Russian Mind No121/05(4992), EDITOR’S LE ER MAY 2020

№121/05 (4992) Russkaya Mysl Founded in 1880 May 2020 Russian/English www.RussianMind.com Russian Mind No121/05(4992), EDITOR’S LE ER MAY 2020

HEAD OF THE EDITORIAL BOARD Victor Loupan THE DEBT OF MEMORY EDITORIAL BOARD Anatoly Adamishin Rene Guerra who had no time or failed to evac- Dmitry Shakhovskoy Peter Sheremetev uate themselves and su ered from Alexander Troubetskoy death-dealing yoke of Nazi aggressors. Sergey Yastrzhembsky Many of them moved to forests. anks EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR to their valiance, a mass partisan army David Draier reached the exact enemy rear. EXECUTIVE EDITOR Elizabeth Yurieva Terrible statistics also speaks for it- [email protected] self: the occupied areas accounted to PRODUCTION EDITOR almost 14 million innocent war vic- Karina Enfenjyan tims among civilians. My grandmother [email protected] Katya was one of them. is is why the POLITICAL EDITOR: revisionist campaign built up here, in Vyacheslav Katamidze elebration of the 75th anniversary Europe, is especially o ensive to me. CREATIVE PRODUCER : Vasily Grigoriev of the Great Victory on 9 May 2020 On the quiet of criticism of the Soviet [email protected] hadC to be accompanied by a speci cally regime, the heroic victory of our people DESIGN triumphant ceremonial parade and the itself got to be negated. e facts which Yuri Nor Immortal Regiment mass march. Due were obvious for people surviving the [email protected] to pandemic, the Russian president war, – including Germans, – turned to ADVERTISEMENT: postponed all the celebrations for an be abominably blemished and inverted. [email protected] inde nite period of time. is is the Whether we like it or not, a strain of DISTRIBUTION: rst time over the whole post-war pe- memory was put on Russia. When the [email protected] riod when the Red Square will remain banners previously owned by defeated SUBSCRIBTION: [email protected] empty during the Victory Day. But our Hitlerian hordes were thrown down ex- ADDRESS: hearts will not be empty – they will be actly in Moscow, on the Red Square, the 47 avenue Hoche, 75006, Paris, France. overwhelmed with devotion. German Army was still holding several E-mail: [email protected] In this special issue of “Russian Mind” forti ed tactical localities at the French COVER: magazine we recall the great exploit of Atlantic coast, Denmark and the most our fathers and grandfathers who shed part of Norway, parts of Greece and the blood for us on the fronts. With this, her- Netherlands. So, actually the victory of oism shown by our mothers and grand- the Western coalition was theoretical mothers who worked long and hard rather than real. under the “Everything for the front!” slo- Here and now they tell us that it was gan, will also be never forgo en. their victory, not ours. Well, let us not It is impossible to hold tears when give up! thinking of ordinary civil population Victor Loupan Editors are not responsible for the accuracy of the information published in news reports, promotional materials and advertisements. Editors do not have the ability to enter into e Publishing House “Russian Mind” expresses thanks to the Foundation correspondence and do not return manuscripts for Supporting and Protecting the Rights of Compatriots Living Abroad for and illustrations. Editors do not provide background information. Reproduction of any the support and nancial aid provided to the “Rus- materials from the magazine “Russian Mind” is sian Mind” magazine for the purpose of the Special impossible without the permission Issue devoted to the 75th anniversary of the Great of the editorial board. Victory in the Great Patriotic War. Cases of the absence of sale of the magazine “Russian Mind”, violations of the terms of delivery and other shortcomings in our work is anniversary issue will be distributed among our may be reported on readers FREE OF CHARGE as a non-commercial +44 (0) 203 205 0041 project. is is our gi o ered to all “Russian Mind” or send on e-mail: readers and subscribers in celebration of the 75th [email protected] anniversary of the Great Victory.. CIRCULATION: 27 000 COPIES

RUSSIAN MIND – MAY 2020 3 HIGHLIGHTS RUSSIA IS RIGHT! Russia is true when asserting its right to the truth and sacred admission of sacrifice brought by its people for the sake of rescue of humankind VICTOR LOUPAN, Head of the Editorial Board

