The tragedy in Luzhniki (at the Grand Sports Arena) - a mass stampede with human casualties, occurred on Wednesday, October 20, 1982 at the end of the UEFA Cup match "Spartak Moscow" - "FC Haarlem".

With the score 1:0 in favor of Spartak (the first goal was scored by Edgar Hess), a few minutes before the final whistle, some of the fans began to leave the stands. At that moment, Sergei Shvetsov scored the second goal against Haarlem, and many fans turned back. Only one grandstand, the eastern one, was open to fans that day, and all the gates that led from it to the street, except one, were closed by the police to avoid riots; this prompted many fans to leave the stadium early rather than wait a long time after the game to get out in the cold air. It was at these only open gates that two streams of people collided - those leaving the podium and returning to it.

The match was played to the end and ended with a victory for Spartak 2:0. Having learned about what happened, Shvetsov said that he regretted the goal he scored. The only message that appeared in the press (the newspaper “Evening Moscow”) looked like this: “Yesterday in Luzhniki after the end of a football match, an accident occurred. There are casualties among the fans."

The investigation of the disaster was carried out by order of Yu. V. Andropov (three weeks after the event, who became the General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee) in an extremely short time. According to official figures, 66 people died; According to unofficial reports, the number of seriously injured alone exceeded 300. The management of the Great Sports Arena was found guilty. Fans consider the main cause of the events to be the actions of the police; There is an old fan song, the lyrics to which were written a few days after the tragedy.

The twentieth is a bloody Wednesday;
We will remember this terrible day forever.
The UEFA Cup match was ending.
“Haarlem” and our “Spartak” (Moscow) played.
Not missing a real chance, Shvetsov scored a beautiful goal,
And the final whistle sounded - the death match ended.
And we were all very happy, because we won today.
We didn’t know then about the dirty tricks of the vile cop
We were all allowed into one passage,
Fifteen thousand is strength
And there were steps in the ice,
And all the railings broke.
There they stretched out their hands piteously,
More than one fan died there,
And sounds came from the crowd:
“Get back, guys, everyone’s back!”
When the crowd there parted,
There were screams, there was blood,
And so much blood was shed there;
And who will be responsible for this blood?
Who is guilty? From whom are all the demands?
I can no longer answer.
The cops hushed up all the questions,
And only friends lie in their graves.

In history, sooner or later everything comes to the surface. Even what they are trying to drown under the thickness of years. But the secret itself does not surface on the surface of modern days. She was hidden for seven years. And in today’s material we lift the curtain on the tragedy that happened in Luzhniki on October 20, 1982. Let us reveal it a little, because there are still many mysterious circumstances left in the black secret of Luzhniki... Guided by this thought, the editors of "Soviet Sport" instructed its correspondents to raise from the bottom of the years one secret hidden from the people.

The Sheffield stadium tragedy shocked the world. The largest television companies on the planet broadcast hours-long reports from the scene. The domestic State Television and Radio did not disappoint, showing us a football stadium that became notorious throughout the world in a matter of hours.

And we... We looked at the screen, saw on it a football field covered with flowers, a field of human sorrow. And a completely different stadium came to mind...

Do you know why football matches are not held in Luzhniki at the end of October? Official references to the poor condition of the grass can hardly be considered valid - at Dynamo, for example, at this time the lawn is no better, but the games are going on. Even international ones. So grass is not a reason, but a reason. The reason, long and carefully hushed up by the initiates, lies elsewhere: these initiates are very afraid to see flowers on the Luzhniki football field. Flowers in memory of the dead.

We knew and did not know about this tragedy. They believed and did not believe. And how could one believe that at the main stadium of the country, with its experience of hosting major events, dozens of people could die in a matter of minutes?

But it was. It was a frozen, icy day on October 20, 1982. Then the Moscow “Spartak” met in the Luzhniki Stadium in the UEFA Cup match with the Dutch “Haarlem”. On that black day, the first autumn snow began to fall early in the morning. An icy wind howled, the mercury in thermometers dropped to minus ten. In a word, the weather suddenly became the kind of weather that a good dog owner would regret.

And yet the true fans did not stay at home. After all, the last match of the international season was played. And that the cold and bad weather will warm them up - “Spartak” will warm them up.

That evening, however, only about ten thousand tickets were sold. The Luzhniki administration decided that all spectators could easily fit on one stand - stand "C". This makes it easier to keep order. They gathered young people into separate sectors, and then surrounded them as a “potentially troublesome element” with a double police ring. And there was no need to worry about possible riots at the stadium.

Yes, in essence there were no riots. True, the police detained a dozen or two people who were trying to compensate for the lack of degrees on the street by the number of degrees taken inside. But let us remember that this happened before the real fight against drunkenness began, so there was nothing out of the ordinary in this fact. Moreover, the fans tried to wave red and white flags a couple of times. But since the fight with the fans, unlike the drunks, was already in full swing, the guards of order quickly forced the banners to fold up and pulled about ten people out of the crowd. For warning. The youth sectors became quiet, subsequently showing emotions only on unfortunate occasions. And there were a lot of them during the match - the Spartak team turned out to be too wasteful that day in implementing scoring situations. So, until the very last minute, the goal of the Dutch club, which, it must be said, is very middle class, was taken only once.

From this last, ninetieth minute of the match, a new countdown begins - the time of tragedy. Sergei Shvetsov, the hero of the match, once burst out in a conversation with one of us: “Eh, I wish I hadn’t scored that goal!”

Many fans had already stopped believing in the luck of the Muscovites and allowed themselves to shorten the match time by a few minutes - they reached for the exit. At minus ten, an hour and a half on the podium is not an easy test... The police, chilled in the wind, very actively invited them to this. As soon as the first spectators began to descend the stairs, a living corridor of uniforms was immediately formed, where young fans were especially persistently escorted (in other words, pushed).

Oh, this notorious police corridor! How many copies have already been broken around it, but no - after every football or hockey match we are forced to continue to cautiously walk along this corridor invented by who knows who and when.

Yes, you must understand,” the commander of a special-purpose police detachment at the Main Directorate of Internal Affairs of the Moscow City Executive Committee, police colonel D. Ivanov, convinced one of us, “such a corridor is a forced measure. And its only goal is to ensure the safety of people. After all, the capacity of metro stations is limited. Our specialists made an exact calculation of how wide this corridor should be for the metro to operate smoothly.

