Chapter 7 5.new appointment

After reporting to Palushinov on the completion of the mission, I went to see the Chief of Staff. "Hello, Bagrat Isakovich." I greeted my favorite young general right outside the door. He looked away from a document lying on the table, and answered jokingly: "Hello and goodbye, honey!" Seeing my bewilderment, he smiled. "Congratulations on your new appointment: you are going to Kyiv as Chief of Operations of the Military District Command. This is an order. " The general handed me the papers.I took a quick look at it: "The People's Commissar of National Defense ordered the resignation...Appointment of Colonel A. X. Baghramyan as Deputy Chief of Staff and Chief of Operations of the Kyiv Special Military District, removal of his current post..."

"I don't understand at all..." "Why do you want to understand?! Leave the work to your deputy director." I began to explain my work in a calm manner, and planned to go to Kyiv after New Year's Day.But General Rubtsov called and urged me.My predecessor was transferred to Moscow, and he was very happy about it, so he was in a hurry to leave. "I implore you. I shall be in Moscow before New Year's Day." Before leaving, I visited all my heads and colleagues. The commander bid me farewell in his usual way: cold and overly polite.I felt that my departure had not affected him in the slightest.The chief of staff said goodbye like an old friend.Bagrat hugged me tightly and sincerely wished me success in my new position.

The next day, I arrived in Kyiv.Pyotr Nikolaevich Rubtsov was very happy: "It's finally here! Well, first of all, I would like to congratulate you. Please help me get out as soon as possible." I would have liked to take my time and gradually become acquainted with the sphere of my duties.But Rubtsov did not give any room for negotiation. He pushed all the work on my shoulders and hurried to Moscow. Now my scope of work is larger.Am I up to it?But at this moment, doubt is taboo in the military.Since you want me to do it, then do it boldly, if you want to live up to the trust of the organization.

I did not see the commander of the military district, the chief of staff, or the members of the military council: they were meeting in Moscow.I was received by Lieutenant-General Vsevolod Yakovlev, First Deputy Commander.The conversation with him was brief, and he ended it with a sweet note: "Go ahead". Assistant to the Commander General Vasily Yevranpievich Byelokoskov in charge of the Military Academy, Chief of Artillery Lieutenant General Nikolai Dmitrievich Yakovlev, Andrey Ivanovich Mikhailov, Head of Political Propaganda at the Political Commissar level of the brigade, and the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Military District in charge of organization and mobilization - my classmate and colleague Berman Capitano at the Military Academy of the General Staff Lieutenant General Vichy Marankin, Major General Dmitry Mikhailovich Dobekin, Director of Communications, and other leaders of the military district talked a lot.These people are different and interesting.Readers will learn more about them later.

-------- ① Yakovlev (1898-1972), Marshal of Artillery of the Soviet Army (1944).After the war, he served as Deputy Minister of the Soviet Armed Forces and Commander-in-Chief of the Homeland Defense Air Force. ——Translator's Note. ② Ma Lanjin (1894-1961), General of the Soviet Army (1948).After the war, he served as the Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Soviet Army and the Dean of the Military Academy of the General Staff. ——Translator's Note. There is a lot to do.The officers of the War Department were busy sweating profusely: they had to quickly draw up a new draft plan for national border protection (the troops were impatiently waiting for this draft), they had to organize training sessions for the leaders of the military districts and armies in turn, and they had to draw up plans for the heads of the military districts. The implementation plan of the command's exercises and campaign training operations requires a careful study of the theater situation. In short, it is impossible to list all the things to be done.

I got to know my subordinates in the process of dealing with this pile of red tape. The first section in charge of combat affairs was headed by my deputy, a learned and experienced commander, forty-year-old Colonel Alexander Ivanovich Danilov.He joined the Red Army at the age of eighteen and graduated with honors from the Frunze Military Academy.In the Finnish war, he injured his leg and became a lifelong cripple.He was an energetic, active, rowdy, restless man who always seemed to be in a hurry to get somewhere, moving about even when he was giving instructions.I couldn't bear the nervousness of this job, so I had to try to calm my overly impatient second-in-command as soon as I arrived.But he reacted very almost pathologically to my attempts to work in a calmer, more matter-of-fact situation.

