June 18, 2020

The Anti-Party Almost Coup


The Anti-Party Almost Coup
Khrushchev, TIME's Man of the Year for 1957.

They had the votes. But they did not have Marshal Georgy Zhukov. And they could not have predicted that Khrushchev would flank them.

On June 18, 1957, a group of seven Presidium members – Malenkov, Molotov, Kaganovich, Bulganin, Voroshilov, Pervukhin and Saburov – voted to oust Nikita Khrushchev as First Secretary, replacing him with Bulganin. Four voted against, and thus it would seem that Khrushchev's fate was sealed.

But then the wily Nikita argued that, since he was empowered by the Central Committee of the Communist Party, not the Presidium, only the CC could vote him out. He demanded a vote, and an extraordinary session was called.

Problem was, the session was called on short notice and Khrushchev's supporters might not be able to get to Moscow in time. Zhukov mobilized military flights to make it happen and, even more importantly, the war hero himself made an impassioned speech to the assembled delegates.

Accusing the plotters (which were skillfully dubbed the "Anti-Party Group") of having blood on their hands over Stalin's atrocities (Khrushchev's Secret Speech before this body had taken place just a year before), he said his military had the power to crush them even if they voted for the plotters.

Khrushchev won the vote and the plotters were demoted (Molotov, for instance, was appointed ambassador to Mongolia). Interestingly, Zhukhov was also ousted by Khrushchev a short-time later, allegedly for harboring "Bonapartist tendencies."

Chastened, the anti-Khrushchev forces retreated to re-gather their forces. Then, seven years later, in October 1964, a group led by Leonid Brezhnev properly whipped their votes to ensure a successful ouster.

Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals
[INVALID]
[INVALID]

Some of our Books

Murder at the Dacha
July 01, 2013

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.

A Taste of Chekhov
December 24, 2022

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.

At the Circus
January 01, 2013

At the Circus

This wonderful novella by Alexander Kuprin tells the story of the wrestler Arbuzov and his battle against a renowned American wrestler. Rich in detail and characterization, At the Circus brims with excitement and life. You can smell the sawdust in the big top, see the vivid and colorful characters, sense the tension build as Arbuzov readies to face off against the American.

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka
November 01, 2012

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.

Bears in the Caviar
May 01, 2015

Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar is a hilarious and insightful memoir by a diplomat who was “present at the creation” of US-Soviet relations. Charles Thayer headed off to Russia in 1933, calculating that if he could just learn Russian and be on the spot when the US and USSR established relations, he could make himself indispensable and start a career in the foreign service. Remarkably, he pulled it of.

The Latchkey Murders
July 01, 2015

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...

White Magic
June 01, 2021

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.

A Taste of Russia
November 01, 2012

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955