Well, the reasons are clear. But is there really no other way out? We have a proposal for those specialists who “calculated” the required width of the corridor. Let them calculate how many buses will be needed to take some of the fans to neighboring metro stations - this will significantly increase the capacity of those located next to the stadium. Yes, of course there will be additional costs. And considerable ones. But is a police cordon worth the small expense? After all, it consists of several thousand law enforcement officers, who at this very time should not pretend to be a wall, but fight crime. Who can count the damage from the bruises and bumps you inevitably get in a crowd? And who, finally, will calculate the moral damage from the humiliation that people experience in such corridors?

Anyone who has ever been to Luzhniki knows: when leaving the upper sectors, spectators first find themselves on the landing between the first and second floors, and from there a flight of stairs leads straight to the street. There are many of these marches in the stadium. But on October 20, 1982, in the sector where mostly young people were gathered, only one was unlocked. One single narrow passage for several thousand people. This can only be explained by the desire of the stadium workers to make their lives easier. To yourself - but not to others.

What such a policy leads to is known. Let us recall only one case, also hidden from the people, the events at the Sokolniki Sports Palace in 1976. One of us was then present at a hockey match between Soviet and Canadian juniors, which ended tragically. And then most of the exits were closed and several dozen people died in the resulting crush. This story is still waiting for its chroniclers. But one thing is certain: no lessons were learned from it. True, some were punished, others were fired. But these lessons are not what we are talking about. We affirm: if the necessary conclusions had been drawn from what happened in 1976, then the tragedy would not have happened in 1982...

So, as soon as the first spectators rose from their seats, the police, in cooperation with the administration, began an operation, which in the specific jargon of law enforcement agencies is called “cleansing.” One can argue about the stylistic merits of this term, but it conveys the essence of the actions quite accurately - the fans began to be pushed towards the exit. People streamed down, pushing and sliding in an orderly manner down the icy steps. And at this very time, a cry of delight was suddenly born in the frosty air. Shvetsov did not allow Haarlem to go home lightly. Twenty seconds before the final whistle, he finally scored the second ball into the visitors' goal. And in the stands they wildly welcomed the success of their favorites.

And those who have already reached the lower steps? They naturally wanted to know what happened twenty seconds before the end of the match at the stadium they left at such an inopportune time. Almost abandoned. And they turned back.

At this moment, the cry of delight turned into a cry of horror. For, let us remember, there was only one way out. And from above, more and more people continued to be pushed into the twilight passage of the tunnel. Those who tried to stop were hurriedly told: “It’s over already. They scored - well, enjoy yourself on the street. Go home, go home. Don’t stop on the way!” And those who, even after that, were not in too much of a hurry to join the crush, were helped - pushed in the back.

The crowd from above accelerated. From below she accelerated herself. And two uncontrollable streams met on that same ill-fated narrow staircase.

It was something terrible. We could not move, and the crowd was pressing both from above and from below. There was no longer any way to cope with the distraught people. I saw how some police officer, I think a major, jumped into the crowd to stop it. But what could he do? It was already late. And he remained in the crowd.

Since then, Volodya Andreev no longer goes to football. He, an avid Spartak fan in the past, bypasses the stadiums and switches the TV to another program if he sees the green quadrangle of a football field on the screen. But he was lucky: he survived in that human meat grinder...

On the unforgettable evening of October 20, one of us was playing basketball in the hall of the Luzhniki Small Sports Arena. Another happened to be driving along the Moskva River embankment shortly after the end of the match. One saw how the mutilated bodies of people were placed on the frozen stone ground, but two policemen quickly took him out of the stadium. Another was pushed to the sidewalk by a line of speeding ambulances with their lights on. We were twenty years old at the time, and we, not strangers to sports, could well have ended up in stand “C”. We realized that something terrible had happened at the stadium. But what? Luzhniki was surrounded by police and internal troops in the blink of an eye - the tragedy was surrounded.

And it is still protected.

We know many journalists who tried to write about her. But until today, only Vechernyaya Moskva reported on what happened on October 21, 1982. And even then in passing: “Yesterday in Luzhniki after the end of a football match, an accident occurred. There were casualties among the fans.” There was a taboo on the topic - unspoken, of course, but no less effective.

At that time it was believed that everything was fine in our state. And it just can't be bad. And suddenly - this! So they pretended that nothing had happened. Meanwhile, doctors were picking up dozens of corpses in Luzhniki on October 20. And from there the ambulances went to the morgues.

That was, if you remember, the time of the apotheosis of the fight against fans. You cannot shout in the stands - you must sit decorously, as if in a theater. Putting a hat with the colors of your favorite team or a “rose” (as fans call scarves) on your head is almost a criminal offense. What about "rose"? Anyone who even tries to wear a badge is already a fan. Atta him!

The police squads, tripled in number without any reason (the annoyingly “patronized” spectators were not too eager to watch football at the turn of the 70s and 80s), were by no means inactive. Fans - both true and suspected - were taken to police rooms near the stadium, registered, registered, fined, reported to work or to institutes. In other words, they tried with all their might to make them outcasts from society, so that they would have someone to point the finger at if necessary. And they succeeded in this.

It’s scary to say, but the tragedy in Luzhniki helped youth affairs officials from the Komsomol. “The fans are to blame for everything” - this version has become official. And in the 135th police station stationed in Luzhniki, everyone was shown red and white T-shirts, allegedly picked up at the stadium after the match. But for some reason no one thought that at a temperature of minus ten, only a rare, excuse me, individual could go to football in a T-shirt. Well, no one cared about such little things back then.

So it turned out that this dark day not only killed the children of many parents - everything was done to kill the good memory of them.

We have met many of these prematurely aged fathers and mothers. They cried and talked about those who did not let these tears dry all seven years that passed after the tragedy.

Their sons were ordinary guys - workers, students, schoolchildren. Moderately diligent, sometimes careless beyond measure - this is so characteristic of youth. Many, many of them were persuaded by their fathers and mothers not to go to Luzhniki on such a terribly cold and windy day. Oh, if only they had listened to that good advice!

When night fell on Moscow, none of them returned home. The parents rushed to the police station, but they could not answer them - there was no information. Then they rushed to Luzhniki, to the stadium, which was cordoned off. They were not allowed through the cordon, and they stood behind the police line, lost in the unknown.

Then, in the morning, they rushed around the capital's morgues, trying to identify and being afraid to identify the bodies of their sons. And then they waited for thirteen long days, because only then, by someone’s nameless, but clearly high-ranking order, were they allowed to bury their children. “Bad” children who caused everyone so much unnecessary trouble and trouble.

