Translated material
"Fireverker"
The mysterious fate of the most unknown marshal is not a single feat, not a single victory, tragic death. Part II
Meanwhile, in the life of Marshal Kulik, important changes took place. He became a deputy commissar. But with his second beautiful wife, he was “advised” to divorce, as there were suspicions that she was a spy. And three days later, unknown people abducted her on the street. Three days later, the marshal was excited. He did not go to the district police officer - to Beria himself, and Beria reassured, promised his wife to find (“not a needle, dear”). And in 1953, during interrogation, already in “my” case, he showed: “I received a small summary of Kulik. Rather, I asked me to be given a summary of her. Having received the summary, I showed it. I was ordered to remove Simonich-Kulik, and so that no one knew about it. Having received such instructions, I called Merkulov ( subsequently the People's Commissar of State Security; shot; not rehabilitated . - P. G. ) and Vlodzimirsky, instructed to conduct an operation. They fulfilled my assignment. "
I wonder who showed the summary of the People's Commissar of the Interior? And who ordered him to remove the wife of Kulik?
Vlodzimirsky ( arrested and shot as a Berievsky accomplice; not rehabilitated . - P. G. ) told the investigator some details:
“We are a citizen of Kulik with Mironov ( the head of the Economic __ Locations of the NKVD, subsequently shot; not rehabilitated. - P. G. ) was taken to the NKVD premises in Barsnofievsky Lane. The commandant Blokhin ( the most famous executioner, Major General, Order-bearer; died in the courtyard; he died his death. - P. G. ), who, together with Mironov, took her to the inner room of the lower floor of this building. I went to the first room with them and stayed there, and Blokhin with Mironov led the citizen Kulik to another room, where they shot her. A few minutes later we went out into the courtyard with Mironov and Blokhin. The prosecutor Bochkov came up to us ( the prosecutor of the USSR, the chief supervision of compliance with the laws in the country. - P. G. ) and the Deputy People's Commissar of Internal Affairs of the USSR Kobulov ( executed; not rehabilitated . - P.G. ). I well remember how Blokhin reported to them that the verdict was carried out. Bochkov then scolded Blokhin, making him a strict remark that he had been fulfilled, without waiting for him and Kobulov ”...
Kulik did not happen about all this. He was simply told that they did not find his wife. He was inconsolable, and six months later he married a classmate to his daughter, who had just finished the tenfield. At the wedding of the house at Kulik, Stalin himself walked among Kulik among first-worship friends and proclaimed toasts.
... And in the summer of 1941, the marshal was still found in Belarusian swamps and returned to Moscow, Stalin sneezed him in vain, but forgave him. He entrusted to lead the special group created at the People’s Commissar of Defense to form new rifle, tank and artillery units. But already on August 6, Kulik was removed from his post "Due to the unsatisfactory work in this post."
In September 1941, he adopted the command of the 54th separate army, which, from the moment of transfer to the north-west direction, was defended along the right bank of the Volkhov River. Zhukov, commander of the Leningrad Front, constantly demanded that Kulik take an unprepared offensive, hoping that he would be able to fulfill the task on his own. When it became clear that the operation ended in failure, Zhukov, wanting to take off his responsibility, dumped all the blame on the kulik.
Grigory Ivanovich was transferred to the south, to Rostov, to form a 56th separate army. And then Stalin called there and ordered him to immediately go to Kerch and keep the city at all costs.
There was virtually no one to protect the peninsula. Marsh companies arrived without weapons, rifles and machine guns were cut off, ammunition came out ...
In the divisions, departing in the Kerch direction, there were 200, a maximum of 350 people. The commander of the Crimea troops Vice Admiral Levchenko and the secretary of the Crimean regional committee of the Bulat Party reported to Moscow that "due to the fact that there is no way to hold Kerch, or to strengthen this direction with two divisions, or to solve the issue of evacuation of troops from the Kerch region." Stalin did not like this position of the military council of the Crimea forces. But instead of two divisions (which were not there anyway) he sent a marshal.