es, Russia is right, and the Rus- who beat Nazists, who captured Ber- this happening in their beloved but Ysians are right when saying: lin. ey showed in their lms how ruined Reich capital – but not in “ is is our victory, we shall sur- Hitler imprecated Russians for their strange Rheims. render it to no one!” Because this is victory and conquest of the capital Admiral Friedeburg approached not about any war (there were many of the ird Reich, while hiding in Rheims back on 4 May to propose ca- wars), but about the Greatest Victory his bunker. ey showed Himmler pitulation of Nazi forces to Eisenhau- ever – the Victory over fascism. and other high-ranking Nazi o cers er – but “only on the Western front”. ose of us who have lived many cherishing a hope of cu ing a sepa- However, the order issued by years in Western Europe are pass- rate peace with Americans, so that admiral Doenitz contained the fol- ing through a real shocking thera- they could ght together against the lowing: “All forces standing against py. Negation of the historical truth Soviet Union. the Eastern enemy shall draw in the which we have detected now, is so We know, based on documents West as soon as possible and ba le much unbelievable, that it challeng- and verbatim records, that Stalin was their way through Russian military es our belief in a suggested essence aware of such plans and was afraid dispositions where necessary. Stop of the European civilisation. Be- of their implementation. But the any resistance against Anglo-Ameri- cause we had been told for decades Red Army forces which took Berlin can forces immediately and arrange that the European historiography is by storm prevented from bringing voluntary surrender into captivity. not an ideology-driven platform for those plans to life. A general instrument of capitula- party was represented by a person sponded to 9 May 1945 at 01:01 Mos- with its outcome being absolutely mind a ection, but a research dis- ere is a nefarious fact con rming tion will be signed right today host- ranking lower than a Command- cow time. Soviet citizens received the clear and doubtless. cipline based on indisputable facts this assumption which relates to signed by Eisenhauer”. er-in-Chief – which also con rms the news about surrender of Germany at is apocalyptic combat against and documents. ing of the German Instrument of Sur- is is all about shameful back- machination idea. 02:10 in the night from country-wide Nazi evil spirit took 27 million Soviet It was possible, but I am not sure render on 7 May 1945. Do you know ground of the capitulation. To be fair, Stalin declared the following re- known Yuri Levitan who announced lives. is is a real price to the win! whether it really happened. Howev- where? In Rheims. Look at the map it should be noted that Eisenhauer garding capitulation in Rheims: “ e this news on the radio. is is remembered by the Immortal er, today we observe exactly the op- to check the distance between this refused to participate in the signing agreement signed in Rheims can be Germans and Americans a empt- Regiment movement. is is embod- posite. e interpretation of World French town Rheims and Berlin, the ceremony. But it was not a principal neither cancelled nor adopted. Sur- ed to misappropriate the Great Vic- ied in monuments to Soviet soldiers War II in Western Europe – namely, capital of the ird Reich. Rheims refusal; it was only due to adherence render must happen as the historical- tory before the formal end of the being spread across the entire East- its run-up and its nal – is so much never saw military actions, but Berlin of protocol rules, as the German ly most important event at the place war. Of course, they knew that the ern Europe, with some of them being in uenced by the Western ideology almost saw a natural giving birth to fascist aggression, in Red Army (not any other one!) had desecrated in several countries. values, that there is no more space for apocalypse. How- Berlin, – and not as a unilateral act, beaten Nazi horde which was unbeat- But what is speci cally slander, the historical truth. ever, Rheims gave a but strictly as the act executed by en before and had won all European some countries a empt to under- To be fair, I would like to note that nest to the US Army the supreme command of all the an- armies resisting against Germany in estimate the principal role played this odious fraud went native about command… Today ti-Hitler coalition members”. 1940 literally just in few weeks. by Russia and its people to gain the twenty years ago. Of course, there this shameful event So, the true surrender took place e ird Reich practically cov- Great Victory. is is a profanation. were a empts to ideologically revise is hardly remem- in Karlshorst near Berlin. e instru- ered the entire mainland Europe. Russia is true and proper when as- history at several American univer- bered by anyone. ment was signed by Wilhelm Keitel, Americans knew it. ey also knew serting its right to the truth and sa- sities, particularly at Stanford, where Understandably, general and eld marshal, Chief of that 90% of killed German military cred admission of sacri ce brought they praised and justi ed Vlasov Stalin refused to get the Armed Forces High Command persons had fallen in ba le on the by its people for the sake of rescue of and Shkuro, but generally Western such pseudo-capit- of Wehrmacht. is instrument was Eastern front between 1941 and humankind. e truth is solemn! Europeans still remembered the ulation serious. He accepted and read loud by marshal 1945. e Western front was organ- Let us remember the speech by great exploit of Soviet people – its thought, Germans Georgy Zhukov, a person who had ised much later, following the Amer- the great warlord Saint Alexander Great Victory over fascism. It was had to surrender at had a leading hand in conquest of ican disembarkation in Normandy Nevsky who righteously declared especially well remembered by Ger- discretion of their the German capital. It happened on 8 on 6 June 1944. ere were only few once and forever: “God is in right mans. ey were well informed of real winner, with May 1945 at 23:01 CET which corre- months le before the end of the war, rather than might!”