The coffins with their bodies were allowed to be brought home on the way to the cemetery. Exactly forty minutes - no more. Say goodbye in the presence of police officers. And then in an organized manner, with an escort - on the last journey. The only thing they were allowed to do themselves was to choose cemeteries. They chose different ones, and now, after years, they regret that they had more than one - if something happened to one of them, the sisters and brothers would, by misfortune, look after the grave as if they were caring for their son. However, here, too, it seems that everything was thought out - the authorities did not need a memorial, and it is not easy to find graves in different cemeteries.

To answer the most important question of parents: who is to blame for the death of their children? - they were answered immediately: the children themselves. They created a tense situation. That's why blood was shed. Are you thirsty for someone else's blood? Wait, there will be a trial.

Until his very meeting, until February 8, 1983, they fought in search of lawyers. Nobody undertook to protect the dead. So no lawyers were found. Now the failed defenders unanimously called on us to remember what time it was like then.

“Who,” they asked, “would you like us to blame? Courage, civil and professional, also, you know, has its limits...” Well, they have now become bolder - then they refused without explanation.

The court presented the main culprit as the commandant of the Big Sports Arena, Panchikhin, who worked in this position for two and a half months before the terrible day, and determined his punishment at 1.5 years of correctional labor. The cases of the then managers of the stadium - Lyzhin, Kokryshev, Koryagin - were brought into separate proceedings and did not end with a guilty verdict. The question of why ensuring the safety of thousands of people leaving the stadium was entrusted to such an inexperienced worker remained unanswered at the trial. The actions of the police officers did not receive any assessment at all - Judge Nikitin did not take too much into account the testimony of the surviving victims. If they wanted blood, they say, you get Panchikhin.

But the parents of the dead children didn’t want blood. It wasn't about revenge - it was about a lesson. So that this tragedy does not happen again. But, alas, no one heard their voices - letters addressed to high authorities remained unanswered. Let us at least today, almost seven years later, listen to them.

We want and wanted only one thing - to know the true culprits of the death of our children,” the voice of Nina Aleksandrovna Novostroeva, who lost her only son on that fateful day, trembles. “A person who has worked at the stadium for almost a week cannot be responsible for everything.” But the truth has been surrounded for us all these years by a conspiracy of silence and lies. We were never able to find the truth. Since they couldn’t find the personal belongings of the dead, the guys were given to us completely naked. Just as over the years we have not been able to get to the ill-fated staircase even once on the anniversary of their death - it is specially closed from us. Just as they were unable to obtain help in erecting monuments on their graves - all promises of help on the day of the funeral turned out to be empty words. They were called hooligans. Which of these people knew our children during life, so that after death they would be made outcasts? How to break through this routine of callousness, ossification, indifference? “Why did you let them in there?” - the then chairman of the Moscow City Court calmly answered all these questions. Not really remembering myself anymore, I told him that, apparently, we would be able to talk as equals only when grief came to his family. Of course, not everyone was so stone-hearted. We remember with what pain some police officers told us about the tragedy. We remember those of them who tried, without sparing their lives, to shepherd our children. But we cannot forgive those who tacitly approved the dirty fuss around this tragedy.

After the Sheffield tragedy, Soviet Sport published a black list of football victims who died at different times in stadiums around the world. Luzhniki was then placed in this row, but, of course, they could not give the exact number of deaths. Unfortunately, we cannot do this now, although our readers ask us to do so. The Luzhniki secret remains a black secret. The court did not name the exact number of victims at the time. It is almost impossible to determine it: even today our archives, as you know, are closed and guarded, perhaps, more tightly than defense factories. The prosecutor's office claims that 66 people died. The parents of the dead children say that there were more victims and we have no reason not to believe this.

We are indebted to those guys who died seven years ago at Luzhniki. And therefore we promise that on October 20, no matter what, we will come to the stairs where the tragedy occurred. And let's put flowers on it. From U.S. And, we hope, from all of you.

The time has come to tell the truth about those who died, and about those who are guilty of the tragedy, about those who hid this tragedy from us. Justice has no statute of limitations.

Not long ago, one of us had to attend a friendly football match between Soviet and British diplomats. And when the referee interrupted the meeting and announced a minute of silence in memory of those killed in Sheffield, the thought struck me painfully: “Why hasn’t a minute of silence been declared at a single game of the USSR championship in six seasons? Why do we honor the memory of the dead Englishmen and forget the dead compatriots? Why? .."

“Don’t bring up the old stuff, guys,” they gave us advice more than once while we were preparing this material. “Why do you need this?”

Then, so that the tragedy does not repeat itself.

March 1989. Cold spring evening. Icy steps underfoot. Police corridor. “It’s over already. Come on in. Go home, go home. Don’t stop on the way!” This is a picture of the current football season. It looks like it, doesn't it?

This is the worst thing - forgetting the lessons of the past.

Sergey Mikulik, Sergey Toporov

1982 is the year of which animal? This question interests many who believe and always follow horoscopes. In this regard, we decided to devote the presented article to this astrological topic.

1982 is the year of which animal?

According to the Chinese calendar, the year 1982 was dominated by the black water Dog. However, in the East, her arrival was celebrated not on January 1, but on January 21. Moreover, they said goodbye to this symbol only in 1983.

In this article we will talk in detail about which 1982 is the year of which animal. The horoscope of those born this year, their character, compatibility with other signs will also be described.

Character of Dogs

Representatives of the year Dogs spend their entire lives searching, and this depresses them greatly. From early childhood until old age, it seems to such people that they did not use all the chances given to them and were unable to realize their potential. Even when everything is going well for Dogs, they think about whether it could have been done even better.

Having found out which animal year 1982 is, it should be noted that the symbol of this period brings with it reliability, loyalty and decency. Representatives of this sign are precisely such people.

Features of Dogs

Those born in the year of the Dog accurately and clearly set goals and plans for the near future. Very often they achieve their goals, but often at the same time their relationships with loved ones and relatives deteriorate quite badly. This is partly because such people are often reserved, withdrawn, stubborn and stingy in expressing any feelings and emotions.

Dogs in communication

Whose year is 1982 according to the horoscope? Water black Dog. It should be especially noted that representatives of this sign are not very sociable. But if you get to know such people more closely, they can become your most loyal and reliable friends.

As you know, Dogs are principled and observant. If a controversial issue arises between you and such a person, he will stand his ground to the last. At the same time, the Dog will always get to the bottom of the smallest details, which will sometimes border on heartlessness and even cynicism. But such a negative trait is smoothed out by the devotion, poise, hard work and heightened sense of duty of the representatives of this sign.

Why are there so many people who are interested in the Chinese horoscope? 1982 - during this period a huge number of popular and quite ordinary people were born. And each of them wants to know what awaits him in the future and what to watch out for. In this regard, astrologers decided to give practical advice to representatives of this sign.

