THE TRUTH ABOUT VASILY STALIN

THE TRUTH ABOUT VASILY STALIN

In March 2005, on the 43-rd anniversary since the death of Vasily Stalin, in the bourgeois press there began appearing articles about him of slanderous character. Stalin's son had died when he was 42 years of age at the prime of his life.
The Khruschevites and democrats slandered not only the genius thinker and great statesman Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin, but his children too: Svetlana, Vasily and Yakov.
Stalin's children were not "Children of the Arbat" who despised Soviet people and their Motherland. They did not betray like Khruschev's sons did their close friends and comrades.
Stalin's eldest son Yakov Dzugashvili prefered death on barbed wire than to being inside a German prisoner of war camp any longer. They made conditions for Stalin's daughter, Svetlana so unbearable that she had to escape from her own country and live out her final days in a London shelter in a foreign country.
Vasily Stalin was degraded and slandered. He was made out to be a useless little boy mischief-maker, a talentless fighter pilot, a commander going nowhere and a boozer-alchoholic with the shoulder straps of a General. But none of this is true, it is all slander against a decent, upright, honest, selfless, considerate and talented man, who could bring benefit and glory to the Soviet Union. However, the appearance of Vasily's talents were not in the interests of Trotskyite Khruschev and those around him. They took revenge on Stalin and his son. They were afraid of him. Vasily had a strong character, and so therefore he was a danger in the midst of the Khruschevites. Vasily, despite the pressure applied by the Khruschevites refused to renounce his own father. He refused to change his surname and refused to stay silent, like his sister Svetlana did.
Nikolai Zen'kovich studied the life and military activity of Vasily Stalin in detail, and who expounded it in his essay "The Prince and the Nurse", Yuri Mukhin, in his book entitled "The Murder of Stalin and Beria", and also in his book "Flying Aces and Propaganda", and Elena Prudnikova in her book "Stalin. A Second Murder". The fullest account of the life of Vasily Stalin can be found in publications of former fighter pilot and writer Stanislav Gribanov and other authors. In these studies, the authors reveal the outstanding personality of Vasily Stalin as a fighter pilot, as a commander and as an organiser of useful affairs in the army. They unmask the myths and slander of his sister Svetlana and other ill-wishers against Stalin and his sons.
Vasily was born in March 1921. He was an energetic boy, passionate and very pushy. Vasily was spoilt by everyone: by his relatives, assistants and school teachers. Vasily lacked modesty. He used his position and blackmailed everyone in succession.
J.V. Stalin wanted to see his sons become military men. Vasily entered Kachinsky school of aviation, which trained military fighter pilots. Mikoyan's sons trained there. Timur Frunz, Ruben Ibarruri and other children whose parents worked in the Kremlin also trained there. Vasily graduate there with flying colours and earned the rank of lieutenant. In March 1940, he was sent into fighter pilot aviation, into aviation parts which equipped fighter planes I-15. Fighter pilots like Vasily were needed here, who differed from others by their fearlessness, temperament and passion. But alongside these characteristics, in Vasily's character by measure of length of service, there began appearing new traits of character: well contemplated actions and a serious interest in new technology. Vasily loved fighter plane aviation.
In a letter to his father, he complains that other squadron are already flying new types of aircraft: MiGs, Yaks and Lags, but at the unit he was on, future fighter commanders still fly the old I-15-s. Vasily proposed that training centres first of all, possess the latest flying technology and planes, and that future squadron commanders began training on them.
Fighter pilots are people with special qualities. They are prisoners of war. They were constantly on a knife edge between life and death, and every mission they went on during war could have been their last. In their free time from flying, they rested and sometimes they "relaxed" by having a few drinks. Vasilya also had a drink, but no more than any of the others. Svetlana, Vasily's sister, who from childhood never loved him, wrote that he was a "down and out alchoholic". But she had never lived alongside her brother and they very rarely met. Vasily was in the army, and she, in civilian life, therefore her claims are doubtful.
Svetlana wrote only negatively about her brother and did not write about how he served in the army and how he fought. And this is the most important side of the life of such an outstanding individual as Vasily Stalin. Of course, the senior commmanders looked after him and limited the number of missions for him. He was even designated as inspector-pilot and after that, chief of inspections of the Red Army Air Force where he served until January 1943.
