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Part two: "VLTAVA-666"

The song of the Czech bard of Karel’s wing “Brother, close the door!” Written on the night after the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia: August 22, 1998.

 Brother, do not be sad, which you were scared, because you are already quite large - these are just soldiers who came to us in steel circus stoons. We look at ourselves with tears in our eyes, it darkens outside the window, and it rains, this night will not be a short wolf, a lamb, brother, did you close the doors well?

Publication in the newspaper Truth. August 22, 1968.

The development of Czechoslovakia as a socialist state, the development of its statehood, its economy and culture, the development of its Communist Party proceeded and proceeds in forms that reflect the characteristics of the country, its traditions, its specifics in all respects. And the conversations about the “imposition” to the Czechs and Slovaks of some “Soviet model of socialism” are nothing more than an malicious, provocative lie, spread by hostile elements in order to undermine the fraternal friendship that connects our countries, our parties and our peoples. Recently, certain trends have appeared in the field of foreign policy of Czechoslovakia, especially in European affairs that cause serious fears. The facts of an unacceptable attitude to the obligations of Czechoslovakia arising from the Warsaw treaty are noteworthy. An atmosphere was created, completely unacceptable for socialist countries. In this situation, it was necessary to act, and act purposefully, decisively, without wasting time. That is why the Soviet Union and other socialist states decided to satisfy the request of the party statesmen of Czechoslovakia on the provision of emergency care, including the assistance of the armed forces.

Mayorov:

The Czechs in their national character are so, in history - they are soft, but all softness is also to a certain limit. The introduction of any foreign soldier into its territory is perceived extinguished. If at 44, and then in 45 we were welcomed by "Nazdar! Nadar!", Then when we entered on August 21, "Nazdar" did not sound. Like this. And in some places there were clashes.

Bucket:

Army General Alexander Mikhailovich Mayorov is now 77 years old. His military career is the history of the Soviet armed forces and the history of the Soviet Union. The most dramatic period in his fate is associated with Czechoslovakia. In the summer of the 68th, General Mayorov commanded the 38th Army, one of

Those that participated in the invasion of the troops of the Warsaw Treaty on the territory of the Bratsk Republic. In Czechoslovakia, Mayorov served more than three years - during the period of "normalization" he headed the central group of troops. In his archive - four thousand pages of documents of that time.

Mayorov:

On Shumav’s teachings, I made friends with Samuel Kodai well, then he commanded the reserve army on the exercises, and then he was appointed commander of the Eastern Military District, who repeatedly told me, seeing this decomposition, the scatter of state institutions: “Introduce the troops, introduce troops!”. And when they introduced me, he met me, well ... hostilely, but at the same time whipped, sobbed on my chest, sobbed: "Why did you, Alexander, did it?". I remember even exhausted. I say: "Why are you whipping? You yourself said that you will regulate from the border to Prague: enter faster, otherwise Czechoslovakia will die!" And I believed him, and later believed, and we remained friends.

Bucket:

Technically, the invasion of the 38th Army in Czechoslovakia took only 25 hours 45 minutes. Late in the evening of August 20, 1968, the commander of the 38th Army, General Mayorov, received the VLTAVA-666 signal on the radio communications and opened a package received four months earlier from the headquarters of the Carpathian military district-a package with an order to start an operation. The same orders were received by the commander of the 1st Army, General Kozhanov and the 20th-General Velichko. The half -million Armada of the Allies under the Warsaw Treaty invaded the territory of Czechoslovakia. And a day later it was all over.

"VLTAVA-666" ... Who came up with this signal?

Statement of the Presidium of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. August 22, 1968.

The Presidium of the Central Committee of the CPC at its extraordinary meeting discussed the serious position that arose during the occupation of the territory of Czechoslovakia by the Allied troops of the Warsaw Treaty. The Presidium stated that not a single constitutional body of Czechoslovakia asked any of the participants in the Warsaw Treaty on such military intervention.