Dogs born in 1982 should not look for problems where there are none and cannot be. In addition, they are highly discouraged from shouldering an insurmountable and quite often someone else’s burden. For Dogs to have a more than successful life, they need to enjoy their own achievements, successes and attention from the people around them.

Weak spots

If your partner is a Dog, then you are probably interested in his eastern horoscope. The year 1982 gave the world a huge number of amazingly strong people. But every person has his own weaknesses. We will talk about them in this section.

Throughout their lives, representatives of this sign are dissatisfied with something. In this regard, they may develop a self-critical, uncompromising and straightforward character. If the Dog is overtaken by obvious failures or problems, then he often shows rudeness, ruthlessness and even cruelty.

Not always such people can do without outside help, realize their potential and correctly determine their life priorities. That is why those born in 1982 need a smart and reliable friend.

If the Dog can identify the main one for itself, then it will strive to achieve it with great stubbornness.

Personal life

Now you know which 1982 is the Year of the Dog. We will look at the compatibility of this sign with others in detail below. In this section we will talk about exactly how such people behave in relationships with the opposite sex.

In their personal lives, Dogs always find a situation (often unconsciously) where affection first gives rise to friendship, and only then deeper feelings appear. If there is reciprocity and a successful combination of circumstances, such representatives are able to love selflessly and be devoted to their partner. If necessary, they can even sacrifice themselves for the sake of their soulmate.

1982 is the year of which animal? We talked about this a little above. Now I would like to note that people born under the Eastern sign tend to constantly protect their partner and even solely possess him. Sometimes this behavior puts pressure on their significant other. However, this does not lead to quarrels, because they are trusting and always open with their lovers.

By nature, the Dog personality is quite easy to understand. A person born this year will never complain about anything or compare his partner with anyone. According to Dogs, their spouse will never do anything wrong. If your soulmate was born this year, then you must know that all she wants is to always be there, no matter whether times are good or bad.

General information about the Water Dog

The year of which sign is 1982, 1922 and 2042? According to these periods, the Water Dog ruled or will rule. People born this year are freedom-loving, lead a life that is convenient for them and never bother themselves with following established rules.

One cannot ignore the fact that such representatives of the sign always try to please their family and friends, as well as just good people (if, in their opinion, they are such). In addition, they are ready to borrow any money just to give a gift to their loved one or just a loved one.

The Water Dog is considered quite economical and sensible. Thanks to such qualities, she can easily provide herself and her family with good income.

Men's horoscope

1982 is the year of birth of such popular people as Adam Lambert, Evgeni Plushenko, and many others.

It should be noted that representatives of the Year of the Dog are very gifted. However, they are not always self-confident, passive and constrained. If such qualities have mastered a person from early childhood, then in life he will go with the flow and will not reach professional heights. That is why, from their youth, Dogs should be involved in activities that they like and that correspond to their abilities. Only in this case will they show excellent results in the future.

It’s good to have a Dog Man as a friend. After all, he is able to protect the interests of all his loved ones without demanding anything in return. Such representatives of the stronger sex take love lightly and can have several affairs at the same time. However, family and children remain the main value in life for them.

If a Dog man experiences failure in his personal life, he will easily and without any regrets break up, considering only himself to blame.

Women's horoscope

1982 - the year of whom? We gave a comprehensive answer to this question at the very beginning of the article. It should be noted that such famous representatives of the fair sex as Vera Brezhneva, Kate Middleton, Irina Dubtsova, Natalia Vodianova, Kirsten Dunst, Sati Casanova, Anna Sedokova and many others were born this year.

Girls born under this sign have a huge number of wonderful qualities. Combined with their unusual appearance and natural charm, they manage to achieve great heights in life. Strong intuition, developed intelligence, good logic, perseverance, hard work, perseverance and patience - this is not the entire list of the Dog woman’s virtues. However, increased demands on themselves, inertia and unfounded doubts about their own abilities quite often do not allow them to realize their leadership potential.

Such representatives take their chosen business seriously and, to some extent, even scrupulously. Thanks to this, they always achieve their goals. The Dog Girl is faithful to her friends, but tries in every possible way to limit their number. In society, such people want to remain invisible, although they have organizational skills.

Children and family for Dog women are the most important and important thing in life. However, in love they are fickle, especially if there is a man nearby who is weak or does not meet their ideals.

Compatibility of Dogs with other signs

Now you know 1982 is the year of the Dog. The compatibility of this sign with other eastern symbols is also of interest to fans of horoscopes. Let's look at them in more detail.

Since 1982, foreign media have periodically discussed information about an explosion allegedly committed by American intelligence agencies on a Soviet gas pipeline in Siberia. Western journalists are persistently trying to prove the theft of foreign technology that was installed on the exploded pipe.

Phantom Explosion

American military expert Thomas Reed and American political scientist Peter Schweitzer in the book “Above the Abyss. The history of the Cold War, told by its participant” claims that in 1982 in the USSR, a powerful explosion occurred on the Urengoy-Surgut-Chelyabinsk gas pipeline, which was the result of a CIA operation prepared on the basis of information provided by KGB agent Vladimir Vetrov. In particular, the book says that the plan to organize economic sabotage against the Soviet Union through the secret transfer of technology with hidden defects was approved by President Ronald Reagan himself. However, Russian sources deny the fact of technology transfer, as well as the accident itself.

Nevertheless, the Americans not only claim that there was an explosion, but also call it a man-made disaster and “the largest CIA sabotage on the territory of the USSR.” Information about what happened appeared in various open sources in the West almost immediately after the incident, and its essence boiled down to the fact that it was the most powerful non-nuclear explosion, the power of which corresponded to 3 kilotons. The flash was recorded by American reconnaissance satellites, and at first it was mistaken for a nuclear explosion. However, the absence of an electromagnetic pulse that accompanies such explosions changed the conclusions of experts. Soon, according to publications, the White House received clarifications from the CIA director, who reported: “Everything is fine, the explosion is our job.”

American sabotage

Richard Clarke and Robert Knake, authors of World War III: What Will It Be Like? express their views on the events described. In their opinion, the situation was as follows. In the early 1980s. The Soviet leadership set foreign intelligence the task of obtaining a number of new technologies from the West, which was quite successfully accomplished.

Soon, the CIA, having analyzed the scientific and technical achievements of the USSR, came to the conclusion that they were mostly copies of Western technical innovations. In response, the US government imposed severe restrictions on the export of computers and software to the Soviet Union. However, the achievements of Western scientific thought still continued to seep into the USSR.

