The Holy Fathers tell us: before death, do not despair of anyone. But in Russia, how can we despair? Her whole story tells us: humanly there was no way out, the end came, and after that she rose and became even stronger. And at the same time there was always prayer - on earth and in heaven.

So it was when the holy princes and passion-bearers Boris and Gleb decided to help the holy noble prince Alexander Nevsky, who was then still fighting on earth. And then Alexander Nevsky from Heaven, together with them, helped the holy noble prince Demetrius Donskoy on the Kulikovo field - together with the Monk Sergius... And there have never been as many Russian saints in heaven as there are today in Russian history! But won’t the Lord accept the prayer of any of them for his and our earthly Fatherland? And if our timid prayers strengthen the prayers of all the saints who have shone in the Russian land, is that really so little? Can't this put God's judgment on our Fatherland at mercy - as it was exactly 400 years ago? Like all these centuries, until this day...

No, we have no reason to hesitate, to doubt: will our quiet prayers be accepted, will the Lord, the Mother of God, and all the saints accept... What can I...

And, moreover, there is no way for us to lose heart. There is no time for this now! There is no time for doubt, for hesitation. There is still, thank God, time for prayer! We cannot fill this time with anything better.

And there is also a post!

This race can only be driven out by prayer and fasting.(Matt. 17, 21) , - our Savior revealed to us.

Invincible weapons are prayer and fasting,- the Holy Church tells us.

More than twenty years ago, our one great state collapsed. The dream of all his enemies came true.

Soon, on January 17, 1992, a memorable All-Union Officers' Meeting was held in Moscow, which was broadcast on television all day. The army then, one might say, screamed that after the collapse of the Soviet Union it was being cut to the quick. Metropolitan Kirill, the current His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus', spoke on behalf of the Church at this meeting. His deep voice sounded great in that audience. He, as they say, sorted everything out for the military people. One of them then said:

- We would like such a political officer!

A day after this, on the Epiphany of the Lord, we gathered in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, in the cell of Father Moses (Bogolyubov). He said:

- We must help the army!

And they wrote an article about the need to restore the traditional unity of the Church and the Army. A few days later it was published in the Russian Bulletin. Father Moses gave it the name: “At the edge of the sword.” His main thought was: “If the Church unites with the Army, Russia will be invincible.”

Such was Suvorov’s military experience, Suvorov’s testament: “Pray to God - victory comes from Him!”

That same year, on September 9, the first meeting of the clergy with the officers and generals of the Academy took place at the Military Academy of the General Staff, at which a joint appeal was adopted by its participants to Patriarch Alexy II and the Minister of Defense with a call to restore the centuries-old traditional unity of the Church and the Army...

The Lord vouchsafed me to serve in the Soviet Army as a soldier in 1975-76 - the time was completely peaceful, the service took place in Armenia, in the then Leninakan (before that - Alexandropol, now Gyumri), in the ancient “Great Fortress”, founded by Emperor Nicholas I together with a church dedicated to the holy martyr Alexandra, the heavenly patroness of the Empress (that’s why the city was named so then). And only now I found out: in 1918, the occupying Turks burned Father Matthew and the Orthodox people in this church. The church was recently re-consecrated - our guys still serve there.

Then we did not know, walking in the middle of the fortress many times a day past this church, dilapidated, slightly covered with posters with Komsomol orders, standing in front of it on the parade ground, how many of us, Soviet soldiers, had heavenly patrons who led us to God, to prayer - and they brought it.

I remember the conclusion I made from that service: that we, who served in peacetime, cannot even imagine what it means to serve in war.

The daughter-in-law of the famous Marshal of the Soviet Union Boris Mikhailovich Shaposhnikov, the wife of his son Lieutenant General Igor Borisovich, Slava (baptized Photinia) Alexandrovna told me that in 1972, when she went to Kiev, in one of the churches after the liturgy, an old priest said :

- Now let’s pray for the health of military leader George.

- Which military leader George? - she asked.

- Zhukov,” he answered.

- Why?

And the priest told her how in 1943, when Kyiv was liberated, Zhukov ordered the opening of St. Sophia Cathedral, calling all the priests who were in the city, and serving a thanksgiving prayer service. And throughout this prayer service I stood on my knees.

Georgy Konstantinovich, apparently, like no one else, knew that we would not have won with purely military forces.

One day S.A. Shaposhnikova asked Marshal A.M. Vasilevsky, Boris Mikhailovich’s student and successor as Chief of the General Staff of our army: “Why did Stalin call him alone by his first name and patronymic?” “Because he respected him,” answered Alexander Mikhailovich. - Because he did not hide his faith. Everyone knew that he carried an amulet. And Stalin knew.”

- How did you know? - I ask her.

- They reported to him.

- How did they know?

- I asked Marshal Vasilevsky how they found out. He says: “Yes, his lungs were bad, he was hot, he took off his jacket, changed his shirts, and the adjutants probably noticed and reported...”

In this amulet, which he wore all his life, there were: a Cossack pectoral cross, silver, black, quite large, the blessing of his grandfather; three ancient icons: a life-size icon of the Mother of God, perhaps “Joy of All Who Sorrow,” made of red stone, and two of St. Nicholas: enamel and wood; and Psalm 90 Alive in the help of the Most High...

- In what year did Stalin find out?

- As Alexander Mikhailovich and I thought, he found out about this even before the war. Boris Mikhailovich had previously been the Chief of the General Staff, then there was a break, during the Finnish War... Before that, he told Stalin: “The war will be serious. This will last a long time. I served with Mannerheim, he is a defensive genius.” And other commanders said that it would be quick, almost a week.

Stalin said:

- Serious? Boris Mikhailovich, if you think so, you need to rest. Go to Kislovodsk.

And without him the war went on. Of course, he didn’t just relax there, he experienced it all...

Boris Mikhailovich's father was from the Don Cossacks. And his mother, nee Countess Ledomskaya, was one of the Poles exiled beyond the Urals after the uprising.

He was only once under house arrest. And it came out miraculously. His mind saved him, the Lord enlightened him. He was summoned to the Politburo, and Stalin told him, pointing to a certain person: “This is the man you took out of the safe in your office and handed over secret documents.” - Boris Mikhailovich, turning to the person, said: “Darling, describe my office, tell me where my safe is.” And he is silent. Stalin says to this person: “Get out!” Thus ended Boris Mikhailovich’s house arrest, which, as Maria Alexandrovna said, had a great effect on him. Then he burned his memories, which dated back to the Soviet era.

The pectoral cross, says Slava Alexandrovna, was always worn by Marshal Semyon Mikhailovich Budyonny. Driving past the temple, he stopped the car, crossed himself and bowed.

S.A. Shaposhnikova is sitting on the sofa, in front of her is a small round table.

“On this table,” she says, “was Boris Mikhailovich’s Bible. Boris Mikhailovich said that they always prayed: at the cadet school, at the Academy of the General Staff... Igor Borisovich was a very believer. He read this Bible every day.

During the Great Patriotic War, Boris Mikhailovich Shaposhnikov himself prayed with a prostration every day:
- Save, Lord, my Motherland and the Russian people!

She found out about this by chance from her husband. Usually in the morning he went to his office, and she prepared breakfast. One day I went to call him, came up, saw him standing facing the icons and praying with these words. He crossed himself and bowed.

I saw that he was all in prayer... - recalls Slava Alexandrovna. - It’s not given to me to pray for Russia like that...

She was surprised: they usually pray for relatives, for loved ones... She asked:

Igor, where did you get these words from?

He turned to her and calmly answered:

This is how my father prayed.

I heard that Boris Mikhailovich prayed with a prostration from Father Valerian Krechetov, who confessed and gave communion to Igor Borisovich.

Recently we remembered Igor Borisovich again, and the priest said:

He was smart!

At one time, Igor Borisovich proposed to our leadership the idea of ​​a missile defense system with space-based elements, which the Americans later began to call SDI - the Strategic Defense Initiative.

To work on missile defense, he left the General Staff from a high position, says Slava Aleksandrovna, submitted a report to Marshal M.V. Zakharov. He didn't let him go. But Igor Borisovich said: “Matvey Vasilyevich, I have an idea, I want to speak out.” And I began to engage in this research.

He worked day and night alone in an office, a third of which was occupied by a Japanese computer. He was not given all the materials; they believed that this work had no prospects, that it was not feasible because it was too expensive. Until, finally, in 1983, the Americans announced SDI.

One day, during that work, Igor Borisovich noticed a Volkswagen with dark windows standing nearby and reported this to the special officers. They told him that the Americans were reading everything from him. They took measures: two of our cars arrived, surrounded it on both sides and burned all the information in it.

He didn't think the Americans necessarily stole his idea. He said: “The mind develops in parallel.”

Indeed, we know from the history of discoveries many such examples. Maybe the Lord, giving his ideas to scientists and inventors, does it so that they do not become arrogant?

He was then called to the Party Central Committee and told: “Igor Borisovich, think of something else.” He replied: “Such an idea comes once in a lifetime. I can't think of anything. I can improve what I have."

Then he was given an institute.

Slava Alexandrovna told her husband:

I live with you like an American spy: I don’t know anything about what you do... I only find out at banquets when you are awarded.

She recalled how, even in Soviet times, they gathered with other military personnel for Easter... Once at such a meeting, twice Hero of the Soviet Union, bomber pilot Lieutenant General Pavel Andreevich Taran (386 combat missions) said:

I have never boarded a plane without crossing myself.

