Below I adduce the translation of my letter addressed to E.G.Bonner and her answer to me.
<< Dear Elena Georgievna!
As far as I know, some time ago you have read the 1-st edition of my “Genius of Evil” (Moscow, 2001), the book where I defend my father, composer A.L.Lokshin (1920-1987) who was calumniated as a sneaker. As I see now, my book was rather naive. However, since 2001 I have published (in particular, on the site of Eugene Berkovich) a number of articles which are sufficient for the absolute rehabilitation of my father from the suspicions of being a sneaker. The most important article is “The Mouse-Trap”( Berkovich-Zametki, №13, 2007); the following texts on the Forums are also of importance:
http://berkovich-zametki.com/Forum2/vie ... ?f=7&t=319http://berkovich-zametki.com/Forum2/vie ... p?f=7&t=50http://berkovich-zametki.com/Forum2/vie ... p?f=7&t=63However, in spite of my cries and moans addressed to the director of the Sakharov’s Center, the evident calumny in my father’s address contained in the book of N. and M.Ulanovsky still remains on the Sakharov’s Center site:
http://sakharov-center.ru/asfcd/auth/au ... 5&page=229
Even a minimal decorum is not kept: there are no references to my articles! It is quite astonishing because the people close to the principal accuser of my father, V.I.Prokhorova, HAVE IN FACT EXPRESSED ME THEIR APOLOGIES
http://musica.4bb.ru/viewtopic.php?id=363I ask you for help.
With great respect,
A.A.Lokshin, son of the composer
Moscow, January, 5th, 2009>>
I have received the answer from Mrs Elena Bonner on January, 8th, 2009.
.
She wrote:
<<From a certain point I have no more relation to the museum [i.e. the Sakharov’s Center] <…>
since I did not find Alexander Lokshin’s address [I ask] to let him know that I asked a member of the Public Commission to ask the director of the museum to take away from the site the material mentioned by Alexander Lokshin. And more than that – I am always on my guard when I consider all the supposedly unmasking materials . And in the most part of the cases I do not trust them.>> This part of the letter of Elena Bonner has been placed on the Internet with her consent
***
Alexander Lokshin
A MOUSE-TRAP
http://berkovich-zametki.com/2007/Zamet ... kshin1.htm These notes tell about the fact that Svjatoslav Richter's moving from the Heinrich Neuhaus' apartment to the apartment of Vera Ivanovna Prokhorova , which has occurred in 1942, was (I am sure, secretly from participants of the moving) planned in NKVD (the Soviet Secret Police).These notes also tell about other events in the apartment of Vera Prokhorova, a grand daughter of the last owner of the Three-Mountain manufactory (and a daughter of its last co-director).
Citation 1.
“On November, 4th, 1941 daddy [i.e. Heinrich Neuhaus] had been arrested <…>. For all of us and for Slava [Richter] daddy's arrest was a hard blow. One room was sealed up in our apartment. From this point on in a room with two grand pianos there lived Slava, Serezha and grandmother, and I have moved to mum.” (Neuhaus M. G. “Svjatoslav Richter in Heinrich Gustavovich Neuhaus' family” / In: “Recollecting Svjatoslav Richter. – Мoscow: Constanta, 2000, p.35-36)
Citation 2.
“In 1942 when it became dangerous to Slava [Richter] to live in our apartment, Vera [Prokhorova] and her family (her mother and her sister) have invited him to move to them. Slava lived at Vera’s apartment till 1946”. (See the above-quoted article of M.G.Neuhaus, p. 34)
Citation 3.
