Konstantin Khabensky as Admiral Kolchak in the film "Admiral"
It was not a minister or an academician who achieved this decision in our modern Russia, but a resident of St. Petersburg Dmitry Ostryakov. In September 2018, he sent a request to the relevant authorities to declassify these documents, based on the fact that part of them had already been presented earlier, was announced in the Smolensk District Court of St. Petersburg, in which the case on the dismantling of the Kolchak memorial plaque was considered, and was published on the website of this court. From the Central Archives of the FSB of Russia he was informed that the "case" had been transferred for his assessment by experts, and then, a year later, he was informed that "the specified case was declassified in accordance with the established procedure." However, it was emphasized that the rule of limited access applies to persons who have been subjected to political repression and rehabilitated. In reality, this access to them is completely closed.
Now let's remember: what is so remarkable about the personality of Admiral Kolchak? Why is he “better” or “worse” than the very same Denikin, Yudenich or Ataman Krasnov? Well, he was a polar explorer, and that characterizes him well. However, so what? And Denikin was a writer. Wrote interesting memoirs …
The most famous fact of Kolchak's biography is his participation in the Civil War in Siberia and the fact that he was elected the Supreme Ruler. Being in this position, he gave an order to investigate the murder of the royal family and gained access to the gold of the Russian Empire, which the Czechs took from Kazan. He pursued a brutal policy against everyone who was dissatisfied with the regime of his government, which caused uprisings and repressions against the rebels. But the actions of the Bolsheviks also caused uprisings and, accordingly, repressions against the insurgents. Only one "chapan war" was worth what. So it's all "fifty-fifty".
Most importantly, he was betrayed by his own allies: in January 1920, he was detained by the command of the Czechoslovak Corps when he was retreating to the east, and then the Czechs, together with the gold, gave it to the Bolsheviks in exchange for a safe exit from Russia. At the same time, yes, the Czechs gave the gold, but how many echelons of other goods did they take out at the same time? Non-ferrous metals, leather, rolled metal, steel … Why did Czechoslovakia rise so quickly after the war and precisely after the return of this building? And they brought a lot of things! Both raw materials and money!
Well, then, on the night of February 7, 1920, he was shot without trial in Irkutsk, by decision of the Irkutsk Military Revolutionary Committee. And today you can talk as much as you like about the unjust side of such a decision, nothing can be done about it. It was such a time! Then there were no just decisions in the spirit of humanism and modern tolerance.
Interestingly, the laws do not indicate the dependence of work with cases on whether people were rehabilitated or not. But the courts refuse the researchers on the basis of clause 5 of the order of the Ministry of Culture of Russia, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia and the FSB of Russia dated July 25, 2006 No. 375/584/352. And although clause 5 says that the document does not regulate the issues of access to materials of unrehabilitated persons, it also adds that citizens, when asked if possible access to materials related to persons who are denied rehabilitation, are "issued with certificates of the results of the revision." But a certificate is a help, but it is still not possible to look at the cases.
Interestingly, Mr. Ostryakov did not manage to find out from the FSB under what conditions it is possible to look at the cases of the unrehabilitated. And if so, a situation arises in which these cases are closed … forever? Or how? Can not be. The law "On Archives" says about a 75-year limitation period from the date of creation of documents that contain personal secrets. But the law “On state secrets” stipulates a term of 30 years, and it is extended only in exceptional cases.
And although there may be hundreds of thousands of victims of repression who have not been rehabilitated (and it is unknown what they deserved or not), in this case, the Kolchak case is important. He is not rehabilitated. But how long does it take to get to know him? How old exactly?
It is clear that Kolchak is a very controversial figure. And what is the non-contradictory figure of those who made the revolution or fought against it? Which side was more legitimate or more violent? Until 1991, it could have been said that … the exclusion of Kolchak's case serves the interests of the state. A state, good or bad, or even an "evil empire" has every right to protect its interests. Within the framework of their laws, again, whether someone likes them or not. But now we have a completely different state, completely different ideas about legality and lawlessness, jurisdiction or non-jurisdiction of certain acts, and we must act in accordance with them.