4 RUSSIAN MIND – MAY 2020 RUSSIAN MIND – MAY 2020 5 DISSENTING OPINION man divisions fought on the Eastern front at the same time. Totally, 80% of workforce of the German eld forces, 68% of its artillery corps, 64% QUID EST VERITAS, of its tanks, and 48% of its Lu wa e air forces were used against the Sovi- et Army during this period. So, the OR WHAT IS TRUTH? main inland force of Germany fought The frontline between Soviet and German armies remained in the East, not in the West, during the major European frontline up until 9 May 1945 the last year of the war, too. Before the summer 1944 the Sovi- VYACHESLAV TAMIDZE et forces retook the most of the occupied territory. Outcome of the war was absolutely and doubtlessly deter- efore the planned celebration of request for supply of resources or im- country had produced 57 339 T-34 mined on the Eastern front. Wehr- Bthe Great Victory, various Russo- mediate (Anglo-American) disem- tanks only during the war! e Soviet macht’s losses on the Eastern front phobs, demonisers and falsi ers have barkation in France”. Union acknowledged help, but it was of World War II were extremely high combined their e orts in their aspira- e author may either be lack of unreasonable to a rm that this assis- in armament and equipment. 70% tion to defame, slander, and underes- knowledge of the real World War II tance was absolutely necessary. of the total number of Nazi aircra s timate the USSR’s role in the horrible history, or misrepresent the facts in- In context of the phrase “Russia’s crushed during the war, 75% of lost war launched by the German Fuehr- tentionally. British military supplies participation in allies’ joint strategy tanks and 74% of artillery losses of er Adolf Hitler under the passive eye to the USSR were unsatisfactory. was limited to the request for supply Germany were accounted for by the of some Western states. For instance, over the wartime Great of resources or immediate… disem- war against the USSR. Two ctions take the central focus Britain supplied 2124 Valentine barkation in France”, the following e scale and intensity of warfare in denigration of our country’s role: tanks of British origin and 1208 Val- should be recalled to British histo- in the scene of operations in West- the rst of them a ributes the lead- entine tanks of Canadian origin, to rians: when Wehrmacht in icted a ern Europe in 1944 and 1945 were ership in crushing defeat of fascism the USSR. With this, 450 tanks were defeat on British-American troops never like the operations on the to Western world instead of the So- lost during transportation. e Val- in the Ardennes, Stalin, the Supreme The Red Army’s foot troops make an attack Eastern front held both between viet Union, and the second one says entines were running at low speed Commander-in-Chief of the Armed 1941 and 1943 and during the last that only participation of Western (with the top road speed of 24km/h), Forces of the USSR, issued the order military struggle Nazi command sent of victims in the Soviet Union were two years of the war. countries has allowed se lement of equipped with a weak 40mm canon, to his generals to launch the Vistu- new additions to the East on the back due to genocide and ethnic cleansing With the consideration of the full the war by May 1945. la-Oder O ensive eight of the USSR’s allies restraining of ag- among peaceful population living on strategic picture of World War II, Note the fact that days prior to its expect- gressive a acks over a protracted pe- the occupied territory. In contrast, we can understand some Russian not only mass media – ed date with the aim to riod. Around 270 German divisions Hitler avoided such policy in the historians who a rm that the An- newspapers and TV retract the maximum (except those activated immediately West. 364 thousand UK citizens died glo-American disembarkation in channels – propagate fascist forces back to the on the frontline from among newly in World War II, where only one sixth Normandy itself was organised in the these ideas; such the- Eastern front. It is hard received forces), as well as new tacti- was accounted for by peaceful popula- summer 1944 with the only purpose ses are included into to count the exact num- cal formations of Germany’s satellites tion. But in the USSR, among 27 mil- to avoid conclusive defeat of Wehr- textbooks and even ber of allies lives saved were repositioned there. lion fatalities over the war, over 19 mil- macht by the Soviet Army being in- multivolume explora- on the Western front In November 1942 the Eastern lion habitants were accounted for by dependent of allies. tions. Let us consider due to this decision of front, in addition to Wehrmacht peaceful population… the case of the British strategic importance! forces, saw over 70 Italian, Romani- e frontline between undergraduate text- It is also worth it to an, Hungarian and Finnish divisions, Soviet and German ar- book named “Britain remind that the Soviet separate “volunteer ghter” forma- mies remained the main the 20th century” people singly fought tions from Spain, Belgium and other jor European frontline by Charles Moore. is against the major fascist countries. Nazi forces lost 507 divi- up until 9 May 1945. By is the section about German forces and their sions and their European satellites January 1945 – by the World War II: “Certain- They suffered from Nazi Germany’s invasion contributors in Europe lost nearly 100 divisions in total dur- moment of full-court ly, Russia’s contribution over the rst three years ing the war. Germany’s armed forces press on the Western to the war was priceless, however, where the gasoline engine tanks were which were the most horrible time su ered heavy losses on the Eastern front for Germany a er it was involved in the Eastern front high-explosive and non- re-proof of the war. e Soviet-German front front: over 90 percent of their total its a empt to a ack in only. Its direct contribution to Brit- against a single small projectile. Sure- then saw 180 to 260 division level losses are accounted for by the war the Ardennes, – Wehr- ain’s e orts during the war was next ly, such manageable assistance was units of the enemy at the same time, against the Soviet Union. macht units in the West to none, but Russia’s participation in highly appreciated under those cir- and among these were 140 to 200 When it comes to the total number counted 73 divisions allies’ joint strategy was limited to the cumstances. But remember that our fascist German divisions. During the of countrywide losses, the majority only, while 179 Ger- Assembly of heavy tanks

6 RUSSIAN MIND – MAY 2020 RUSSIAN MIND – MAY 2020 7 VICTORY DAY no serious consequences, including have in mind is the Moscow parade, o cers a ended the parade in eld for those around him. According to held on 24 June. However, apart uniform, while artillery units and Vasily, even Budyonny was fright- from that, in 1945 there were three tanks closed the procession. ened at that moment. is version of other full Victory Parades. Before LI LEKNOWN FACTS events is considered controversial, for the Moscow parade, on 4 May 1945, the reason that in the rst edition of a parade of Soviet troops took place Not a holiday? “Memories and Re ections” the epi- at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. ABOUT THE VICTORY PA DE sode with Zhukov was not included. General Nikolai Berzarin, military From the Victory Parade until There are many interesting aspects of the history of the organization commander in Berlin, presided over 1949, Victory Day in the USSR was and conduct of the Victory Parade it. A Victory Parade of allied troops celebrated as a holiday. From 1949 The magic of numbers in Berlin was held once again on 7 until 1965 Victory Day was no longer ALEKSEI RUDEVICH September 1945 by a decision of a holiday for which people had a day e Victory Parade of 24 June Georgy Zhukov. A regiment com- o work. Until now historians can 1945 was the rst whose approval posed of a thousand men and ar- only guess the reasons for the cancel- he Victory Parade of 24 June 1945 but it was not carried to Red Square. Next to the words “Four years ago the was granted through a prior detailed mored units took part in it. Finally, lation of the holiday. ere is even a Tcould not be overshadowed even It was assumed that during the pa- German-Fascist predatory hordes at- scheme. Parades in the 1930s had another parade was held in Harbin version that Stalin was afraid of sol- by the pouring rain, which caused rade it would be carried by the heroes tacked our country” there is the note been approved at meetings of the on 26 September 1945. Soldiers and diers because many of them follow- the cancellation of the ight of 570 who had hoisted the ag over the Re- “quiet, more stern”; by the phrase ing their experiences at planes and of workers’ performances. ichstag: Neustroev, Kantariya, Berest “the Red Army under the leadership the front were a ected ere are many interesting aspects of and Yegorov. But they had li le fa- of his military genius launched a reso- by post-traumatic stress the history of the organization and miliarity with training exercises. At lute o ensive” he noted “louder, with disorder. Any reference conduct of the Victory Parade. the rehearsal the banner-bearers per- a crescendo”, and so on. to the war could cause formed very poorly, and nominating them to behave inap- others for the task would have been propriately. erefore, The Victory Banner strange, while the time le for more Why did Stalin not inspect the Soviet authorities rehearsals was inadequate. Marshal the troops? “waited”. e size of ags is standard, but Zhukov decided not to use the ban- In 1965 Victory Day for the Victory Banner some cloth is ner. It was carried for the rst time e nearly o cial, but still contro- became a holiday at missing for its 3 cm width by 73 cm during the Victory Parade of 1965. versial, version of the story of Sta- the initiative of Leonid length. ere is a version that a piece lin’s refraining from inspecting the Brezhnev, the former was torn o , to be kept as a memen- troops himself at the Victory Parade frontline soldier and to, by Alexander Kharkov, gunner Zhukov’s Ceremonial is depicted in the memoirs of Georgy lover of magni cent fes- “Katyusha” of the 92th mortar regi- Speech Konstantinovich Zhukov. According tivities, which he could ment, who on 2 May 1945 was on the to the Marshal, Stalin summoned S.М. Budyonny, I.V. Stalin and G.K. Zhukov on the tribune of the Mausoleum at the Victory a end in his marshal’s roof of the Reichstag. However, this Marshal Zhukov’s ceremonial him the day before the parade and Parade on 24 June 1945. uniform. version does not seem convincing. speech has been preserved until to- ordered him to take responsibility At that time nobody knew that this day. It contains very interesting fea- for inspecting the Victory Parade, Politburo on the basis of memos by speci c banner, one of many, would tures that demonstrate his profes- which Rokossovsky would lead. Hav- Kliment Voroshilov, indicating the become the symbol of victory and of sional work on the manuscript. In the ing ascertained that Zhukov had “not number and types of troops. Parades the end of the war e ort. speech he also annotated intonations. forgo en how to ride”, Stalin alluded were usually approved unanimously. ere is another version. In the early to his advanced age, and e training scheme of the Victory 1970s an old lady came to the Museum already on the next day Parade was prepared under the su- of the Soviet Army and recounted how Georgy went to the pa- pervision of the director of the Mos- she had served in the political depart- rade rehearsals. cow garrison. e commander of the ment of the 150th infantry division, ere, according to Moscow Military District, Gener- where the banner was kept. At the Zhukov, Vasily, Stalin’s al-Colonel Pavel Artemyev approved time of demobilization, in the summer son, told the Marshal it personally. It is believed that Stalin of 1945, the women who worked there about how on 16 June took the decision to hold a parade on tore o a piece of the banner’s cloth, 1945 his father did not 24 May 1945. cut it into shreds and then each ripped manage to hold himself o a small piece to keep as a souvenir. onto the saddle and was As evidence the woman showed her thrown o by a thor- Four parades piece of the great banner. oughbred that had been e Victory Banner was brought especially chosen for When people talk about the Victo- to Moscow already on 20 June 1945, him. Luckily, there were ry Parade of 1945, what they usually