“During the war Svjatoslav [Richter] lived in my family though he had been registeredd at Neuhaus’ apartment with whose family I am a relative. Heinrich Gustavovich was imprisoned at this time. [Discrepancy: H.H.Neuhaus was released from the prison on July, 19th, 1942; see the article by M.G.Neuhaus quoted above, p. 36.] Before war Svetik [Sviatoslav Richter] lived at his apartment <…>. Once Svetik had received the summons:“ Lihter has to be in police station with the passport ”. Svetik told:“ I am not Lihter, I am Richter, therefore I will not go anywhere ”. It was dangerous to stay at Neuhaus’ apartment, and it has been decided that he will move to us on the Furmanov street (nowadays it is the Nashchokinsky lane). By diligence of the Secret Police IT TURNED OUT RELEASED [allocated by me - А.L.] a room in our common apartment and we turned out to be owners of three rooms (the cousin and the uncle had been arrested). And Svjatoslav began to live there. In the afternoon he often went to Neuhaus ‘ apartment where he played the piano, but in the evening he always returned to us. By the way, there was A SHADOWING AFTER HIM [ allocated by me – А.L.] not only in the wartime, but also after the war, because his mother was abroad [ she had left on the West the occupied Odessa]. (See: Prokhorova V. I. “He was entirely in life …” / Recollecting Svjatoslav Richter. - Мoscow: Constanta, 2000, p.46-47)
Two things seem inexplicable here at the first sight:
Why the "released" room has not been sealed up;
How it turned out possible to Richter, WHO HAD BEEN WATCHED, to live FOR YEARS DURING THE WAR in Prokhorova’s apartment without a residence permit.
About the extreme role that the residence permit played during the war one can read, for example, in George Efron's "Diaries" (Мoscow: VAGRIUS, 2004, v. 1, p. 433):
“[July, 8th, 1941] the owner of the room where we now do live, has left to the house-committee the document that we leave on August, 1st. It means that since August, 1st we have no right to spend the night here. <…> but whereas her husband [i.e. the owner of the room] has written that we leave since August, 1st how can we live without a residence permit till September, 1st? It is impossible”.
Two following citations explain, in my opinion, both mentioned strangenesses.
Citation 4.
“Mother of Vera [Ivanovna Prokhorova], Nadezhda Nikolaevna, is nee Guchkova.
The Moscow mayor Nikolay Ivanovich Guchkov is her father. Alexander Ivanovich Guchkov is her native uncle. According to the Soviet historiography , each of his posts was a sedition: he was the founder and the leader of the Oktiabrist-party, the chairman of III State Duma, the Minister of War of Provisional government [and also – in addition to posts - one of the organizers of the Intervention, an influential figure in White emigration. Has died in Paris in 1936].
In the USSR for a person originating from such a family tree it was impossible to find a work, moreover it was impossible to live . <…>
By 1930 [!] to mum [i.e.V.I.Prohorova’s mother] all the same was allowed to work as a translator with foreign tourists, including high-ranking ones[!!!] ”. (See: Grigoriev А“ Prohorovy from Three mountains ”/ Izvestia, May, 12th, 1998)
Citation 5.
<<In the evening of their life when many people start to live on recollections, Vera Aleksandrovna Guchkova-Suvchinskaja-Trail [a famous Soviet spy, daughter of A.I.Guchkov] needed a worthy interlocutor. She writes <…> [to another Soviet spy] Rodzevich:
"<…> Many years ago Ezhov [chief of the Secret Police in the USSR] adored me (certainly, in absolutely innocent sense), however, I wrote about it in my book.">> (see: Aniskovich L. “Sofia Parnok and Konstantin Rodzevich. Two sides of one moon”. Мoskow: Cyrillics, 2005, p. 319)
And this is one more fragment from L.Aniskovich's book (p. 311): <<Most of all participants of dismantling of documents [belonging to Rodzevich which were found after his death] were amazed with a certain magic phrase in one of Vera Trail’s letters: “They must , at last, stop annoying me with this story [about murders] of Reiss and Trotsky’s son ; I have an absolute alibi!”>>
Two last citations, no doubt, mean that the apartment of Prokhorova was carefully listened by the Secret Police. This obviously explains the above mentioned strangenesses, accompanying Richter's moving to this apartment.As I believe, NKVD (the Secret Police) has planned this moving (certainly, secretly from Richter and Prochorova’s family): loyalty of the super-talented musician required round-the-clock check.
In 1948 my father was invited in this mouse-trap .
I have already written in detail about the consequences of this invitation in my book “Genius of Evil”, Мoscow, 2005 (it is possible to get acquainted with some details which were not included into the book on
http://www.lokshin.org).
In brief, the essence is as follows. In 1950 Prokhorova has been arrested, and seditious conversations which occurred between my father and Prokhorova when they stayed alone, had been shown to her by the inspector: ”Each our conversation with Shura [i.e. A.L.Lokshin] has been presented as my monologue, my statement or my personal opinion.” (See: Prokhorova V. “Tragedy of treachery” / the Russian musical newspaper, 2002, №4). And on the basis of this Prokhorova has written the article, having accused my father of the arrest.
