In 1982, L. I. Brezhnev died at his dacha “Zarechye-6”. The funeral was the most pompous in the history of the USSR; representatives of 35 countries of the world arrived to say goodbye to the head of the socialist republic .
Brief biography of Brezhnev
Leonid Ilyich was born in Ukraine in Kamensky on December 19 in 1906. For 18 years he headed the top posts in the USSR. The future general secretary was the eldest son in the workers' family, after him Jacob and Vera were born. In 1915 he entered the gymnasium, which he graduated in 1921. In 1923 he was admitted to the Komsomol. In 1927 he graduated from a land surveying college, after studying he worked as a land surveyor, first in his homeland, then was transferred to the Urals.
In 1935 he graduated from the evening faculty of DMI (metallurgical institute) with an engineering degree. For a year he served in the Red Army as a political instructor until 1936, where he graduated from motorization courses, and upon graduation received the rank of lieutenant. In 1950, he worked as first secretary of the Central Committee of Moldova, since 1954 he was transferred to Kazakhstan. In 1964, he participated in the displacement group of N. S. Khrushchev from his post, and even proposed physical measures of elimination.
In the same 1964, on October 14, Brezhnev was elected first secretary of the CPSU Central Committee. According to Biryukov, the appointment was supposed as a temporary measure until the choice of a permanent general secretary. But Leonid Ilyich launched an extensive program to return the Leninist principles, and after a few months no one even thought about the removal of the head of state.
Nervous work
Stalin singled out his associate from the numerous guards for his phenomenal performance, but constantly controlled Brezhnev's activities. The period when Leonid Ilyich served as the head of the metallurgical plant was filled with night calls, regular stress and overwork. According to his wife, Victoria Petrovna, in order not to fall out of the "cage", her husband worked all day. The constant nervous tension, which did not allow to relax even for a day, a huge number of smoked cigarettes undermined Brezhnev's health. Mikhail Zhikharev, who worked with him in Kazakhstan, recalls that Leonid Ilyich lost consciousness from fatigue, he was taken to the hospital, but after a few hours he was back at the workplace.
Along with constant fatigue, Brezhnev's health undermined fear. The unpredictable character of Stalin, the intrigues of his comrades-in-arms and the constant attention of the people to his activities at some point broke this energetic person. Still, Stalin favored an active ally, according to him: the most devoted person is Brezhnev. The funeral of Stalin, his idol and mentor, Leonid Ilyich suffered as a sudden blow from behind. At the requiem, he cried, not hiding his emotions.
According to personal memoirs from the diary, the first stroke occurred in 1959 after an acute conversation with A. Kirichenko. The whole situation was complicated by the fact that Brezhnev himself did not like hospitals and doctors. He was considered a complex patient who was difficult to keep in bed. In 1968, the general secretary suffers a hypertensive crisis right in the Kremlin, refuses hospitalization and tries to continue working. As a result, problems of the speech apparatus began. In 1974, historians observed the decline of an independent politician Brezhnev.
Night of death
On the morning of November 10, Viktoria Petrovna, Brezhnev’s wife, got up at 8 so that the nurse would give her an injection of insulin. Leonid Ilyich was lying on his side, and she did not begin to wake him. Vladimir Sobachenkov, the personal security guard of the Secretary General, came to him about 20 minutes later, opened the curtains of the bedroom, turned on a small light. Upon closer examination, the young man realized that the secretary general was not breathing, and then called the intensive care unit. Doctor Chazov E.I. I went 12 minutes ahead of the ambulance in my own car. The doctor personally reported the death of her husband Victoria Brezhneva and asked the guards to inform the higher authorities about the tragic event.
Pribytkov V. (employee of the Central Committee of the CPSU) comments:
“I was struck by the fact that on the night of death there was no medical post in the country.”
Medvedev V. (bodyguard) recalls:
“We knew that the count goes on days. Everyone wanted the event to happen not on his shift. ”
The date of the funeral of Brezhnev Leonid Ilyich was appointed by special decree on November 15.