8 RUSSIAN MIND – MAY 2020 RUSSIAN MIND – MAY 2020 9 CULTURE THE BOLSHOI THEATRE IN WWII: THE SHOW MUST GO ON DARIA GONZALES

lthough Moscow was bombed high-explosive bombs on the spot ny evacuated and the theatre itself Aduring the World War II, it where it had stood. closed, there were two theatres didn’t prevent the Bolshoi eatre’s e Bolshoi company spent nine still operating in the deserted city. actors and actresses from perform- months away from Moscow, leaving One was the Stanislavsky and Ne- ing on the stage. the building vacant. e front colon- mirovich-Danchenko Music eatre In October 1941, Moscow was nade was disguised using the se ings and the other was the Bolshoi ea- rife with rumors that Germans from the classic opera Prince Igor tre a liate that the government had troops were approaching the suburb while canvases from the legendary opened upon requests from the art- of Khimki. ballet Taras Bulba were mounted into ists who remained in Moscow. А group of eight young people – barricades. Painters drew the outline “ e a liate’s opening ceremony, students from the Institute of Phys- of the theatre and the surrounding if we may put it this way, was held on ical Culture – was in the process buildings on the square next to the Oct. 19,1941. We gave a great show. of digging a deep well under Hotel theatre in order to protect the build- It was essentially a matinee perfor- National. ey were on a mission to ing from a direct hit. Despite these mance, with the show starting at 2 mine the city’s key buildings in case e orts, 1,000 lb. bomb detonated pm. We could not start any later be- Russian troops had to retreat from right in front of the theatre’s central cause of the regular bombings and started to refuse to leave, as they performances or rehearsals, we tend- formed on the steps of the Reichstag the capital. e Bolshoi eatre ac- entrance on Oct. 28, 1941. the fact that it got dark very early. wanted to see the end of the show. ed wounded soldiers.” building in Berlin in late April 1945. tually proved the easi- e time we began our e audience at that time consist- Finally, by 1943, the artists were - “In Berlin, our group gave its 140th est one to mine: a well shows was a reliable in- ed of war correspondents, workers nally able to return to Moscow, and performance. e half-ruined Reich- was e ortlessly dug out dicator of the progress from military defence factories, par- the two companies were reunited stag building still reeked of burning directly beneath the or- at the front: as our ty activists, Muscovites and people again as one. By this time, the resto- boxes and fragments of furniture. chestra pit. army moved west, we from other cities who were stopping ration of the theatre building a er To the right of the entrance I saw Just a few days before would li the curtain over in Moscow on their way into the the bombing was virtually complete. three missile boxes stacked upon the pit was dug, near- open at a more cus- Russian interior. Restoration work never stopped even each other. I realized that that would ly all the theatre’s per- tomary time. e rst Meanwhile, the main part of at 40 degrees below zero in the winter be my ‘stage,’” said singer Natalya formers and its most show, however, was a the company was se ling down of 1942. As a result of the explosion, Mikhailovskaya. “Soldiers helped me valuable props were roaring success. It was in Kuibyshev. In early 1942, while one of the building’s outer walls had onto the boxes. Just a short while be- evacuated to the city accompanied by three still in evacuation, Dmitry Shos- to be replaced with a wooden struc- fore, they had been ghting for every of Kuibyshev (now Sa- air raid sirens,” said takovich’s Symphony No. 7 was ture, and the temperature in the hall step here. As I started to sing, I could mara) by order of the Mikhail Gabovich, a performed for the rst time. e matched that outside. see a poster pasted on the opposite government. A collec- principal dancer and composer dedicated the work to Between 1941 and 1945, the wall. It was in German and read: ‘No tion of Stradivarius vio- o cer of the Moscow his native Leningrad (now St. Pe- Bolshoi artists frequently went on sacri ce is too great in the face of the lins, along with pictures Fighters Ba alion. tersburg) and the outbreak of the tour to boost the morale of Russian great goal.’ Soldiers in shirts taint- from the Tretyakov gal- Ballet dancer Olga Lepeshinskaya (h) and actor Vladimir “We were under strict Great Patriotic War (WWII). soldiers. During the four years of war, ed with gunpowder ocked to the lery, were taken to the Preobrazhensky performing in the “Scarlet Sails” ballet the Bolshoi instructions to break “We were debating when we could 16 groups of artists were sent to the improvised concert hall from every- Kazan railway station. Theater in on Dec. 5, 1943 o rehearsals and start rehearsing Symphony No. 7,” front lines and gave a total of 1,939 where. Many of them were holding e priceless collection shows during air raids. said Valeria Dulova, a principal of the performances. Soviet Leader Joseph each other up or leaned on canes.” was moments from disaster; the train It was at this time that Moscow, e audience was prompted to go evacuated orchestra. “We had no mu- Stalin excused nearly 1,000 perform- e Bolshoi eatre celebrated the in which they were being taken away encircled by front lines, was open- down to the metro station.” sic paper, no one to copy the music. ers from active duty, although many end of the war with two major premiers from Moscow had barely le the sta- ing its opera and ballet season. With At rst, the spectators did as they A special plane was sent to Moscow artists remained on the front line as of Sergei Proko ev’s ballets Cinderella tion when the Nazis dropped several almost the entire Bolshoi compa- were told. But the audience soon to deliver the paper. When we had no volunteers. e Bolshoi company per- (1945) and Romeo and Juliet (1946).