Vasily was not happy as an inspector. He longed to be at the front. He felt his place was there. Vasily felt weighed down with his post of serving in the rear. He, being brave and active, longed to be at the heart of events. However, he was not allowed to go to the front. The commanders knew that one of Stalin's sons had ended up in a prisoner of war camp and it was unknown as to whether he would return alive or not. Another one of Stalin's sons, his last, was also a passionate patriot of his Motherland and tore into fighting action, where he could be killed at any moment. And so, it was at this time spent "serving in the rear" when rumours could have circulated that Vasily had got himself a "cushy number" behind is father's back and began "taking it easy". The peaceful life at the rear weighed heavily on him.
In January 1943, inspection was disbanded. Vasily Stalin with the rank of colonel was designated commander of the 32-nd Guards Air Regiment. About how Vasily Stalin commanded and how he fought is written by fighter pilot and Hero of the Soviet Union, S.F. Dolgushin: "Vasily commanded the regiment diligently and listened attentively to us more experienced pilots. As commander of the regiment, he could go on missions and command them in the formation of any squadron, but more often, he for some reason flew in mine. During February and March 1943, with Vasily's participation, we shot down several of the enemy's planes. On 5th March, he by himself, shot down an FW-190... I remember, one day when in action, he made a mistake, typical for young pilots, although he was by now an "old hand". He was in pursuit of a "Fokker", in the heat of the moment broke from the group and was attacked by six of them. The whole squadron helped him out of the difficulty. We returned to the airfield. Vasily was a colonel and I was a captain, he - the commander of the regiment and I - squadron commander. In aviation, repect among the ranks was not very highly developed. I called him over to one side and set up my own "flight investigation": I got it off my chest like one should".
On the award sheet signed by commanding officer of the 16-th Air Force of the army, General-Colonel of Aviation S. Rudenko, it showed that V. Stalin shot down yet another enemy plane. In total - two were shot down by him. Yes, and including those shot down by the whole group, which S.E. Dolgushin talks about.
The more Vasily flew, the more the danger grew of him being shot down and, like Yakov, captured by the enemy and becoming a prisoner of war. In no way could that be allowed to happen. In order for Vasily Stalin to avoid that, Vasily Stalin flew without a parachute. It was calculted this way: in the case of his plane being shot down by enemy fire, he would die. This fact is little known but had its place.
Vasily Stalin since 1943, served at commanding posts continuously, after that he became corps commander, commanding an entire district of the Air Force. Alchoholics were not kept at such posts and furthermore, his own father would not have allowed such a person to command such large units. He was promoted not because he was Stalin's own son, although such an argument could have its place. The main thing according to the recollections of many of his colleagues was that the activity of Vasily as a commander had a positive result.
At the time of being promoted to Division Commander, he had 3105 hours of flying time "under his belt". His deputy had 2000 hours and the commanders of the regiments - a thousand hours of flying time each. Thus, by hours in the air and experience, he qualified for the post of Division Commander. Vasily Stalin flew on all types of fighter planes and also on many different types of bombers. He knew aviation well and loved it.
Some people declare that Vasily Stalin was protected and that he flew with a "minder". But a fighter pilot in a fighter plane was always alone, without a "minder". When they go on missions, they either fly in pairs, in a chain or squadron and cover each other often at great risk to themselves.
At one time a commander of a division with the rank of colonel, he became a General only after four years, and after the war in 1946. His father gave his consent to him attaining another rank only after three times he was presented with the rank of General.
In 1948, General Vasily Stalin was designated as Commander of the Air Force of the Moscow Military District. At this post which carried great responsibilty, he showed himself to be an outstanding military leader and organiser. He took on the district when it was in very difficult state. It occupied 10-th place among other Air Force districts on training and other indicators. When taking on the district, Vasily Stalin began intensely studying the state of affairs, to find deficiencies and to put them right. First of all, he strengthened discipline, banned the drinking of vodka in working cabinets and demanded the limiting of drinking in general. In a short time, airdromes were back in order and new ones built. It is quite possible that more money was put into this like in the Moscow district. Vasily Stalin himself, took charge in the fighter pilot training. For months he would not leave the training camp. The air division which was commanded by Kozhedub passed through the training under the supervision of Vasily Stalin. It was glorified in the Korean War and returned vitually without losses.