We believe that no collaborationist government will be able to convince the Czechoslovak people that socialism can be built under the bayonies of the union and fraternal armies. Such a government, if it had been formed, the Czech people will hate and it will be isolated, under the leadership of such a government, Czechoslovakia will become a very weak link in the Warsaw Treaty. History will condemn this occupation. Our fair business, as it was already in the history of our people, will win.

Bucket:

Says Winec Shilgan, in August of the 68th - a member of the Central Committee and the Politburo of the Central Committee of the CPC

Shilgan:

Why did they send an army to us? - This is not their business! - Our business, it was the case of a sovereign people. I never understood where the opinion came from that they guarantee the development of the world where it came from - I would say - impudence, directly that I can enter your house and say how you will live, what I will take from you. Are these normal ties between states? And on August 21, the whole country - we woke up in the morning, and on the streets we see tanks, hundreds of thousands of soldiers are not in our forms.

Milan Kunder. A fragment from the book "Unbearable Lightness of Being"

All previous crimes of the Russian Empire were committed under the cover of a shadow of silence. The invasion of Czechoslovakia in 68 is entirely shot on photo and film and stored in many archives of the world. Czech photographers and movie operators perfectly realized that it was they who could do the only thing that can be done: to preserve the image of violence for the distant future. Many photos appeared in a variety of foreign newspapers: they had tanks, threatening fists, dilapidated buildings, dead, covered with bloodied red-blue-white banners, young people on motorcycles, with frantic speed rushing around tanks and smelling of national flags on long poles, young girls in unimaginably short skirts, indignant at peace The unfortunate, hungry for the flesh of Russian soldiers by the fact that in front of their eyes kissed with unfamiliar passers -by. The Russian invasion was not only a tragedy, but also a feast of hatred, full of amazing (and for anyone now not explained) euphoria.

Shilgan:

Vysochansky Congress was a response to the invasion. The delegates elected to the congress decided to gather right away, now, to develop an attitude to military invasion, to leave the Warsaw Pact or not, to observe neutrality, etc., whether to ask others about help ... The congress turned to the people, we all said, we do not agree with such a policy, we are a sovereign people, a sovereign state, we want to maintain friendly relations, but not friendly, but not friendly, but not friendly. Slavery, political slavery. This we said, a new leadership was chosen. Our former was then arrested. Dubkek, Kriegel and others - 7-8 people. They were taken first to Poland, then to Ukraine. We stated that we will not conduct any negotiations with the Soviet leadership until they return. And then they were transported to Moscow to the so -called negotiations and there they were simply dictated to them, as it should be. We stated that we do not agree with the decision that you must take the troops, you must return everyone we arrested, and then we will talk to you ...

A fragment from the book of Milan Kunder "unbearable ease of being"

The leaders of the country were taken out by the Russian army as criminals, no one knew where they were, everyone trembled for their life, and hatred against the aliens drunk like alcohol. It was a hopping triumph of hatred. The Czech cities were decorated with thousands of posters drawn by hand with funny inscriptions, epigrams, poems, caricatures on Brezhnev and his army, over which they made fun of the booth of simpletons. However, not a single celebration can last forever. Russians forced the Czech statesmen to sign a certain compromise statement in Moscow. Dubke returned to Prague and read it on the radio. After a six -day imprisonment, he was so crushed that he could not speak, stuttered, barely took a breath, interrupting the phrases endless, almost half a minute pauses. The compromise saved the country from the most terrible: from executions and mass links to Siberia, inspired in all horror. But one thing was clear: the Czech Republic was now doomed to stutter forever, to stammer and catch the air with his mouth, like Alexander Dubkek. The holiday is over. The everyday life of humiliation came.

Karelian Song of the Wing "You are already here!"

 You are already here, the brothers, the messengers of the night, who pierced the knife in the back, you brothers, brought us the Stalinist night, and now we do not meet you with lilac bouquets. Thank you, iron pigeons in the world! Thank you for the kisses with a taste of bitter almonds, you can take our homes to yourself, and we only have hope. After all, we have always been and will always be!

