Kemperpunkt and a crossing on the island of Solovki

Kobrin → Outstanding persons

Our happiness was that sent us to the Solovki — those who got three-year penal, and those who received on five — all together in one car, though in different cages (so-called "Stolypin" cars had lattices in a corridor along which the escort went). And nevertheless we communicated, shared data on destiny, on interrogations — who that told. Most of all we were afraid that we will be separated in camp.

I do not describe in detail the first days in Kemi, on the Popovy island, in the thirteenth company on the Solovki. The matter is that as soon as I had an opportunity to work at paper work, I began to keep records and hid them among office papers, and then sent with the parents coming to me on appointment in the spring of 1929. I publish these entries in the Supplement, and I do not have need to repeat everything that there is told. I will note only that at disembarkation from the car the escort hurt to me a boot in blood a face that mocked at us as soon as could. Shouted to us: "Here the power not Soviet — here the power Solovki". From where also the name of the famous documentary "Power Solovki" went.

Threateningly approaching us, receding, Beloozerov accepting a stage swore masterly. I could not believe that this nightmare occurs in reality. I remember (it over my notes which I made in the Solovki in 1929), one of the most "decent" threats to us was: "I will force to suck snivels at dead persons!" When I burst out laughing (however, at all not from the fact that to me it was cheerful), Beloozerov cried on me: "Then we will laugh", but did not beat …

Has to note that we knew about chiefs only by hearsay, going among prisoners, and in my Solovki records there were mistakes which then were approved in literature — especially through "the Archipelago GULAG" Solzhenitsyna and those to whom I told about camp.

Accepted stages in Kemperpunkta two in turn: Smoking-room and Beloozerov. I called the last Beloborodov by mistake: prisoners attributed it this surname, obviously, confusing to that Beloborodov that shot an imperial family. Any of them was not the Guards officer as at me it was told, and did not speak French (unless, knowing one-two phrases, found special pleasure to sport them before prisoners deprived of civil rights). The person seeing personally matter of the Smoking-room in Petrozavodsk in 1989 said to me that he the Smoking-room served in Red Army, but two served in peripetias of Civil war of month also in White. However itself gave itself for the guardsman. And from N. P. Antsiferov after our release I heard that when he (Antsiferov) sat in a punishment cell, waiting for execution (which, fortunately, avoided) together with the Smoking-room, that allegedly told before execution: "I die as the security officer and the Guards officer". He demanded that to it shot not at a nape, and at a forehead. It is quite possible that those two months that the Smoking-room was in White Army, it served in the regiment carrying a rank Guards.

I write it in order that knew that the real Guards officers, all to one whom I met on the Solovki were people honest: had no relation to atrocities of security guards, never served in protection and could not serve: accepted in internal protection only of "bytovik": nonprofessional criminal criminals murderers, tyrants, etc.

For the night we were driven on Priests the island to push in sheds, and for the morning to transport on the island. In a shed we stood all night long. Plank beds were occupied by half-naked "criminals" (small pilferers), the "patches" firing us louses therefore we in an hour were already covered by them from head to foot. Only dipped light — precisely dark curtain began to fall on walls by lying. It bugs crept. And among all this hell there was paradise piece: on small space of plank beds which was guarded by two stately Kabardian handsome in national clothes old men — the priest and the mullah lay. At daybreak, when I could not stand on the legs which swelled in a night (even boots became small), one of Kabardians any more — Divlet-Girey Albaksidovich (I remembered his name because I am grateful to it eternally), seeing my state, gave way to me, and I could lie down.

The priest near whom I laid down, the Ukrainian by origin, told me: "It is necessary to find the father Nikolay Piskanovsky on the Solovki — he will help".

Why it will help and as — I did not understand. Decided about himself that the father Nikolay holds probably some important position. The assumption is the most ridiculous: priest and "responsible situation"! But everything was true and came true: situation at the father Nikolay consisted in respect for it of all chiefs of the island, and I was helped by it for years.
Next day we were loaded on the steamship "Gleb Boky" that went to the Solovki. The burglar (the thief on apartments) Ovchinnikov stood breakings near and warned:

— Only you do not hurry, be the last.