In the regulations of the Russian pilots of the Tsarist Army it was: “Combat in the air is a fight to the death,” says Slava Alexandrovna. - Marshal Timoshenko was a believer. That's why they weren't afraid of anything. Many of them had priest wives. Chuikov had a wife, Popovna, and he was also a believer. Nedelin’s wife was a deaconess... Aircraft designer Nikolai Nikolaevich Polikarpov was the son of a priest. He called the priests, they came and blessed all the planes for him. Once there was an unsuccessful flight - Nikolai Nikolaevich was not warned beforehand - and he very much regretted that he did not have time to consecrate that plane: “Well, why didn’t I consecrate it!”

The mystery of Russian history has not been solved.

Everything in it is ambiguous, not obvious, even paradoxical - in Russian... This is our strength, unpredictability for our enemies. That's how God wants it...

In 1917, right on the day of the forced abdication of the holy Tsar-Martyr Nicholas, the Sovereign Icon of the Most Pure One with the Child of God unexpectedly appeared in Kolomenskoye, where the Mother of God is depicted as the Queen on the throne, with a scepter and orb. Persecution of the Church began, churches were closed, the Sovereign icon disappeared. But now we know that from 1929 to 1988 it was located on Red Square - in the Historical Museum. No matter what they carried past him at this time, no matter what they “decorated” him with, but the main thing remained, invisible to external eyes, the Heavenly Queen of the Russian land.

Emperor Alexander I, anointed to the Kingdom in 1801, read the Gospel for the first time in 1812. And the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks studied at a theological school, then at a seminary, not only knew the Gospel very well, but even in Soviet times he quoted the Bible, often spoke, according to the memoirs of contemporaries, including Chief Marshal of Aviation A.E. Golovanov: “Well, with God,” “God willing,” “help, Lord!”

The Supreme One, one must think, knew better than anyone who helped us win.

Russian history teaches us that revolution is a lie and grief. This is legalized lawlessness, this is the right to lawlessness.

Revolution is a sin. This is grumbling against God, this is fighting against God, this is serving evil spirits - it is not for nothing that all revolutions actually turn into blood.

A revolution is terrible because it gives complete external freedom to a person, abolishes all rules, laws, customs: “in the name of revolution.” Man wants not only good, he uses freedom not only for good - although this is precisely what the revolution loudly proclaims. No, man is a sinner, and he uses this freedom for sin, for evil, and even, first of all, by rejecting the Divine law. That is why the result of a revolution is always more evil than good, and it finally drowns in evil, and people die, drown in a sea of ​​violence and lies, including those trying to justify the revolution.

This lie, this bloody essence of the revolution did not appear in 1937. No, right away, since 1917, which was by no means fairer or more humane than 1937. And 1937, the execution of the Bolsheviks - it was not a “perversion of the revolution”, not an insidious departure from its “high ideals”, from its essence - it was, first of all, inevitable retribution for the “Red Terror” that began twenty years ago, because, according to the words of the Savior, “all who take the sword will perish by the sword” (Matthew 26:52).

In order not to perish in history in the current catastrophic time, the Russian people need to decisively reconsider their understanding of “what is good and what is bad” in Russian history of the twentieth century, and first of all, reject the “charms” of revolution and democracy - and turn not to destruction, but to creation. Towards a high Christian ideal, which only truly improves life - improves the people who strive for it. To the unacceptability of sin in all its forms. And therefore to the real, creative, saving values ​​of autocracy, righteous state power based on serving these ideals, with the inevitable restriction of “freedoms” leading to vice and decay of society, with censorship of sin in all its manifestations. To the traditional concepts of our people, who for centuries were brought up in the monarchical Orthodox patriarchal tradition.

What will be the future history of Russia in the twentieth century, which will, God willing, be written? I would like to hope that it is objective. No retouching or slander. The historian should be neither a prosecutor nor a lawyer. We need to figure everything out calmly, pay tribute to all its leaders, without turning a blind eye to the worst, but also without belittling the heroic efforts of everyone. To see not so much ideology as the spirit in which certain acts were committed.

We must be neither “Stalinists” nor “anti-Stalinists” - we must be “truthists”. We need a reliable picture of this most difficult period of Russian history as it really was. And we are not so much interested in Stalin’s personality as in the essence of what happened as part of God’s Providence.

We need, in the words of N.V. Gogol, not to argue about the truth, but to delve deeper into the truth. He wrote to his friends: “I have no exaltation. I add up the numbers and the sums come out by themselves.”

So we need to “add the numbers.” Don’t rush to “sum up the results.” Moreover, do not “tailor to the answer” the facts of history, selecting those that we like, that fit the ideas that we have formed, that are imposed on us, leaving others aside. Collect from life itself.

This story will, of course, be written with love for Russia. “There is no persuasiveness in slander and there is no truth where there is no love,” wrote A.S. Pushkin in his review of “Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow” by A.N. Radishcheva.

Russophobia is a grave sin, because the Russian people are a people chosen by God to preserve and proclaim the true faith to the world, as shown in the twentieth century by the fierce persecution of the Church, of the people of God, erected by the devil in their homeland, as shown by our emigration, which erected in this time on all continents of the Earth there are Orthodox churches.

Russia - House of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The essence of Russophobia is fight against God. A crazy, devilish idea, the weapon of which is a lie, the father of which, according to the word of our Savior, is the enemy of the human race.

The other day, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' visited Poland on an official four-day visit, during which he performed a number of services, met with the Orthodox clergy and representatives of the highest authorities of the country, and also signed a joint Catholic-Orthodox appeal on the reconciliation of the peoples of Russia and Poland.

And how can we not remember the crash of the Tu-154 plane with the President of Poland and other leaders of this country, which occurred on April 10, 2010, on Saturday of Holy Week - it was a test of the faith of the Polish people.

On Bright Saturday of Easter week, when we sing: And we will forgive all those who hate us through the Resurrection...- this plane was heading from Poland to Russian soil in order to shame and humiliate our Russian Slavic brothers for those “crimes” that were attributed to us by the symbol of lies in the history of mankind - Goebbels.

The so-called “documents” that supposedly expose our country in this regard, as has now been established, are fake. In addition, peoples can bring mutual reproaches to each other ad infinitum for past bitter events in the history of their countries, including Russia against Poland. Or they can build their relationships on the basis of the Savior’s commandments about love even for enemies, about non-judgment and forgiveness.

Will this tragic event finally be perceived by our brothers as a sign from Above? - which for believers is more convincing than any “documents”? As a call to humility, to repentance? As a signal for the Poles about how to relate to the Katyn massacre, to Russia, to the Victory, to their role in history? Or will it be accepted without any faith that in our life there is nothing outside the Providence of God, as the holy fathers teach? And even such a harsh event will not bring spiritual benefit to the Polish people today?

Yes, this is ultimately decided not by our human ideas, not by our wisdom, not by noisy television commentators - all this, as the Lord said, is as distant as heaven from earth from the thoughts of God. Only the Lord decides all this. As you know, he sees the truth, but he won’t tell it soon. God endures for a long time, but it hurts. Everything is God's will. Our Orthodox people know this by heart.

That same year, on September 7, the same plane, Tu-154, which was flying from Polyarny to Moscow and which humanly could not help but crash, because after three and a half hours of flight at an altitude of more than ten thousand meters the plane failed power supply and navigation systems, the emergency fuel level alarm went off. But God’s will was for him to land, and he landed safely on the runway that miraculously happened to be on his way. There were 72 passengers and nine crew members on board. The pilots of the flight, Evgeny Novoselov and Andrey Lamanov, conducted an emergency descent, broke through the clouds and visually began to look for a suitable landing site. They were able to carry it out at the inactive airport in the village of Izhma. The landing had to be carried out without instruments and at increased speed, since the flaps could not be extended. It was possible to do this only on the third attempt. The equipment that allowed maneuvering and reducing speed did not work, and there was no connection with the ground. In addition, the strip was too short (1.4 kilometers), and therefore the liner rolled out to the ground at a speed of 100 kilometers per hour and drove another 180 meters through the forest belt. But all its passengers, including the woman who was expecting a child, remained safe and sound.

Experts argued that no one in the history of aviation had ever succeeded in doing this.

The navigator's wife said:

I always cross Seryozha before a flight. That time I also crossed myself. And in the summer, Sergei once carried our Patriarch Kirill. And he, in gratitude for the flight, blessed Seryozha and gave him an icon.

Sergei was happy. After all, sometimes you don’t dare ask for it directly. And then the Patriarch himself suddenly wanted it that way. Maybe this blessing saved Seryozha?

So the Lord Himself juxtaposed these two events in one year.

There is another important page in the history of our two peoples. S.A. told me about this. Shaposhnikova.

One day, Father Valerian came and gave communion to her husband, Igor Borisovich. It was a big family event; he had not received communion for a long time. And after that he took communion regularly.

Father asked that day:

Do you have a church calendar?

He opened it and said:

Today - the Czestochowa Icon of the Mother of God.

Slava Alexandrovna says:

So Boris Mikhailovich saved her!

After studying at the Academy of the General Staff, in 1912, B.M. Shaposhnikov served in Częstochowa. Suddenly the city mayor addressed them:

Master's officers, help! We have a misfortune: the Czestochowa Icon has been stolen.

As it turned out later, they wanted to take her to America and hired kidnappers.

B.M. Shaposhnikov divided our soldiers into three detachments, and they rushed in different directions in pursuit. Boris Mikhailovich and his soldiers managed to catch up with the kidnappers, and he returned the main Polish shrine to its place.

Father Valerian said about the Czestochowa Icon:

She is the patroness of your family.

