The truth about the death of Anatoly Sobchak. The death of Sobchak - how it happened
Dilya Enikeeva, psychiatrist, professor
I write psychosexual portraits both so that, in the words of Peter the Great, “everyone’s stupidity is visible to everyone,” and so that the character of my psychosexual analysis has the opportunity to see himself from the outside, through the eyes of a psychiatrist-sex therapist, and draw conclusions.
Anatoly Sobchak died from Viagra
And today the former head of the security of the President of Russia is aware of all the secrets
Alexander Korzhakov to Felix Medvedev
http://www.flb.ru/info/40243.html
Bed room democrat
I would like to ask you, Alexander Vasilyevich, a question that, I am sure, is still of interest to many: why and how did Anatoly Sobchak die? You almost certainly know the secret of the death of Yeltsin’s opponent.
It’s difficult to answer your question exactly, but my colleagues spoke on this topic immediately after the death of Sobchak, who passed away on a business trip near Kaliningrad. The truth is that the visiting politician was brought to his Svetlogorsk hotel room for entertainment by two local beauties. Sobchak, as they say, was not only zealous, but also the organ that supports the man in a man at any age. Sobchak had a heart condition and died from using Viagra, which was then considered a strong assistant in amorous affairs. The heart could not cope with the extra load.
Another thing is - did it all happen as rumors say, or did the special services send an undesirable politician to the next world? Of course, they know how to do this if necessary. And now all the investigators have been knocked off their feet in search of the poisoner, the same Litvinenko. But it seems to me that poor Sobchak really could have died, I would say, so frivolously. If it had been otherwise, I mean any attempts on his life on the part of his rivals in the political struggle, then Lyudmila Narusova would have made such a fuss throughout Mother Race that many would have sent shreds flying through the back streets. I know her as a super scandalous woman.
Nobody killed Sobchak, he just drank a lot
Sobchak faked all his heart attacks. There was not a single scar on the deceased's heart
“Interlocutor”, 08/17/2000
About the real reason Sobchak's death was lied to twice
Polina Ivmnushkina
Sobchak died on the night of February 20. And on May 6, a criminal case was opened “in connection with the death”: one of the Kaliningrad newspapers stated that, to put it mildly, the St. Petersburg politician was helped to die. Rumors spread. They said, in particular, that the former mayor of St. Petersburg died from a drug incompatible with high alcohol levels: the day before, Sobchak drank with the governor of the Kaliningrad region at the Rus Hotel. That Sobchak spent the last hours of his life with a free-spirited girl, a local beauty. Finally, that his body was opened twice - in Kaliningrad and at the St. Petersburg Military Medical Academy, and the results of the examinations turned out to be different. The other day, the criminal case “into the death of Sobchak” was closed - “for lack of corpus delicti.”
Sobchak was spoiled by women and the housing issue
Lady with Sobchak
"Career", February 1999
Konstantin Zbrovsky
Lyudmila Narusova, the wife of the former mayor of St. Petersburg Anatoly Sobchak, was nicknamed “our Raisa Maksimovna” in the city on the Neva. Like the wife of the President of the USSR, Narusova took the most ardent part in the fate and career of her husband. And with a similar result.
Lately, Sobchak has been plagued by various troubles: gossip, rumors, accusations of corruption. Narusova, as befits a faithful wife, protects her husband. One problem is that the more violently she does this, the more trouble Anatoly Alexandrovich gets into.
Not so long ago, the Petersburg-Express newspaper reported: Sobchak had a mistress - beauty contest participant Yulia Vetoshnova. Observers have noticed more than once that the mayor of the city talked very affectionately with the twenty-two-year-old beauty. Just like Bill Clinton with Monica Lewinsky at the White House. Vetoshnova’s bosom friends said: “This fool herself boasted that she had a lover, Sobchak.” They also claim that Sobchak got Vetoshnova a job as the director of the St. Petersburg Trussardi store (she no longer works there) and helped her purchase a two-room apartment in the city center, near St. Vladimir Cathedral, for only $9 thousand.
There was no sex scandal out of this story. And about the wife of the ex-mayor Lyudmila Narusova in the city they said: “Serves her right.”
When asked what Anatoly Sobchak did as mayor, St. Petersburg residents most often answer: “Nothing special.” Then they remember: yes, he helped Pugacheva register her marriage with Kirkorov. I sold the mansion to Rostropovich and Vishnevskaya. He organized some festivals in the city and renamed the city of Leningrad to St. Petersburg. The region, however, remained Leningrad. The roads in the northern capital are still such that you can’t walk or drive through them.
In general, the story is standard and sad: having come to power in the turbulent year of 1991, four years later Sobchak successfully lost first the mayoral elections, and then the gubernatorial elections.
And a year ago, all honest Peter found out that the first democratic ex-mayor of the city was dishonest: he was given bribes, but he did not seem to refuse, lived in a luxurious apartment near the Hermitage - in general, he took full advantage of his official position. When law enforcement agencies allegedly decided to bring him to clean water, like in the Neva, and summoned Sobchak for questioning, Narusova took her husband to France, and she launched a wide campaign in St. Petersburg in his defense. According to the ex-mayor, by fabricating a certain “Leningrad case” against Sobchak, the authorities are trying to denigrate the entire Russian democracy, one of the last symbols of which is Anatoly Alexandrovich. And which Narusova helped him personify with all her might.
And then I come out in a dazzling white tailcoat
At the turn of the 80s and 90s, Sobchak was indeed the face of democracy, and a very attractive and talkative face. Tall, respectable, with a masculine appearance. With a fierce look and pressure he looks like fighting cock. And at the same time an intellectual, a professor. Sobchak danced well and dressed well, which was a rarity among politicians in those days. Looked perfect in light suits(not every man successfully passes this test.) He could speak perfectly (however, this is professional, after all, he is a lawyer).
Actually, Anatoly Aleksandrovich owes much of his successful “walk to power” not so much to his democratic views as to his external appearance and oratorical talent. In 1989, Sobchak became a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, literally talking over the other candidates. He often spoke at spontaneous rallies near the Vasileostrovskaya metro station, arguing that the country needed democratic changes. People listened with their mouths open and admired how the new St. Petersburg politicians were giving heat to the old guard of the communists. Two years later, the deputy and democrat Sobchak became mayor, defeating the communist Yuri Sevenard in the elections. Also largely thanks to his oratorical abilities. Professional builder Sevenard hopelessly lost to professional Chrysostom Sobchak in a television debate. Then a joke arose: “They hounded us with dogs.”