10 RUSSIAN MIND – MAY 2020 RUSSIAN MIND – MAY 2020 11 HISTORY THROUGH ICE AND FEAR FOR RUSSIA: THE ARCTIC CONVOYS EUGENE SEVIN, special to RBTH

s the world marks the 75th Churchill’s genuine, if pragmatic, AAnniversary of the end of the change of heart was announced the Second World War, we remember very day of the Nazi assault on the the dramatic and heroic story of the Soviet people. In a radio broadcast, Arctic Convoys, a period of unique Britain’s wartime leader said: “… we collaboration between Russia and shall give whatever help we can to the UK, when more than four mil- Russia and to the Russian people. lion tons of vital military supplies We shall appeal to all our friends were shipped across treacherous, of- and Allies in every part of the world ten freezing seas. to take the same course and pursue As many as 87 Merchant Navy it as we shall, faithfully and stead- and 18 Royal Navy vessels were sent fastly to the end.” to the bo om of the sea during the Known as the ‘Russian’ and ‘Po- perilous operation and over 3,000 lar’ convoys – or by the sailors Allied seamen died. who risked their lives to bring the is is their story. supplies to Russia, the ‘Murmansk When Adolf Hitler launched his Run’ – the Arctic Convoys were surprise Blitzkrieg – codenamed part of the Lend Lease programme Barbarossa – on the Soviet Union under which the United States sup- in June 1941, bringing Russia into plied France, Great Britain, China, the war against Nazi Germany, Brit- the USSR and other Allied nations Ships at Hvalfjord, Iceland, November 1941, on board the tribal class destroyer HMS Ashanti. HMS Ashanti ain no longer stood alone against with food, oil, and material between Merchant Navy ships escorted by and some of the 6th Destroyer Flotilla at exercise. the fascist threat. Pu ing aside his 1941 and 1945. e programme Royal Navy cruisers and destroyers lifelong antipathy to Bolshevism, started in March 1941 and ended as well as U.S. and other allied war- It consisted of six merchant ships le, Punjabi and Somali. Aircra car- convoy su ered no losses, as the Na- Britain’s Prime Minister Winston in September 1945. Supplies to the ships, carried the essential supplies. loaded with raw materials and 15 rier Argus delivered 24 Hurricanes zis were simply unaware of it. Churchill authorised urgent na- Soviet Union also came overland via Hawker Hurricane ghter planes es- (the Royal Air Force’s 151 Fighter Code le ers and sequential num- val convoys of vital war material the Persian Corridor and to Russia’s corted by the Royal Navy with three Wing) to Vaenga air eld near Mur- bers subsequently identi ed con- to Russia. Shipped across some of Far East by the Paci c Route. Dervish debut destroyers (Electra, Active, Impul- mansk. Some of the 39 Hurricanes voys: PQ to Russia (inbound) and the most dangerous waters in the e shortest route was to Russia’s sive), three minesweepers (Hal- delivered by ‘Dervish’, own by QP from Russia (outbound). e world, the Arctic Convoys between northern ports of Murmansk and e rst Arctic convoy, codenamed cyon, Salamander, Harrier), three Russian pilots, were deployed de- le ers P and Q were from the initials 1941 and 1945 delivered tanks, Arkhangelsk sailing through Arctic Operation ‘Dervish’, set out from anti-submarine trawlers (Hamlet, fending Moscow between October of Commander P. Q. Edwards, who ghter planes, fuel, ammunition, waters above Nazi occupied Norway Hval ord in Iceland on 21 August Macbeth, Ophelia), with additional 1941 and January 1942. was responsible for the planning of raw materials and food to the Sovi- from Iceland and (from September 1941, sailing into harbour at Arkhan- distant cover from the heavy cruiser ose who sailed during operation these early operations. e system et Union’s northern ports. 1942) Loch Ewe in Scotland. gelsk on 31 August 1941. Shropshire and destroyers Matabe- ‘Dervish’ had beginners’ luck – the was used until convoys PQ18 in Sep-