Kulik in Kerch and arrived late for two days (apparently, he celebrated his birthday in Taman). I stayed in the city for two and a half hours, gave the command to evacuate military equipment; Kerch was handed over. After the death of Stalin, the main military prosecutor’s office, which studied the Kulik case, requested the opinion of the General Staff regarding the circumstances of the delivery of Kerch. “The study of existing documents,” the Prosecutor's Office of the General Staff answered, “shows that under the current conditions the command of the Kerch Direct, as well as the former Marshal of the Soviet Union G.I. Kurik could not hold the cash with cash and weakened forces and means to keep the city of Kerch and change the course of hostilities in our favor. ”
On November 19, after the troops evacuated from the Crimea took defensive positions on the Taman Peninsula, Kulik, as a representative of the bet on the Southern Front, left for Rostov-on-Don. The next day, November 20, 1941, German troops entered this city. After another failure, Kulik was recalled to Moscow.
From the (secret) order of the People’s Commissar of Defense of the USSR of March 2, 1942:
“Kulik G.I., the former Marshal, Hero of the Soviet Union and Deputy People's Commissar of Defense, being authorized in November 1941, the headquarters of the Supreme High Command in the Kerch direction, instead of the honest and unconditional execution of the order,“ keep Kerch at all costs and prevent the enemy from taking this area ”, arbitrarily, in violation of the order of the rate and his military dollars without warning without warning. Headquarters, gave a criminal order on the evacuation of Kerch on November 12, 1941 within two days of all troops and the abandonment of the Kerch district to the enemy, as a result of which Kerch was handed over to November 15, 1941 ...
It is not by chance that such a Kulik behavior is not at all accidental, since his similar amazing behavior also took place during the unauthorized delivery of the city of Rostov in November 1941, without the sanction of the rate and contrary to the order of the rate ...
In addition, as established, Kulik systematically drunk, led a depraved lifestyle during his stay at the front, and abused the marshal of the Soviet Union and Deputy People's Commissar of Defense, was engaged in self -supplying and expiring state property, wasting hundreds of thousands of rubles into a drunkenness from the state and bringing decomposition into the ranks of the highest navigation ...
He behaved like a coward, frightened by the Germans, as a defeator who lost the perspective and did not believe in our victory over the German invaders.
For all these criminal actions, the State Defense Committee was given by G.I. On trial ... "
Two prosecutors, L. Zaika and V. Bobnev, published a book of historical essays “Sacrifice and executioners” in 2011 and, in the head of the kulik, previously reproduced the previously secret transcript of this fantastic process.
Ulrich : You, in the investigation, showed: “... having arrived in the Kerch area, I not only did not organize the defense, but did not take on this measures ... Whether the defense plan was at the command of the direction (Levchenko, Batov), I don’t know, I did not ask them about it. Arriving in Kerch, I immediately made a decision to withdraw, authorized the already occurring evacuation. ”
Kulik: There was no other way out. It was necessary to save the troops of the retreat ... What, one wonders, watched the General Staff? After all, he did not know the situation ... The army became a gang. Yes, a gang! They drunk, raped women. How could I keep Kerch with such an army? Do I deny that I violated the combat order? But he violated him not by evil intent ...
Artemyev: What measures did you take?
Kulik: One said - go away, do not bother the other, and the rest - not a step back, cover the evacuation!
Artemyev: This has already been done before you.
Kulik: No, Batov and Levchenko were only gnawing at me. I repeat again: I wanted one - not to let the enemy into the North Caucasus. True, I did not have permission to leave Kerch. ... Politically I am clean, never adjoined any party groups. Before Comrade I am very guilty of Stalin. Comrade Stalin, a peasant, made a member of the Central Committee, a marshal of the Soviet Union.
... Ulrich announced the verdict. Kulik was deprived of the title of Marshal, the title of Hero of the Soviet Union and other awards. Reduced to Major General. For comparison, it can be noted that Vice Admiral Levchenko for the same abandonment of Kerch was convicted much more severe-for ten years in prison. Although Levchenko with the arrival of the senior boss, which was the deputy. People's Commissar, immediately shifted all responsibility to him.
But, in general, Kulik in these circumstances even causes sympathy. If not for the only detail.
Let us pay attention to a couple of questions asked by Ulrich Kulik regarding the aircraft on which the marshal should fly to Kerch, but for some reason got a car. Kulik without a shadow of embarrassment at first stated that the plane was faulty, and a few minutes later admitted that together with his adjutant he sent a plane to Sverdlovsk for his wife. When asked about the nature of the cargo, he replied that this load was food. More members of the court began to clarify anything about this, although, for sure, they were all known for certain.
