Nikolai Vlasik
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Nikolai Vlasik (Никола́й Си́дорович Вла́сик) (1896-1967) was an associate of Stalin. He was born in the village of Bobynichi in the district Slonimskogo of Grodno province on May 22, 1896 and died on June 18, 1967 in Moscow. Vlasik was the general-lieutenant (on May, 9th 1945), appointed as the head of protection of Stalin.
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[edit] Military Career
Vlasik had an early beginning in a military career. In March, 1915, he was called to the army and the Great October Socialist Revolution, already appointed to the rank of corporal. In November, 1917, he began serving in the Moscow militia. In September, 1919, he was transferred to VCHK (ВЧК). By January, 1926, he had made an impetuous career and became the senior representative of the Operative branch of OGPU (KGB). Furthermore, Vlasik held supervising posts in the operations section, which included the protection of the heads of the party and government.
For many years, Vlasik was Stalin's personal bodyguard, beginning in 1931. He not only became the chief of the bodyguards, but became in essence a member of family. After the death of Stalin’s wife, N.S. Allilueva, he was also the tutor of Stalin’s children, practically carried out the functions of a major-domo.
In the memoirs of Stalin’s daughter, Svetlana Allilueva, she characterizes Vlasik as an "illiterate, silly, rough and extremely impudent satrap". As she said he was so corrupted with authority, that "he began to dictate to art workers and arts, tastes of comrade Stalin", and "...figures listened and followed his councils. Any celebratory concert at the Big Theatre or Georgia’s Hall did not take place without the sanction of Vlasik".
[edit] Cold War Arrest
On December, 15th, 1952 Vlasik was arrested under the initiative of Beria and Malenkov. He was accused of assignment of the large sums of state money and values, indulgent to doctors-wreckers, etc. He was deprived of general rank and banished for ten years to Krasnoyarsk. By amnesty on March 27, 1953, Vlasik was reduced till five years, without a disfranchisement. In 1956, Vlasik was pardoned with the removal of a previous conviction.
In his memoirs Vlasik wrote, "I have been severely offended by Stalin. For 25 years of excellent job, not having any collecting but only one encouragement and awards, I have been excluded from a party and it is flung in prison. For my boundless fidelity he has given of me in charge enemies. But never, any minute in what a condition I was to what to mockeries I was exposed, being in prison, I had no in the soul of a harm on Stalin".[1]
According to his wife, Vlasik was convinced that Beria "helped" Stalin to die.
[edit] Awards
Vlasik was conferred a decoration upon Lenin's order (three awards),
- Order of the Red Banner (four awards),
- Order of Kutuzov 1st class,
and other various medals.
[edit] Sources
- ^ Власик Н. С. Моя биография //Логинов В. Тени Сталина. М., 2000. С. 136.