12 RUSSIAN MIND – MAY 2020 RUSSIAN MIND – MAY 2020 13 tember 1942 and QP15 Fatal in four twin turrets. She had been de- It was a mistake of historic propor- in November 1942. mistake ployed to Norway in January 1942 in tion that profoundly misjudged the From December 1942 order to prepare to a ack a convoy. situation and would have fatal con- the convoys were coded Winston Churchill had predicted In March 1942, the Tirpitz sequences. e Tirpitz has merely JW (starting with 51) the Arctic Convoys would be “the launched her rst a ack on PQ12 changed position to the north with- to Russia and (num- worst journey in the world”. e big- convoy, but bad weather kept her out any plans to intercept the convoy. ber) from Russia. gest disaster in naval history befell from zeroing on the convoy and the Fully exposed to Nazi aircra and A total of 78 inbound Convoy PQ17. a ack failed. Later, the German navy, U-boats without any escort, PQ17 and outbound convoys e convoy le Iceland on 27 June the Kriegsmarine, came up with was gradually destroyed. By 22 July did the ‘Murmansk 1942 for Arkhangelsk made up of 36 Operation Rösselsprung (Knight’s only 11 of the convoy’s original 36 Run’ between August merchant ships and six naval auxilia- Move), a plan to bring the Tirpitz merchant vessels had reached Arkhan- 1941 and May 1945. ries with one close and two distant and her entourage into contact with gelsk, delivering just 70,000 tons – escorts, 43 warships in total. e the next outbound convoy PQ17. less than half the anticipated cargo. convoy was carrying 297 aircra , 594 On 4 July a er sending a message In his monumental six-volume Rough tanks, 4,246 trucks and trailers, and from Norway to the Admiralty in record of those times, e Second Seas 150,000 tons of military and general London, saying that the Tirpitz has World War, Churchill called PQ17 supplies. It was by far the largest con- moved the previous day, the First “one of the most melancholy naval Apart from Nazi war- voy ever to sail to Russia. Sea Lord Sir Dudley Pound, fear- episodes in the whole of the war.” ships, submarines and e biggest threat to the Royal ing a ack, commanded the escort U. S. Admiral Dan Gallery in his Lu wa e aircra , the Navy at the time was the German ships to turn back and the convoy memoirs was more blunt, referring convoys faced anoth- ba leship Tirpitz, armed with a main to sca er and to chart their own to the disaster as “a shameful page er, just as tough, ad- ba ery of eight 15-inch (38 cm) guns course to Russia. in naval history.” versary: the elements. Rough and unpredicta- ble Arctic storms were The Navy experiences wintry weather in the middle of January 1941, with the destroyer the least of it. Temper- HMS Kelvin. Photo shows the Arctic conditions that ships had to face during the cold winter atures were so low that months. HMS Kelvin shown blanketed in snow. water washed on board quickly froze and could add so much ing of decks and guns with axes and Two of the 78 convoys represent weight that a ship could become top- steam hoses was a daily routine for the best and worst of the heroic mis- heavy and capsize. Constant de-ic- the Arctic Convoys’ sailors. sions.

“ e sea was violent with waves onds and then decided to come back Your eyebrows and eyelashes oze of 30 plus. When we met a gale or turn over – some did. and your eyes were very sore with in the Atlantic we went into it bow e temperature in these seas got the winds blowing into them. on and ploughed through, but in the as low as 60 degrees below eezing. When you got down to the mess Arctic, east of Bear Island, the sea deck there was about three inches was very narrow and we had to go of water om condensation. e east with no deviation. is meant older men, who had hair in their we were rolling as much as 30 de- noses, found that these oze solid grees to port and starboard. and were like needles. Many men With the deck covered in ice and came o watch with faces covered snow we had to use lifelines when go- in blood as they had rubbed their ing a to the guns and depth charges. noses without thinking. ese lifelines were ed very rmly e main thing at this time was and anyone going a on deck had to keep the upper deck clear of ice to x a rope around the body with a and snow by means of axes and hook on to the lifeline and gradually steam hoses or the ship could be- move a when the ship was steady. come top heavy.” But when she rolled, your feet le the deck and at 30 degrees you were Bill Smith hanging over the sea. At maximum An Arctic Convoy sailor who served on roll the ship shuddered for a few sec- HMS Magpie British Naval activities in winter. 20 January 1942, Rosyth, under Arctic like conditions