The first attempt to say about where a significant part of the efforts of the authorized state defense committee during his business trips to the troops went, made the head of the Main Political Administration of the Red Army Mehlis. He presented the prosecutor of the SSR Bochkov to the prosecutor of the following content: “I am sending you documents in the case of a selection of 85,898 rubles. 72 kopecks, to which Kulik G.I. Appendix: Explanation on four pages. " The accompanying note is dated February 14, 1942. That is, she was in the hands of Bochkov, who participated in the hearing in the Kulik case as a state prosecutor, just on the eve of the process. But Bochkov said nothing at the trial.
From the explanatory note of the adjutant Marshal Major Valyushkin:
“... Marshal Kulik flew to Rostov from Moscow on October 11, 1941 and was there until November 9, after which we flew to Krasnodar ... Together with the chairman of the regional executive committee Tulyaev and adjutant Major Kanashevich ... Marshal went to Taman and further to Kerch, and I, on November 10, by order of Kulik G.I. On his plane flew to Sverdlovsk ...
When I flew from Krasnodar to Sverdlovsk, the Marshal asked the pre-executive committee of Tulyaev to send something there to his family, which Tulyaev did. Seven boxes of apples, a sausage box, two boxes of kefali, flour, cereals, butter, sugar and a number of products were loaded onto the aircraft. What was the cost of these products, I don’t know, I don’t know if money was paid for them. Sending at the direction of Tyulyaev was carried out by a certain Sannate, some employee of Voentorg.
In relation to the rest of the products received for the marshal, I can not say anything. The adjutant Kanashevich should be in the course of these issues, who was involved in the Marshal’s business trip. ”
“... I did not produce any purchases of products for the marshal in Krasnodar,” writes Major M. Kanashevich. “But I know that when I was there, Marshal had a conversation with the chairman of the regional executive committee Tulyaev so that he would let go of the products for him.” At the same time, there was no conversation about payment, I only answered the Kulik of the Tyulyaev, so when I organize it, so when the marshal, having finished business in Krasnodar, flew to Moscow, and I returned here with the car, by order of Tyulyaev it was loaded with products: white torment of the standard, a bag of rice, buckwheat 40-50 mandarin, more than 1000 pcs. Limonov, five bags, cognac of 200 bottles, a port of 100 bottles, champagne 10 bottles, sausages of Ukrainian kilograms 40-50, smoked sausage about the same, sugar bag, lamb and pork, but not less than 200–250 kg, 18–25 caviar caviar, and a kilogy of Kephali two boxes. In addition, there were sweets, tea, compotes of different varieties, jam - 40 kilograms and other products, the car was almost completely loaded ...
When we were still in Krasnodar, after flying to Moscow, Kulik, Tulyaev, “organizing” products for him, told me that you could go from Krasnodar to Sochi with the car and get something there.
I went there with Tulyaev’s assistant - Bongard, and brought two tons to Krasnodar, prunes of 20 bags, 20 bags of nuts and compote, lemons and jam. Most of these products were unloaded in Krasnodar, and then loaded the wagon with products with others, and with them I came to Moscow.
I brought everything completely to Moscow, reported this in detail to the marshal, and, at his direction, the products were transported to the apartment to him and went for personal use ... "
War, say?
I will express an estimated judgment: in my opinion, a marshal is a pig. But he never answered for his mumps.
I admit, and because his behavior was not very different from the behavior of other military leaders, including the most famous ones.
This is, for example, Marshal Zhukov wrote in the Central Committee after an unspoken search that the Minister of State Security of Abakumov spent in the Zhukovskaya dacha:
“... about my greed and the desire to appropriate trophy values. I admit a serious mistake that I bought a lot for the family and my relatives, for which I paid the money I received as a salary. I bought in Leipzig for cash:
On a mink coat 160 pcs.
On a monkey coat 40-50 pcs.
On the coat of the cat (artist.) 50-60 pcs. And something else, I don’t remember, for children. For all this, I paid 30 thousand marks.
500-600 meters were bought flannel and wallpaper for upholstery for furniture and various curtains, since the cottage that I received for temporary use from state security had no equipment.
In addition, Comrade Vlasik asked me to buy 500 meters for some special object. But since Vlasik was removed from work, this material remained lying in the country.
I was told that in the country and in other places more than four thousand meters of various manufactories were found, I do not know such a figure. I ask you to allow you to draw up an act by actual condition. I think this is wrong.
Pictures and carpets, as well as chandeliers, were really taken in abandoned mansions and locks and sent for equipment for giving the MGB that I used. Four chandeliers were transferred to the MGB commandant, three chandeliers were given to the equipment of the commander in chief. The same with carpets. Carpets were partially used for office rooms, for a summer residence, part for the apartment.