It was the second time on the Solovki. The first time ran. Was to "marukha" on Hay in Leningrad and it was grabbed. Passed all road to it on foot on cross ties with "claws" behind the back. When noticed patrol, put on claws and climbed on the next cable column. Certainly, its patrol did not remove from a column: the person works!

Ovchinnikov in Kemperpunkta terribly was beaten. Beat him for the fact that brought sentries, chiefs, "spoiled statistics" (was considered that from the Solovki it is impossible to run). But also the hackneyed burglar remained a person. We fed up him, and it helped us the camp experience. When people began to be pushed in hold, it dragged us on the platform in the middle of a ladder and advised not to go down below. And it is valid, there below people began to choke. The team let out us time or two to breathe. After 9 months of prison I with greed breathed fresh sea air, looked at a wave, at the bezlesy islands passing by.

About the Solovki we were pushed in a belly of "Gleb the Boky" again (this living person in honor of whom the steamship was called — the cannibal — main in that three of OGPU which sentenced people to terms and executions). On rustling of ice about steamship boards we understood that we approach pier. There was an end of October, and at coast "solder" — coastal ice began to appear. Brought us to pier with things, constructed, counted. Then began to take out corpses zadokhshikhsya in hold or seriously ill been: the bones squeezed to a change, to a bloody diarrhea.

Us, live, moved in a bath No. 2. In a cold bath forced to undress and took away clothes in disinfection. Tried water — only cold. Approximately in an hour there was also hot. To be warmed, I began to water myself with hot water continuously. At last, returned the clothes which became permeated with the smell of sulfur. Put on. Moved to Nikolsky gate. In gate I removed a student's peak-cap with which I did not leave, crossed. Before I never saw the real Russian monastery. Also apprehended the Solovki, the Kremlin not as new prison and as the holy site.

There passed one gate, the second also moved in the 13th company. There by the light of "bats" (there were such, not dying away on wind lamps) we were counted, searched.

I remember, I could not tie the basket which was bought to me by parents after a search in any way: the easiest and the strongest, having suitcase form, and could not swallow cookies in any way that appeared in a basket. My throat so swelled, swelled that I could not take a sip of. With big pain, having stirred a cookies piece in plentiful saliva, I swallowed.

Then there was unexpected. Separated (the small chief over some site of plank beds) approached me (truly because I was in a student's peak-cap and he believed it), asked for me ruble, and for this ruble, having parted forcibly all on plank beds, made room for me and my companions. I literally fell down plank beds and regained consciousness only in the morning. What I saw was absolutely unexpected. Plank beds were empty. Except me there was with a big window on a wide window sill a silent priest and darned the duckweed. The ruble played a role doubly: separated did not lift me and did not drive in actual fact, and then for work. Having got to talking with the priest, I asked him, appear, the most ridiculous question whether he (in this many thousands crowd living on the Solovki) knows the father Nikolay Piskanovsky. Having shaken up the duckweed, the priest answered:

— Piskanovsky? It I!

Itself uncomfortable, silent, modest, he suited my destiny in the best way. But about it then. For now, having looked round, I understood that we with the father Nikolay not so one. On the top plank beds patients lay, and from under plank beds to us handles stretched, asking bread. And in these handles there was an ukazuyushchy decree of fate too. Under plank beds there lived "patches" — the teenagers who lost from themselves all clothes. They passed to "illegal status" — did not come for checkings, did not receive food, lived under plank beds that they their naked did not expel on a frost, on a physical activity. Knew about their existence. Just vymarivat, without giving them either bread rations, or soup, nor porridge. They lived on tips. Lived while lived! And then the dead they were taken out, put in a box and carried on a cemetery.

It were unknown homeless children who were often punished for vagrancy, for small theft. How many they were in Russia! The children who lost parents — the killed who starved to death, expelled abroad with White army, emigrated. I remember the boy claiming that he is a son of the philosopher Tsereteli. At liberty they slept in asphalt coppers, traveled in search of heat and fruit around Russia in boxes under cars or to empty commodity. They smelled the cocaine delivered during revolution from Germany, a nyukhara, hemp. At many nasal partitions fused. I was so sorry for these "patches" that I went as drunk — drunk with compassion. It was already in me not feeling, and something like an illness. And I am so grateful to destiny that in half a year could help some of them.