The staff brought in from the Section are among the most well-trained.I like Lieutenant Colonel Mikhail Grigoryevich Solovyov, Lieutenant Colonel Andrey Fedorovich Fedorov, Vasily Savelyevich Major Poglibenko.All three have received advanced military education and have extensive experience.Major Novikov, Major Krynov, Captains Lippis and Captain Mukhin all got along with them. In peacetime, the second section, which is responsible for conducting combat training for generals and officers of the military region, is headed by the quieter Lieutenant Colonel A. B. Zapacico.Before long we had to grant his wish.He went to command a regiment, and Captain Alexander Ivanovich Aivazov, already known to the reader, was transferred from the headquarters of the 12th Army to take his place.Aivazov was attracted to me by his display of initiative and great intellect.The section's most experienced officer was Major Fyodor Stepanovich Afanasyev, who was transferred from his former position as chief of the reconnaissance department of the 27th Infantry Army Command.Among my favorites are Captains Mikhail Mikhailovich Sarakutsa and Alexander Nikolaevich Szymansky.Although they are young, their strong perseverance and unrestrained enthusiasm make up for their lack of work experience.

The third section, which guarantees the covert command of the army, is headed by the calm and prudent Yevgeny Vladimirovich Klochkov, quartermaster 1st class.There are few people in this department, but the work undertaken is very heavy.Prior to October 1940, these tasks were undertaken by a separate department of the command.Now the department has been downsized into a section and handed over to us.This is a mistake.After the outbreak of war, the ministry had to be reinstated. -------- ①Equivalent to the rank of colonel of the commander.At that time, the military ranks of the military economic and administrative personnel of the Soviet Army were divided into: second-level and first-level munitions technicians (equivalent to captains and captains); third-level, second-level and first-level munitions officers (equivalent to majors, lieutenant colonels, and colonels); , division, army, and group army-level military supplies. ——Translator's Note.

I'll also briefly mention our small technical department.Leading the charge here is the conscientious and detail-oriented Chief, Quartermaster Technician II Gnilobok.We had an excellent draftsman, Voskresensky, and two diligent female typists, Maria Fyodorovna Lifshits and Maria Semyonovna Lembrinkova. On New Year's Eve, I stayed at my desk at the headquarters until the night as usual.Suddenly a phone ringing interrupted my work. "What are you doing, poor bachelor?" General Pulkayev's rarely cheerful voice came from the microphone. "Don't miss the New Year!"

I was taken aback: Pulkayev was at a meeting in Moscow. "I've just arrived home. We'll be waiting for you at home. No, no, no excuses." That is, the general, knowing that I had no family in Kyiv, decided to soften my loneliness.See if you still say that he is a cold person! The host greeted me at the door.His wife, Antonina Ivanovna, kindly invited me into the drawing-room. While the hospitable hostess was busy at the table, Purkayev seated me on the sofa and began to ask me if I was familiar with the new job, did I encounter any difficulties, and suggested some good ideas.I asked him if the meeting in Moscow was over.

"How can it be so fast! It can only be said that it has just started... There are too many things that everyone is concerned about. Some views need to be changed fundamentally. Comrade Stalin himself is also very concerned about the progress of the meeting. Every meeting has members of the Politburo. Watch... Since then, the Party Central Committee has seen the complexity of the international situation and the increasingly serious threat of fascist Germany. Therefore, it attaches great importance to the consolidation of international power. There is no doubt that major changes will take place in the life of our army.” The hostess invited us to a table.Even though there were only three of us, she set the festive table like it was for a large crowd.We happily toasted to bid farewell to the passing year.Welcome the new year. "May the new year be as happy as the good old one!" Pulkayev toasted. "The main thing is not to have a war!" said Antonina Ivanovna. We sat for almost two hours or so.I declined the car that Maxim Alexievich had kindly offered me, and walked back to the guest house.Kyiv is brightly lit.In gardens, small parks, and squares, New Year's pine trees are shining with thousands of colorful lights.There was joy in the street.Loud laughter and joyous songs were heard everywhere.From time to time, people exchange New Year greetings and warm wishes.You can see the joy in people's hearts. Who would have guessed that this would be our last peaceful New Year's Eve...