When General Wojciech Jaruzelski studied at our Academy of the General Staff, he once introduced himself to Igor Borisovich Shaposhnikov, who was then one of the heads of the strategy department, bowed and said:

Our people will not forget what your father did for Poland.

The name of Boris Mikhailovich Shaposhnikov is inseparable from the history of the Soviet Armed Forces, to the construction of which he devoted 27 years of his life. B.M. Shaposhnikov made a significant contribution to the training of a large galaxy of experienced Soviet military leaders, masters of operational and staff work, and left a rich military theoretical legacy. The name of this military leader is inscribed in golden letters in the history of the Russian army.
A great tactician and strategist, a military thinker, he commanded respect even from I.V. Stalin, who always addressed him by name and patronymic and never allowed himself to call him “you.”
Colonel of the General Staff of the Russian Army, B.M. Shaposhnikov in May 1918 voluntarily joined the ranks of the young Red Army. In a letter containing his request for a desire to serve the new Russia, he wrote: “... As a former colonel of the General Staff, I am keenly interested in the issue of creating a new army and, as a specialist, I would like to bring all possible assistance in this serious matter...”
Boris Mikhailovich Shaposhnikov was born on October 2, 1882 into a multi-class intelligent family in the city of Zlatoust.

The head of the family, Mikhail Petrovich, served in private employment, his wife Pelageya Kuzminichna worked as a teacher.

In 1900, the Shaposhnikov family moved to Belebey. Mikhail Petrovich is appointed head of the wine warehouse. In the same year, Boris missed exams at the Moscow Infantry School due to illness and, in order to be useful to his family and save something for an independent life, he went to work as an accountant at a wine warehouse. He worked here for nine months.
The next year he entered a military school. This event marked the beginning of B.M.’s military career. Shaposhnikova. In 1903 he already served in Turkestan. Boris Mikhailovich felt that his education was incomplete, so in 1907-1910 he studied at the Academy of the General Staff. Then he served in the tsarist army; he spent more than three years on the battlefields of the First World War.
In 1918, the Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic was formed. B. M. Shaposhnikov headed the military operational department there. He served, as befits an officer, honestly, with full dedication, for which he was awarded the Order of the Red Banner. Military knowledge, efficiency in the work of B.M. Shaposhnikov was already noticed and appreciated: for four years he served as assistant chief of staff of the Red Army.
During the years of the Civil War, Boris Mikhailovich not only developed into a major operational staff worker, but also showed himself to be a talented military theorist and publicist. He wrote interesting works on the combat training of troops, on the actions of strategic cavalry, and reviews of military operations in companies in 1919-1920.

In the first years after the Civil War, he spent a lot of time summarizing and comprehending its combat experience. From his pen came major scientific studies, such as “Cavalry (cavalry essays)”, “On the Vistula”.
In subsequent years, Boris Mikhailovich commanded the Leningrad and Moscow military districts, from 1928 to 1931 he headed the General Staff of the Red Army, replacing M.N. Tukhachevsky.

A professional soldier always has a place in the ranks. And his track record is determined by his orders. In 1932-1935 B.M. Shaposhnikov - head, military commissar of the Military Academy named after M. V. Frunze, in 1935-1937 - again commander of the Leningrad Military District. In 1937, he rose to one of the peaks of the army - he was appointed chief of the General Staff of the Red Army and remained in this post until 1940. A year before the start of the Great Patriotic War, B.M. Shaposhnikov was awarded the title of Marshal of the Soviet Union, and he was appointed deputy people's commissar of defense. In this post, he was entrusted with the responsibility for defensive construction, which, in connection with the change in our state borders, then acquired special significance. While still Chief of the General Staff, Shaposhnikov proposed keeping the main forces of our western border districts near the old state borders, and moving into the newly liberated regions of Western Belarus, Western Ukraine and the Baltic states only those covering units that would ensure the deployment of the main forces in the event of an attack on the USSR . As Marshal of the Soviet Union S.S. noted in his memoirs. Biryuzov, the opinion of an experienced military leader was not accepted, and many formations were pushed almost to the border, including those that were in the process of formation. This led in June 1941 to the fact that the troops of our western districts were unable to fully complete the task assigned to them.
The treacherous attack of Nazi Germany on the USSR did not allow us to complete the large and complex work of technical equipment and reorganization of our Armed Forces. The construction of defensive lines on the new state borders was also not completed. Shaposhnikov saw the main reason for the failures of our troops in that period in the disunity of their actions, poor security of flanks and joints, and poor organization of anti-tank and air defense. And he is working hard to eliminate these shortcomings.
In the current situation in the first months of the war, Boris Mikhailovich did a lot for the army and the country. With his direct participation, plans were developed for the Battle of Smolensk, a counteroffensive near Moscow and a general offensive in the winter of 1942.
It is difficult to overestimate the importance of the operational and organizational measures carried out by the General Staff under the leadership of Shaposhnikov in the initial period of the war. His orders, developed by him on the basis of data on the success of the very first salvo of rocket artillery near Orsha, directives on the formation of guards mortar units and sending them to the front, on securing the flanks and joints of the army and fronts, on the creation of highly maneuverable anti-tank formations, on strengthening and strengthening air defense , about shortcomings in the conduct of offensive battles and ways to eliminate them, about the introduction of machine gun companies into the staff of rifle regiments, about improving command and control of troops, about strengthening reconnaissance, about the transformation of heavy bomber aircraft into long-range aviation, about the formation of sapper armies were of lasting importance. Great insight of B.M. Shaposhnikov, his ability to present the course of hostilities based on isolated fragmentary and often contradictory information, give a correct assessment of the current strategic situation and outline the prospects for its development played an important role in overcoming the incredible difficulties of the initial period of the war. Thus, even the enemies of our state noted that Marshal Shaposhnikov, long before the Battle of Stalingrad, foresaw its fatal outcome for the Nazi army.

Boris Mikhailovich worked so hard and closely that one day after the next report of I.V. Stalin received a serious remark from the latter: “The Chief of the General Staff needs to work for four hours. The rest of the time you should lie on the couch and think about the future.” Quote from the book “Scientist and Warrior”, written by Marshal of the Soviet Union M.V. Zakharov, who worked in the General Staff under Shaposhnikov.

In it he writes: “During the Great Patriotic War, Marshal Shaposhnikov made an invaluable contribution to the defeat of the fascist invaders. In these difficult days of our Motherland, the military leadership talent of Boris Mikhailovich, his unyielding will to victory and immense faith in the rightness of our cause manifested themselves with particular force.”
The enormous strain of effort and difficult work with almost no rest left a mark on Shaposhnikov’s health: it deteriorated sharply, and soon, due to a serious illness, Shaposhnikov was allowed to work no more than 4 hours a day, and in June 1942, due to illness, he was forced to leave his post as chief General Staff. The Supreme Commander-in-Chief gave instructions to A.M., who replaced him in high office. Vasilevsky “not to disturb, not to bother Shaposhnikov, but to turn to him for advice only in exceptional cases” and each time with special permission. Nevertheless, Shaposhnikov, a man with a high sense of responsibility, continued to work tirelessly, making his contribution to the common cause of defeating the Nazi invaders.
Not a single book of memoirs (and a great many of them were published after the war) of our military leaders contains a single negative opinion about Boris Mikhailovich.
Everyone who knew B.M. Shaposhnikov, remembers him as a man of great culture. He was always distinguished by his ability to approach people, was extremely tactful, and never humiliated the dignity of his subordinates. It was a pleasure to work together with Shaposhnikov. This was a boss who never shied away from work, never tried to shift any blame onto his subordinates. Unfailingly polite and attentive, he at the same time remained extremely demanding of himself and others, especially when it came to the accuracy and timeliness of completing a task.
For example, this case. In the second half of 1942, Boris Mikhailovich was entrusted with leading the development of new combat manuals and the draft Field Manual. In order to generalize combat experience, which should be used as the basis for regulations, several commanders of battalions, regiments and divisions were called from the fronts. As they arrived, B.M. Shaposhnikov had a detailed conversation with them. Among others, one of the battalion commanders was supposed to enter his office. Blushing with excitement, he nervously pulled at his tunic, not knowing what awaited him at the “high boss.” And suddenly the battalion commander, entering the room, saw a tall, thin, relatively tall, smoothly parted, pale-faced chief, getting up from his chair and leaving the table, walking towards the visitor, then, stretched out, listening to his report , shakes his hand with a smile and asks him to “do me a favor and sit down.” Questioning him about his family, life and service, Boris Mikhailovich calmly waited until the battalion commander came to his senses. And then he got down to business. This was the case with every visitor, no matter what official position he held.
“Dear fellow,” he said, turning to his interlocutor and examining his working map, on which the combat situation was sometimes confusedly and carelessly depicted, “not only can you not make out anything from your map, but you can also mislead yourself. Working with a map requires a lot of attention. It is necessary to depict the situation so that it is, firstly, understandable and, secondly, corresponds to the actual state of affairs.” And then he showed me how to do it. Possessing extensive and varied experience in staff service, Shaposhnikov knew well the consequences of carelessly drawing the situation on a map, untimely reflection of ongoing changes, and the use of arbitrary symbols, and he always reprimanded him strictly for this. Persistently fighting for clarity and high discipline in the work of headquarters, Boris Mikhailovich constantly demanded precision and accuracy. He attached great importance to the “culture of the document” and, if he found errors, he patiently explained to the performer the possible consequences of the inaccuracy and how it should be avoided.
One of the characteristic features of Shaposhnikov’s working style was his rare ability to delve into the details of a case. Possessing a good memory, he recognized each performer in a short time and loved to hear personal reports from those people who prepared the documents and knew the details of the case. And in order not to violate official chain of command, he usually heard such a report from the immediate executor in the presence of his direct superior and immediately gave the necessary instructions. His comments never caused any offense or irritation in his subordinate. And at the same time, he was especially demanding of the slightest omissions that did not escape his attention. He often gave good advice, and it turned out to be extremely useful in the practical work of staff commanders. Working under his leadership was a great and useful school for everyone.
In the last years of his life, Boris Mikhailovich headed the Higher Military Academy. More than one hundred highly qualified general staff officers and military commanders of the highest ranks received fronts from this academy.
Boris Mikhailovich loved life and wanted to live in order to work. He couldn’t imagine his existence without working for his homeland. Literally a few hours before his death, having felt a temporary improvement, he made plans for further development of work to generalize the experience of the Great Patriotic War and introduce it into troop training.
Marshal of the Soviet Union B.M. died. Shaposhnikov March 26, 1945. It is not difficult to calculate how many days remained until the Victory, which he did not see, but knew that it was about to come.
In the city historical museum of Belebey there is an exhibition dedicated to Boris Mikhailovich. Noteworthy are the personal belongings of the largest military leader of the 20th century: a compass, a magnifying glass, a fountain pen, a multifunctional penknife, a cigarette holder, a lighter. Of interest are the photographs depicting episodes of his work at the General Staff, meetings with prominent government, military and party leaders of the country.
The exhibition also includes a unique photograph in which Father B.M. Shaposhnikova Mikhail Petrovich and mother Pelageya Kuzminichna are depicted in the circle of teachers and doctors of the city and individual employees of the wine warehouse. These historically priceless exhibits were given to the museum by the Marshal’s son, Lieutenant General Igor Borisovich Shaposhnikov, who devoted 35 years of his life to the military profession. In the post-war years, he served as deputy head of one of the departments of the Academy of the General Staff. The same one from which his father graduated and was its boss.
Two films with recordings of speeches by B.M. Shaposhnikov (at the parade of troops of the Leningrad Military District in 1936 and with the text of the oath) preserved for posterity the “living” image of the marshal. Both films are stored in the country's Central State Archive. His awards, personal weapons, and uniform items are also there.
B.M. Shaposhnikov was awarded three Orders of Lenin, two Orders of the Red Banner, Order of Suvorov 1st degree, two Orders of the Red Star.
Name B.M. Shaposhnikov was assigned to the Higher Rifle and Tactical Courses “Vystrel”, ships of the Navy, and the streets of many cities. He was buried on Red Square, near the Kremlin wall.