Vasily Stalin stood solidly behind his subordinates. He chose housing apartments for them, took care of them materially. At the same time, he was demanding towards his subordinates. He was feared and respected. The signal about "Vaska flying back" to the air base sent the provider into a state of quivering. He divided much attention to sport. He first formed a teams of masters of many types of sport. After becoming a deputy in the Supreme Soviet in 1948, he met with his electorate on a daily basis. And nobody noticed or remarked that he was drunk or had been drinking.
The results of the activity of Vasily Stalin were there to see. After a year, the Air Force of the Moscow military district occupied 2-nd place. In 1949, 1950 and 1951, it occupied 1-st place. According to army tradition, the commander, subdivision or unit which three times in a row occupies a prize-winning place, is entitled to an award - an Order. General Vasily Stalin had earned such an award too. But his father refused to award him stating that he already had enough awards.
In the summer of 1952,Vasily Stalin was removed from his post of commanding the aviation of the Moscow Military District. Different versions exist as to why. Svetlana sees the reason for this in a May Day parade when several planes crashed due to unsuitable weather for flying in. But that was not the case. In actual fact, it was not the May Day parade, but a parade in honour of Aviation Day. But this parade passed without incident. Stalin announced his gratitude to the pilots. Vasily entered the building where the leaders were. He drank with joy. Stalin, seeing his son in a drunk state asked: "And what's all this then?" "I'm tired", answered Vasily. "And do you often get this tired?" Stalin asked. "No!", was the reply. His direct chief commanding the Air Forces, P.F. Zhigarev countered that by saying: "Often" Vasily snapped at him. Stalin turfed him out and ordered that he be removed from his post and sent to the Soviet Far East.
This version is similar to the truth. But there was no order to transfer Vasily Stalin to the Far East. In Vasily's personal case, there is no record of drunkeness. If one looks at photos of him in the 1960-s, there are no signs of alchoholism on him.
Most likely, Vasily Stalin was freed from his post in connection with him entering the Academy of General Staff. In accordance with the post being occupied by him nd the rank of General-Lieutenant, it was a condition that he possessed a higher academic military education, which Vasily did not have. Many grew up during the war, but did not have the corresponding education. They had to study. They studied. Vasily Stalin too, had to study. In Autumn 1952, without examinations, he was accepted into the Academy of the General Staff. But he was unable to study. After his father's death, very soon he was discharged from the army and immediately arrested.
The question arises: Why was Stalin's son arrested? Recently, materials from an investigation were published. In them, it points out that Vasily Stalin had built a swiimming pool using the money from the Military district, built concrete steps at a state dacha, maintained sportsmen using district funds, a house used for hunters and had horses. For such an offence, the worst he could have been given would have been a reprimand.
Nothing was discovered in the way of personal enrichment for himself. Even trophies from Germany who many others had, were not found. Honoured lawyer of Russia, A. Sukhomlinov aquainting himself with the criminal case of Vasily Stalin, noted the following: "In front of me on the desk lies the list of sequestrated possessions - of 76 points. The most valuable were the following - a collection of rifles, presented mainly by his father, sabres given as presents by K.E. Voroshilov, and a saddle - as a present from S.M.Budyenny. Apart from those, there was nothing of interest. A table clock, hunting boots, belts, a camera, a cinecamera, two kayaks, two bicycles, two motorcycles (a present from J.V. Stalin) and a car "pakard".
In 1946 -1947, Vasily was commander of a corps in Germany. One of its divisions was based in Grossenhein, 30 minutes away from the Dresden art gallery. Another regiment was in Potsdam. This was the residence of Prussian kings. And if he so wished, he could have taken back home many things of cultural value. But he did not do this, not like others did, even the glorified highest military officials, serving in Germany at this time. Vasily never stole or aquired anything that did not belong to him.
However, he was tried and sentenced to 8 years imprisonment. He served 7 of them. The Khruschevites thought he had recognized the "personality cult" of his father and the tragety of the "stalinist repressions". He was released on January 9, 1960, given a pension and they proposed that he change his surname. He refused.