I believed that all this enters the MGB fund, since the cottage and the apartment are in charge of the MGB. All this was transported and used by the MGB team, which has served me for six years. I do not know if all this was taken into account, since I have been absent and my fault and my fault, that I did not ask where and what was registered.
Regarding gold things and watches, I declare that the main thing is gifts from various organizations, and various rings and other ladies' trinkets are acquired by family for a long period and are gifts of friends on his birthday and other holidays, including several values donated by my daughter Molotov Svetlana. The rest of all these things are in most of the artificial gold and have no value.
About Services. I bought these sets for 9200 marks, each daughter on the service. I can present documents for the purchase and can confirm Comrade. Serov, through whom the service was bought, as he was in charge of all economic issues ...
Silver spoons, knives and forks were sent by the Poles in honor of the liberation of Warsaw, and there is an inscription on the boxes indicating a gift. Part of the plates and something else was sent as a gift from the soldiers of the Gorbatov army.
All this was lying in the pantry, and I did not think to build some kind of accumulation on this. I admit very guilty that I did not give up all this junk unnecessary to me somewhere at the warehouse, hoping that no one needs it.
About tapestries, I instructed Comrade Ageev from the MGB to hand them somewhere to the museum, but he left the team without giving them up ...
The accusation of me that he competed in a flea market with Telegin is a slander. I can’t say anything about Telegin. I believe that he incorrectly acquired the situation in Leipzig. I personally told him about this. Where is he her things, I don't know ...
... I ask the Central Committee of the Party to take into account the fact that I made some mistakes during the war without evil intent, and in fact I have never been a bad servant of the party, the Motherland and Great Stalin. I always honestly and conscientiously fulfilled all the instructions of Comrade. Stalin. I give a strong oath of the Bolshevik to prevent such mistakes and stupid things. I am sure that I will still need my homeland, the great leader of Comrade. Stalin and Party ... "
But we will return (to now - the general) Kulik, who lived in the reserve of the bet. For reasons obscure for me, Zhukov clearly went to him, went on business trips to the front together, promised to put in a word to Stalin and, apparently, fulfilled his promise.
…Через пару дней Жуков позвонил Кулику на квартиру, поздравил его с присвоением звания генерал-лейтенанта и назначением командующим 24-й армией, которая приказом Ставки была тут же переименована в 4-ю гвардейскую. В конфиденциальном разговоре Жуков пообещал ввести армию в действие только после прорыва обороны немцев, чем Кулику обеспечивался стопроцентный успех и восстановление пошатнувшейся репутации… Но и на этом посту Кулик не удержался.
…И вот он вновь на тыловой работе — заместитель начальника Главного управления формирования Красной Армии, 21 февраля 1945 года за выслугу лет награжден Орденом Ленина — единственной своей наградой за годы войны. А уже в апреле за развал боевой подготовки уже в запасных воинских частях Кулика вновь понизили до генерал-майора, сняли с должности, а затем за антипартийные разговоры и бытовое разложение исключили из ВКП(б).
28 февраля 1945 года в докладной записке член военного совета его главка сообщал заместителю наркома Булганину: «Кулик привез с фронта пять легковых машин, двух племенных коров, незаконно использовал красноармейцев на строительстве личной дачи под Москвой. Кроме этого, по сообщению главного военного прокурора, присвоил себе в Крыму дачу с имуществом — мебелью, посудой и т.д. без оплаты стоимости. Для охраны дачи выставил часового — бойца погранотряда Субботина…»
И вдруг в июне — назначение заместителем командующего войсками Приволжского военного округа.
Повторяю для невнимательных. Исключенного из партии!.. Дважды за годы войны разжалованного!..
Удивительный пример гуманизма сталинской системы.
Кулик прилетел в Куйбышев на двух самолетах. В одном, как утверждают изумленные свидетели, привез дойных коров, кур… Все это специальными людьми добросовестно сообщалось в Москву. Но окончательно, говорят, взбесило Сталина известие об утиной охоте — опять же с борта самолета. Бывший маршал безжалостно бил уток из пулемета…
И в мае-июне 1946 года две комиссии Министерства Вооруженных Сил (тогда так называлось Министерство обороны), одна за другой проверили состояние боевой и политической подготовки в войсках Приволжского военного округа. Оценку обе выставили — «неудовлетворительно». Командующего войсками округа Героя Советского Союза генерал-полковника Гордова, начальника штаба генерал-майора Рыбальченко и Кулика вызвали в Москву.