All this time, his wife Lyudmila Narusova was next to Sobchak. A faithful assistant in the struggle for democracy, associate professor at the Krupskaya Institute of Culture. She typed documents, collected signatures in support of Sobchak, and argued with his opponents at rallies. Well, just like Nadezhda Konstantinovna. And when her husband became mayor in 1991, getting into big politics, Narusova became first lady. And then there was confusion. Protest democracy and power are not at all the same thing.
They say that the main sin of the “first call” democrats was not that they stole, but that their behavior compromised the very idea of democracy. Sobchak wouldn't even have to steal. Narusova was enough.
As soon as the mayoral couple showed up at some buffet or presentation (which, by the way, became business card new St. Petersburg government), how the next day the outfits and manners of the mayor’s wife were discussed by the whole city. Observers were worried about the only question: why wasn’t she cold? Adding fuel to the fire was Alexander Nevzorov, who for his “600 seconds” liked to film the mayor and his wife chewing and drinking with a hidden camera.
There really was something to photograph, even if you forget about the mayor’s revealing outfits. It turned out that Sobchak obscenely quickly destroys everything that is on his plate. The mayor himself explained that this was from the hungry war years. Then you had to eat from a common pot, and whoever was lazy didn’t get it; he went hungry all day. But Sobchak didn’t want to go hungry.
However, Anatoly Alexandrovich was more or less calm about Nevzorov’s escapades. Apparently, the mayor understood by what laws a public politician lives. Unlike his wife, who always rushed into battle. Nevzorov seemed to be deliberately egging on the mayor’s wife, spreading rumors that she had a mirrored ceiling in her bedroom. They say I saw it myself. Once Narusova, in a fit of rage, even tried to break the camera lens. In retaliation, Nevzorov began giving the mayor's wife nicknames. One of them stuck with Narusova for a long time - “the lady in a turban.” She was especially often called this by participants in official events, who often had to wait a long time for the mayor and his wife to arrive. The Sobchak couple were always late. What can you do, the guests sighed: she’s a provincial - she is a provincial.
Girl with no address
Lyuda Narusova was indeed born and raised in the provinces - in Bryansk. After graduating from school with only straight A's, she came to Leningrad and immediately entered Leningrad State University to study history department. Student Narusova was an excellent student and was sweet and sociable. So much so that she soon married a medical student. Who was five years older than her and, by the way, had a Leningrad residence permit. True, Lyudmila, according to her, very quickly realized that the true goal of her insidious chosen one was to marry “the girl with windows on Nevsky.” (It is unclear, however, why he then chose the “limit girl” Narusova.) In 1973, she decided to divorce her husband. And as compensation for your ruined youth, sue him for his living space. However, to rob even loved one not so easy.
Ms. Narusova visited lawyers and jurists throughout the city, but to no avail. Finally, her supervisor (at that time Narusova was already a graduate student at the Academy of Sciences) advised her to contact Associate Professor Sobchak. The meeting of graduate student Narusova and associate professor Sobchak within the walls of a legal consultation became a family legend.
By that time, Narusova, in her righteous struggle for living space, had already reached the chief lawyer of the city and could not believe that some assistant professor could help her. Sobchak solved the problem in no time.
Lyudmila decided to thank her savior: she bought flowers and prepared an envelope with money. Sobchak thanked her for the flowers, looked at Lyudmila with an appraising look and advised the girl...
Then there are two versions of what exactly Sobchak proposed to his future wife. Don't think anything bad. First: he offered to dress up with this money. Second: he suggested that Lyudmila eat more fruit. Narusova herself prefers option number two. At least, this is how the couple themselves told this story during the campaign for the election of mayor of the city.
Narusova won the fight for meters. But her doctor husband didn’t lose either. They say that after the divorce proceedings he moved to Moscow or the Baltic states, got married there, and then settled in Australia.
A year later, Narusova caught the charming Sobchak at a party with mutual friends. Lyudmila was then 24. Sobchak was 38. She reminded him of her divorce. Anatoly Sobchak was also a free man. That evening they realized that they were made for each other.
By the way, despite all his external gloss, Sobchak also went through a cruel school of survival and did not immediately become a popular person: he was born in Chita, grew up in Tashkent. For some reason, the mayor of St. Petersburg does not like to remember life in Uzbekistan, and in his official biographies this period is missing. But it was in Tashkent that Sobchak entered the law department of the local university, and transferred to Leningrad later. (Evil tongues say that he would hardly have acted “directly.”)
There is something deeply symbolic in this union of two resilient provincials, strengthened in the struggle for real estate in the capital. By the way, Sobchak helped Narusova with such ease in dividing the apartment also because he had his own rich experience. Shortly before meeting Narusova, he successfully divided the apartment and property with his first wife.
Renaissance on the Moika
Lyudmila Narusova is extremely annoyed when the famous apartment on the Moika, in which the mayor’s family settled after the victory of democracy in St. Petersburg, is called “Sobchak’s apartment.” What does Sobchak have to do with it - after all, according to the documents, this luxurious property belongs to Narusova and her parents, whom she transported to St. Petersburg from Bryansk! By the way, numerous relatives of Sobchak from Tashkent also settled in St. Petersburg and its nearby suburbs - with the help of a certain Renaissance company.
However, Sobchak’s (sorry – Narusova’s) apartment can really only be called luxurious with some stretch. After the couple added another hundred meters of attic space to their mansions for an art studio (it turned out that Narusova has a penchant for fine arts) and carried out a European-quality renovation, the old St. Petersburg house could not stand it. Cracks ran along the walls of the building, doorways were warped, and pipes burst in some places. Neighbors complained about the Sobchaks to various government authorities to no avail. In response, Narusova suggested that the neighbors disperse on good terms. That is, don’t get in the way, sell her your apartments and move.
One of the mayor’s neighbors, engineer Moiseenko, was even beaten by Narusova’s security guard in her presence, after he once again came to complain about a leak and refused a counter offer to vacate the living space...