One of my first cares was to keep things that did not steal. I gave a basket with things in one of the first days (can be, even in the first) to someone from the people living in office companies. Then I learned to sleep so that did not steal my Raman short fur coat. Laying down on plank beds, I overturned it floors to the person, passed the undressed legs throughout sleeves, and put boots under the head as a pillow. Even at my sound youthful sleep I could not be robbed, without having woken.

In the morning I received the soldering of bread and boiled water in the big enameled mug with which careful parents supplied me. Upon return from work in the same mug to me poured a serving spoon soup. Work orders gave in the morning in darkness, at the tables lit with "bat" sent for work with groups. I have the second group of working capacity which was defined by medical commission in Kemperpunkta therefore sent me for works rather easy.

For 1929 so many events are necessary that my memory involuntarily postponed the whole stories to the next year. Business was complicated also by the fact that for 1929 had the whole two arrivals of my parents to me — one arrival was in the spring, and in other fall. In total on the Solovki I had three appointments to parents, but in the last year stay on the Solovki — 1931 — any as I have to be sent for Belomorobaltiysky construction in the summer. Here also it turned out so that the events connected with the second appointment removed in my memory for 1930, and what was in 1930, for 1931. The fall of executions was divided into two falls and into two campaigns of executions, and departure of A. I. Melnikov with which I connected many the facts, important for me, it appeared a year earlier, than I, remembering the Solovki life-bytye, long considered. Only having received the exact certificate of date of death of A. I. Melnikov in Kemi, I could understand chronology of the rememberings.

So, I continue the story. How many "specialties" I changed in the 13th company! Seldom it was possible to get for the same work. Most of all to me were remembered — the sawyer of firewood at Power plant, the loader in port, vridly ("temporarily taking up a position of a horse") in Muksalomskaya Road in a team of hard loaded sledge, the electrician in Mekhzavod (as before — in "the monastery forg"), the worker in Fox nursery (at O. V. Volkov and N. E. Serebryakov) and, at last, by a cowshed in Selkhoz.

It is necessary to tell about this latest work especially. Attached me to the veterinarian Komchebek-Voznyatsky. It was the real adventurer, the terrible liar. Assured that he ordered a squadron of planes, professorstvovat (gave somewhere lectures on the international affairs). To me he declared that in a cowshed "epizooty" that he has no time to be engaged in cows as he writes the report to Moscow about some plot and it have to cause there (it then and really caused) that cows should put thermometers, to write down temperature and to feed strenuously with the talker whom it is necessary to cook at the lake in the former monastic portomoyena. Then showed me — where flour, and left, having thrown on me several tens cows who were heart-rendingly lowing for hunger. I did not know what to do, tried to look for it (he assured that he lives in the first company and it has a certain room with a grand piano), put to cows thermometers, sticking them under a tail, and was horrified by temperature (about 40 ° that for cows as I learned then, is normal). Eventually decided that it is the most important to feed cows, and tried to cook the talker who at me burned, cows did not eat her. To me for the aid to a distance of some phlegmatic Estonian. He was indignant with Komchebek, and we with it somehow fed quite healthy cows, good (as the Estonian assured me) special monastic breed.

I tried to find for the lord Victor (see about him below) and told him about the situation. The lord told me that Komchebek awful "avantyuryer" and it is necessary not to go resolutely to it to work. As I managed to evade from work in Selkhoz — I do not remember any more. I know only that Komchebek on his denunciation was called by plane to Moscow, and it disappeared. There was it obviously mad, not only the bastard and the thief ("epizooty" was necessary to it to receive excess flour on the cows allegedly sick).

Quarantine term eventually passed, and I was transferred from the 13th company to the 14th where there were already Fedya Rosenberg, Volodya Rakov, Terekhovko's Roofing felt, etc. The summons for work did not come to the Criminological office promised me by A. N. Kolosov. I continued to work at "the general works". "Madhouse" proceeded.

In the 14th company on plank beds I had no place, and I laid the bed on a floor after all settle. I was hurt by a stomach (I did not know yet that I have an ulcer), and the architect Klein whom I on ignorance took at first for the builder of the Museum of fine arts in Moscow advised me to receive a dry ration and to cook porridge on the potbelly stove standing in a chamber. He cooked a semolina squash in a small saucepan and was extremely thin. In several months he died (it had a cancer).

