As a pioneer, Misha Gorbachev brought water to the Germans during the occupation and plucked chickens for them
When it comes to Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev, they often recall his activities as president of the USSR, often omitting his previous place of work and biography of the period before political activity. First of all, the lack of interest in Gorbachev’s “past” is justified by the fact that the period of perestroika is one of the key events in the fate of not only the Soviet people, but also the state as such.
That is why in many disputes about the activities of Mikhail Sergeevich, different opinions discuss the era of perestroika. Either his policies are fully approved, or it is said that he was involved in the collapse of the greatest country in modern world history.
- Nevertheless, today we will talk not about this, but about one interesting episode in the life of Mikhail Sergeevich. Or rather, this is a special episode for every Soviet person in the period of 1941-45 – the period of the Great Patriotic War.
In his memoirs, Gorbachev did not talk much about the period of the Great Patriotic War in his life, occasionally getting off with small episodes from the life of a 10-year-old child, although he repeatedly noted that he remembered these difficult four years especially clearly.
Where Gorbachev was particularly silent, colleagues and former associates of the first and last president of the USSR spoke. In all this story there is one unpleasant fact that he did not like to recall, but with rare exceptions was recalled by researchers of his biography. For example, A.A. Korobeynikov for his book “Gorbachev: Another Face” met with Gorbachev’s mother, Maria Panteleevna, who told the following about Mikhail Sergeyevich during the Great Patriotic War:
- Little Misha diligently carried water for the German soldiers for the bath, constantly pinched the chickens so that the Germans could cook dinner for themselves.
Later, journalists admitted that such openness and such information caused genuine surprise.
This is how he described it in his memoirs:
From the direction of Rostov, German motorcyclists burst into the village. Fedya Rudchenko, Viktor Myagkikh and I were standing by the hut. “Let’s run!” shouted Victor. I stopped: “Stop! We are not afraid of them.” The Germans drove in – it turned out to be reconnaissance. And soon the German infantry entered the village. In three days, the Germans filled Privolnoye.”
— Mikhail Gorbachev: Life before the Kremlin
Gorbachev’s close comrade V.I. Boldin often drew attention to the fact that when their conversation reached the period of discussion of the Great Patriotic War, Mikhail Sergeevich, although he did not refuse to talk, it was still noticeable from his face that he did not particularly like the conversation.
However, Boldin noted that Gorbachev did not write or speak out about the atrocities of the occupiers. He shared that the occupiers invited him to cook food, and he spent hours pinching poultry for them. He also often remembered a Kalmyk who once whipped him with a whip. Why little Mikhail was whipped out remained a mystery.
Ligachev’s assistant V. Legostaev was also willing to share information about Gorbachev during the occupation. In particular, he said that the Germans were amazed at how the young man actively helped their country and ordinary Germans. He was always trouble-free and they didn’t know any problems with him. There is even a version that Gorbachev was recruited by the Abwehr, with whom Mikhail Sergeyevich signed obligations of cooperation.
It is possible that the opinions expressed earlier are nothing more than a clear expression of hatred for Gorbachev. After all, it is no secret that the period of the Great Patriotic War is sacred for every person of the Soviet and post-Soviet periods. And any figure who behaved in any way during the war arouses hatred and is subject to “exclusion” from public life and loses any respect.
Although it is worth noting that in this material three memories were given at once, and they all have a common outline of the narrative. In addition, Gorbachev’s mother only confirms a not the most pleasant episode in the life of Mikhail Sergeyevich. Nevertheless, there are simply no other sources on this issue, and Mikhail Sergeevich himself, with his silence, fueled interest in this curious fact. Perhaps if he had been more open, things could have been very different.