Generally in last years Sobchak somehow went into the shadows. He always lost first one, then another election. His wife, on the contrary, became a State Duma deputy, having passed on the NDR list (the recommendation was given by her husband). And I felt like a politician. Now Sobchak received punishment at home not only for unironed trousers, but also for being too “soft in some matters.” Well, he had been cooking for a long time, and he was always busy with the child.
Medicine is powerless here
Narusova’s “finest hour” was the operation to secretly smuggle Sobchak to Paris. Here is how it was.
When the prosecutor's office became interested in the warm relations of that same Renaissance company with the city authorities, a group of investigators came to the St. Petersburg UNESCO Center, where the ex-mayor served, to “invite him to testify.” Anatoly Sobchak understood this phrase as “going out with things” and called his wife. Lyudmila Narusova rushed to save her husband. One cannot help but feel sorry for the law enforcement officials who had to restrain its furious pressure. At first, she told investigators that she would not let her husband go anywhere. Then she said that if it was really necessary to go, she would go with him, since he had a heart condition.
Here Sobchak’s heart really hurt. And when he got to the prosecutor's office, he turned pale green. Narusova demanded to call an ambulance, and it took Sobchak to the 122nd medical unit. While the ex-mayor lay under a drip, his wife told all Russian TV channels detective story about the interrogation of her husband. The newspapers could not find out for a long time whether there was or was not a riot police squad at the entrance of the UNESCO mansion, which, as Lyudmila Narusova said, was sent for Sobchak. She stated that she would not leave the case like this and would charge the investigator for particularly important cases of the Prosecutor General’s Office, Nikolai Mikheev, with “consciously obstructing the timely provision of medical care.”
At the clinic of the Military Medical Academy, a council of doctors determined that Sobchak had an acute myocardial infarction, ischemic disease heart disease, post-infarction angina and thrombosis of the left ventricle of the heart. They began to prepare Sobchak for surgery. “He could be stabbed to death, stabbed to death right on the table!” - Narusova lamented. She stated that she was being followed and her phones were being tapped. Then she refused to enter the entrance unaccompanied own home, despite the fact that the entrance is guarded around the clock. And finally she decided to take him to Paris to save her husband. Where, as they said, by that time Sobchak had already bought an apartment in the 16th Arrondissement, one of the most expensive areas of the French capital.
No, it is not sex or hunger that moves the world, as philosophers claim. Pipes! Housing problem! This is the only way expansion and self-assertion could look in a country of homeless and poor people. First a communal apartment, then your own hut on the outskirts, then closer to the center, then a mansion. Eventually you approach Paris.
What if we had the same abyss of energy and ingenuity for the reconstruction of the city!
Early in the morning of November 7, the Medexpress XC-125 plane took off from Pulkovo-2 airport to Paris with Sobchak on board. As Narusova explained, she decided to fly when law enforcement officers were still “not sober after celebrating the holiday at work.” On the plane, the mayor's wife, according to her, recalled the story of the South Korean Boeing that was shot down Soviet fighters, but the fighters never appeared overboard. Sobchak was safely taken to the American Hospital of Paris. Journalists then went around in circles for a long time, but the hospital staff claimed that they did not have a patient named Sobtchak. (Narusova convinced the French to take all security measures.) A day later she was again in St. Petersburg - at press conferences she outlined the details of what happened and exposed the conspiracy of St. Petersburg prosecutors against democracy...
Many former colleagues and comrades of the St. Petersburg mayor believe that there is no “Leningrad case” that Narusova is making noise about, as well as a “state order” for Sobchak, so there is no point in hiding. However, married friends of Anatoly Alexandrovich add, Sobchak is actually calmer in Paris. There he (according to Narusova) rents a corner from a friend and improves his health. Gives lectures at the Sorbonne, writes books. (True, journalists did not find a lecturer named Sobtchak at the Sorbonne.)
Escaped from bodyguards
Ksyusha Sobchak is the light in the window for her grandparents.
After Ksyushenka’s birth, when Lyudmila went to work, she took her to us in Bryansk,” says Valentina Narusova. – He and Anatoly Alexandrovich worked, and we raised Ksyusha. She lived with us until she was four years old. And now he says that he will give his children to be raised only by me!
Ksyusha was a very lively girl. Grannies sat near our entrance all the time. Before each Sobchak’s visit to us, she approached these old women and started a conversation from afar: “Dad is coming soon...” They nodded silently. Then the granddaughter asked: “Are you going to tell dad how I behaved?” But I must say, Ksyusha was constantly playing around. The old women answered: “Yes, we’ll tell you.” Then four-year-old Ksyusha took away a crutch from one of them and threatened to throw it into the Desna River! To get the crutch back, the old women had no choice but to promise not to tell Sobchak about Ksyusha’s pranks.
When Ksyusha went to first grade, the first quarter had not yet ended, and Anatoly Alexandrovich had already been called to school, recalls Valentina Vladimirovna. “And this is what happened: one boy was constantly fighting and throwing pieces of paper on the floor. Ksyusha reprimanded him several times, and then could not stand it. I went to the wardrobe, took this boy’s jacket, hung it in the most visible place in the classroom and wrote on it in large letters: “For trash.” Ksyusha has always been a girl with character. When Sobchak became mayor, security was assigned to her. She hated her and constantly ran away from her bodyguards.
Ksyusha’s sense of justice comes from her mother. When Lyudmila was in 9th grade, one of her classmates was unfairly accused of being a thief. The boy stopped going to school. Lyuda, having learned about this, began to pick him up every day, and they went to class together. Thanks to her, the boy completed his studies. Now he is a famous artist. When I met his mother in Bryansk, she bowed at my feet.
Of course, I couldn’t help but ask about the Narusovs’ attitude to the television program “Dom-2,” which is hosted by their granddaughter. After all, this program is often criticized for “immorality.” It turned out that pensioners do not miss a single episode of “House-2” with the participation of Ksyusha.
We like the program,” admitted Boris Moiseevich. – We turn on the TV and admire our granddaughter. So everything is fine with her. It's a pity we rarely see each other. But she calls often.