In July 1981, at an economic forum in Ottawa, French President François Mitterrand shared with White House President Ronald Reagan information that French intelligence had recruited KGB agent Vladimir Vetrov, who was analyzing data collected by Directorate T (scientific and technical intelligence).

According to Mitterrand, by this time Vetrov, already working under the pseudonym Farewell, had handed over about 4 thousand secret documents to the French side, and also provided the names of “hundreds of Soviet agents and buyers” who stole or bought through dummies technologies prohibited for sale in the USSR.

The Americans received a complete picture of the industrial espionage of the USSR, but decided not to rush the situation, but to continue supplying Moscow with the latest products, but in their own interests. At this time, the USSR was actively building the Trans-Siberian pipeline to Europe. And, according to Richard Clarke and Robert Nake, the CIA slipped substandard automated control systems to one of the Soviet "purchasers" of equipment for the facility. Defective chips were installed in the computer units of these systems. They passed the control check, but with longer work they had to create an emergency situation. And so it happened, at first the program showed its best side, but the moment came when it gave the command to close the valve in one segment of the pipeline, and in another to release gas at full capacity. As a result, the pressure exceeded the permissible level, the welds failed, gas escaped and “the most powerful non-nuclear explosion in history” occurred.

Closer to reality

And yet there are many ambiguities in this story. In the USSR, nothing was reported about the accident either in 1982 or after. It is impossible to establish the exact date of this disaster. Retired KGB General Vasily Pchelintsev, who headed the state security structures in the Tyumen region, in an interview with the Trud newspaper in 2004, called the version of the explosion “complete nonsense.” But he added that in April 1982, not far from Tobolsk, there was an explosion of two lines of the Urengoy-Chelyabinsk gas pipeline, which was in no way connected with foreign intelligence services. It's all about the Russian "maybe". After an inspection by the competent authorities, it was revealed that along the 700-kilometer section of the gas pipeline, Neftegazstroy workers did not install a single “weight” - a massive concrete ring that presses the pipe to the ground and keeps it from floating in marshy soils.

As a result, when the spring thaw began, pipes in wetlands floated to the surface and one of them cracked. The jet that burst out was so powerful that it pierced the pipe of a parallel gas pipeline. The explosion occurred in the morning; it was observed by planes flying over the southern Urals, and could well have been recorded by American spy satellites.

Many domestic experts put forward convincing arguments refuting the American version. First, in the 1980s, fully automated systems were rare, even in the United States. Secondly, after the illegal acquisition of imported technology, its installation at such an important strategic facility without thorough inspection and testing was impossible.

Confused

Doctor of Technical Sciences and explosives expert Vladimir Zakhmatov categorically denies not only the fact of an explosion on a gas pipeline in 1982, but also the possibility of sabotage. He notes that explosions, of course, occurred at different times, but they were explained by the difficult conditions of laying pipes in swampy areas. According to Zakhmatov, there were plenty of such accidents in both the USA and Canada.

Many experts say that the facts cited by Thomas Reed are more reminiscent of the events of 1989, when the Western Siberia-Urals-Volga region gas pipeline exploded in Bashkiria. Then, according to official data, 575 people died: all of them were on trains passing at that moment in the gas release zone. The commission found that the leak was possible due to damage caused to the gas pipe by an excavator bucket four years before the tragedy.

It is quite possible that the legend that spread in the West about the CIA sabotage of a Soviet gas pipeline was part of an information war that had been waged in many foreign media for decades.

As for Vetrov, he was convicted in 1982 by Soviet law enforcement agencies for the premeditated murder of a KGB officer and sent to serve his sentence in Irkutsk. He was later transferred to Lefortovo prison in Moscow, where, after being accused of treason in the form of espionage, he was executed.

According to Eastern beliefs, the character of people and their relationships with others are influenced by the year in which they were born. Currently, astrology has already taken over half the world and many people find great similarities with themselves or with others.

1982 who? - Year of the Black Water Dog. Those born between January 21, 1982 and February 12, 1983 fall under the influence of this sign.

Basic qualities

A dog is a sign of constant search. People born in 1982 try to take advantage of all their chances until their old age, but they fail. They are often disappointed by their successes or by their inability to realize their potential as they perceive it to be. They are essentially perfectionists who constantly try to achieve the best results, even if, according to others, everything has been done perfectly. Restless natures.
Nevertheless, these people are very reliable in life, they will never betray and are crystal decent. They are honest and faithful partners and friends.

Peculiarities

People born in 1982 go through life towards a clearly defined goal. They don't do anything rash. Their life path is subject to a precise plan, although when they achieve their goal they are not always happy. They are not always able to maintain good relationships with their loved ones. Despite the fact that the dog is a faithful and devoted creature, it does not show its emotions very strongly, is laconic and reserved. Stubbornness is one of the strongest qualities of this sign.

Social environment

The year 1982 also left its mark on their behavior in the social environment. People of the year of the Black Water Dog are not very sociable. But, if you manage to get close to these people, you will get loyal and devoted friends.

In disputes, they are very principled, and their powers of observation allow them to clearly and firmly defend their position to the end, citing the smallest details as arguments. They are not cynical, as it might seem at first glance, they are simply very scrupulous in everything.
If they avoid disputes, then in all other life situations they are hardworking, balanced, and loyal.

For those born in 1982, astrologers strongly recommend:

- do not look for unnecessary problems, especially far-fetched ones,
- do not take on other people’s worries and problems,
- lower your internal bar a little so as not to constantly try to improve your own achievements,
- enjoy the little things, because human happiness consists of small joys,
- take the attention of others.

Negative character traits

Your partner is a dog, get ready for the fact that he is often dissatisfied in life. This makes his character tough and uncompromising. Although he criticizes himself, he takes criticism from loved ones painfully, because in his soul he strives for perfection in everything. Sometimes, due to their inability to compromise, such people are straightforward, and sometimes they are simply tactless. Failures are experienced very painfully and their reaction to this is harsh and rude.

A dog cannot cope during such periods without the help of its loved ones, because it only lets you close to it. Support, help correctly distribute their potential and determine priorities. Become a wise and reliable friend to them. They will reward you for this with affection and loyalty.

In 1982, many famous people were born who gave the world their creations: Adam Lambert, world champion Evgeni Plushenko, Kate Middleton, Eddie Redmayne, fashion model Natalya Vodianova, Kirsten Dants and this is not a complete list.

30 years ago, a string of deaths of top state leaders dramatically changed the fate of the country

There was not a word in the newspapers about the real circumstances of the sudden death of the first deputy chairman of the KGB of the USSR, member of the CPSU Central Committee and army general Semyon Kuzmich Tsvigun. But someone found out exactly how Semyon Kuzmich passed away, and the rumor that one of Brezhnev’s most trusted people shot himself in the forehead quickly spread throughout Moscow.

