USSR 1991

"Yes, it's so beautiful." Yanayev agreed.

"I really hope that I can see my motherland and rule the world in my lifetime."

Chapter 425

Before the launch of Marshal Ogarkov's comprehensive upgrading and transformation plan, the Ministry of Defense began to resume some projects that were temporarily suspended due to political reforms in 1991.Minister of Defense Yazov and Marshal Varennikov, who is also Deputy Minister of Defense, are working on resuming some or indispensable projects.

That is, there is a project about resuming the training of the sniper school curriculum. This is the conclusion after Marshal Varennikov summarized the casualties of Soviet soldiers in the Chechen War.Although the Soviet Union achieved a repressive victory with the cooperation of the infantry and the air support of the Su-25 attack aircraft and the Mi-24 armed helicopter, the Soviet army still suffered unnecessary casualties, which were mainly reflected in the snipers of the Chechen rebels.

When the Soviet army withdrew from Chechnya, it left 533 SVD sniper rifles there.Some Chechen militants and their supporters began to arm themselves and started a real sniper battle with the Soviet army with SVD sniper rifles.The vast majority of Soviet casualties in the war came from Chechen snipers who shot coldly from the ruins.

"At that time, although there were some special shooters using SVD in the Soviet army, there were not enough real snipers that could be used. Our operations could only rely on snipers from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the KGB Special Operations Group. Although these snipers were well trained, But they are used to fighting with tactics similar to SWAT. Also they are not good at personal camouflage, and fighting in the mountains and the countryside on the edge of the city. They are not trained to counter sniper and dodge shelling. So the army must restore the sniper Schools to train new army snipers."

"Not only do we have to restore a real sniper training school. Preferably a shooting competition for all officers and soldiers. And the sniper course focuses on shooting training, tactical training and map interpretation, and finally in Bamt, Chechnya. A month-long live ammunition practice was carried out in the nearby mountains. The Chechen mountainous area with the most complex terrain is very suitable for the Soviet army's sniper practice."

No matter the details, Marshal Varennikov will not always focus on heavy weapons such as main battle tanks and armored vehicles. He also reduces the casualty rate of soldiers and improves the survivability of soldiers in the battlefield environment. One of the key points of attention.

According to what Marshal Varennikov emphasized before, they are not gray cattle, but the great Soviet Red Army.

"I also agree with Marshal Varennikov's statement. The Soviet army has not yet perfected many aspects. Snipers are only one of them. The Ministry of Defense will also support you."

Yazov sighed. He had heard before that Marshal Ogarkov sent by the Ministry of Defense received a secret reception from Yanayev. It seems that this Marshal who always wanted to make big news tried to Indoctrinate the general secretary with his plan to upgrade the Soviet army.Unlike the opponent's drastic reforms, Yazov is better at tinkering with some aspects, and the sniper is just one example.

The actions of the army can never be hidden from Yanayev's eyes. The words of Marshal Varennikov and Comrade Yazov quickly reached Yanayev's ears, although Yanayev was still carefully reading Ogar Marshal Kov submitted the report on the upgrade of Soviet armaments, but Yanayev was more interested in Marshal Varennikov's proposal, not only to restart the project, but also an excellent way to promote the new image of the Soviet army.

In the hands of Yanayev, military-themed movies are always an excellent way to promote the image of the army, so Yanayev, who knows this well, will never let go of any opportunity.

The Soviet Propaganda Department has been vigorously promoting the image of the army in the new era recently, and it is obvious that snipers will be a very good entry point for the theme.So Yanayev specifically called Surkov from the White House in Moscow to the office of the General Secretary.

"Huh? Want the Soviet Propaganda Department and the Moscow Studio to jointly shoot a movie? Or a movie about snipers." Surkov, who hurried over, froze for a moment. Logically speaking, this kind of trivial matter doesn't need Yanaye at all. Husband personally told ah.

Then he figured it out again. The reason why General Secretary Yanayev cared about such trivial matters was actually to proceed from the overall situation of the image promotion of the army, and wanted to carry out an important promotion of the image of the army.

"Yes, a film about snipers during World War II." Yanayev said. In fact, Moscow has shot many classic films about World War II romanticism, but they were rejected by the mainstream art dominated by the West.In terms of artistry, the Slavic people who are good at tragedy and romance may not be worse than Hollywood.

"For example, Comrade Vasily Chasev, our legendary sniper during World War II, can become the object of our promotion in the movie. With the restoration of the sniper school, this will be a very good military advertisement. It will be Attract more young blood to join our troops," Yanayev said.

Using movies to promote the army is Yanayev's inspiration from the Americans. Just as the United States likes to use various means to show the strength of the army in movies, the Soviet army should also use this method to promote its unique Military culture, thus attracting more young people to join the ranks of the military to defend their country.