It is inexplicable, however, how could Prokhorova dare to hold a whole series of many anti-Soviet conversations in her listened apartment. She has counted 12 or 13 anti-Soviet conversations between her and my father….
It is very strange, because my father was EXTREMELY afraid of INTERCEPTION (see Prokhorova’s article).
It is quite strange, because Richter WHO WAS WATCHED, continued to happen in this apartment (see Prokhorova’s article).
It is especially strange, when having such a specific relative as a Soviet spy Vera Guchkova-Trail.
It is also strange, because Jury Nagibin regularly happened in Prokhorova’s apartment. During that time Nagibin was the SON-IN-LAW of STALIN’s FAVOURITE I.A.LIKHACHEV, the former People's Commissar of Mechanical Engineering (!) and a FORMER SECURITY OFFICER. ( See:Nagibin J.”The Eternal Music”. – Мoscow: ACT, 2004, p. 346-355; see also: Nagibin J.”My Golden Mother-in-Law”. - Мoscow: ACT, 2004, p. 228-229 where I.A.Likhachev is deduced as "V.K.Zvyagintsev")
By the way, Prokhorova writes about conversations between her and my father the following: “<…> And all the conversations began to have especially political character.” But someone should begin conversations on political themes . Especially during the terror. Especially, if interlocutors are know each other no more than one year. Probably, it was the person who was not afraid of interception …
And what did Vera Guchkova-Trail do in that 1949 in which anti-Soviet conversations in the Prokhorova’s apartment took place? She also held anti-Soviet conversations, but in English.
“Already in 1949, - Alain Brossat writes, - when Victor Kravchenko during the epoch of rise of the cold war has opened eyes to the western public opinion by the sensational book“ I Choose Freedom ”, she accompanies the deserter on public statements as a translator. In a photo published on May, 4th, 1949 in the newspaper “Evening news ”, Vera Trail stands near to Kravchenko, being nervously tightened by a cigarette …” (see the book of L.Aniskovich quoted above, p. 314-315).
Perhaps, Prokhorova did not know about Vera Guchkova-Trail profession. But as the outstanding expert on her own family tree she could have guessed.
* * *
In general, Soviet Secret Police could use taps creatively. Below I adduce a citation from Elena Bonner's memoirs. These memoirs tell about later times (1971), but the”handwriting” of the Secret Police is the same:
“We [i.e. Elena Bonner and Andrey Sakharov] have passed to his room which, for months that have passed since December, I already knew to last nail in a wall. We drank coffee, gnawed cookies and all that he has told me in these hours <…> has been then retold in a dirty-disgusting tonality in the Italian newspaper "Sette Giorni ”referring to me that I ostensibly told it about him to my girlfriends. Listening [by the Soviet Secret Police] has been adjusted well in his apartment”. (See: Sakharov А., Bonner E. Diaries,v. 1. Мoscow: Vremia, 2006, p. 65)
As it is known, it turned out impossible to discredit Elena Bonner in Sakharov’s opinion with the help of a tap. In my father’s story everything has turned out quite differently: persecution from outside the progressive public has not stopped even after his death …
P.S. Recently I have found an incredibly surprising document placed in the book “Lubjanka in days of the fight for Moscow . Under the declassified documents of FSB of the Russian Federation“ – Мoscow: the Publishing House "Zvonnitsa", 2002, p. 82 - 90:
<<THE INQUIRY ON THE ORGANIZATION OF SUBVERSIVE AND TERRORIST GROUPS WITHIN THE LIMITS OF REALIZATION OF "THE MOSCOW PLAN”
On October, 14th, 1941 Top secret
For companion L.P.Beria
<…> The Agent "Lekal" is a former officer of the imperial army, an old checked up agent.
He is left in back of the enemy with tasks of prospecting character. For successful performance of the task under our task he has married the daughter of the former owner of "the Prokhorov’s manufactory”, who has large communications among employees of German embassy in Moscow and the White emigration.
In case where the factories will be returned to his wife "Lekal" will operate them and will occupy a corresponding social standing.<…>
With all abovementioned heads of groups and agents there are established passwords for communication.
KOBULOV
Central Archives of FSB of Russia, <…>
The original. The hand-written copy is executed by N.I.Ejtingon.>>
I leave this document without comments.