The death of Tsvigun was the first dramatic event of 1982. Following Tsvigun, the second person in the party unexpectedly dies - member of the Politburo and Secretary of the Central Committee Mikhail Andreevich Suslov. And this decisive year in the history of the Soviet Union will end with the death of Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev himself. He will be replaced in the chair of the country's owner by Yuri Vladimirovich Andropov, and a new era will begin.

Of course, at the beginning of the year no one could have foreseen such a development of events. But the death of the first deputy chairman of the KGB left a dark imprint on everything that happened in the country. And immediately there was talk that not everything was so simple - General Tsvigun did not die a natural death...

DEATH OF GENERAL TSVIGUN

The surest proof that Tsvigun passed away in an unusual way was the absence of Brezhnev’s signature on the obituary. Everyone decided that there was something political behind Tsvigun’s death. Moreover, just a few days later Suslov died. Are their deaths related? Did something secret happen in the country that cost the lives of both?

People who were more knowledgeable about the morals of Moscow at that time came to the conclusion that Tsvigun was at the center of a scandal surrounding the daughter of General Secretary Galina Brezhneva. There was talk that it was Tsvigun who ordered the arrest of Boris Ivanovich Buryatse, an intimate friend of Galina Leonidovna. Boris Buryatse was called a “gypsy” because he sang at the Romen Theater (in reality he was a Moldovan). After meeting Galina Leonidovna Buryatse became a soloist of the Bolshoi Theater, led an enviably cheerful lifestyle, drove a Mercedes...

Shortly before all these mysterious deaths, on December 30, 1981, a high-profile robbery occurred in Moscow. Unknown people stole a collection of diamonds from the famous lion trainer, People's Artist of the USSR, Hero of Socialist Labor Irina Bugrimova. They said that Boris Buryatse was among the suspects. He was arrested, but he seemed to have managed to ask Galina for help. And the investigation into the case of stolen diamonds and other scams in which Brezhneva’s name appeared was believed to be supervised by General Tsvigun. And when it became clear to him that all the threads led to the Brezhnev family, Tsvigun, they said, collected materials about the dubious connections of the daughter of the General Secretary and went to the Central Committee of the CPSU, to Suslov. Semyon Kuzmich laid out the results of the investigative team’s work on the table and asked permission to interrogate Galina.

Mikhail Andreevich, they said, flew into a rage and literally kicked Tsvigun out of his office, forbidding him to interrogate the secretary general’s daughter. The general came home and shot himself. And Suslov became so nervous that he had a stroke. He was taken from the Central Committee to a special hospital in an unconscious state, where he soon died...

Then, when Galina Brezhneva’s husband, former First Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Yuri Mikhailovich Churbanov, was arrested and convicted, talk that the General Secretary’s family was mired in corruption was confirmed.

ANDROPOV AND HIS DEPUTIES

Semyon Kuzmich Tsvigun was eleven years younger than Brezhnev. He graduated from the Odessa Pedagogical Institute, worked as a teacher, school director, and from the fall of 1939 served in the People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs. In 1946, he was appointed to the Ministry of State Security of Moldova, where he met Leonid Ilyich when he worked as first secretary of the Republican Central Committee from 1950 to 1952. Brezhnev developed a sympathy for Semyon Kuzmich, which he retained until the end of his life.

Leonid Ilyich did not forget his old acquaintances and helped them. In general, he had an enviable gift for maintaining good relations with the right people, and they served him faithfully. Brezhnev attached particular importance to state security personnel, and he himself selected trusted people there. In this Brezhnev cohort, the leading role was played by two generals - Semyon Kuzmich Tsvigun and Georgy Karpovich Tsinev.

Before the war, Tsinev was the head of the department, and then the secretary of the Dnepropetrovsk city committee. His boss turned out to be the secretary of the regional committee, Brezhnev. In '41, both joined the army. After the war, Brezhnev returned to party work. Tsinev was left in the ranks of the Armed Forces, and in 1953, after the state security organs were purged of Beria’s people, he was transferred to the Lubyanka. When Brezhnev became the first secretary of the Central Committee, Tsinev headed the third department of the KGB - military counterintelligence agencies.

By the time Brezhnev was elected head of the party, Tsvigun and Tsinev had already worked in the KGB for a long time. But their relationship with the then chairman of the committee, Vladimir Efimovich Semichastny, did not work out. Brezhnev replaced Semichastny with Andropov. And he immediately asked to return Tsvigun from Azerbaijan. Yuri Vladimirovich understood Brezhnev perfectly. Three days later, Semyon Kuzmich became deputy chairman of the KGB. A day later, Tsinev was confirmed as a member of the KGB board. In 1970 he would become deputy chairman.

Tsvigun and Tsinev accompanied Andropov everywhere, unceremoniously settling down in his office to be present at the important conversation. So Leonid Ilyich knew every step of the KGB chairman.

GENERAL'S LOVE FOR CINEMA

Tsvigun and Tsinev received the rank of army general, like Andropov, although they were supposed to be one step below the chief in the military hierarchy. Brezhnev gave both of them the Gold Star of the Hero of Socialist Labor. At the same time, Tsvigun and Tsinev did not get along with each other. This also suited Leonid Ilyich.

Having become the first deputy, Tsinev shouted at the generals. Many in the committee hated Georgy Karpovich. Without hesitation, he ruined people's destinies.

Benevolent in character, Tsvigun did not particularly offend anyone, so he left a good memory of himself. Semyon Kuzmich became interested in literary creativity. I started with documentary books about the machinations of the imperialists. And soon novels and film scripts began to appear under the transparent pseudonym S. Dneprov. Informed people know the names of professional writers who “helped” Tsvigun.

Semyon Kuzmich's scripts were quickly turned into feature films. Their main character, whom Tsvigun wrote from himself, was played by Vyacheslav Tikhonov. Semyon Kuzmich did not look like a popular artist, an idol of those years, but he probably saw himself like that in his dreams. Tsvigun (under the pseudonym “Colonel General S.K. Mishin”) was also the main military consultant for the famous film “Seventeen Moments of Spring.”

Brezhnev was not embarrassed by Tsvigun’s passion for the fine arts. He was condescending towards the petty human weaknesses of devoted people. And for Tsvigun and for Tsinev, the main criterion for assessing people was loyalty and fidelity to Leonid Ilyich.

BIG EAR COMMITTEE

Georgy Karpovich Tsinev controlled the ninth directorate of the KGB (politburo security) and, as they say, was in charge of bugging senior government officials. He also looked after the “politically unreliable” - not dissidents, but those officials who were suspected of insufficient loyalty to the Secretary General.