Literature:

Shaposhnikov B.M. "Memories. Military scientific works". These are memoirs of an outstanding Soviet military leader, covering his childhood and youth, military service from 1901 until the end of the maneuver operations of the First World War. The book contains interesting thoughts of Boris Mikhailovich Shaposhnikov on topical issues of military history, theory and practice.

Shaposhnikov B.M. "Warsaw operation". This is a summary. The appendix contains maps and tables.

In the book of Marshal of the Soviet Union I.Kh. Bagramyan's "Sons of the Great Nation" one of the largest chapters is dedicated to Shaposhnikov. In this book, the author talks about his meetings, joint service, studies, participation in the Great Patriotic War with famous Soviet commanders and military leaders.

In the book by retired colonel, candidate of military sciences Y. Gorelik, “Marshal of the Soviet Union Boris Mikhailovich Shaposhnikov,” the author continues to collect materials characterizing Shaposhnikov as a major theorist and prominent military figure of the Soviet state.
Y. Gorelik wrote 4 articles about B.M. Shaposhnikov in such well-known magazines as the Military Historical Journal (1965), Questions of History (1972), Military Bulletin (1972), Military Thought (1989). Almost all of these articles are devoted to Shaposhnikov’s work “The Brain of the Army.” This is a three-volume work, published in 1927-1929. It gives a clear idea of ​​what the General Staff should be in the conditions of our time, what its place is in the military system, and how its work should be organized.

The book “Commanders and Military Leaders of the Great Patriotic War” contains many illustrations depicting the family of Boris Mikhailovich (with his wife Maria Alexandrovna and son Igor).

The book “Shaposhnikov and his military-theoretical heritage” contains materials from a military-scientific conference dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Shaposhnikov’s birth. The book includes memories of Shaposhnikov by Marshals of the Soviet Union A. Vasilevsky and M. Zakharov.

-Gareev M.A. "Commanders of Victory and their military heritage."
The book is dedicated to the military art of the commanders who completed the Great Patriotic War and the Second World War in general. The author's goal was to identify the characteristic features of the leadership style of outstanding military leaders who made the greatest contribution to achieving victory. As a result, the result is a lively, fascinating story that reveals some new, previously insufficiently covered in historical literature, shades of personality and military leadership of famous military leaders.

Rubtsov Yu.V. “Wands on epaulettes and coats of arms on shoulder straps.”
The book is a biography of Russian field marshals and marshals of the Soviet Union. For the first time, it provides a complete list of generalissimos and field marshals of the Russian Empire, updated based on historical documents and research.

- “Marshals and admirals.” Auto-stat. T.G. Shubina. – (Encyclopedia of Military Art).
The book tells about the military leaders who led the armies and navies of various states, whose names are covered with courage and glory, shrouded in an aura of mystery, about people on whom much depended: the outcome of military operations and battles at sea, the development of the military-industrial complex and the balance of power on the world stage. Their fates are largely contradictory and tragic...

- “Commanders.” Collection dedicated to the 50th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War.

The review was prepared by the subscription librarian L.I. Cherepnina.

On the eve of Victory Day, his daughter-in-law Slava Andreevna Shaposhnikova recalls little-known facts of the biography of the outstanding military leader

Of the older generation of the Shaposhnikov family, only the daughter-in-law of the famous commander, Slava Andreevna Shaposhnikova, remains alive today. She is a deeply religious person. After our conversation, Slava Andreevna kindly asked: “Go to any church in Kyiv and light a candle for the repose of my dear father-in-law Boris Mikhailovich. Let his glorious name be remembered, because he was an amazing man - despite the terrible time when people were shot for their faith, he never hid the fact that he believed in God. Believes truly."

“Every morning Boris Mikhailovich prayed for the well-being of the Motherland and the Russian people”

“I learned by chance from my husband Igor Borisovich Shaposhnikov that everyone in the Shaposhnikov family were deeply religious people,” says Slava Andreevna. After all, I joined the family after the death of Boris Mikhailovich. And therefore, I heard about his amazing fate from my mother-in-law Maria Alexandrovna and her husband.

Every morning my husband went to his office for ten to fifteen minutes. I started preparing breakfast. I wasn’t interested in what my husband was doing in the office; you never know what kind of things a military man might have, who also holds a high position as a teacher at the General Staff Academy. But one day the door remained ajar, and I saw that Igor Borisovich was praying. But this was not what struck me - my husband and I were both believers, we did not hide our views from each other, and it was not surprising to me that a colonel of the Soviet Army was praying. I was struck by the words he uttered: “Lord, save my Motherland and the Russian people.” Usually a person prays for the health of himself, his loved ones, and acquaintances. To ask for the salvation of the Motherland and one’s people is not something every believer is capable of. When I asked: “Igor, why are you doing this?”, he replied: “That’s what my father prayed. That’s what he bequeathed to me to do too.”

Surely Stalin and his entourage knew that Boris Mikhailovich, then already a marshal and head of the General Staff, was a believer. How did the cup of anger pass over Shaposhnikov, because although he was forgiven for being a general in the tsarist army, he was remembered for a long time?

As Boris Mikhailovich’s wife Maria Vasilievna recalled, Stalin really knew that the Chief of the General Staff was a deeply religious man. Joseph Vissarionovich also knew that Boris Mikhailovich never took off the ancient body amulet with a very ancient Cossack icon, which was almost 200 years old. It was passed down in the Shaposhnikov family, who descended from the Don Cossacks, from generation to generation - from father to son. Boris Mikhailovich was given it by his mother. And being already a general, under Soviet rule, he always wore it on his chest. Even under Stalin. It was because Shaposhnikov never hid his faith that Joseph Vissarionovich respected him - he never said a word against Boris Mikhailovich’s faith. In addition to the amulet with the image, he also wore an old family cross by Faberge. I passed it on to my daughter. I keep the incense as the most precious memory of Boris Mikhailovich

From an old wooden box, Slava Andreevna took out several unique things left from Boris Mikhailovich: the St. George Cross, a small medallion with the image of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker and the famous amulet with an icon. The fabric on it has become faded and worn out from time and sweat. Slava Andreevna opened the pocket of the amulet, took out the icon, and kissed it. On the wooden base of the icon is an image of a saint. On top is embossed copper foil. The drawing and copper have darkened with time.

“The entire prayer service in honor of the liberation of Kyiv, Georgy Zhukov was on his knees”

“A lot of moments in the life of Boris Mikhailovich were in one way or another connected with religion and the church,” continues Slava Andreevna. — The husband recalled an amazing incident that happened to his father on the eve of the First World War. Then Boris Mikhailovich was with Russian troops in Poland. They stood, it seems, near Krakow. And then somehow the leadership of one of the local cathedrals, where the famous Cintakhovskaya icon was kept - a national shrine, supposedly the first Christian icon of the Polish state - turned to the Russian command for help. The icon was stolen, and the clergy asked for help in the search. Our troops responded very quickly and sent three detachments to search for the attackers. One of them was headed by Boris Mikhailovich. It was he who managed to overtake the bandits and return the icon to the cathedral. And many years later, when my husband was already teaching at the Military Academy of the General Staff, Wojciech Jaruzelski, the future head of socialist Poland, who was studying at our academy at that time, approached him, hugged him tightly and said: “I am grateful to your father for that he saved the shrine of Poland. Thank you!" We were extremely surprised: Jaruzelski is a party leader, but here there is such a reverent attitude towards a religious shrine.