November 11, 1982
On this day, the country did not yet know about the death of the Secretary General. The official notice came out only on November 12, but everyone felt that something had happened. At 12 noon, all classes in schools are urgently canceled, the stations and Red Square are closed. On television, a change of programs, instead of entertaining films and a planned concert, put on historical drama and ballet.
An urgent commission for the “Kremlin funeral” is being created. Brezhnev was transported to the city morgue, where he is dressed and made up. Responsible for the event appointed Yu. Andropov, as the future successor to the Secretary General.
National tragedy
On November 12, at 10 a.m., the news of the death of Leonid Ilyich was announced on television. Mourning is declared in the camp, all events are canceled. The Brezhnev era is over. The people of Russia, despite seditious jokes about breast enlargement for orders and lingering diction, loved the Secretary General. It was under him that journalism and the printing industry began to flourish, after strict censorship of Stalin. Although the household did not know the price of the products, Leonid Brezhnev requested statistics every week and knew perfectly how much a kilogram of tomatoes cost. His most zealous desire was to prove to the whole world that even under socialism people can live in abundance.
But, remembering the terrible stampede at Stalin's burial, in which many people died, the government closed all roads to Moscow. Only the elected citizens and representatives of foreign states could honor the memory. Brezhnev, whose funeral struck the imagination with its scale, significance and scope of the ceremony of mourning, set off on his last journey under woeful thoughts of impending changes in the country.
The course of the funeral (stage 1)
From November 12 to 15 inclusive, mourning is declared in the country. It is forbidden to hold any events, schools, kindergartens, and most enterprises and factories are closed. All programs were canceled on television and radio, classical ballet was broadcast.
The chronicle of Brezhnev’s funeral begins with a farewell at the House of Unions. Anyone could come to the Hall of Columns to express the last respect to the Secretary General of a huge country. A delegation of India, led by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, and Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organizations Yasser Arafat arrived to commemorate.
November 15 from 5.00 a.m. to 11.00 a.m. - a watch of honorable mourning for members of the Politburo, prominent artists and artists, representatives and ministers of economic sectors. Metropolitan Pimen and Filaret arrived to honor the memory. The coffin was decorated with ribbons of mourning value of 40 centimeters and thousands of wreaths.
From 11 a.m. to 11 a.m., only relatives were left with the deceased, wife Viktoria Petrovna, daughter Galina, son Yuri, brother Jacob and sister Vera.
At 11.30, to the sounds of the mourning march, the coffin was placed on the gun carriage and slowly carried out of the hall to Red Square. The first in the farewell motorcade were family members, associates of the Secretary General, members of the Politburo, state and party leaders. Wreaths and ribbons, as well as numerous awards, were brought before the deceased.
At 12.45, the coffin was lowered into the grave. The National Anthem sounds, after it fireworks from artillery shells, plants, cars buzz, sirens on the railroad and the wharf turn on - a symbol that Brezhnev died. The funeral proceeds to the second stage.
The course of the funeral (stage 2)
At 13.00, party leaders and leaders rise to the Mausoleum. The parade of troops of the Moscow garrison begins.
A meeting of mourning was opened by Andropov, followed by farewell speeches by other associates of the Secretary General. After that, representatives of foreign countries approached the grave to pay tribute to the great man.
The whole country watched live, as Leonid Brezhnev sets off on his last journey. The funeral was broadcast on the first channel of Ostankino television and on the radio.
Myth and real oddities
The first pad in the ceremony was the situation with the orders. According to tradition, each order and medal should be taken out on a separate pillow. But there were many awards, so we decided to take out several orders, which reduced Brezhnev’s funeral. Leonid Ilyich, contrary to ridicule, not only liked to receive orders, but also with the same pleasure awarded them others.
The second myth of the fallen coffin is refuted by everyone personally present at the ceremony. According to them, the blow, which on television sounds like the sound of a fallen object, is a cannon volley that accompanied Brezhnev’s burial and funeral. “Drop the coffin” is an implausible legend.