Vasily tried to meet Khruschev. But Khruschev refused to meet him and instead, sent K.E. Voroshilov to meet Vasily. the meeting took place on 9-th April 1960, and recorded by a KGB listening device. Vasily asked that he be give work. Voroshilov replied : "That will depend how you behave from now on. If you are going to continue the way you were before, then this can in no way be tolerated". Vasily then said: "First and foremost, I need to work". Voroshilov declared: "Before you can start work, you are going to have to put an end to everything that prevents you from living and working. If you do not assure us that you will behave yourself well, you will not be given any work". Voroshilov put Svetlana forth as an example who "is living the right way and is behaving herself well". When Voroshilov asked: "Will you ever meet up with her?" Vasily replied: "I don't know, I never see her". -
"Why? She loves you". -
"A daughter who renounces her own father is no sister of mine. I never renounced my own father and neither will I renounce him! I shall have absolutely nothing in common with her". Apparently Voroshilov, according to the task set for him by Khrushchev, was testing Vasily to see if had changed in any way after being in prison, and if he was ready by now to renounced his own father. If he had fulfilled the wish of the Khrushchevites and renounced his own father, then he would not have been a Stalin. As a result of this, on the 16-th April 1960, Vasily was sent back to prison to finish his 8-year term. He was later released in 1961.When he was released, his surname had nevertheless been changed to another one. He was given a passport with the name Vasily Dzhugashvili and exiled him to Kazan. He died there soon after. He was given a prison sentence for doing nothing wrong whatsoever. So that meant that he had to stay silent forever. And he indeed remained silent, and buried at Arsky Cemetery, in Kazan.
Why then did the Khrushchevites hate Vasily Stalin so much?
Yuri Mukhin in his book "The Murder of Stalin and Beria" defends the version that in the last night of the 28-th February to 1-st March, Khrushchev, Ignatyev and Doctor Smirnov were with Stalin. They poisoned Stalin. But Stalin, according to the opinion of the author, did not die immediately. They deceived the security guard by declaring that Stalin had drunk a little too much and that he should be allowed to rest. When the guard had guessed was had happened, he began phoning everyone including Stalin's son. Vasily arrived early and apparently found out something from the guard, but did not restrain himself and cast aspersions on the members of the Presidium of the CC CPSU: "You ruined my father, you scoundrals!" Everything was absolutely clear to Khrushchev after hearing such a statement that Vasily knew too much about the murder of J.V. Stalin and that it was necessary to isolate him.
A month after the death of J.V. Stalin, Vasily was arrested and given an 8-year prison term according to articles 58- 1 and 58- 10 - "betraying the Motherland", "anti-Soviet propaganda" and "embezzlement", which never occurred. In order to justify the reprisal over Vasily Stalin, all the Khrushchevites began to howl on about Stalin's son, Vasily, being a chronic alcocholic. Such an accusation justified his death and discredited him and his father.
A. Sukhomlinsky writes: "If he (Vasily) was an alcocholic, then during his time in prison, he would have tried to obtain alchohol. But no such attempts, as noted by the guards, were made. Watching over Vasily in prison, Lieutenant-Colonel Kozik informed Khrushchev: "He is polite when talking with the administration and spends a lot of time reading. But he calls his conviction "illegal", and the accusations against him "all fabricated from start to finish".
Sukhomlinsky searched for the prison overseers who remembered Vasily Stalin (in prison they called him Vasilyev). They said to him that Vasily asked the administration to give him a job working as a prison maintainence man. He carried out his duties well. More than that, he built a trolley used for delivering food to the prisoners. Nobody confirmed that Vasilyev-Stalin tried to obtain spirit from the outside.
Vasily Stalin was married three times. He had four children from the first two marriages and an adopted daughter from the third. All five children lived with Vasily Stalin. If he was an alcoholic, then the mothers and grandfathers of these children would not have allowed their offspring to remain with a drunken father. And they had grandfathers: one was a colonel in the MGB - Ministry of State Security, the second one - Marshal of the Soviet Union S.K. Timoshenko, and the third - the Generalissimo of the USSR. All this, in an indirect way, confirms that Vasily Stalin could not have been a chronic alcoholic. If he had been a drinker, then he would have drank no more than the other pilots and generals.
Vasily Stalin's fellow inmates secured his rehabilitation over several decades. They would have hardly shown so much persistance if he had been an alcoholic or a person not worthy of respect. In Autumn 1999, the Military Collegium of the Supreme Court, by protest of the Chief Military Prosecutor, fully rehabilitated Vasily Iyosovich Stalin according to Article 58- 10, through which he was sentenced for uttering "slanderous fabrications" in relation to the highest leadership of the country concerning the organising of his father's funeral. For criminal negligence in official work, he fell under the amnesty of 1953. Thus, Russian justice while very late in coming, rehabilitated Vasily Iyosovich Stalin.

V. Kadet, Candidate of Historical Sciences
From Mogilyev
(Vperyod N0 7 (135) 2005)