Even such people were not alien to anything human!

Of course, simply because of the stereotypes that have developed in society, no one has ever covered this side of the life of government officials. But it is clear that they were also living people, and many of them believed in God. Let it be in their own way, but they believed. I’ll tell you about one incident that happened to Marshal Zhukov, which even his daughters probably don’t know about. Somewhere in the early sixties I was in Kyiv and went to a small church in Podol. I stood by the icons, prayed, and listened to the singing of the church choir. And when the elderly priest sang in health, I heard the words: “ in health of the military leader George” I was immediately interested in this. When the prayer service ended, I approached the priest, introduced myself and asked who he meant by the name of military leader George. Is it really Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov? My assumptions were confirmed, and the priest told an amazing story connected with the name of the famous marshal, who was very respectful of religion and clergy.

When Kyiv was liberated in the fall of 1943, Zhukov visited the city as a representative of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command. After all the conferences and meetings, he asked to find the priests who remained in the city. They were invited to one of the churches in St. Sophia Cathedral. At the request of Georgy Konstantinovich, a prayer service was held for the health of our soldiers and commanders, in honor of another victory over the enemy near Kiev. According to the priest, who also participated in that unusual service, Zhukov stood on his knees throughout the prayer service, crossed himself and sometimes repeated the words of the prayer. In difficult times, every person turns to faith, regardless of his situation. And I think that even Stalin could turn to God when a terrible threat hung over the country. Remember his address to the country on June 22, 1941. He did not say “citizens” or “comrades”, but addressed them with the words “brothers and sisters”. Priests also address their parishioners in the same way.

I can give another similar example, now associated with Marshal Alexander Mikhailovich Vasilevsky. He worked with Boris Mikhailovich for a long time, and I learned a lot about my father-in-law’s life from him. Vasilevsky was the son of a priest. Despite the fact that Alexander Mikhailovich served in the army, held high positions, and in 1943 replaced Shaposhnikov as chief of the General Staff, his father, on Stalin’s orders, was repressed precisely for his religious beliefs. The already elderly priest was sent to a settlement somewhere in Siberia. And there he did not renounce his faith. While in exile, he was allowed to get a job in one of the churches there, where he served for many years. And only when he turned 80 years old, Stalin allowed Vasilevsky to take his father from exile, although Alexander Mikhailovich himself considered him dead.

Vasilevsky, too, I think, was a believer, but he never showed it. One day he helped our family, and I decided to thank him - I told him that I could help secretly perform the rite of communion. He thought for a long time, and then said: “Now I cannot accept this gift.” And after the death of Alexander Mikhailovich, his son Igor and his wife Rosa turned to me with a request to perform the funeral service for their deceased father, as expected, according to the Orthodox rite. Naturally, it was unsafe to do this openly. Therefore, I made an agreement with a priest I knew in a small church near the Rizhsky station. There the three of us - Vasilevsky's son Igor, his wife and I - secretly performed the funeral service for Alexander Mikhailovich in absentia.

“Boris Mikhailovich’s wife Maria Alexandrovna greeted me with a tray containing silver earrings.”

Surely the people surrounding Boris Mikhailovich remembered his passions. What was he partial to?

Boris Mikhailovich loved music very much. He could listen to classics for hours. In addition, his wife Maria Alexandrovna had an amazing voice and sang at the Bolshoi Theater for some time. Vasilevsky told me how he once came to Boris Mikhailovich for a report. I must say that Shaposhnikov was a very collected and responsible person and listened to every word of the speaker. And suddenly, in the middle of the report, Boris Mikhailovich unexpectedly interrupts Vasilevsky: “Excuse me, Alexander Mikhailovich. Let's take a break for a couple of minutes. The radio broadcast of the concert from the Bolshoi Theater will now begin. Maria Alexandrovna will sing. Let's listen." He turned on the radio and reverently listened to his wife’s voice.

And since we started talking about Alexander Vasilevsky, I want to digress a little and remember his words about Boris Mikhailovich. Vasilevsky often said that he owed a lot in his life to Shaposhnikov, and considered him his teacher. Alexander Mikhailovich said that when in 1943 he replaced Shaposhnikov as chief of the General Staff, Stalin, when discussing some important strategic issues at military meetings, often turned to him with the words: “Well, let’s listen to what Shaposhnikov’s team will tell us about this.” school". And at state-level meetings during the life of Boris Mikhailovich, when Vasilevsky made a report, Stalin, after listening to him, asked the same question: “Have you consulted with Shaposhnikov?” By the way, Boris Mikhailovich, according to the memoirs of Alexander Mikhailovich, was the only high-ranking military leader whom Joseph Vissarionovich called by his first name and patronymic.

But let's get back to the music. Maria Alexandrovna also “tested” me with her voice. When, together with my future husband Igor Borisovich, we decided to connect our lives, he invited me to his house to introduce me to his mother. To my amazement, Maria Alexandrovna met me with a tray on which lay her silver earrings. It was a sign of recognition and a gift to me. Truly noble (Maria Alexandrovna was one of the demoted Polish nobles of Ledomsky, whom Tsar Nicholas II deprived of all titles and titles after the rebellion)! After tea, Maria Alexandrovna invited me to her room, started the record player and put on a record. I heard beautiful singing. But only when the music ended and I expressed my delight at what I heard, she admitted that it was her voice. Maria Alexandrovna and I have developed a very good relationship. Despite this, observing aristocratic traditions, until the end of her days she addressed me as you, and I addressed her by her first name and patronymic.

I must say that thanks to Maria Alexandrovna, I was able to achieve the rehabilitation of my father, a participant in the civil war, a Red commander who was repressed in 1937. The fact is that due to the fact that I was the daughter of an enemy of the people, I had various difficulties. For example, a lot of young people, even if I had excellent relationships with them, upon learning that my father was repressed, stopped dating me. Over time, I even developed some kind of subconscious fear. And when I met Igor Borisovich, I admitted to him that I was the daughter of an enemy of the people, hinting that my reputation could harm him. But he didn't turn away from me. Moreover, he told Maria Alexandrovna about the current situation. She immediately called Kliment Voroshilov and asked him to see me regarding the rehabilitation of my father. This was already in 1955, and little by little justice began to be restored for the innocently convicted.

Voroshilov’s adjutant met me at the Spasskaya Tower. When I entered the office of the famous marshal, I was greeted by an elderly man, gray-haired, and short. I was surprised because I imagined this legendary man as stately, tall, forever young. Voroshilov looked at me for a long time (his father’s file was already on the table), and then said: “And I remember your father from the Civil War, from the Western Front.” I didn't believe it at first. I thought he wanted to win me over in this way. But when he said that I was very similar to my father (and I really was the same person as him), I couldn’t stand it and started crying. Voroshilov kept his word: his father was rehabilitated.

“Shaposhnikov’s office was hung with paintings of naked women”

I heard that in Ozerov’s epic film “Liberation” you played the role of Maria Alexandrovna. How did this happen?

Yes, there was such an episode in my life. The role is, however, small. At one time I played in the theater. There were many famous people among my friends. The husband’s great friend was director Yuri Ozerov, with whom they studied at school together. And when the shooting of “Liberation” began, he invited me to play this role. I didn’t refuse because it was a great honor for me. If you remember, there is a moment in the film: Boris Mikhailovich Shaposhnikov is sick, on bed rest, and Stalin calls him. Shaposhnikov’s wife answers the phone and reports the marshal’s illness. That was me. I remember that before filming, Ozerov decided to show me Boris Mikhailovich’s office prepared for filming. I go in and look, and everything is so prim - a portrait of Lenin and Stalin on the wall. I say: “What are you talking about! This is not true. Boris Mikhailovich’s office was hung with paintings of naked women (by famous artists) and filled with large bronze sculptures of horses.” Ozerov grabbed his head: “How come I didn’t think of that!” What can a real cavalryman love? Women and horses." True, the real atmosphere of the office was never recreated. Censorship didn't allow it. By the way, when the question arose about who would play Konstantin Rokossovsky in the film, even my husband received offers. He was very suitable for this role - tall, handsome, with a well-trained voice, and a photogenic face. But Ozerov gave this role to actor Davydov.

Was Boris Mikhailovich really interested in horses?

Not, however, like Semyon Mikhailovich Budyonny, but once he even risked his life to protect his war horse. This was just after the revolution. Then the soldiers themselves elected Boris Mikhailovich as their commander. But due to the chaos in the army, his division scattered, and he went home with his adjutant. They came from the very western border. Boris Mikhailovich led his horse by the bridle all the way, which could have cost him his life. Then, on the wave of general revolutionary upsurge, officers of the former tsarist army were persecuted. And Boris Mikhailovich showed with all his appearance that he was an officer of high rank - he was leading his horse by the bridle, with an adjutant nearby. If some Red Army soldier had gotten in his way, even sympathy for the Bolsheviks would not have helped him avoid death.