14 RUSSIAN MIND – MAY 2020 RUSSIAN MIND – MAY 2020 15 Between August 1941 and May 1945, the Arctic Convoys delivered “I remember it was 13 July, 1942. full of eezing men. Fi y sailors had more than 4 million tons of cargo to at day I was asked to ful l the spent several days in the Barents Russia including at least 7,000 air- duties of navigation o cer. Our ship Sea. Some were unconscious. We planes, 5,000 tanks, trucks, tires, fuel, was on the outer patrol near Kola took them aboard, gave them alco- food, medicine, clothes, metals and Bay – the main base of the North- hol and dry clothes. other raw materials. ern Fleet. e weather was extreme- On our way back to Polyarnoye Convoy JW55B was a total suc- ly good, calm and sunny. Suddenly base we realised that six of the sail- cess for the Royal Navy, be er there was a telegram ors were Russian, known for its part in the Ba le of cipher on the bridge. and they told us the the North Cape, which was de- Our commander story. e rescued signed as a distraction manoeuvre Kondratyev read the survivors were om against the Germany ba le cruiser telegram, handed it the British merchant the Scharnhorst, armed with a main to me and gave an ship ‘Bolton Cas- ba ery of nine 11-inch (28 cm) order to navigate on tle’ that was part of guns in three triple turrets. the set course. e PQ17 convoy. ey e convoy consisted of 19 mer- telegram read ‘To the had been sunk by air chant ships that sailed from Loch commander of igate a ack on 5 July. Ewe on 22 December 1943 accompa- SKR-32. Our sub- Sixty-two years nied by a close escort of two corve es marine K-22 identi ed a rescue boat later, in 2004, I found one of the sur- (Borage and Wall ower) and two with sailors in distress [coordinates]. vivors of ‘Bolton Castle’, Albert Hig- minesweepers (Hound and Hydra). Locate the boat and save the men. gins om Bridlington.” Destroyers Whitehall and Wrestler, Commander of the Fleet.’ minesweeper Gleaner, and corve es e given coordinates were about Anatoli Livshit Honeysuckle and Oxlip, were also de- 30 miles to the north of our posi- a 96 year-old Russian war veteran om ployed as escorts. Vice-Admiral Rob- Scharnhorst survivors at Scapa Flow, 2 January 1944. Blindfolded Scharnhorst survivors, in merchant seaman rescue kit, tion, and a li le more than three St. Petersburg who visited Britain in ert Burne , who was accompanying walking down a gang-plank on their way to internment. hours later we found the rescue boat December 2014 the homebound -55A with cruisers Belfast, Norfolk and the convoy. Norfolk engaged and hit heading south and away from the of York, was severely damaged. Other She eld, later o ered Scharnhorst as she turned north try convoy and Fraser was in a position cruisers and destroyers red torpe- further support. Admi- to get closer to JW55B. Expecting to cut o her retreat. Soon a er 4pm, does, 11 of which reached their target. ral Bruce Fraser, expect- this move Burne continued leading the three cruisers were closing in and Scharnhorst went down shortly a er ing – and hoping – that his escort towards the convoy, and at 4.50pm, Belfast lit up Scharnhorst 7.30pm. Of the 1,932 men on board the Scharnhorst would when Belfast regained contact with with a parachute-borne star shell. the Scharnhorst only 36 were rescued. a ack the convoy, head- Scharnhorst all three cruisers opened Burne ’s cruisers engaged from one Few, if any of the ordinary sailors ed for Bear Island from re. Scharnhorst was hit and Norfolk side while the Duke of York and Ja- involved in the ba le could have Iceland with ba leship damaged by 11-inch shells. By this maica came in from the other. Schar- known that before the war, Vice-Ad- Duke of York and cruis- time the German ba le cruiser was nhorst, hit by Jamaica and the Duke miral Robert Burne of Belfast and er Jamaica. Rear-Admiral Erich Bey of Scharn- Scharnhorst (com- horst had been friends, and they and manded by Rear-Admi- “We spent two days shadowing Schar- their families had visited each other. ral Erich Bey) and ve nhorst and eventually she was sunk. I e Arctic Convoys, like the Ba le destroyers sailed from red three torpedoes at Scharnhorst. of Britain in the summer of 1940, in- northern Norway on It was so dark, whether they hit or not volved relatively few servicemen. But Christmas Eve. Early on she went down not too long a erwards. like that struggle in the skies above Boxing Day, 26 Decem- And when she went down I had tears in southern England, the debt owed ber, JW55B was about my eyes, because she had two thousand by so many to those few thousand 50 miles south of Bear men with her. All with mothers, broth- men who served on the convoys is Island when the enemy ers, sisters, wives, and I thought – what immense. e bond forged through eet headed north to a waste. But, faced with circumstances, it their courage and sacri ce with Rus- intercept. could have been us and not them.” sia endures to this day. By 9am Belfast de- For both Russia and Britain, the Convoy to Russia, with a British cruiser escort on Arctic lifeline, December 1941, on board the tected Scharnhorst as Ted Cordery Arctic Convoys are an enduring sym- cruiser HMS Sheffield. In the Russian base HMS Sheffield anchors and waits once more for the she was heading south, A veteran of the Arctic Convoys who bol of heroic cooperation in the joint sailing orders. In the background can be seen snow covered hills. some 30 miles east of served on the Belfast ght to defeat Nazi Germany.

16 RUSSIAN MIND – MAY 2020 RUSSIAN MIND – MAY 2020 17 HISTORY HOW I DEFENDED S T A L I N G D BORIS EGOROV

he Ba le of Stalingrad was a burn is burning. Even the Volga is on Tveritable meat-grinder for both re – burning oil from bombed stor- the Soviet and German armies. Few age facilities is gushing into the river. made it through the most terrible ba le in the history of mankind from day one to day done. September 3, 1942 More than a million Soviet soldiers Under bombardment and artillery took part in the fateful Ba le of Stal- re, we crossed to the west bank of ingrad, which marked the turning the Volga. It’s di cult to make out point in WWII. Some fought to stop what’s happening on the other side, the enemy on the outskirts of the city, only the looming box-like buildings others engaged in close-quarter com- strewn with pieces of brick, logs, and bat for every building and street. In iron, and the black treetops are visi- combination, they dealt a fatal blow ble. We have set up base in the ruins. to the most powerful German force e HQ of our 62nd Army is sited on the Eastern Front – the 6th Army right here on the river bank. of General Friedrich Paulus. A er reviewing dozens of memoirs of Red Army soldiers who took September 12, 1942 part in the ba le, we imagined what e Lu wa e hovers over the city the Ba le of Stalingrad looked like day and night. ere is no escape through the eyes of a common sol- from the hum. All you want to do is dier who witnessed all the key epi- burrow deeper into the ground, nib- sodes of this nightmare from the rst ble it, dig it with your nails to merge day to the last. with it, become invisible. Our planes Meet our hero. Siberian Mikhail are almost nowhere to be seen, some- Nekrasov, 20, an ordinary infantry- times a few “donkeys” (I-16s) try to man. Recently dra ed into the Red engage, but they are sca ered into Army, he will endure a baptism of re pieces by the re from the “Messers” in the cauldron of the most horri c (Messerschmi s). son. Anti-retreat detachments in Stal- inside, exploding. e master sergeant damage before they were destroyed. ba le in history. His diary is based on September 19, 1942 ingrad ght alongside ordinary units. approaches the smoldering tank with a Our soldiers, of course, are heroes, the memoirs of foot soldiers, tank- e enemy infantry broke through e Command mainly uses them as pot of porridge and calmly places it on but the Germans sometimes show a men, radio operators, artillerymen, September 15, 1942 to the city center, and somewhere a reserve, and not for their intended the armor-plating to warm it up. Noth- fanatical level of sacri ce. and soldiers from other divisions e commander of the 1345th gained access to the river. e or- purpose. Otherwise there wouldn’t ing seems strange anymore… who collectively succeeded in break- regiment, Major Zhukov, and the der was received to retake the State be enough people! ing the spine of the Wehrmacht in regiment commissar, Senior Politi- Bank, from where the Germans had October 23, 1942 the city on the Volga. cal Instructor Raspopov, were shot a strategic view of the whole Volga. October 7, 1942 e Command ordered us to hold in front of the unit: “Under a ack An anti-retreat detachment of the October 3, 1942 Sometimes we see our T-34s and the Barricades and Red October fac- from the enemy, they displayed fear 13th Guards Ri e Division stormed ere’s a ba le for every building, KVs with German crosses on the tur- tories at any cost. Just behind these August 23, 1942 in ba le, abandoned the regiment, the building with us in support. Sap- every street. Day and night. ere’s no rets. Once at dusk, several of these giant complexes is the Volga. We lose Just arrived in Stalingrad and and shamefully ed the ba le eld.” pers disguised as machine-gunners more fear, just bluntness… and a con- captured tanks wedged into a col- them, we lose the city. Easier said walked straight into hell. Hundreds of We despise cowards. Everyone is dragged boxes of TNT inside. Af- stant near-death feeling. Plus hopeless- umn of our tanks on their way to be than done, though. Despite our re- German bombers are turning the city scared, but everyone ghts. ese ter the explosion, the assault troops ness and indi erence. Our wrecked repaired. ey opened re from the sistance, the Germans are driving us into an inferno. Everything that can two got their just desserts… burst in and killed the stunned garri- tank sits there, something’s burning nearby tractor plant and did a lot of towards the river.