No, Ksyusha does not forget us. For my and Valentinino’s 80th birthday, he and Lyudmila gave us gold medals with heartfelt congratulations engraved on them. Now Lyudmila works in Moscow in the presidential administration as Putin’s adviser on cultural and humanitarian issues, and on weekends she comes to St. Petersburg, she has an apartment here. He comes to see us often. And she visited us at the dacha in the summer.
The family celebrated Valentina Vladimirovna’s anniversary at Nevsky Palace.
Ksyusha ordered the most famous St. Petersburg artists, and they played all evening especially for me,” Narusova says proudly. - And on golden wedding Lyudmila gave us a grand gift - she sent us on a trip to Germany. And we visited the places where we lived. They even found the house of the German who saved me from death. Unfortunately, he is no longer alive. But his children live in this house, and they were very happy to see us.
Why was Anatoly Sobchak's last book about Stalin published only 15 years after his death? What did Sobchak say about Vladimir Putin a few days before his death? Will all the secrets of his death be revealed? Viktor Rezunkov talks with politician, widow of Anatoly Sobchak Lyudmila Narusova.
Radio Azattyk: February 19 marks the 15th anniversary of the death of the famous Russian politician, the first mayor of St. Petersburg, Anatoly Sobchak. On the eve of this day at the “Museum of the Formation of Democracy in modern Russia» named after him, we met with Lyudmila Narusova, the widow of a politician, the founder of this museum. Lyudmila Borisovna, on this date you will present the latest book by Anatoly Sobchak - “Stalin. Private bussiness". Tell us about this book. Already among some former deputies of the Leningrad City Council, doubts arose that this book was written by Anatoly Sobchak.
Lyudmila Narusova: I have no desire to justify myself to the deputies. They always tried to put Anatoly Aleksandrovich to shame: former deputies The Leningrad City Council became his opponents after the 1991 coup. At that time, awards were generously distributed in Moscow, and they also wrote a list with the names of those who should be awarded. And since the approval of this list was within the competence of the mayor, Anatoly Alexandrovich, who personally stopped the putsch in St. Petersburg, agreed with the commander of the Leningrad Military District and spoke at Palace Square- you, of course, remember this - he told them: “You know, it’s shameful to receive awards because some in the country think one way and others think differently. A civil war almost broke out in our country (thank God it didn’t break out), but I won’t reward anyone for this.” In Moscow they generously received the “Hero of Russia”, and our deputies, having “fought heroically on the barricades,” also wanted to receive them, but Sobchak himself refused the awards and did not sign for anyone - apparently they harbored a grudge. But not only for this. It is probably difficult for them to imagine that Sobchak wrote many books, especially while in forced emigration in Paris. It was there, working in the White emigrant archives and in the library of the Sorbonne (and he taught at this university), that he decided to write a book about Stalin - firstly, as a ominous figure, which determined the course of our history. Secondly, after the first coup he was very disappointed that the country was already new Russia, did not give a correct assessment of Stalin. After all, apart from the 20th Party Congress, which exposed the cult of personality, and a little bit of the 22nd Congress, there was no condemnation at the state level and, as Sobchak said (and he, as a lawyer, understood this), there was no “Nuremberg trial” of Stalin and Stalinism. And he then convinced Boris Yeltsin to hold a real trial of the CPSU and Stalin, and not the farce that was staged by Burbulis and Shakhrai - for the destruction of the peasantry under the guise of dispossession, for the destruction of the intelligentsia, for the genocide of his own people.
Anatoly Aleksandrovich believed that the crimes of exterminating millions of innocent people in the Gulag concentration camps were comparable to the crimes of Hitler. Hitler destroyed other peoples, and Stalin destroyed his own people. A book about this. Sobchak understood that the roots of totalitarianism lie in our people themselves. This slavish obedience - to go vote for whoever they say, this incomprehensible fear - all this has not been overcome, and this book is a warning.
Why did we publish this book only after such a long period of time - 15 years? For the first years after my husband’s death, I didn’t touch his desk at all—I just couldn’t. I started sorting it out, I knew that the book was in the desk drawer where he himself put it, but I was sorting out another archive, in the cabinets, and didn’t touch the desk. He planned to work on this book for another six months. In a video interview (with Anatoly Sobchak - editor's note), which was done in February, he talks about May, and I thought that this manuscript was still “raw”. And then, a few years ago, I watched it, and I was literally taken aback, because I realized how, oddly enough, it is relevant today. It would seem that after the wonderful books by Volkogonov and Radzinsky about Stalin, it would be difficult to add anything. But Sobchak had a completely different approach. He, no matter how cruel it may seem, pronounces a verdict on us all: the people who create a cult of personality, praising Stalin. Sobchak, in fact, warns. This is the political testament of Anatoly Sobchak. He made it for his former like-minded people, and for his students, and most importantly, for his people.
In addition, the motivating motive and engine of this publication was the matured daughter of Anatoly Sobchak, Ksenia, who herself was attacked by our law enforcement system, and she began to have a different attitude towards these things. She wrote the foreword to this book, saw in it a very important warning and insisted that we publish this unfinished manuscript.
- Relay of generations...
- In general, yes. And also about the relevance of the book. I am a professional historian, I taught history at a university for twenty years, and I see what is happening to history textbooks now. The words “cult of personality” are completely absent from a single history textbook. Stalin will now be our “effective manager.” The concept of “Stalinist socialism” is introduced. Just think about it! Millions of people who worked on the White Sea Canal, who built Turksib in terrible conditions... Why are they “Stalinist”? And the victories of socialism are also for some reason “Stalinist”! I will not be surprised that, as in its time, under Stalin, it was written in short course VKPb about the Great Patriotic War: “ten Stalinist blows,” speaking about 1944, about lifting the blockade of Leningrad, the Novorossiysk, Yassy-Kishinev operations, about reaching the state border...
You see, there is some kind of resuscitation of Stalinism, a Soviet renaissance. This trend seems very alarming to us, very dangerous. And we realized that this book is more relevant than ever. I'm not even talking about the prohibitive trend, about prohibitive laws that directly violate the Constitution, about these crazy attacks by our deputies who want to abolish a foreign language for studying in school, beating their chests, trying to present themselves as patriots. I wouldn’t be surprised if they cancel trips abroad altogether, saying that there’s nothing to do there.