Bucket:

In August 68, Prague Spring ended. The time has come for other songs. Songs of Karelian Gott.

Song of Karelia Gott "My Good Earth."

 The red sun above the blue river, the sky above the forest is like a song, I will not stop falling in love with a beautiful one, how are you, my earth is bright? Everything that I see is everything that I heard, everything that lives and everything that I breathe, my Earth gave me eternal, the most kind and human ...

From the reports of the commander-38.

 Czechoslovakia. August 68. The Minister of Defense of the USSR

In general, pursuing a flexible policy to political and military leadership of Czechoslovakia, I consider it appropriate to offer in the near future in each region to insulate (arrest) of the most active counter -revolutionaries from among the leadership. Without doing this, it will be very difficult and for a long time to improve the general segments of the population, because the ordinary worker, collective farmer, the intellectual in the field see that, as before August 21, the leadership in the center cost the same leaders, and therefore it is difficult to expect changes in politics and conducting specific events.

Bucket:

Speaks Winec Shilgan:

Shilgan:

Do you know what the "fifth column" is? These are those who remain in the cities, but also serve others - those who surround these cities. It was with us. ... Dubchek left his post, his place was taken by Gusak - from the fifth column. And there were many of them. These people canned a system of totalitarian power, the specific role of the Communist Party, which knows everything, everything can, which no one can judge for anything - neither for mistakes, do you understand? These were those who, before August, had already agreed with the Russians, that they would help them, that when the Russians enter, they form a revolutionary government ... And suddenly - a rebuff of ordinary people. Today it turns out that there are documents of this fifth column, these several people, who either on their personal initiative, or the devil knows how this invitation was signed: please come and save socialism. Not socialism - save us, save us in power ...

Bucket:

The military and political situation in Czechoslovakia "normalized" - this is the term from Soviet and Czechoslovak party documents - only a few months after the invasion. On October 12, a meeting of the military leaders of the countries of the Warsaw Treaty in the Polish city of the Legery was held, at which it was decided to reduce the Soviet contingent to about 115 thousand people and the formation of the central group of Soviet troops. The commander of the group was appointed commander-38 General Mayorov. His word:

Mayorov:

There is a well -known postulate: before entering, think about how to go out. This is the advice of the ancients. After all, introducing troops, it planned that the stay of these troops would depend on the military-political situation in the world and specifically in Czechoslovakia. And here, I must say, the political leadership, and especially the military - the Minister of Grechko - he very clearly felt the situation, and he gathered a meeting in the legend not because he did not know what to do, but for that, this is the wisdom of the minister to hang his thoughts with people who were in Chekhoslovakia. What to do? I offered from 30 divisions those that are in Czechoslovakia to withdraw in the next 8 to 10 days 25 divisions. Why? Yes, because we won politically - Czechoslovakia remained in the Warsaw Union. And why should such a load have such a load for the state, and for Czechoslovakia, to frill it with such troops, in general, newing to be undesirable for the Czechoslovak people. And on this, in fact, he is a meeting ... He turned to Epishev: "Alexey, what did I tell you?" That is, they discussed before and reported Brezhnev. I was in Czechoslovakia longer and more, I had huge information, and I felt that negativity that reflected the true state of minds not only the intelligentsia of that aggressive, but also actually loyal, friendly, even Slovaks who perceived us very closely. Therefore, it is necessary to withdraw troops and how to do this - it was determined by the agreement of October 16 between the governments.

A fragment from the book of Milan Kunder "unbearable ease of being"

From those who consider the communist regimes in Central Europe exclusively the work of criminals, the main truth eludes: criminal regimes were created not by criminals, but by enthusiasts, convinced that they opened the only road to paradise. And they so valiantly defended this road that they condemned many people to the death of. However, over time, it turned out that there was no mention of any paradise, and so enthusiasts turned out to be killers.