He finally reached home and brought his horse with him. Unfortunately, due to his difficult financial situation, he had to be sold to a local priest. But for a long time the horse could not forget its former owner: very often, when the horse began to be harnessed, he broke free and ran to the house where Boris Mikhailovich lived. Maria Alexandrovna recalled: she would come running, stop at the fence and start laughing. Only Boris Mikhailovich could calm the animal. He left the house, stroked the horse’s face, asked for forgiveness and took him to the priest.

“Stalin forbade Shaposhnikov to undergo surgery to remove a cancerous tumor”

Perhaps you know something about the circumstances of Boris Mikhailovich’s death, because different sources indicate different reasons?

It was a very difficult time. On the one hand, Stalin respected Boris Mikhailovich, listened to his advice, and trusted him to develop the most important operations. On the other hand, according to Maria Alexandrovna, NKVD investigators collected a significant case against Shaposhnikov (but for some reason they never gave it a go). In this regard, the circumstances of Boris Mikhailovich’s death can be viewed differently. Most official sources indicate that Shaposhnikov died from heavy overload at work and from progressive tuberculosis. However, as Maria Alexandrovna recalled, Boris Mikhailovich died of stomach cancer. In fact, he died a martyr's death by starvation. When the disease worsened, he could not eat. Doctors suggested an operation, which, in their opinion, should slow down the course of the disease. Stalin learned about the terrible diagnosis given to Shaposhnikov and the doctors’ proposal. He categorically forbade the operation.

Now it is difficult to assess the action of Joseph Vissarionovich - whether it was malicious intent or, on the contrary, concern. But be that as it may, Boris Mikhailovich died quite early - at 57 years old. By the way, this became another topic of controversy between me and director Yuri Ozerov during the filming of “Liberation.” In the film, the role of Shaposhnikov was played by Bruno Freundlich, Alisa Freundlich's father. He was then well over 70 and looked like an old man - unlike Boris Mikhailovich, who, although he suffered incredibly before his death, was cheerful and looked his age. I reported this discrepancy to Ozerov. He seemed to agree with me, and then, as if apologizing, he said: “Sorry, Slava, but we don’t have another equally intelligent actor.”

What can you say about the other version - due to work overload?

As Marshal Vasilevsky recalled, Boris Mikhailovich always worked. Rarely could he be found in his office relaxing with a cup of tea. His efficiency also amazed Stalin. In 1933, a purge was carried out in the party apparatus and people's commissariats. The conclusion of the commission on Shaposhnikov read: “Infinitely devoted to the cause of the workers and the party He can do a lot and knows a lot.” And they verbally reprimanded him: “You don’t take care of yourself enough. You have to work so as not to overstrain yourself.” Five years later, in 1938, according to Vasilevsky’s recollections, Boris Mikhailovich received a document signed by Kliment Voroshilov, where the People’s Commissar of Defense wrote: “I order B. M. Shaposhnikov to interrupt work for 6 days for rest, according to the doctors’ conclusion.” But Boris Mikhailovich ignored these instructions, requests, orders.

Attempts to somehow influence the restless Boris Mikhailovich continued until 1942, when Vasilevsky replaced him as Chief of the General Staff. After leaving office, Boris Mikhailovich, according to the resolution of the State Defense Committee (GKO), retained the post of Deputy Minister of Defense, the ranks granted by the status of benefits. But there was also a special postscript to this resolution: “Prohibit the marshal from working more than five hours a day.”

According to Maria Alexandrovna’s memoirs, one of Boris Mikhailovich’s last wishes was to live to see the end of the war. He felt that a little more and we would defeat the enemy, so every morning he listened with trepidation to reports from the front. Sometimes, when Boris Mikhailovich was feeling really bad, Maria Alexandrovna herself read out messages to her husband about events at the front. He held on because he was rooting for the army, to which he devoted his entire life (the basics of military regulations for most branches of the military, developed by Shaposhnikov, were used in the Soviet Army for almost 50 years. - Author). And yet, the disease overcame him before the Soviet troops completed the defeat of the German troops. Boris Mikhailovich did not live to see the end of the war for only 42 days. On the day of his death, March 26, 1945, a message was broadcast on the radio that the troops of the Second Ukrainian Front, having gone on the offensive, had broken through the powerful German defenses in the mountains near Budapest. This was the last news about the war that Boris Mikhailovich heard. In the evening he was gone.

The name of this military leader is inscribed in golden letters in the history of the Russian army.

A great tactician and strategist, a military thinker, he aroused respect even from I.V. Stalin, who always addressed him by name and patronymic and never allowed himself to call him “you.” Marshal of the Soviet Union Boris Mikhailovich Shaposhnikov left behind both theoretical work and practical developments. His name is not forgotten by both the army and the country. Especially the Belebeyites.

Colonel of the General Staff of the Russian Army, B. M. Shaposhnikov in May 1918 voluntarily joined the ranks of the young Red Army. In the letter, which contained his request for a desire to serve the new Russia, he wrote: “... As a former colonel of the General Staff, I am keenly interested in the issue of creating a new army and, as a specialist, I would like to bring all possible assistance in this serious matter...”.

The letter also contains the following lines: “Being a native of the Urals, I would like to begin my service in this area, and therefore I will allow myself to ask you to petition me to appoint me to serve in the Volga Military District.”

(In parentheses, we note that at this time the newly established Volga Military District was being formed in Samara; qualified military personnel were very much needed). And the military career of the Soviet period of our fellow countryman’s life began, which led him to the General Staff of the Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army, but already as its chief...

Boris Mikhailovich Shaposhnikov was born into a multi-class intelligent family in the city of Zlatoust. The head of the family, Mikhail Petrovich, served in private employment, his wife Pelageya Kuzminichna worked as a teacher. In 1900, the Shaposhnikov family moved to Belebey. Mikhail Petrovich is appointed head of the wine warehouse. In the same year, Boris missed exams at the Moscow Infantry School due to illness and, in order to be useful to his family and save something for an independent life, he went to work as an accountant at a wine warehouse. He worked here for nine months.

The next year he entered a military school, this event marked the beginning of the military career of B. M. Shaposhnikov. In 1903 he already served in Turkestan. Boris Mikhailovich felt that his education was incomplete, so in 1907-1910 he studied at the Academy of the General Staff. Then he served in the tsarist army; he spent more than three years on the battlefields of the First World War.

In 1918, the Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic was formed. B. M. Shaposhnikov headed the military operational department there. He served, as befits an officer, honestly, with full dedication, for which he was awarded the Order of the Red Banner. B. M. Shaposhnikov’s military knowledge and efficiency in his work were already noticed and appreciated: for four years he served as an assistant to the chief of staff of the Red Army.

In subsequent years, Boris Mikhailovich commanded the Leningrad and Moscow military districts, from 1928 to 1931 he headed the General Staff of the Red Army, replacing M. N. Tukhachevsky in this post.

A professional soldier always has a place in the ranks. And his track record is determined by his orders. In 1932–1935, B. M. Shaposhnikov was the head and military commissar of the M. V. Frunze Military Academy, and in 1935–1937 he was again commander of the Leningrad Military District. In 1937, he rose to one of the peaks of the army - he was appointed chief of the General Staff of the Red Army and remained in this post until 1940. After a short break, he re-entered his office (July 1941 - May 1942), at the same time being Deputy People's Commissar of Defense.

In the current situation in the first months of the war, Boris Mikhailovich did a lot for the army and the country. With his direct participation, plans were developed for the Battle of Smolensk, a counteroffensive near Moscow and a general offensive in the winter of 1942.

But due to a sharp deterioration in health caused by enormous stress at work, Boris Mikhailovich appeals to the State Defense Committee with a request to be relieved of his duties as chief of the General Staff. His appeal was granted, and from June 25, 1943 until the last day of his life, he served as head of the Academy of the General Staff. Marshal of the Soviet Union B. M. Shaposhnikov died on March 26, 1945. It is not difficult to calculate how many days remained until the Victory, which he did not see, but knew that it was about to come.

Boris Mikhailovich worked so hard and closely that one day, after his next report to I.V. Stalin, he received a serious remark from the latter: “The Chief of the General Staff needs to work for four hours. The rest of the time you should lie on the couch and think about the future.” (M.V. Zakharov “Scientist and Warrior”. Moscow, 1974, p. 90). The Supreme Commander-in-Chief was obviously well aware of the health of the man who headed the brains of the army, and the duration of his work, say, around the clock.

Not a single book of memoirs (and a great many of them were published after the war) of our military leaders contains a single negative opinion, not even a single word, about Boris Mikhailovich.

Our highest-ranking military leader and fellow countryman retained a good memory of the city of his youth for the rest of his life.

In one of the books (B. M. Shaposhnikov left a whole library of books written by him, among them, naturally, those devoted to military topics prevailed, but there were also memoirs) he wrote: “Belebey of those times was a small county town with two thousand inhabitants. More than half of them are Tatars and Bashkirs. The district was mainly engaged in sowing wheat, which produced good harvests...

...The steppe expanses with meadow grasses and feather grass could not but delight the heart.

I didn’t want to sit without work, so I joined the distillery warehouse office as a junior clerk with a salary of 25 rubles a month. The working day lasted ten hours, of which one hour was a lunch break.”

Comprehensive information for characterizing our town at the very beginning of the 20th century is provided by the marshal’s memoirs: “Belebey lived the sleepy life of a county town, especially in winter, when the blizzard raged and the wind howled mournfully. By morning there was so much snow that it was barely possible to open the doors to go out and clear the path near the house. In the summer, however, the town came to life... summer residents came for kumiss.” (B. Shaposhnikov “Memoirs. Military scientific works.” M., 1982, pp. 33, 53-54).