"But the script and filming may take much longer than expected." Surkov said the most critical question, "and how to solve the problem of funding when the time comes."

"Because the military's propaganda is long-term, there is no need to worry about this issue, and you don't have to worry about the funding issue. I will coordinate with the Ministry of Defense to solve this issue. As for the script, Moscow Studios will receive a copy soon .And this movie should reflect the shining points of humanity and the aura of the Soviet Red Army fighting against the enemy." Yanayev said, in fact, the film about Vasily that was later shot by the United States can indeed become a very good military propaganda film. Of course, it was only after removing all the black Soviet scenes, such as replacing the supervising team behind the soldiers with the Red Army political commissar who charged with the soldiers, and the scene of insufficient ammunition.

Americans are always good at subtly showing the plot of the Black Soviet Union in movies, and filming the great Red Army of the Patriotic Army as gray animals in the era of imperial Russia.

"Huh?" Listening to Yanayev's series of replies without worrying, Surkov asked puzzled, "Has General Secretary Yanayev already made arrangements?"

"Yes." Yanayev replied very positively, "and the name of this movie is called "Soldiers Coming to the City."

Chapter 426 Return of the Dissident

While the Soviet Propaganda Department was busy promoting and displaying the Soviet Union's military strength, another headache came before Surkov. The Soviet dissident who had been wandering overseas for a long time Solzhenitsyn, the author of The Lag Islands, made a request to return to Moscow, which could have been rejected directly, but Surkov received an order from the supreme leader to take good care of Solzhenitsyn Comrade.

In Surkov's view, this "good care" is as unpredictable as a pun. Logically speaking, Yanayev maintains [-]% tolerance for public intellectuals who undermine the country's stability and fabricate facts. Disgusting, it can be said that as long as you are met by him, you will definitely be thrown into the concentration camp in Vorkuta and let you have a hard labor reform.But for some other rightists who dare to speak the truth, Yanayev has adopted a soft policy. He even allows them to criticize the authorities, but the only thing he does not allow is to incite the crowd to oppose the existing system. This is Yanayev Yev's inescapable bottom line.

So Solzhenitsyn was thrown in front of Surkov like a hot potato.Whether he needs to come back is just a word from the authorities, but the Soviet Propaganda Department has become a little embarrassed in terms of propaganda.You can't call this guy who was expelled from Russian soil a Hero of the Soviet Union.

When Surkov wanted to find Yanayev to inquire, the other party just said something unclear, just do whatever you want.

"Anything is fine, it's really a very casual thing."

Surkov always felt that guessing the general secretary's mind was more difficult than seeing the successful launch of the N1 rocket, but in the end Yanayev gave him a hint.

"If it was the Soviet Union in 1991, Solzhenitsyn would have to die, but now, do the populist factions and the speculative capitalists who have been severely suppressed by the government still hope to form a force that threatens the Soviet regime? "

When Yanayev said this, Surkov finally realized it.Solzhenitsyn's point of view has become irrelevant. The Soviet Union has strengthened not only Russia, but even the regimes of all the affiliated countries.Allowing Solzhenitsyn to return to Moscow for a visit has instead become a sign of the Soviet government's openness and openness. After all, he is an enemy of the entire Soviet Communist Party in terms of cultural awareness.

Solzhenitsyn, an old-fashioned diehard, is much nobler in the eyes of Yanayev than an intellectual who works for money. Although he does not agree with Soviet communism and American capitalism, at least what he said It's all out of the heart, not like those moths who talk about money, seeing their motherland collapse with their own eyes, and then triumphantly taking a share of the rotting corpse like a maggot.

"I understand, General Secretary Yanayev. Solzhenitsyn's return is more of a political signal. The Soviet Union can tolerate the guy he hated at the time, so who dares to say that our country does not freedom of speech."

Surkov did not have much interest in the author who won the Nobel Prize for Literature. As an award against socialism and communism, what it shows is more of an ideology that serves politics.It is no wonder that Yanayev would disdain to say that since ancient times, only poets and literati have made no contribution to social development.

After Solzhenitsyn made a request to return to the Soviet Union, the Soviet embassy in the United States quickly responded. The Soviet authorities agreed that Solzhenitsyn would return to Moscow and be received by the Soviet General Secretary in person.The American media, which originally wanted to lay a trap on the plot of "return rejected", was dumbfounded. Who would have thought that Yanayev had such a trick behind him.

When Solzhenitsyn set foot on Moscow soil, even Surkov was there to greet the dissident.For the first time after the persecution of the Stalin era, the short-lived revival of the Khrushchev era and the endless nightmares of subsequent Soviet governments, Solzhenitsyn stood on his native soil.Surrounded by unfamiliar yet familiar Russian, some teenagers presented Solzhenitsyn with a bouquet of flowers.