18 RUSSIAN MIND – MAY 2020 RUSSIAN MIND – MAY 2020 19 broke through our de- ners of a… Red Army fences while trying to star! e other soldiers relieve their own forces could barely drag me in Stalingrad. About ten away. In the end, the of us survived. We ran German o ensive was to the edge of the eld. repelled – the guys from Our artillery was there, the 2nd Guards Army silent. We shouted at helped out. them: “Why aren’t you bastards ring?!” ey answered: “We have December 24, 1942 three shells per gun. We’re accompanying e order is to re only the 170th Tank Bri- at point-blank range.” gade. We’ve teamed up with the tank At night, the Ger- crews. During the day they cover us, January 31, 1943 mans went around us. and at night the tanks are blind, so we e enemy’s southern group in the We don’t know where act as their eyes and ears. ey took city center surrendered along with they’ll a empt anoth- the Khlebny and Petrovsky farms. At Friedrich Paulus himself. e Ger- er breakthrough. All 5am the alarm sounded. e enemy mans are still holding out near the around is the noise of had been spo ed in the low-lying tractor plant. e streets are full of motors and German area between the farms. e rem- corpses. e basements are crammed speech. ey spo ed nants of the Italian 8th Army were es- with the wounded and those dying us and opened re. caping encirclement. As soon as the of cold and hunger. Our doctors help How many ed, I can’t vanguard units drew level with us, them as best they can. e soldiers say. Barely conscious, the command went around the col- walk among the ranks on the look- we burst into a village. umns: “Crush them!” Our massive out for SS men (although there are ere was a guy in a tank wedges struck from two anks very few) and traitor-defectors (the white camou age suit. I and literally pulverized the Italians Germans call them Hiwis [Hilfswil- grabbed him by the col- into the ground. We followed and n- liger – auxiliary volunteers]). ey lar, shook him, shouted ished them o . I’ve never seen such are made to lie on the freezing ground in his face: “Who are a horrible sight. e white lime-cam- and get a bullet in the forehead. you?!” He was scared, ou aged tanks were all red below the silent. I grabbed his turrets, bathed in blood. On the cat- headgear; my hand was erpillar tracks there was a hand stick- February 2, 1943 stung the sharp cor- ing out here, a piece of skull there… e seemingly endless artillery es. Rations are just one dried crust a are less well-equipped and less e ec- re suddenly stopped. It was fol- November 11, 1942 day. Boats try to deliver supplies and tive than the Wehrmacht. We’ve got lowed by such a piercing unbearable All the Barricades workshops are take away the wounded, but they suf- a tiny breathing space. e Germans January 27, 1943 silence that it hurt the ears. A joyful lost. e remnants of our division fer heavy losses. At night our planes have fallen silent, our positions are We’re patrolling soldier came running over, shout- managed to cling on to the edge of drop cargo, but mostly miss the tar- no longer being a acked. the ruined Stalin- ing: “ at’s it! e war’s over!” e the factory. e enemy destroyed our get. ere’s a shortage of cartridges, grad. Our troops German northern group had surren- neighbours and blocked us on three so we ght with captured weapons. have just divided dered. Some cried, some laughed. sides on a tiny patch of land. Behind When things get really bad, we call November 29, 1942 the 6th Army into Many were just silent. We knew that is the Volga. e only communica- for friendly re from our artillery on e order was received to a ack. two groups. Now nothing was over. But Stalingrad had tion with the “mainland” is via boat. Zaitsevsky Island. e division is to liberate the factory they de nitely don’t shown us something no one had and advance to the center of Stalin- have long le ! In one dared to believe before – the Ger- grad. I won’t be taking part – me and building we found mans can be beaten! November 18, 1942 November 22, 1942 a unit of soldiers are being trans- hundreds of sad- We’re holding on with our last forc- Good news at last. It turns out that ferred out of the city to strengthen dles. Turns out the (Literary sources: A. Drabkin. I es. Our whole small “island” is ex- for several days on the city outskirts Operation Uranus. 1st Romanian Cav- Fought at Stalingrad. Revelations of posed to enemy re along the length our guys have been carrying out Op- alry Division ended Survivors. Moscow, 2012; A. Isaev. and breadth. e Germans storm it eration Uranus, an o ensive against up in this cauldron. Stalingrad. ere Is No Land for Us by day and try to tunnel through by the Romanian forces covering the December 19, 1942 e krauts ate all the Beyond the Volga. Moscow, 2018) night. We ght hand-to-hand. All the German anks. ere’s every reason What a nightmare! At the village of horses, had a right basements are stu ed full of corps- to hope for success. e Romanians Verkhne-Kumsky, Manstein’s tanks proper feast. rbth.com

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