The Shaposhnikov family was remembered by Belebey residents in the first quarter of the 20th century. Mikhail Petrovich understood the content of his job responsibilities as caring for the workers and employees of the wine warehouse. For example, he persistently pressed the zemstvo authorities to open an emergency room at the enterprise, that is, something like a paramedic station for providing primary medical care. And I achieved it!

New Year's parties were organized for the employees' children. The children played near the Christmas tree, and then received gifts - a bag of gingerbread cookies, sweets and, of course, some kind of toy.

Archival documents indicate that M.P. Shaposhnikov knew every working employee in the warehouse, his mood, concerns, and, when the need arose, he came to the rescue. “If any of the adults or children from the families of workers and employees of this warehouse fell ill, especially at night, when the emergency room was closed, then they went to the Shaposhnikovs’ apartment, where they were sure to receive the first necessary aid.”

The daughter of Mikhail Petrovich and Pelageya Kuzminichna, Yulia Mikhailovna, worked as a teacher at a three-year parish school in the village of Usen-Ivanovskoye. The village peasants and their children loved her very much and called her a young lady. (In parentheses, we note that the local high school, unfortunately, does not have at least a corner dedicated to her).

The Shaposhnikov family lived in a house belonging to a wine warehouse (the corner of the current streets named after V.I. Chapaev and K. Marx). The building has been preserved and thoroughly renovated. There is a memorial plaque installed on it, as well as on the building of the distillery. One of the streets in the historical part of Belebey is named after B. M. Shaposhnikov.

The city museum of local history has an exhibition dedicated to Marshal of the Soviet Union Boris Mikhailovich Shaposhnikov. Noteworthy are the personal belongings of the largest military leader of the 20th century: a compass, a magnifying glass, a fountain pen, a multifunctional penknife, a cigarette holder, a lighter. Of interest are the photographs depicting episodes of his work at the General Staff, meetings with prominent government, military and party leaders of the country. The exhibition is decorated with an original painting by the artist M. V. Manuilov; the author painted it from life right in the marshal’s office.

The exhibition also includes a unique photograph in which B.M. Shaposhnikov’s father, Mikhail Petrovich, and mother, Pelageya Kuzminichna, are depicted in the circle of teachers and doctors of the city and individual employees of the wine warehouse. These historically priceless exhibits were given to the museum by the Marshal’s son, Lieutenant General Igor Borisovich Shaposhnikov, who devoted 35 years of his life to the military profession. In the post-war years, he served as deputy head of one of the departments of the Academy of the General Staff. The same one from which his father graduated and was its head...

Let it not seem that Boris Mikhailovich Shaposhnikov lived a cloudless life and no storm clouds gathered over his head. Here's just one example.

In the summer of 1939, the Main Military Council of the Red Army considered the plan for conducting military operations with Finland, prepared by the General Staff under the leadership of B. M. Shaposhnikov, which, in particular, proposed using not only the troops of the Leningrad Military District, but also additional forces in the upcoming war. J.V. Stalin did not like this. He sharply criticized the General Staff's plan, considered that it overestimated the capabilities of the Finnish army, and rejected it. The consequence of the leader’s opinion was that Boris Mikhailovich was removed from the post of Chief of the General Staff. The war with the White Finns that began soon showed that the General Staff was right...

Much has been written about the leadership gift of Marshal of the Soviet Union (since 1940) B. M. Shaposhnikov. Professional military personnel are familiar with his works on the theory of military art: “The Brain of the Army,” “Cavalry,” “On the Vistula” and others.

In the last years of his life, B. M. Shaposhnikov, already seriously ill, began writing memoirs, but did not have time to complete this work. The manuscript he left behind (ten thick notebooks) is called “The Path Traveled.” Shortly before his death, the author wrote on the first notebook: “Publish 20 years after my death.”

The manuscript was presented to the Military Historical Journal by the family of B. M. Shaposhnikov. In 1966, the memoirs were published.

Let us conclude this chapter of the book with statements from prominent military leaders about Boris Mikhailovich Shaposhnikov. Here is a letter to the hero of our story, sent to him by K. E. Voroshilov: “Dear Boris Mikhailovich! I am glad to greet you with all my heart on the day when today, “rising from sleep”, with a sigh of contrition (this is at least what happened to me in a similar case) thought: so, I’m already 60!..

It’s unpleasant, needless to say, to feel that sixty years are behind us... However, this fleeting feeling is covered by an important “fact” - after all, we have lived sixty years, this is ours, that is, in this case, your life, and a wonderful life at that. Therefore, you are a lucky person, you are a hero of the day, a true birthday boy, for which I congratulate you again and again.

For more than one third of your sixty years, we have worked together for the benefit of our glorious Motherland and the glorious Red Army.

Together with you, we have lived through many harsh, difficult, as well as bright, wonderful days. I remember our joint work with a feeling of gratitude and great respect for you. I will never forget your exceptional efficiency, which infected all the comrades who worked with you, and was the style of the institutions and military districts you headed.

Your extraordinary and remarkable military erudition has always been a source of knowledge for everyone who wanted to learn, grow and improve in military affairs.

The day of your glorious anniversary fell in such a time that our Motherland is going through. The enemy, the most predatory of all the enemies we have ever thought of, is trampling on the sacred land of our Motherland. But victory is ours. The enemy's death is predetermined...

When the country celebrates its complete liberation from the enemy, we will know that in this great task of cleansing our land from fascist trash, a considerable share of the work of our wonderful Boris Mikhailovich, who worked so hard and honestly on the creation, strengthening and improvement of the Red Army.

I wish you good health, constant vigor and long life!”

One of the commanders of the Victory, Marshal of the Soviet Union A. M. Vasilevsky, in the article “Marshal B. M. Shaposhnikov” (“Military Historical Journal”, 1972, No. 9) wrote: “...During the Great Patriotic War, organizational abilities were demonstrated with particular force Boris Mikhailovich, the talent of a military leader, the unyielding will to win and immense faith in the rightness of our cause. In a short period of time, under his direct leadership, a lot of organizational work was carried out to restructure the activities of both the General Staff and front-line and army headquarters. All large-scale operations in the initial period of the war were developed with the participation of B. M. Shaposhnikov.”

Two films with recordings of speeches by B. M. Shaposhnikov (at the parade of troops of the Leningrad Military District in 1936 and with the text of the oath) preserved the “living” image of the marshal for posterity. Both films are stored in the country's Central State Archive. His awards, personal weapons, and uniform items are also there.

B. M. Shaposhnikov was awarded three Orders of Lenin, two Orders of the Red Banner, the Order of Suvorov 1st degree, and two Orders of the Red Star.

The name of B. M. Shaposhnikov was given to the Higher Rifle and Tactical Courses “Vystrel”, ships of the Navy, and the streets of many cities. He was buried on Red Square, near the Kremlin wall.

The son of a tradesman from a family barely making ends meet, Boris Shaposhnikov had the only chance to receive a free education and took advantage of it. He entered a military school 2 and advanced through the service without patronage, through his own hard work. But from the very beginning it was clear: they would not be allowed into the guard based on their origin 3 . After graduation, he served in distant Turkestan.

In the Russian army people from unprivileged classes were called “Black Bone”. Their relations with the “white bones”, representatives of the family aristocracy, were far from cloudless. Perhaps this also played a role in the “red” choice of Boris Shaposhnikov...

"Black Bone"

Many years later, in his memoirs, the marshal will speak with irritation about aristocrats, about patronage in the old army, and claim that at the academy he did not even greet his guards classmate, the future “black baron” Peter Wrangel 4 ...

Shaposhnikov was hardly lying. But his not very successful career was influenced by his “staff” specialization. The future marshal was undoubtedly a bookish man. “I devoted two hours every day in the evenings to reading new books on tactics,” 5 he recalled about his service in Tashkent, where officers drank themselves to death or indulged themselves in a card game. It is not surprising that already in the First World War he was predicted to have a great future. Intelligence, abilities, even some external resemblance to the legendary General Mikhail Dmitrievich Skobelev, since at that time Shaposhnikov wore a mustache 6...

Nevertheless, the young officer, who showed courage at the front and was shell-shocked in battle, was not awarded the St. George medal. Subsequently, with an undisguised sense of resentment, Shaposhnikov recalled that the authorities did not seek to reward or promote staff officers 7 . By October 1917, Shaposhnikov himself was still a colonel, and the aristocrat Wrangel had already received the rank of general.

Shaposhnikov left no evidence of his initial perception of the revolution. We can only assume that the zealous serviceman was unlikely to rejoice at the collapse of the army. But it is quite obvious that he was popular with the soldiers. He escaped the common lynching of soldiers in those days, and in December 1917 he was elected by the congress of delegates of soldiers' committees to the post of chief of the Caucasian Grenadier Division. In other words, he was not a victim of the revolution. And yet, apparently, he hesitated...

Letter to a former general

When the old army was demobilized by the Bolsheviks, the officers had to look for new places of service. Shaposhnikov in April 1918 got a job as a secretary of the people's court in Kazan...

Yes, it was necessary to take care of the family in connection with the upcoming replenishment (son Igor, later a lieutenant general of the Soviet army, was born to the Shaposhnikovs in December 1918). But the 35-year-old officer, who served the army for 17 years, very quickly realized what it was like to spend the rest of his life in paperwork. Having not worked in court for even a month, Shaposhnikov writes a letter to former general N.V. Pnevsky, who had recently headed the headquarters of the Volga Military District: “I am keenly interested in the issue of creating a new army and, as a specialist, I would like to bring all possible assistance in this serious matter...” 8.