Tsvigun was one of the most devoted people to Leonid Ilyich. Never in his life would he do anything that could harm him. It is now known that no case of Galina Brezhneva existed. But she did know some people who came to the attention of law enforcement agencies.

The head of the main department of internal affairs of the capital was then Vasily Petrovich Trushin, a native of the Komsomol. “We once detained a speculator,” said General Trushin, “through her we got to a gypsy from the Bolshoi Theater, who supplied her with goods. From the gypsy, traces led to Galina Brezhneva.”

“Gypsy” is the already mentioned Boris Buryatse. But he was not imprisoned for stealing diamonds. In 1982, he was sentenced to seven years in prison under Article 154, Part 2 (speculation) of the Criminal Code of the RSFSR. He will serve four years and will be released at the end of 1986.

Having learned about the arrest of Boris Buryatse, Minister of Internal Affairs Nikolai Anisimovich Shchelokov, a man loyal to Brezhnev, was frightened. Trushin scolded:

- Do you understand what you're up to? How could you?

Shchelokov called Andropov - he wanted to consult. But the KGB chairman replied that such issues should be resolved with Leonid Ilyich. Shchelokov said displeasedly to Trushin:

- Resolve issues about Galina with her husband, do not involve me in this matter.

Galina's husband was Colonel General Yuri Mikhailovich Churbanov, First Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of the USSR. Trushin reported to Churbanov that the investigation needed Galina’s testimony. The next morning, Yuri Mikhailovich sent him a statement, signed by Galina Leonidovna, stating that she did not know Buryatse and had no business with him.

It was not state security that dealt with the history of Buryat, but the police. It never occurred to anyone in the KGB leadership to investigate the activities of the daughter of the general secretary. Semyon Kuzmich Tsvigun had nothing to do with this at all. So there was no need for him to go to Suslov with mythical documents, nor to put a bullet in his forehead because of Galina Leonidovna.

But the versions are endless... They whispered that Semyon Kuzmich was removed so that he would not interfere with the conspiracy against Brezhnev. And the conspiracy was allegedly organized by Suslov, who decided to take power.

POLITIBURO MEMBER IN GALOSHE

There are also a lot of rumors, versions, myths and legends around Suslov. He was a complex person, with secret complexes, very secretive. There are writers who believe that it was Stalin who wanted to proclaim him his heir, but did not have time.

Of all the versions, this is the funniest. Stalin, firstly, had no intention of dying at all, and secondly, he treated his henchmen with disgust and contempt and could not imagine any of them in his place.

Mikhail Andreevich Suslov was born in November 1902 in the village of Shakhovskaya, Khvalynsky district, Saratov province. As a child, he suffered from tuberculosis and was mortally afraid of the disease returning. That’s why I always wrapped myself up and wore galoshes. The only one in Brezhnev’s circle, he did not go hunting - he was afraid of catching a cold.

Historians often wonder why Mikhail Andreevich Suslov, who sat in the chair of the Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee for thirty-five years, setting an absolute record, did not become the head of the party and state? The role of the leader of the country requires the ability to make extraordinary and independent decisions, without looking at the calendar. Khrushchev could do it. Brezhnev - until he started getting sick. And Mikhail Andreevich was accustomed to strictly following the canons. He did not allow either others or himself any liberties or deviations from the general line. The thin-lipped secretary of the Central Committee with the face of an inquisitor remembered all ideological formulations by heart and was pathologically afraid of the living word, afraid of change. I was always interested in how this or that issue was resolved in the past. If the word “for the first time” was heard, Suslov thought about it and postponed the decision.

Other members of the Politburo were often mocked; Suslov did not give rise to jokes. The only thing that made him smile was his passion for galoshes and old-cut suits. His daughter Maya said that her father sternly reprimanded her when she put on a then fashionable trouser suit, and did not allow her to sit at the table like that.

Mikhail Andreevich’s habit of driving at a speed of almost forty kilometers per hour was also amazing. No one dared to overtake his car. The first secretary of the Leningrad regional committee, Vasily Sergeevich Tolstikov, said in such cases:

“Today you will overtake, tomorrow you will overtake, and the day after tomorrow there will be nothing to overtake.”

At Politburo meetings, Suslov sat to the right of the General Secretary. But he didn’t push himself, he invariably repeated: “That’s what Leonid Ilyich decided.” Brezhnev knew that he did not need to be afraid of Suslov: he would not bother him. Mikhail Andreevich was quite happy with the position of the second person.

Suslov spoke briefly and only to the point. No jokes, no extraneous conversations. He addressed everyone by their last name, except, of course, Brezhnev. The operators admired him. But it is impossible to forget what Suslov did to the country. He was the main conductor of a total mind-processing that lasted for decades and created an incredibly distorted picture of the world. The Brezhnev-Suslov system reinforced the habit of hypocrisy and pharisaism - such as stormy and prolonged applause at meetings, enthusiastic greetings of leaders - any leaders.

How would Mikhail Andreevich react to a visitor who spoke to him about troubles in the family of the General Secretary? According to the unwritten rules of party ethics, the KGB chairman discussed all problems related to the family of the general secretary with him one on one - and only if he had enough determination. The highly experienced Mikhail Andreevich would certainly not have gotten involved in the personal affairs of the Secretary General. And no one would dare come to him with such matters.

"YOU WANT TO MAKE ME SICK"

So what happened to General Tsvigun on that January day in 1982?

Semyon Kuzmich had been seriously ill for a long time; he was diagnosed with lung cancer. At first, doctors' forecasts were optimistic. The operation was successful. It seemed that the patient was saved, but, alas, the cancer cells spread throughout the body, his condition deteriorated literally before our eyes. Metastases went to the brain, Tsvigun began to talk.

In a moment of enlightenment, he made a courageous decision to end his suffering. Semyon Kuzmich shot himself in the holiday village of Usovo on January 19, 1982. That day Tsvigun felt better, called a car and went to the dacha. There they drank a little with the driver, who served as a security guard, then went out for a walk, and Semyon Kuzmich unexpectedly asked if his personal weapon was in order. He nodded in surprise.

“Show me,” Tsvigun ordered.

The driver pulled the weapon out of his holster and handed it to the general. Semyon Kuzmich took the pistol, took the safety off, put a cartridge into the chamber, put the pistol to his temple and fired. This happened at a quarter to five.

Brezhnev was shocked by the death of his old comrade. I was very worried, but did not sign the obituary of the suicide, just as priests refuse to perform funeral services for suicides.

What happened to Mikhail Andreevich Suslov?