Bedrashko:

In the book of memoirs, General Mayorov quotes the words of Shota Rustaveli: "He who does not seek friends is preparing enemies." We were looking for friends for ourselves, trying to keep them in our steel arms, Maiorov writes. The army is a state instrument and a tool for achieving political interests, not a moral category, the general continues. And therefore, the famous commander Suvorov not only fought for the Russian land, but also suppressed the uprising in Poland and the rebellion of Pugachev. Politicians and historians can afford a different interpretation of events in Czechoslovakia of the 68th. The position of the general and 30 years after the invasion is extremely clear:

Mayorov:

I will not apologize or forgive. It was a story, for 30 years, it drove into eternity, but the lessons of the Czechoslovak events did not go for the future our leadership or the leaders of other countries of the Warsaw Treaty. In particular, this applies to the Afghan adventure. Somehow recently on television, I heard a remark of the Czech ambassador. He was asked about the same question. And he answered smartly, like Schweik. "Let the Russian Communists ask for forgiveness from Czech Communists, and let the Czech communists ask for forgiveness from the Russian Communists." And set a point. I am the commander of the army of that time. I got the task from the Minister of Defense. And somewhere for almost thirty years I swore - in fidelity to my state. So how, at the end of my life, I can renounce what I did?

Fragment from the book of Zdenek Mlynarzha "Colds from the Kremlin"

After the Second World War, the main guide of the great -power interests of the USSR became the army. Marshals preserved a huge influence in the Soviet Army, which achieved their ranks during the war. Simply, their concept can be expressed in the words: what is ours, then ours. I am convinced that the philosophy of the Soviet marshals of the older generation was the main factor that caused military intervention in Czechoslovakia. The Soviet leadership considered the only possible method of protecting its interests in Czechoslovakia. The contradictions between individual members and groups of Soviet leadership were temporarily settled, and the democratic reform of Czechoslovakia was strangled. Some groups of Soviet leadership carry a different share of guilt, but still this is their common fault, since they all represent the power that provides its hegemony in the multinational, represented by various civilizations of the empire only through violence, even against allies.

Mayorov:

When visiting the group, Andrei Antonovich Grechko asked me: "And how much do you imagine for rewards for military valor." I replied: about one and a half thousand, this is out of 75 thousand people. And he replied: "Do not skimp! Inhale twice!" That is, about three thousand people of personnel of the army were awarded with various orders and medals. I was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of the Soviet Union, and from the Czechoslovak side - also the Order of the Battle Red Banner than I am also proud. And the Czechoslovak president on the occasion of departure from Czechoslovakia awarded me the Order of the White Leo of the first degree. Кстати, этим орденом было к тому времени было награждено всего пять или шесть человек. Это очень высокая награда. Like this...

Ведрашко:

Через четыре года после вторжения, осенью 72-го, генерал Майоров получил новое назначение. В Чехословакии, в 77 военных гарнизонах, он оставил сотню тысяч советских солдат и офицеров: надежный щит социализма и Варшавского Договора, гарантию мира и дружбы братских народов. Приказ родины выполнен: в Чехословакии все было спокойно.

Майоров:

А в конце моей службы я опять-таки был вызван к Генеральному секретарю Леониду Ильичу Брежневу, и он мне поставил конкретную, немногословную задачу, когда я представлялся по случаю назначения командующим войсками Прибалтийского военного округа: "В Прибалтике должно быть все спокойно!" Вот была задача.

Песня Карела Готта "Земля моя добрая"

 Все, что мне видится, Все, что мне слышится, Все, чем живется и все, чем мне дышится, Мне подарила земля моя вечная, Самая добрая и человечная!

Ведрашко:

Эта передача подготовлена на основе воспоминаний генерала Александра Майорова. Книга генерала Майорова "Вторжение" вышла в свет летом 98 года в московском издательстве "Права человека".