers will recommend to them, do not incite national enmity and xenophobia?

Each of us on this score may have our own assumptions. But history will put everyone in their place: both the silent and the patient. Every ram, says the proverb, will be hung by ITS legs.

Download performed by Nikolai Rastorguev (
www.russdom.ru/f .. protivleniya.mp3) a song that people on the Internet called “Heroes of Russian Resistance”. Listen to it, please, and remember Russian Heroes of all generations. Now, when the Motherland is calling again the selfless ones who have made their choice:

Russia will not remember our names,
Our footprints will cover the snow.
The last years, gunpowder
The enemy's bullet will burst out with salt.

Fireworks will not ring above us.
Is that in the sky
Eternally imperishable
The angels of God will sing us a song.

No, it will not close the grave mound
Our hopes and our hearts.
Lord glorious, God almighty
Let me go with you to the end.

Chorus:
We will not be covered with a military flag,
Fireworks will not ring above us.
Is that in the sky
Eternally imperishable
The angels of God will sing us a song.