A rollback under the guise of patriotism. Although in reality this is not patriotism. This is what is called “leavened patriotism.” But under the guise of patriotism, another overturn is taking place “ iron curtain" Those in parliament, those in the leadership of the country, seem to want to cut us off from the world again, to isolate us within ourselves. And this is a very alarming trend, because there is only one step left to nationalism. We don’t even understand how dangerous this is!
— In this book, Anatoly Sobchak draws attention to several features of the dictator. For example, he had a large number of dacha And he couldn’t do without regularly different points The earth is not suitable international conflicts: now in Greece, now in China, then somewhere else... He writes: “But the most amazing thing in this test by fascism and communism was how easily and with what enthusiasm the people submitted to violence, with what joy they lost their freedom and committed monstrous crimes, worshiping false gods and false ideas." Don’t you have the feeling that what we are now seeing in the example of Vladimir Putin is reminiscent of Joseph Stalin?
- A king is made by his retinue. And that retinue, which, trying to guess the wind blowing from the president, today indulges in various exercises, as it seems to them, patriotic, wanting to suck up and please, this is the most dangerous. Either Khinshtein declares that “democrats and liberals must be put against the wall,” then the frantic Yarovaya expresses schizophrenic ideas... After all, they are the only ones shown on TV. Look, we have the same faces on our political talk shows. It seems that they have suits hanging in their studios, and they come there as if to work, and start broadcasting, and broadcasting things that, as they think, should arouse patriotism in people. But if people are thinking people, then they can only feel disgusted with what they propose: then go to Kyiv, then destroy everyone, then use nuclear weapon against Americans, etc. Moreover, all of this is a call to war. They are punishable by law. In the Constitution of the Russian Federation they are recognized as the biggest crime. But at the same time, spy mania is spreading and denunciation begins. And all this is encouraged. These are all terrible things.
-You're in pain...
- And what do you think? I don’t see any other destiny for myself other than to live in this country, in Russia. And I don’t want to live in a country of totalitarianism. I don’t want to go back to those years when my parents lived in fear.
— Two or three days before Anatoly Sobchak left for Kaliningrad, I interviewed him in the hallway of your house and asked him what many were asking at that time: who is Vladimir Putin? This is what he replied: “I think that the majority of Russians see in him a person who really thinks about the state, about the country, not about his own interests and needs, they see in him a statesman who really serves the state and will think about the country. Perhaps, once again, our people believed that a new, young, educated, determined, courageous person would come to power, who would serve the country, serve the people. And this is the reason for its popularity. Therefore, there is no particular mystery here. I think that he has a rare combination of the qualities of an officer (because he worked most of his life as an officer in the service of the state), and, on the other hand, a good university education in one of the best universities not only in Russia, but also in Europe, with wide democratic traditions. A person who knows Western life first-hand, but from the inside, who has lived in the West, knows very well both the negative and positive sides of this life. This is truly a new phenomenon in our politics. If we compare him with Yegor Gaidar and the circle of young people who emerged under Gaidar, they were distinguished by a purely theoretical attitude towards the West, often enthusiastic, without a critical attitude to what is there, with an attempt to transfer the realities of Western life to our soil and achieve V short term the same results. In this respect, Putin is completely different, he is a pragmatic and very realistic person. He understands very well both the pros and cons of the Western way of life, he understands what is acceptable for Russia and what is not. So I don't see any mystery here. On the contrary: I think it was some kind of happy coincidence that a person of this kind stood at the head of the state, because God forbid we have Moscow officials, such, you know, the old nomenklatura bureaucracy, rotten, corrupt, which has already arranged for itself such the life of aristocrats who can afford everything, but for those around them - a beggarly and half-starved life. God forbid we have this kind of people in power! Thank God that it so happened that neither Luzhkov nor Primakov, with their upbringing, with their past activities associated with the nomenklatura, even began to aspire to the position of president and have no chance today.” How do you like this assessment?
- I can’t add anything to this. At that time, he sincerely thought so. This is a very sober analysis. Not romantic. There is no adding or subtracting here.
— Has your attitude towards Vladimir Putin changed if you compare it with this assessment of Anatoly Sobchak?
- No. In terms of the fact that Vladimir Putin is a man who believes that he has a special mission, that he is a statesman, this is indeed true. He really thinks about how he understands state interests and purposefully implements them... But, as Voltaire said, “power corrupts, and absolute power absolutely corrupts." Fifteen years is a long time.
— As you know, there were a huge number of different rumors about the death of Anatoly Sobchak. I don't touch on rumors, but one of the facts attracts close attention. Two businessmen: Shabtai Kolmanovich and Andrei Burlakov, were present at his death. Both were KGB officers. Shabtai Kolmanovich was once a resident in Israel, and Andrei Burlakov was in Japan. Both were professionally shot: Shabtai Kolmanovich - in 2009, Andrei Burlakov - in 2011.
- Yes. Shabtai Kolmanovich was shot, and without the purpose of robbery. He was carrying a case with a lot of money, but it was not taken. I knew both of them well.
—Who will conduct this investigation?
— Maybe journalists should try?
- No, really. Do you understand that this is not the level of investigative journalism? Any journalist who tries to take on this will follow Shabtai and Burlakov. Therefore, I do not advise you to do this or even raise this topic.
— Soon after the funeral, you said the following phrase: “It’s not time to tell the whole truth about Sobchak’s death.” Is this time not yet come?
- But is this truth there?
- Do you carry it with you?
- No, what are you talking about! I don't want to take risks either. She is in a safe place.
— Isn’t it hard for you to carry this with you all the time?
- You know, after everything that I have experienced with the persecution that was carried out against my family and partly continues today, nothing is hard for me anymore.
— How has your life changed after the death of Anatoly Sobchak? Have your friends betrayed you?
- No. Friends (if they are real friends) - that's what they are friends for. I feel their support. But many of those who were considered friends are now mainly in Moscow... The metamorphoses of power also affected them. I know that I can count on those who helped me take Anatoly Sobchak to Paris back then and supported me now. It is most important. And in general, this whole story revealed such highs of the human spirit, and at the same time such low falls! This gave me invaluable experience in communicating with people and in assessing the human race as a whole.
