MY FATHER’S VERSION OF HISTORY. PART II.

…Equally non-existent in his published memoirs are Artem’s Cuban exploits, which put a totally different face on the story of Fidel Castro’s Cuba. There are all-too-many other such unfortunate examples of omissions. Besides, there is never any mention of the historically significant, and often earthshaking stories imparted to Artem by his eyewitness friends. Fortunately, every such story known to me but missing from his published memoirs finds a place among my papers, and thus it will not be irretrievably lost to the historical knowledge of the future.

Generally speaking, the biggest shortcoming of my father’s version of history is his failure to put the giants of Soviet and world history, such as Stalin, first and foremost, as well as so many others, with whom he had close personal contact throughout his life, in a world-historical context. He prefers to see them at a country house or at some other private location, but never in reference to the times and historical events, when they occur. Once again, this deficiency is fully compensated by my own historical account, which emphasizes the very things that are missing in my father’s.

Thus, comparing my version of history with his, the reader will find out that they do not conflict most of the time, as Artem prefers to ignore the things that I usually focus on. In other instances, they virtually coincide, and wherever there is a discrepancy, I am convinced that the reader will accept my account as more truthful and logical. A good example is my father’s attitude to Vasili Stalin. In my account, Artem cannot forgive his “brother” the incident when he either recklessly-accidentally or with a malicious premeditation shot Stalin in the shoulder. In Artem’s account, the air rifle, left loaded and unattended, accidentally shoots by itself.

I am not inclined to comment on this much further as the reader can easily guess which of the two stories is more credible on their intrinsic merits or demerits. The only question is why would he do that. The answer is obvious. He is loathe to speak ill not just of Stalin, but of Stalin’s whole family too, whether they deserve it or not.

Incidentally, this story of Vasili Stalin’s air rifle has an illuminating follow-up. On hearing the shot, several people rushed into the room, and Stalin’s doctor was summoned right away. But before allowing the doctor to attend to his wound, Stalin coldly suggested that Vasili be immediately and properly re-educated on how to handle an air rifle, whether loaded or not. To be sure, the lesson was conducted in front of Stalin, just as the doctor was doing his job on him.

Lastly, I obviously know for a fact that Artem did maintain direct contacts with Khrushchev, and, after him, with Brezhnev. Yet, in his interviews he chooses to produce an impression to the contrary, doing this with a rather skillful ambiguity, at that. “They did not know me,” he says, subtly suggesting his deepest disdain for Stalin’s inferior successors, and leaving a gaping double entendre for the reader- nutcracker to crack.