Suslov complained to his attending physician of pain in his left arm and behind his chest after even a short walk. Experienced doctors immediately determined that the pain was of a cardiac nature—Mikhail Andreevich had developed severe angina. We conducted research and established atherosclerosis of the heart vessels and coronary insufficiency. But Suslov categorically rejected the diagnosis:

- You're making it all up. I'm not sick. It's you who want to make me sick. I am healthy, but my joint is aching.

Maybe he didn’t want to consider himself sick so that he wouldn’t be forced to retire, maybe he didn’t sincerely believe that he was capable of getting sick like other people. Then the doctors cheated: they ordered an ointment containing heart medications in the United States. And Mikhail Andreevich was told that it would relieve joint pain.

Suslov carefully rubbed the ointment into his sore hand. The medicine helped. Heart pain has decreased. Mikhail Andreevich was pleased and edifyingly remarked to the doctors:

“I told you my arm hurts.” They started using the ointment, and everything went away. And you kept telling me: heart, heart...

In January 1982, the second person in the party went for examination. Initially, doctors did not find anything frightening about him. And then he had a stroke right in the hospital, he lost consciousness and never came to his senses. The brain hemorrhage was so extensive that it left no hope.

AN UNEXPECTED GUEST FROM UKRAINE

Having lost reliable support, Brezhnev looked for a replacement for Suslov. It seems that he chose Andropov and told Yuri Vladimirovich that he would return him from the KGB to the Central Committee. But month after month passed, and Brezhnev hesitated to make a decision. Did you hesitate? Have you been looking at someone else for the role of second person in the party?

At this time, a secret conversation took place between Brezhnev and the first secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine, Shcherbitsky, about personnel matters. Andropov became alarmed, realizing what could be behind this. Shcherbitsky was one of Brezhnev's favorites.

Only four months after Suslov's death, on May 24, 1982, Andropov was finally elected secretary of the Central Committee. And unexpectedly for everyone, Vitaly Vasilyevich Fedorchuk, who was transferred from Kyiv, became the chairman of the KGB of the USSR - he was in charge of state security in Ukraine. Fedorchuk's appointment was unpleasant to Andropov. He wanted to leave another person in his place at Lubyanka. But he didn’t dare object.

Vitaly Vasilyevich worked in Kyiv for twelve years. In 1970, he was just as unexpectedly appointed chairman of the KGB of Ukraine. This was not an ordinary change of leadership of the Republican State Security Committee, but a political action.

When Brezhnev became General Secretary, Ukraine was led by Pyotr Efimovich Shelest. And Leonid Ilyich had his own candidate for this post. Vladimir Vasilyevich Shcherbitsky began his party career in the homeland of Leonid Ilyich, in Dneprodzerzhinsk. But besides personal ones, Brezhnev had other motives.

In Moscow, Shelest was suspected of patronizing nationalists. Pyotr Efimovich, perhaps, loved Ukraine and the Ukrainian language more than other Kyiv politicians. He relied on the sentiments of a considerable part of the Ukrainian intelligentsia, who spoke with bitterness about the fate of their people. And Shcherbitsky, as he himself said, stood on the “positions of Bogdan Khmelnitsky,” that is, he was completely oriented toward Moscow. He spoke at plenums and meetings in Russian. He made sure that Moscow liked everything he did.

After Fedorchuk moved to Kyiv, a wave of arrests of dissidents, real and imaginary, took place across Ukraine. After perestroika, many of them will become prominent cultural figures and deputies of the Ukrainian parliament. As they used to say in Ukraine back then: “When nails are cut in Moscow, hands are cut in Kyiv.” The “criminal shortcomings” revealed by Fedorchuk in the field of ideology helped Brezhnev vacate the post of First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine for his friend. He deftly removed Shelest. Shcherbitsky became the owner of the republic.

People in the know claim: after Suslov’s death, Leonid Ilyich reassured his Kyiv friend: “Andropov will not become my successor, after me, Volodya, you will be the general secretary.”

SUCCESSORS AT THE FOOT OF THE THRONE

Brezhnev made a choice in favor of Fedorchuk, whom he himself did not know, on the advice of General Tsinev. Due to his age and health, Georgy Karpovich himself could not head the State Security Committee. But Fedorchuk’s appointment could be a more significant step than it seemed from the outside. Once he ensured the transfer of power in Ukraine into the hands of Shcherbitsky. Maybe now he had to fulfill the same mission in Moscow?

The former secretary of the Central Committee for personnel, Ivan Vasilyevich Kapitonov, assured that in mid-October 1982 Leonid Ilyich summoned him.

- Do you see this chair? - Brezhnev asked, pointing to his. - Shcherbitsky will sit in it. Solve all personnel issues with this in mind...

Having become chairman of the KGB of the USSR, Fedorchuk continued to look back at the Ukrainian leadership. I called back with Shcherbitsky, listened to his advice and requests. The apparatus noted the increased activity of Shcherbitsky. Andropov saw this. Yuri Vladimirovich knew how much in personnel matters depended on the KGB.

But Fedorchuk practically did not communicate with Andropov. Yuri Vladimirovich was wary of his replacement. He knew that new people were in charge of government communications, and he suspected that the security officers were now tapping his phones too.

Yuri Vladimirovich knew what advances were made to Shcherbitsky, and this made him additionally nervous. Who else could lay claim to the general's position? Konstantin Ustinovich Chernenko, permanent head of the general department of the Central Committee?

In recent years, Brezhnev trusted Chernenko so much that, as they say, he signed the papers he brought without delving into their essence. There were rumors in the Central Committee that in one of his conversations with Chernenko, Brezhnev confidentially told him:

- Kostya, get ready to accept business from me.

In reality, Leonid Ilyich had no intention of leaving at all. And like any normal person, he didn’t think about imminent death, so no one took his conversations regarding a successor seriously. It was more of a trial balloon. He wanted to see who would support the pension idea. But in the Politburo, the people were experienced, seasoned, no one made a mistake... In his circle, it was beneficial for everyone that he remained in his post as long as possible, although those who had the opportunity to see him up close understood how bad he was.

The country and the world wondered what the new leader of the country would bring with him, what ideas he would put forward. And few people understood that the main office on Old Square was occupied by a seriously ill man, whose earthly time was already expiring...

As we see, there was nothing mysterious in the death of General Tsvigun, Mikhail Andreevich Suslov, and Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev himself in 1982. For that matter, the main mystery is how all these people of very modest capabilities and abilities, a huge layer of officials - illiterate dogmatists or extreme cynics - ended up at the head of our state. And naturally they brought it to its decline.