— Was Anatoly Sobchak healthy before leaving for Kaliningrad? Did he have any heart disease?
— In Paris he had an operation and was treated. He had two heart attacks.
— Arkady Vaksberg 5 years ago in an interview with Radio Liberty said: “He (Anatoly Sobchak) was preparing, returning to Russia, for the resuscitation of his tattered political and social activities. I remember very well how he came to say goodbye to me. It was in the summer of 1999, such a farewell, very short visit, it took about 15 minutes, we sat on the sofa and talked. There were many rumors then that he would return to Paris as ambassador. And since these rumors were too persistent, I will not hide it, I asked him a provoking question when they said goodbye: “Well, we won’t have to wait long for you, you’ll appear here soon?” He smiled slyly and asked: “Why do you think so?” “Well, you probably know that everyone is expecting you as an ambassador.” And I remember the remark with which he responded to these words of mine: “Well, no, raise it higher.” And whether it was a joke, or whether there was something hidden behind this joke, I don’t know.” Did he expect to get a high position?
- He had reasons for this. I can say that, having experienced first-hand (pardon the expression) our entire law enforcement system, it was then that Anatoly wrote an article about how our “law enforcement” system was turning into a “law enforcement” system... And the initiation of fictitious criminal cases against political opponents, and the use of criminal prosecution as a bludgeon for political purposes - all this was tested on him. And therefore he knew and in the future perfectly understood how dangerous it was if these organs were given a free hand and given freedom. When he returned from Paris, he wrote a very voluminous text on how to reform the investigative bodies, a draft law on the prosecutor's office and the security service, on the need to put their activities and budgets under control, etc. He generally knew how to create enemies for himself, and here, I think, many people understood that his authority and influence on the future president were very high, and not because of money, not because of business interests, but as a person who tried to create a rule of law state in the country. Do you remember how Vladimir Putin, in the first years of his presidency, constantly talked about the “dictatorship of Law”, about the “rule of law”, but this was only in the first years of his first term. And what do we see today? We are initiating criminal cases against political opponents, they are completely illegally coming to search my daughter... Everything that Sobchak warned about is being cynically done in reality. I think that Sobchak’s influence and his real desire to reform this system was the last straw in the hatred that the security forces always felt towards him, starting with his investigation of the Tbilisi tragedy, when he, as chairman of the commission, issued a verdict that and the banned Cheremukha gas, and sapper blades. He was then accused of being unpatriotic, of denigrating the army, and then he said a great phrase that is more relevant today than ever: “Truth has no nationality.”
— Anatoly Sobchak was offered to become president...
— Yes, back in 1991, when Boris Yeltsin went to the polls, the Interregional Group of Deputies of the 1st Congress proposed supporting Anatoly Sobchak.
- Why did he refuse?
“This demonstrated his government approach. It's 1991, the Soviet Union has just collapsed. And Anatoly Aleksandrovich understood: the army will not accept him, the special services will not accept him... A huge part of the party nomenklatura, which settled in all regions of the country and became “red governors,” may be accepted, but then the country will lose controllability. Yeltsin, on the one hand, had the image of a democrat, and on the other hand, he was, of course, one of their kind, as a former secretary of the regional committee, a member of the Central Committee. He knew how to compromise with this public, and, of course, he would have been accepted much more than Sobchak. And Sobchak said: “No! Let’s better unite and support Boris Yeltsin!” In this, in the choice between personal and state interests in favor of the latter - all Anatoly Sobchak.
The Man Without a Face, the Incredible Rise of Vladimir Putin
The French portal Slate in an article entitled “Putin’s mentor Anatoly Sobchak was poisoned” actually accused Putin of Sobchak’s murder in purely Putin style - poisoning people he dislikes. The portal writes in particular:
“In his recently published book “ The Man Without a Face, the Incredible Rise of Vladimir Putin “Russian-American journalist Masha Gessen, according to a Reuters review, indicates that the “political father” Anatoly Sobchak was poisoned by poison on the night light at his bedside.
Sobchak, a law professor, was the first elected mayor of St. Petersburg and author of part of the Russian constitution. He was both a teacher and mentor of Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev.
Putin became assistant to Mayor Sobchak in 1990. Being responsible for the city's international relations, he organized a system for exporting materials from former USSR towards Germany in exchange for food aid, which never arrived in the city. As a result of this operation, according to the journalist, $92 million disappeared without a trace.
From the very beginning of his work at the mayor’s office, Putin developed a habit of working in “closed systems” created on the basis of “total control, especially in matters relating to financial flows and information,” the Guardian newspaper adds to the journalist’s book.
After Russian justice accused him of stealing money, Anatoly Sobchak took refuge in Paris from 1997 to 1999. He waited for Vladimir Putin to become powerful enough on the Russian political scene so that he could return to the country, which happened in June 1999 .
From this time on, Sobchak began to fiercely support Putin, who, having taken the post of prime minister, set a course to succeed Boris Yeltsin as president.
However, on February 20, 2000, Sobchak was found dead in a hotel. Officially, he died of a heart attack. At the funeral, Putin showed his emotions in public and stated:
“This is not just a death, this is a violent death caused by persecution.”
Sobchak allegedly died from unrest due to “false accusations” against him. This is exactly how Putin’s statement is interpreted.
The story would have ended there if journalist Arkady Vaksberg had not investigated this death. He very quickly collected material indicating that it was a murder and not a natural death.
The two guards who were on duty at the body were subsequently treated for symptoms similar to those that occur during poisoning. Two autopsies were performed. The public was not informed about their results. Shortly after he published a book explaining his suspicions, Vaksberg's car exploded.
Returning to Vaksberg's accusations, Masha Gessen does not provide new evidence, but she has collected various information without indicating the name of the killer. While the daughter of the murdered professor, Ksenia Sobchak, began to openly oppose the leader of United Russia, it shows the lack of clarity “in the death of her father, which has been characteristic since the beginning of Putin’s years.”
In turn, Vaksberg, who lived in Paris (died on May 10, 2011 after a serious illness), reported on February 10, 2010 about the murder of Sobchak by Putin in an interview on Svoboda.