Once I returned from works and felt something new: terribly the head hurt, I could not even stand. Volodya Rakov gave way to me on the top plank beds. In eyes at me darkened, the nonsense began. Caused a lekpom. Temperature turned out 40 °. It was necessary to go to camp hospital. Already late at night mine found for the clerk of First-aid station G. M. Osorgin. It channelized in hospital, but how there to bring me? Me Fedya Rosenberg and Volodya Rakov dragged under hands, there was and still someone the third. Though I was in a semi-conscious state, but well remembered this transition through the yard to a gate and on the left in an accident ward.

Dragged in a bathtub. The bathtub stood in the big room, was already filled with water. It was incredibly opposite to me: someone already washed in a bathtub and, probably, long ago — water was absolutely cold. It is amazing that I did not catch a cold. Someone said to me then that the cold bathtub at high temperature was even useful. Then I remember myself lying in big chamber on a pure sheet. Despite the strongest heat, I test a condition of pleasure: there are no louses. The bed is soft. I worry about things: where short fur coat and basket? Andreevsky approaches: he here, the doctor, here also lives. My basket at it under a trestle bed. The diagnosis is soon established: sypny typhus. Day through three I lie already in the room for typhus on straw on a floor. The room is arranged in some former warehouse.

At transfer in a typhus insulator I was robbed. I remember a surname and a position of the thief: lekpy Astakhov. I remember because Andreevsky asked me to sign the application that Astakhov did not rob me. I refused: the statement seemed to me ridiculous. But thefts at Astakhov appeared much, and he was condemned. I even saw it as it worked at some hard work. It was the intelligent person (at least, an intelligent look), and I very much suffered then that in his condemnation (how many and that months of a punishment cell) I am partly guilty, involved …

Then in gloomy darkness of the Solovki winter days two light appeared hour. From the bed I saw a bulb of gateway Annunciation Church. On a bulb the cross was not, but the place it was remembered by the Solovki seagulls. The first, arrived in the spring on the island, sat down exactly here, and it was the sign of spring: in two weeks all other seagulls flied. To an arrival of a seagull it was still far. I looked out of the window, and to me it was infinitely heavy …

In a typhus barrack I had also a crisis. G. M. Osorgin sent me in a bottle of a little red wine, but I on the to "antialcoholic beliefs" did not begin to drink and gave wine to someone to another. I remember distinctly the nonsense. The nonsense is strange: he does not move me in any other room. I continue to lie on straw, and to me bring the sledge on which the mountain bast shoes lie. I have to distribute these bast shoes to "patches" — teenagers who naked lived in the 13th company under plank beds. I try to rise and begin this work and I cannot. Eventually someone returned me on my place, but torments me that I cannot distribute bast shoes. Teenagers in one linen surround me, ask.

From hospital I get to "team recovering", exempted from work. I lie in some cellar near a laundry. When I was then on the Solovki in 1966, this cellar without the top floor almost ceased to exist. Could not imagine that I there once lay. And then it was necessary to go down in it. Directly over the head in a half a meter the brick arch in which besides there was a crack, from where on me constantly a barrel hung.

At an exit from the room of team of recovering "Catholicos", not Armenian, not Georgian was on duty. I looked for — who it could be, asked both Armenians, and, but so I also did not manage to establish the Georgian who is he was. Its post was near paranecks, big, iron to which the short wooden ladder with a ploshchadochka conducted. He offered to me a hand and helped to get. Never I will forget it. Though why to me to forget in the remained small part of my life if I did not forget it still 65 years! I remember: I can get up only with great difficulty. My neighbor — the peasant. Live embodiment of Platon Karatayev. He speaks to me somehow: "I will teach you to something, but you promise me what you will not stir up. With it you will be always full". He speaks to me: "Galoshes to valenoks are necessary everywhere: it is necessary only to be able to do them". And he teaches me. Draws a pattern, shows how to reduce or increase the size. Nobody is able to cut rubber. All secret that rubber should be scissored in water. It is easy to get rubber at drivers: anything that red. Probably, galoshes is his main hope for future wellbeing after return home.

Author of material Likhachev D. S.

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