A Letter by academician Victor V. Vanslov addressed to the son of composerDear Alexander Alexandrovich! You know that I do highly appreciate your father, Alexander Lazarevich Lokshin, because of the knowledge I received from him when studying at the Conservatory; I have written about it in my book “The Comprehencion of Art” in detail. My acknowledgment to him is immutable. But after having read the article by V.Prokhorova in “The Musical Revue”, I was shocked. I hastily believed to this article and referred to it in the chapter about the tragic character of Shostakovich’s music in my new book and made suppositions which I clearly should not make, since , except Prokhorova’s article, I had no reasons for these suppositions. I do understand that I had non-substantiately blackened your father, I do deeply regret and repent of my deed. I feel bitterness when understanding that I caused you a pain by doubting of your father’s dignity. Now, when I remind him, he stays in my mind as an outstanding creative person entirely absorbed in music and his own spiritual life and incapable of any mean deed. Excuse me for my failure. In future I ‘ll try to find a way to improve my fault.
Sincerely yours,
V.Vanslov 05.01.2010
A document from FSB of RussiaFSB of Russia
Department of Archive Funds Registration 16.02.01 №10/А-Л-63 Moscow to A.A.Lokshin
On a commission from FSB leadership your request is considered at the Central Archive of FSB. We do inform you that the Archive contains no materials concerning Lokshin Alexander Lazarevich.
Assistant chief of the Department
N.A.ChichulinVERA IVANOVNA IS MISTAKENA.A.Lokshin, son of the composer
I have just read a book by Vera Ivanovna Prokhorova: "Four Friends in the Background of the Century" (Moscow, Astrel, 2012). Prokhorova stubbornly continues to insist that my father is to blame for her being arrested in 1950 (p.51-58).
Prokhorova has formulated all accusations against my father ten years ago in her article "The Tragedy of Betrayal" (Russian Music Newspaper, 2002, № 4). Now this newspaper has become a rarity.
However, in my "Genius of Evil" (2005) which is available on the Internet there are large quotes from the above-mentioned article, so the reader can easily verify that Prokhorova’s charges against my father have much changed in comparison with those written in 2002. I confess, I was expecting the fact that the charges will "float".
The episode on the staircase has moved to the room (where my father lived together with my grandmother and my aunt), the Malenkov’s portrait which had been hanging in the street before the election suddenly materialized on the wall of the room, and my grandmother and aunt have been removed from the room in an unknown direction. Logically related to the mentioned episode the description of confrontation between Prokhorova and M.A.Meerovich has radically changed. A never-existed “secretary” of my father has also appeared...
As regards the accusations against my father, I do not intend to answer all fads of Vera Ivanovna’s memory. I consider these radical changes as the recognition of the fact that my previous answers to the Prokhorova’s article “The Tragedy of Betrayal”(2002) were complete and exhaustive.
However, Prokhorova’s memoirs about her life in the GULAG are quite informative. It wasn’t cold In the barrack where she lived (“…
icy bunk in the barrack? No , the stove was overheated …”), her personal guards turned out to be decent men , she was released from the hard work ... (p.58-60). See also Prokhorova’s interview to the journalist E.Pischikova (“Russian Life”, September 28, 2007):
"..
. by nature, I am not adapted to the physical work, so I did not even have to pretend."Prokhorova’s text about her life in the GULAG turns out to be in remarkable correspondence with Volpin’s story about his prosperous life in a mental hospital after he had been arrested in 1949. (See Yu. Eichenwald, ”The Last Pages”. - Moscow: RGGU, 2003, p.247.)
Both Volpin, and Prokhorova had to be protected from death by the Secret police (NKVD). Otherwise, who would distribute the Lubyanka stuff about my father all over the world?
Still, the level of the book by Vera Ivanovna is amazing. In conclusion, I want to present two excerpts from it. Although these excerpts are not directly related to the theme of my notes, they do characterize her book as a whole:
<<
Now they tell and write a lot of nasty things about [Sergey] Efron, that he supposedly was an agent of the NKVD, and so on. I do precisely know that this is not true. >> ("Four Friends ...", p.29)
It’s splendid, isn’t it?
<<
But his [Andrey Sakharov’s] spouse! She was a devil incarnate, just a devil incarnate! The eyes are black and rotate around its axis. Apparently, she kept Sakharov under the thumb. >> (Ibid., p.73)
But I have always thought that such a characterization of Elena Bonner issues from ... well, you’ve guessed it ...
Moscow, June, 2012
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