Radio Liberty reported:
There is much that is unclear in the circumstances of Sobchak’s death; it was reported, for example, that there were two other people in the hotel room. They said that Sobchak was accompanied on the trip by Kalmanovich, a well-known businessman associated with the intelligence services and criminal circles (in June 2009, Kalmanovich was killed in Moscow).
The writer Arkady Vaksberg, who lived in Paris, knew Anatoly Sobchak well. In its published on French In the book “Laboratory of Poisons” he writes about the mystery of the death of the former mayor of St. Petersburg. According to Vaksberg, there are many circumstances indicating that we're talking about about a political murder related to the 2000 presidential election campaign.”
In fear that Putin would kill him too, Vaksberg very carefully told Svoboda:
“In the book I made a pretty clear case that it was a murder. There is no direct evidence, but we generally consider it evidence in public opinion for some reason, only direct evidence, which categorically contradicts the theory of forensic evidence and the theory of criminology in general.
The totality of circumstantial evidence is just as conclusive, if one link is connected to another, as direct evidence. Otherwise, the criminals could not have been tried; 90% of the criminals, as Kony said, would then have escaped the answer if the circumstantial evidence did not have the same evidentiary power.
I’m just careful (not out of any fear, but simply for the sake of accuracy and fidelity to forensic science) to make assumptions about who exactly could have been the customer and the performer. But what it's not accidental death, not death from heart failure, I don’t doubt that for a minute.
I am not at all sure that he had a serious heart disease, as it was imagined. This serious heart disease was invented in order to save him from the persecution to which he was subjected in St. Petersburg, it was a reason to evacuate him, to save him from his pursuers. I saw no signs that he was being treated for heart disease in Paris. We saw each other very often, there were no breaks, and I did not see the treatment process.
Circumstantial evidence is a whole chain of evidence. Suffice it to say that there was a categorical refusal to re-examine. And the incredible mystery surrounding his death and the reasons for his death also speaks volumes. Why should such mystery surround this death?
If there is even the slightest doubt, all conceivable and inconceivable research must be carried out in order to refute any suspicions. This haste to complete the study makes me think that something is not quite normal there. And immediately it stopped; there are no more conversations on this topic.
Since 1935, the “laboratory of poisons” has been developing a poisoning system that would not be poison in the literal sense of the word, that is, poisoning through the air. And this coincides with what the notorious Mairanovsky, the head of that old “laboratory of poisons,” reported to Beria at one time.
The poison could have been applied to an electric lamp. This poisoning system was developed in a “poisons laboratory.” This is the latest innovation, an invention during the lifetime of Mairanovsky, the main monster of this “laboratory of poisons”, on whose conscience all kinds of political murders are responsible.
And he developed this system: his letter to Beria was published, where he said that the prospects for further developments are to move away from poisons that are taken in the form of pills, or powders, or injections, or injections, and move on to this system of poisoning , because it is more effective, leaves significantly less traces, and perhaps leaves no traces at all.
It is known how bad Anatoly Alexandrovich felt, it is known that he was lying and reading, the bedside table lamp was on. All this together led me to this kind of version.
It only amazes me that versions, if they exist, are not checked, that it is preferable to put an end to the official version and never return to it. I pursued this goal when I talked about it.”
Everyone who is interested in modern politics and history knows it well. This is one of the most famous democrats and reformers during perestroika. The first mayor of St. Petersburg, one of the authors of the current Constitution of the Russian Federation. In the last years of his life he turned into one of the most scandalous figures of modern Russian politics. Constantly suspected of abuse of power, corruption and taking bribes. Moreover, it was under his leadership that many leaders of today’s state worked in the St. Petersburg mayor’s office in the 90s, including Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev.
Childhood and youth
It is worth starting to tell the biography of Anatoly Sobchak in 1937, when he was born in Chita. His father worked for railway engineer, and his mother was an accountant. The hero of our article grew up in a large family; he had three more brothers.
At the same time, Sobchak spent his childhood in the city of Kokand on the territory of modern Uzbekistan. The family moved there when my father was transferred to a new job. The future politician received his secondary education in local school. Teachers note that he was very diligent, diligent and attentive.
Many are interested in the nationality of Anatoly Sobchak. In the biography of the politician you can find information that his paternal grandfather was Pole and his grandmother was Czech. On the maternal side, the grandparents were of Russian and Ukrainian nationality, respectively. So it is not possible to unambiguously determine who Sobchak himself was. It is obvious that there was a lot of blood mixed in his family.
Education
Behind higher education Anatoly Sobchak, whose biography is given in this article, went to Tashkent University. He studied at the Faculty of Law, but after the first year he felt the strength and confidence to transfer to Leningrad. That's what I did. He had already received his diploma at the university in the Northern capital. This decision, apparently, turned out to be fateful in the biography of Anatoly Sobchak.
At the university, Sobchak stood out from other students because he was well-read, educated, and eager to prove himself. As a result, he received a Lenin scholarship. In 1959, after graduating from university, he was assigned to the Bar Association in Stavropol. Sobchak managed to return to Leningrad in 1962. In Leningradsky state university He entered graduate school and soon defended his Ph.D. thesis.
After this, the hero of our article taught for three years at a special school under the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs, then was an assistant professor at the law faculty of his native university. In 1985, he began to head the department of commercial law at the same faculty.
Career during perestroika
Anatoly Aleksandrovich Sobchak began to climb up the career ladder when perestroika began in the country. At that time he becomes a member of the Communist Party Soviet Union, elected as a people's deputy to the Supreme Council. In this government body, the hero of our article heads a subcommittee that deals with issues of law and order and economic activities. Soon he founded an interregional deputy group, which began to play an important role in the Supreme Council.
In 1990, Anatoly Aleksandrovich Sobchak was already a member of the Leningrad City Council, and a few weeks later he became its leader.
Mayoral elections
In 1991, the hero of our article participates in the first democratic elections for the mayor of Leningrad. There are only two candidates on the ballot. The hero of our article is opposed by hydraulic builder Yuri Sevenard.
There is a fairly high turnout at the polls, almost 65% of residents come to the polling stations Northern capital. In the biography of Anatoly Aleksandrovich Sobchak, this day becomes significant; he confidently wins in the first round, receiving more than 66% of the votes.