In this letter you will not find a word about politics, the Bolsheviks, or the Brest Peace. Only service, familiar from youth. Plus, please take into account pre-revolutionary experience. And my wish is to serve close to home.

Did Shaposhnikov ever think about who he was going to serve? How will his former comrades react to his choice? For sure. Did he know that battles were already taking place in the Don, Kuban, and Southern Urals, which would soon escalate into a fierce Civil War? Did he, coming from a deeply religious family, hear about the hostility of the new government towards the church?

I couldn't help but know. And, of course, his decision caused a sharp response from many of yesterday’s comrades in arms.

Tukhachevsky's rebuke

There is a well-known statement attributed to Marshal M.N. Tukhachevsky: “Let’s take the respected Boris Mikhailovich Shaposhnikov with his “bright head and crystalline soul.” How did he manage, being a colonel of the General Staff and going to serve the Reds, to maintain his innocence? Don’t you know? But I know. And that’s why I don’t respect So this “crystal soul”, meeting, after its transition to the Bolsheviks, with its old colleagues and with some generals from a foreign camp, let them understand that it “does not sympathize with the “red bastard” at all, but is preparing internal revolution. And they confidentially conveyed this to others and said: “Go to Shaposhnikov - he is one of the most decent officers.” Then he got out of this situation like a fox - “you see, the power has now become so strong that we can’t do anything, we have to serve it, contrary to our convictions.” But he did not and does not have any “convictions.” He can serve anyone, as long as he has a position and the same favorite job. He is an excellent worker, he has knowledge and military talent. But he is not fit to be a commander-in-chief - he is an armchair Napoleon." 9

These words are quoted by a close friend of Tukhachevsky, who wrote under the pseudonym Lydia Nord. Of course, Tukhachevsky hardly sympathized with Shaposhnikov; they disagreed on many issues. It is possible that the harsh evidence is nothing more than the fruit of hostility in the interpretation of a not particularly far-sighted memoirist. Nevertheless, it is necessary to mention it, if only because it characterizes the future Marshal Tukhachevsky much more than Shaposhnikov, who never aspired to “become Napoleon.”

Could the always cautious Shaposhnikov play a double game? This has happened. Dry figures indicate that a third of the General Staff deserted from the Red Army during the Civil War, and several dozen secretly worked for the Whites 10 . However, most of the “formers” served honestly, and it was with their help that the Bolsheviks were able to build a regular Red Army. Among them is Shaposhnikov, who plunged headlong into his favorite business. A colleague recalled that during the Civil War, Boris Mikhailovich worked 17 or more hours a day, sometimes leaving home at 4 a.m., “and 4-5 hours later, after a “breakfast” of a piece of bread with a drink, he was already back in the office " eleven .

There's clearly no time for espionage here.

Self-censorship of "The Brain of the Army"

Everything has its price. Including the choice made by Shaposhnikov in the spring of 1918. I had to pay the bills for the rest of my life.

In Soviet times, Shaposhnikov was under close intelligence surveillance by the OGPU-NKVD. Secrecy, isolation and caution became his constant companions in the 20s and 30s. The Soviet period brought him the highest authority in the army and well-deserved fame as an outstanding military scientist. But even in scientific works one had to resort to self-censorship. So, written by Shaposhnikov in 1927-1929. the three-volume "Brain of the Army" is devoted to a detailed study of the work of the Austro-Hungarian General Staff, which was much safer than studying the Russian or German General Staff (at that time the Red Army actively collaborated with the Reichswehr).

In 1930, Shaposhnikov was accepted into the party, and the very next year he fell into disgrace. The author of "The Brain of the Army" was sent to Samara to serve as commander of the Volga Military District. And in March 1931, investigators obtained a confession from S.G., who was arrested in the so-called “Spring” case. Sakvarelidze-Bezhanov, who said during interrogation (no matter how absurd such a conversation may be perceived today): “I asked Shaposhnikov if he had heard anything about me from Pugachev 12 as a participant in a counter-revolutionary organization , Shaposhnikov replied that he knew this and that, probably, I know through Pugachev and about his participation in the organization" 13. On March 13, 1931, a confrontation was held between Shaposhnikov, Pugachev and Bezhanov, which was attended by I.V. Stalin, V.M. Molotov, K.E. Voroshilov and G.K. Ordzhonikidze 14. Bezhanov was exposed for slander, and two and a half months later he was shot.

Nevertheless, in April 1932, Boris Mikhailovich was returned to Moscow, where he headed the Military Academy. M.V. Frunze. The first wave of repressions in the army passed him by. But a second one was approaching.

Signature under the protocol

It was not easy for a decent person, who was also a deeply religious person, to accept the rules of the game established in the 1930s by the Soviet leadership. We can only guess what moral tests Shaposhnikov, whose pre-revolutionary biography in itself was a compromising factor, had to go through. Shaposhnikov was well aware of the possible risks, tried to be careful and support Stalin and People’s Commissar K.E. in everything. Voroshilov. But, of course, he could not stay away from the general line of the party, which had discovered a “military-fascist conspiracy.”

When in 1937, on the initiative of Stalin, the Special Judicial Presence of the Supreme Court of the USSR was formed in the case of the Tukhachevsky group, the newly appointed Chief of the General Staff of the Red Army, Army Commander 1st Rank B.M. Shaposhnikov. It was he, with the reputation of a highly educated and decent person, who was supposed to symbolize the impartiality of the court. At the trial on June 11, 1937, Shaposhnikov experienced obvious remorse from the unfolding performance. He spoke about his own omissions and political myopia; Despite the provocative shouts from the seats, he behaved with dignity and did not ask the defendants a single question all day 15.

But the regime broke people not only in the dock. On the eve of the trial, June 10, investigator A.A. Avseevich, on the instructions of the People's Commissar of Internal Affairs N.I. Yezhov prepared a confession from one of the accused, former corps commander V.M. Primakov, about Shaposhnikov and others belonging to a military conspiracy 16. The document was in the possession of the Chairman of the Military Collegium of the Supreme Court of the USSR V.V. Ulrich, who presided over the trial. If one of the judges tried to disrupt the performance, he would immediately find himself in the same bench with the defendants.

The price of refusing to become an accomplice in the crime was life, and Shaposhnikov, among others, signed the death warrant for his recent comrades. Of the signatories, only he and S.M. Budyonny survived the Great Terror. There is still no clear answer why Stalin decided to save Shaposhnikov’s life.

Shaposhnikov School

One after another, Shaposhnikov’s former colleagues, friends and enemies, die-hard Bolsheviks and non-party members, former White Guards and those who did not think about serving the enemies of Soviet power, disappeared forever. The death sentence for several of them was signed by Shaposhnikov. There is nothing surprising in the deep internal breakdown of the future marshal. The Latvian envoy to the USSR reported to Riga in August 1937: “The behavior of the chief of staff of the army Shaposhnikov is very characteristic. Carrying out orders, he goes to the mission, but for hours he can stand in some dark corner and not join in any conversation "17.

Boris Mikhailovich took this hidden pain with him. And he went down in history as one of the creators of Victory. Shaposhnikov held the posts of Chief of the General Staff, Deputy People's Commissar of Defense, was a member of the Headquarters, and developed a plan for the general offensive of the Red Army in the winter of 1941/1942. 18 Already during the war years they began to talk about the “Shaposhnikov school,” based on the high culture of the headquarters service. Among the representatives of this school are outstanding military leaders known throughout the world...

Boris Mikhailovich Shaposhnikov passed away 44 days before the Victory, which he brought closer as best he could. Moscow said goodbye to him with 24 artillery salvoes from 124 guns. The marshal's ashes rest in the Kremlin wall.

The former tsarist officer had one more weak point: he did not part with an old family amulet and a family cross made by Faberge. Shaposhnikov's enemies were not averse to playing the religious card. According to family legend, he was supported by Stalin, who once asked after the report: “Well, Boris Mikhailovich, shall we pray for the Motherland?”

1. RGVIA. F. 409. Op. P/s. P/s 326-260. L. 275.
2. Shaposhnikov B.M. Memories. Military scientific works. M., 1982. S. 49, 53.
3. Ibid. pp. 76, 81-82.
4. Ibid. pp. 69, 134, 156, 159, 195.
5. Ibid. P. 169.
6. Dreyer V.N., background. At the end of the empire. Madrid, 1965. P. 139.
7. Shaposhnikov B.M. Memories. Military scientific works. P. 195.
8. Military history magazine. 1967. N 6. P. 79.
9. Nord L. Marshall M.N. Tukhachevsky. Paris, b.g. pp. 51-52.
10. Ganin A.V. Daily life of the General Staff under Lenin and Trotsky. M., 2016. P. 220.
11. RGVA. F. 39352. Op. 1. D. 11. L. 42.
12. We are talking about a prominent Soviet military figure S.A. Pugachev.
13. Departmental archive of the Security Service of Ukraine. F. 6. D. 67093FP. T. 39. L. 145.
14. Rehabilitation: how it happened. February 1956 - early 80s. T. 2. M., 2003. P. 732.
15. For more details see: Pechenkin A.A. Death of the military elite 1937-1938 M., 2011. P. 98-111.
16. Ibid. P. 99.
17. Mission to Moscow. Reports of Latvian diplomats from the USSR, 1935-1937: Doc. and mat. M., 2016. P. 296.
18. Isaev A. A short course in the history of the Second World War: The offensive of Marshal Shaposhnikov. M., 2005. P. 6-7.