This was the Soviet government's unusual reception for intellectuals, but Solzhenitsyn, who had experienced many vicissitudes, just nodded calmly, took the bouquet of flowers, and said thank you politely.

The first stop he returned to Moscow was to go to his old residence. Originally, Solzhenitsyn was a novelist who started in Moscow. When Solzhenitsyn saw the dilapidated but well-preserved hut again, his expression excited.When he stepped into the room, everything was exactly as it had been when he fled the Soviet Union decades ago.

"Everything is laid according to the previous layout, with no errors." Surkov explained.

"Really? But the people are still the same people, and the regime has not changed. Is this the misfortune of this country, or is it your luck?" Solzhenitsyn said such a sentence inexplicably, which made Surkov Feeling a little embarrassed in public.

But Surkov retorted seriously, "I never deny the shortcomings of this country, but I also won't deny its brilliance and greatness. Perhaps because of historical conditions, we have made mistakes of one kind or another. .It does not mean that in the future, we will make the same mistakes that harm the interests of the people."

"Soldiers with flaws are fighters after all, and noble flies still can't cover up their dirty nature."

Solzhenitsyn, who was walking in the front, stopped. This guy who is also good at playing word games showed a friendly smile for the first time since he got off the plane. With a Hemingway-style beard, he put his hands in his pockets , Said solemnly, "Your opinion and level are much higher than that group of wastes from the propaganda department in the Khrushchev era, although at the beginning I was also curious about how such a country completed from a government that broke promises to a powerful one. A shift in national cohesion, and now I think I have the answer."

There is no word of praise that is more exciting than speaking from one's own enemy. Surkov just nodded politely and said, "This is our belief, although not everyone can understand his greatness."

"You remind me of Susrov." Solzhenitsyn replied, "Minister Surkov, no wonder you are in charge of a country's ideological strategic high ground. Since Susrov's death, I seem to have learned from you I saw the shadow of the gray-clothed bishop on my body."

"So, skipping these boring procedures, when will we meet the real ruler of the Soviets, the General Secretary of the Soviets who is called a tyrant by the Western countries?" The curiosity of a typical monarch far outweighs his disgust for scolding a dictator.

"The next thing is." Surkov replied with a mysterious face.

Chapter 427 A Dialogue Spanning Half a Century

Even Solzhenitsyn didn't expect that the Soviet government's level of reception for foreign guests has actually increased the level of reception for foreign guests. General Secretary Yanayev is about to receive foreign guests in the St. George's Hall of the Kremlin. Solzhenitsyn , For others, this is an honor, but for Solzhenitsyn, Yanayev, who stands at the top of the pyramid, is no different from others.Without the coat of glory, no one can escape the lonely sleep under the tombstone.

Yanayev’s meeting with Solzhenitsyn in the Georgia Hall caused a sensation in the academic and literary circles. Some people began to speculate on the political trend this time. Could it be another major purge in the literary and artistic circles? Intellectuals who colluded and cooperated have gone to foreign countries to enjoy themselves on the grounds of being politically persecuted. This is the first time since Yanayev took office in 1991, he has faced the biggest dissident in the entire Soviet Union.

Solzhenitsyn just stood there, watching Yanayev approaching him. The other party was not as vicious and brutal as described in his novel "The New Czar of the North", but more like a kind-faced priest of the Orthodox Church. Instead of being the ruler of an evil empire.

"Chairman Yanayev, hello." Solzhenitsyn said calmly, he would not lower his head for any dictator.

"Hello, Mr. Solzhenitsyn." Yanayev shook hands with him with a smile, and the other party also extended his right hand very naturally, without showing the appearance of a cynical old cynic.But this is the same guy who made the entire government gnash their teeth in the Stalin era and the Khrushchev era.However, when the United States wanted to praise this anti-Soviet hero, Solzhenitsyn naturally disliked any kind of system, but the U.S. government at that time had no choice but to ignore this anti-Soviet hero.

"Welcome home," Yanayev said.

Solzhenitsyn froze for a moment. Yanayev was not like Soviet bureaucrats or CIA officials during the Khrushchev period. He first talked about the significance of his "Gulag Archipelago" when he came, and Encourage the other party to continue to write more similar excellent works, and Yanayev's first sentence is actually a welcome home full of human touch.

"Chairman Yanayev..." For a moment Solzhenitsyn didn't know how to reply to the other party, as if he put on armor and held a shield, ready to meet the enemy, but the other party gave you a friendly smile.

Under the bright lights of St. George's Hall, Yanayev's face was soaked in soft light, which made Solzhenitsyn even forget for a moment that he had prepared tit-for-tat words.