The mystery of Stalin's death

BBC ^ | February 24,2003 | Leonida Krushelnycky

[Semper Paratus]

I heard something like this to before.
What is true though is they got rid of Beria as soon as they dared.

[demlosers]

Interesting.

[firewalk]

Interesting read, thank you

[Servant of the Nine]

Associates of Saddam hussein, please make note.

So9

[Paleo Conservative]

Any bets on whether Saddam Hussein will live to see March 5, 2003?

I hope he rests in pieces.

[UCFRoadWarrior]

Semper....thats right. Beria would be executed the year after Stalin died (on orders from Kruschev). Malenkov (I believe foreign min. after Stalin died) and Kruschev didnt want Beria around as they were afraid he would take over

[Semper Paratus]

Kruschev didnt want Beria around as they were afraid he would take over

Beria as Premier would have been a cross between Pol Pot and Kim Il-Jong.

[Abcdefg]

However this murderer died, I hope it was excruciating and drawn out.

[ErnBatavia]

Any bets on whether Saddam Hussein will live to see March 5, 2003?

I'm afraid he'll make it until late March, at the earliest...There are some mid-March dates on the "diplomatic" agenda continuing to hold things at bay.

[section9]

Well, I told you that the man responsible for Stalin's death would be uncovered! I tried to tell everyone, but NOBODY would believe me....

Sadly, Beria understood that "dead men tell no tales"...

Be Seeing You,

Chris

[dfwgator]

There was a Russian documentary about Stalin called Monster. At the end, they claim that Beria told the rest of the Politburo, "you are lucky, I saved you all."

[Aracelis]

Interesting...

[Mike Darancette]

The story goes that the first time Stalin's Creatures thought Stalin was dead Beria danced a little jig and said some bad things. When Stalin then moved Beria was the first to kiss his hand.

As bad as the Commies were they, at least, liquidated Beria.

[ExpatCanuck]

What is true though is they got rid of Beria as soon as they dared.

Apparently he was not a popular fellow, even among his compatriots; I recall reading that he was fed into a mini crematorium, conscious, alive, and feet first, while the Politburo members watched.

Anyone recall these specifics?

[Erasmus]

(Cicero:)

"The story goes that the first time Stalin's Creatures thought Stalin was dead Beria danced a little jig and said some bad things."

I read that he also ran out into the hall to call for his driver, with a triumphant note in his voice.

(ExpatCanuck:)

"I recall reading that he was fed into a mini crematorium, conscious, alive, and feet first, while the Politburo members watched."

The story I heard was that shortly after Stalin's demise he met with his comrades (I don't recall who had set up the meeting) and was, much to his outrage, arrested by their guards and taken to the Lubyanka. They stomped his spectacles to make it harder for him to escape. A few days later, one of Khruschchev's lieutenants came into the cell and, while Beria begged for his life, put a bullet through his brain.

Your story is the more picturesque, if only because it was rather more in Beria's personal style.

[u-89]

Beria begged for his life, put a bullet through his brain.

That's the way I always heard it too except not in his quarters but in a special(and well used) execution cell with a drain in floor (for easy hosing down of blood). Never heard that about the crematorium either. Will have to dig out some books that I haven't cracked open in a long time to check out how it went down.

[Billthedrill]

Man, that's one heckuva dinner party when Nikita Kruschev is the fuzzy puppy of the group...

[ExpatCanuck]

Thanks for the brain tweak, some of it is coming back to me now. It was Beria who had actually done the crematorium routine to someone else (a mole exposed by Kim Philby I believe). I think the official cause of Beria's death was listed as 'Brain Hemmorage'.