«Дня через два-три нас всех троих вызвали к Булганину и в присутствии Василевского и Конева каждому в отдельности дали прочитать приказ о наших отставках. Когда я прочитал приказ, я заплакал и попросил Булганина, чтобы дал и мне возможность уйти в отставку с пенсией. Булганин обещал доложить по этому вопросу Сталину, и через несколько дней я был вызван и мне объявили, что пенсия мне назначена в размере 90%, от чего я воспрянул духом…»
Однако рано радовался.
И это уже было не индивидуальное дело, а групповое. И главным уже шел не он сам, а его начальник.
В обвинении официально указывалось, что Гордов, озлобленный на политаппарат армии, намеренно и целенаправленно дискредитировал его. Выгонял из своего кабинета политработников соединений, которые прибывали к нему вместе с командирами для обсуждения вопросов боевой и политической подготовки. Обзывал политработников бездельниками и ненужными в армии людьми, специально задерживал представления их к очередным воинским званиям.
Deputy. командующего и начальник штаба обвинялись в том, что поддерживали Гордова, разжигали вражду между строевыми офицерами и политсоставом округа, компрометировали, сводили на нет политработу в войсках.
А между собой генералы, оказывается, говорили, что Советская власть ведет город и деревню к нищете, в государственном аппарате царит полнейший бюрократизм,
ничего без проволочек не решается, правящая верхушка оторвалась от народа. «Колхозы как система хозяйствования на земле, — утверждал Кулик, — нерентабельны. Потому-то рабочие и крестьяне голодают, тогда как члены Советского правительства живут как помещики».
Все сказанное каждым войдет в отчет осведомителя и будет потом официально фигурировать в допросах.
…24 августа 1950 года в 16 часов 45 минут председательствующий, генерал-майор юстиции Чепцов, с участием генерал-майоров юстиции Детисова и Зарянова, открыл судебное заседание. Рассматривалось дело по обвинению Кулика Григория Ивановича, преданного суду Военной коллегии пост. 58–1«6», 19–58–8, 58–10 ч . 1 и 58–11 Уголовного кодекса РСФСР.
Кулик: Я признаю себя виновным в следующем: в 1942 году, будучи разжалованным за сдачу Керчи, я, вместо того, чтобы пережить это как большевик, озлобился… Я тогда затаил злобу против партии и правительства...
Еще моя вина состоит в том, что в начале 1945 года на квартире генерала армии Петрова, у которого находился генерал Захаров (маленький), во время выпивки зашел разговор, что Петров однажды послал Ворошилову вагон мебели и лошадь, но, несмотря на это, Петров дважды снимался с командования и вместо него назначали других лиц. Я лично при этом разговоре лишь присутствовал, но сам лично не высказывался. Об этом разговоре я никуда не сообщил. Был еще разговор, когда Гордов допустил злобное высказывание, что якобы при царе пахали сохой и лошадью, а при Советской власти пашут на людях. Это высказывание на меня произвело тяжелое впечатление.
Председательствующий: Подсудимый Кулик, а об этом антисоветском выпаде Гордова вы сообщили в ЦК?
Подсудимый: Нет, не сообщил, так как не посчитал это нужным... Я был озлоблен против Советского правительства и партии, чего не мог пережить, как большевик, и это меня привело на скамью подсудимых. Я допускал антисоветские высказывания, в чем каюсь, но прошу меня понять, что врагом Советской власти я не был и Родину не предавал. Все время честно работал. Я каюсь и прошу суд поверить, что я в душе не враг, я случайно попал в это болото, которое меня затянуло, и я не мог выбраться из него. Я оказался политически близоруким и не сообщил своевременно о действиях Гордова и Рыбальченко…»
24 августа 1950 года в 23 часа 25 минут председательствующий огласил второй и последний приговор Военной коллегии Верховного Суда СССР по делу Г.И. Кулика.
Его расстреляли. Как и Гордова с Рыбальченко.
А потом, конечно, реабилитировали.
Занимаясь делом Кулика, читая рассекреченные сейчас документы, я постоянно ловил себя на страшной мысли: как же мы с такими командирами и с такими порядками все-таки сумели выстоять в этой войне, пусть и с невообразимыми жертвами, но победить?
Наверное, бог все-таки есть? Но за что он «держит нашу руку»?