Even today, our society is largely split. There are people who again “call to the ax” and offer to solve the rights of the disadvantaged with the help of violence. There are also those who idealize the past. As Soviet, when all the streets of our cities were literally paved with non-depreciating Soviet rubles, so is the past of the Russian Empire, when … when all the negativity was also abundant. And only complete openness in access to all archival materials is able to gradually overcome this split. Informed people act more intelligently than uninformed people.
More information means less speculation.
A simple example. From point A to point B a train left. There are documents that he came out and that he came. And that when he left, there were 100 people in it, but only 50 arrived at the place. Information about what happened on the train while it was moving from point A to B is classified. And this simply opens up boundless scope for all kinds of speculation and speculation. You can simply write that everything is classified because … some passengers … ate others! They just took it and ate it! Therefore, it is classified. You can write that they were abducted by aliens from space or a parallel world - why not?
However, you can act more deliberately. Namely: to collect available information on similar cases. To unite, to offer the same readers “to choose for themselves,” that is, to play “objectivity”, but at the same time to constantly pedalize the thesis that “there is no smoke without fire”, that if “the state is hiding something, then it has, what to hide ", what …" it is not good when the state hides the truth from the people ", and everything of the same kind, and so on.
And in the end … in the end, this is exactly how distrust in the authorities is born! This is how the information foundation of society is being destroyed, since it is known that "a house built on sand will not stand." Although a lot has changed today. Most of society deeply does not care about Kolchak, and the fact that he was in general. 90% of people are concerned about how to survive in an era of change, raise children, and strengthen their well-being. And then some kind of Kolchak … The average person is now worried about something completely different.
Surprisingly, this attitude towards archival secrets migrated to us from the USSR. And if then it was completely justified, then how is it JUSTIFIED NOW?
In my practice, there was a case. I came to Zagorsk to the office of the Moscow Metropolitan to receive information about the contribution of the Orthodox Church to the victory in the Second World War. I contacted them, and Archimandrite Innokenty invited me. I explain to him that I am a postgraduate student at KSU, that I want to write a book about Soviet tankmen of the Alexander Nevsky tank column, which will be called Star and Cross, and that I need information. Then he tells me that any help from the church will be provided to you, we will give all the data, how much money, gold and silver they collected - everything, everything. But along the combat path of the column, they have nothing. We blessed her, and … she melted! And we DO NOT LET US into the archives! I remember that this was very surprised. Weren't the ministers of the cult citizens of the USSR? Why were they not given the opportunity to collect information about the convoy built with their own money? In "Pravda" there were photos with the transfer of these tanks to the army, but that's all. What's next?
In general, with the blessing of the archimandrite, I left for Podolsk to the archives of the Ministry of Defense, where I requested the data on the column. But she is not! She went to the front, but … did not come. So then I could not figure out where the whole column of tanks with the inscription "Alexander Nevsky" on the armor had gone. There was very little time for work.
And only in our time, through the efforts of historians unknown to me, it was possible to find out that these tanks were sent to replenish individual tank units, they did not form a brigade from them. And the path of the battle figured out these units, and how they fought. But how many years have they been in oblivion!.. Although it was said even before 1991: "Nobody is forgotten and nothing is forgotten."
And this strange attitude towards our historical memory is repeated on a new round of history. And what's the point in that? From what, what or whom are we protecting by blocking access to Kolchak's case? Who will be worse if it is told once again that he was shot without trial or investigation? Well, yes … that's what it is and the Civil War! An extra argument in favor of not allowing it …
So, in theory, it would be necessary to open the doors of the archives wider, and not close them in front of inquisitive people. Any reticence and "mystery" is a double-edged sword, with one of which it will hit you on the forehead!
