Stalin полностью

73. Popov and Popokov, “Berievshchina,” 1989, no. 5: 40. Orjonikidze had told Pavlunovsky that “he rated the work of Beria as a growing functionary very highly, and that Comrade Beria would develop into a big-time functionary.” “Ochen’ vysoko tsenit t. Beria,” 163–5 (APRF, f. 45, op. 1, d. 788, l. 114–5ob; RGASPI, f. 558, op. 11, d. 788, l. 114–16ob, June 25, 1937).

74. Rubin, Lavrentii Beriia, 57–8.

75. Whether Beria set Redens up remains unknown (Redens had a well-known weakness for the bottle and women). Tumshis, VChK: voina klanov, 207–8; Knight, Beria, 43–4 (citing Merkulov: RGANI, f. 5, op. 30, d. 4, l. 86). “In the GPU apparat whole legends circulated about [Beria],” the operative Agabekov wrote at the time. Traveling with Beria for three days in a train in 1928, he found Beria “more interested in Tiflis street happenings than events of all-Union significance.” Agabekov, G.P.U., 169–70; Agabekov, OGPU, 155.

76. Popov and Oppokov, “Berievshchina,” 1990, no. 5: 86–7; Nekrasov, Beria, 354; Rubin, Lavrentii Beriia, 63–4. Beria or someone on his behalf spread rumors he was destined for promotion to a big job in Moscow. Popov and Oppokov, “Berievshchina” (1989, no. 7), 85; Tumshis, VChK: voina klanov, 204–5. See also Smyr, Islam v Abkhazii, 148–51.

77. Beria had been cultivating Lakoba for some time, sending him gifts, but at the same time, filth spread about Lakoba—his half-brother Mikhail received a horse (“bribe”) when he brokered peace between families after a murder; his mother got 7,000 bricks for a two-story house (“palace”)—which bore the mark of Beria’s minions. Hoover Archives, Lakoba papers, 1-392-35. Lakoba’s compound in Sukhum—a two-story brick villa, with two balconies, built by an Armenian magnate—took up a full city block in the finest neighborhood. Everyone had a room, including the governess, like prerevolutionary nobility.

78. “A few days ago members of the South Caucasus regional committee, secretaries of the Georgian central committee, and several Azerbaijani functionaries . . . visited me,” Stalin wrote to Kaganovich. “They are embroiled in unbelievable infighting, and it seems to me a long way from over.” He directed Kaganovich to schedule an orgburo meeting. On Sept. 10, Kaganovich acceded to the Caucasus comrades who wanted Samson Mamuliya removed as Georgian party boss and replaced by Kartvelishvili (who would last only until Nov. 14). On Oct. 31, the politburo, following an orgburo meeting, passed a resolution on the “unprincipled struggle of certain individuals for influence (elements of ‘ataman-ism’).” Khlevniuk et al., Stalin i Kaganovich, 68–9 (RGASPI, f. 81, op. 3, d. 99, l. 7–11: Aug. 26, 1931), 104–5n6; RGASPI, f. 17, op. 3, d. 847, l. 4; Kvashonkin, Sovetskoe rukovodstvo, 188n1 (RGASPI, f. 17, op. 114, d. 265, l. 75–137; op. 3, d. 857, l. 9. 12–19).

79. Lakoba wrote: “Koba: Will Beria do for South Caucasus? Me: The only person who works properly is Beria.” Hoover Archives, Lakoba papers, notes (1931) of a conversation with Stalin and Orjonikidze. Stalin rejected Polonsky as inappropriate to run the South Caucasus party because “he does not speak any of the local languages.” Khlevniuk, Stalin i Kaganovich, 276 (RGASPI, f. 82, op. 3, d. 99, l. 153–5).

80. Makarova, “Stalin i ‘blizhnyi krug,’” 302. “Dear Comrade Nestor!” Beria wrote (Sept. 27, 1931). “I send my greetings and best wishes. Thank you for the letter. I’d very much like to meet with Koba before he leaves. It’d be good if you could remind him about this if the opportunity arises . . . Regards. Your Lavrenti Beria.” Lakoba, “‘Ia Koba, a ty Lakoba,’” 60. Some believe Stalin first met Beria on Nov. 6, 1920, when Stalin addressed a crowd at the Baku Soviet and Beria, fresh out of a Georgian Menshevik prison, worked as business-manager of the Azerbaijan Central Committee. Some say it took place in summer 1923, in Moscow at Stalin’s Zubalovo dacha, or in fall 1923 at a resort in Abkhazia. Whenever the pair first met, Beria got to know Stalin up close thanks to Lakoba. Iskenderov, Iz istorii bor’by kommunisticheskoi partii Azerbaidzhana, 527–8; Knight, Beria, 33 (citing interview with Devi Sturua, son of Georgi Sturua).