One of his first decisions in his new post is to return his historical name. From Leningrad it turns into St. Petersburg. At that time, a large number of young specialists found themselves working in the St. Petersburg mayor’s office, many of whom were leadership positions in modern Russia. So, Sobchak’s confidants, whose photo is in this article, were Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, President Vladimir Putin, the heads of Rosneft (Igor Sechin) and Gazprom (Alexey Miller).
Work in the administration of St. Petersburg
In his first year as mayor of St. Petersburg, Sobchak began to actively gain popularity among the population. He actively participated in the Democratic Reform Movement, in August 1991 he spoke out against the actions of the State Emergency Committee, called on the population to rallies against the actions of the State Committee for Emergency Applications, and organized them himself. All this allowed the city to successfully resist the decrees issued by this department.
It is worth noting that Sobchak’s authority, despite all his popularity, was not unconditional. His commitment to democracy was surprisingly combined with authoritarian leadership methods, which led to regular conflicts with local deputies.
In addition, Sobchak constantly shocked the public with regular luxurious trips abroad and banquets, which he held in order to attract people to the city. humanitarian aid and new investments. However, the bet on the West, which the hero of our article made, resulted in the suppression of industry in the city itself. Residents also condemned the mayor for the constant events with the invitation of international guests, which he held on the banks of the Neva, and for the waste of the municipal budget.
Moreover, his popularity was enormous not only in St. Petersburg, but also far beyond its borders. In 1995, his associates even persuaded him to run for president, becoming a competitor to Boris Yeltsin, but he categorically refused.
Re-election attempt
Instead, in 1996, Sobchak was supposed to be re-elected for a second term. Most experts were convinced of the confident victory of the hero of our article. According to polls, about a third of the city's residents unconditionally supported him, and another third was ready to vote for the mayor again under certain conditions.
However, Sobchak had strong competitors. A coalition was created against him, which included Artemyev, Shcherbakov and Yakovlev. On their side were part of the urban elite and democrats. This time there were many more candidates; the names of 14 candidates were included in the ballots. At the same time, the turnout in the first round turned out to be relatively low, especially compared to 1991; less than half of the voters came to the polling stations.
At the same time, Sobchak managed to win, he scored 29 percent. Together with Vladimir Yakovlev, who received the support of 21.6 percent of voters, they entered the second round.
Second round
Before the decisive vote, Yakovlev was supported by Belyakov and Belyaev, who between them received almost 15% in the first round. In addition, Sobchak failed in the debate against his opponent, who regularly caught the current mayor ignorant of basic practical issues of city life.
The fight in the second round turned out to be stubborn. Sobchak received 45.8% of the vote, Yakovlev won with about 1.5% more.
The defeat came as a complete surprise to Sobchak himself and his entourage. After that, no significant posts in state power he no longer occupied. For most Russians, the first mayor of St. Petersburg became a symbol of the democrats who sought decisive changes in the country in the early 90s. At the same time, many still consider him involved in the destruction of the usual world order and the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Criminal case
Already in 1997, Sobchak became a defendant in a criminal case about corruption in the mayor's office of St. Petersburg. At first he is called in for questioning as a witness.
However, soon the investigation brings charges against the hero of our article himself under the articles “Abuse of Official Power” and “Bribe”. During this period, the family of Mayor Sobchak became the most discussed in the country; he was blamed for all the failures during that difficult period.
Life abroad
The politician's health deteriorates greatly, he is even hospitalized with a heart attack. Having recovered, he leaves for France for rehabilitation treatment. Sobchak remained in Paris until 1999.
There he decides to study science. He even began to give lectures at leading universities educational institutions France, including the Sorbonne. Publishes about 30 scientific articles and writes two books.
In November 1999, it became known that the criminal case against Sobchak was dropped due to lack of evidence. Only after this does he return to Russia, announcing that he is again ready to participate in big politics. In addition, at the beginning of 2000, his former assistant in the mayor's office of St. Petersburg, Vladimir Putin, became a candidate for president of the country. Sobchak receives the position of confidant, and also heads the political council of democratic parties and movements in the Northern capital.
Family
In the biography of Anatoly Sobchak, personal life played a rather important role. He got married for the first time when he was a student. His chosen one was Nonna Handzyuk, a graduate of the Faculty of Philology of the Herzen Pedagogical Institute. They had a daughter, Maria.
But the feelings between the lovers eventually cooled. Sobchak divorced his wife after 21 years of marriage in 1977.
Second marriage
He married for the second time in 1980 to Lyudmila Narusova. He met her when he acted as a lawyer in a difficult divorce case with his first husband. Narusova became his faithful and reliable comrade-in-arms, who helped and supported him in any situation.
It should be noted that Lyudmila was also involved in the implementation of her own projects. For example, she was a representative Russian government at the Trustee Foundation "Memory, Responsibility and Future" in Germany. Now Lyudmila Narusova is a member of the Federation Council.
In 1981 it happened an important event in the biography of Anatoly Sobchak. The couple's personal life strengthened after the birth of their daughter Ksenia. Today Sobchak's daughter is one of the most famous women in the country. Having started her career as a TV presenter, she then went into journalism and politics.
Moreover, in the 2010s she found herself in the ranks of the liberal opposition. In 2018, the Civil Initiative party nominated her for the post of President of Russia. She managed to take fourth place out of eight candidates. She left behind the famous Grigory Yavlinsky, for whom this presidential campaign was far from his first.
Death of a politician
From this article you will learn all the details of the biography and causes of death of Anatoly Sobchak. Photos from the politician's funeral were immediately published in all newspapers.
The hero of our article died shortly before the 2000 presidential elections. He died on February 20 at the Rus Hotel, in the resort town of Svetlogorsk in the Kaliningrad region. According to official data, the cause of death of Anatoly Alexandrovich Sobchak was a heart attack.
For many, this tragedy became so unexpected that various conspiracy theories immediately began to appear. Some stated that the cause of Anatoly Sobchak’s death was Viagra, which he took along with alcohol in society women lung behavior, others suspected that he was killed by political rivals.
The prosecutor's office of the Kaliningrad region even opened a criminal case due to the poisoning of the politician. However, the examination showed that there was no alcohol or dangerous drugs in his blood.
The politician was buried in St. Petersburg on February 24. His grave is located at the Nikolskoye cemetery.
