The General Secretaries of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union only at first glance were ordinary people, no different from their fellow citizens. They also devoted themselves selflessly to the common cause - the construction of communism, after which they needed a good rest. It is desirable that the weekend be spent in a pleasant and well-equipped area with a good climate and excellent service. Such were the numerous dachas of Brezhnev Leonid Ilyich, the owner of the Kremlin from 1966 to 1982.
Where the general secretaries rested
All heads of state liked to spend their holidays in comfortable and safe places. In order to provide the leaders with maximum convenience, special departmental dachas were built, equipped with the latest modern technology. Each state leader had a lot of such country residences, in almost every corner of the vast Motherland. Many of them were inherited by the successor.
I. V. Stalin rested in different regions of the USSR. But the most beloved country house of the leader of all peoples was the estate in Kuntsevo, which was then considered the suburbs. Volynskaya dacha, and that was the name of the residence, was built as a one-story house without any special frills. But Stalin's paranoia led to the fact that over time the estate was equipped with a bomb shelter and a reinforced security system. It is noteworthy that the dacha did not have a working office of the dictator. Here, Stalin preferred to exclusively relax and be distracted from public affairs. The leader spent his last days at the Volyn dacha, where he died in 1953.
Stalin's successor N. S. Khrushchev loved luxury. And unlike his predecessor, he believed that the dacha was not just a place to relax. Here, in a relaxed atmosphere, many political issues can be resolved. The most popular was the dacha in Pitsunda. Brezhnev, over time, also fell in love with this residence.
Khrushchev's craving for luxury led to the fact that the buildings were equipped with magnificent columns and balconies, and the interior was replenished with luxurious furniture. Unlike the ascetic taste of Stalin, Nikita Sergeevich did not shy away from brightness and splendor.
The favorite dacha of Leonid Brezhnev was the Crimean Wisteria in Nizhnyaya Oreanda. Subsequently, the second President of Russia V. V. Putin began to rest on it.
The last General Secretary of the USSR Mikhail Gorbachev preferred to rest on the southern coast of Crimea, in the Zarya estate. The dacha was built in the forest and was controlled by guards from water and air. Not a single living soul could come close to the building. The residence was equippeda helipad, an escalator to the sea, a sauna, a modern cinema, as well as a court and a billiard room. Like all his predecessors, the last Secretary General liked to relax in comfort and convenience.
Crimean dachas of party leaders of the USSR
In total, there were 11 state residences on the fertile peninsula:
- Gosdacha No. 1 was the Glinitsia estate, built for N. S. Khrushchev. The estate, which was inherited by Leonid Brezhnev, later became the secretary general's favorite vacation spot.
- Gosdacha No. 3 was built in Malaya Sosnovka specifically by order of IV Stalin. Like all major country residences, the estate was painted green for the purpose of camouflage. Over time, the dacha "Tent" was completed by Brezhnev.
- In the state dacha No. 6 on the southern coast of Crimea, in the village of Oliva, the general secretaries received guests of honor.
- Gosdacha No. 11 Foros has a sad history. It was here that during the August coup in 1991, the last Secretary General of the USSR was held. M. S. Gorbachev. In addition, Zarya was the last dacha in the history of country residences of Soviet leaders.
L. I. Brezhnev and Crimea: favorite places
Leonid Ilyich first visited the peninsula during the Great Patriotic War. The future Secretary General took part in the Kerch-Eltigen landing operation. He fell in love with the comfortable climate so much that since 1963 he began to regularly relax on the Black Sea coast. Sometimes the Secretary General spent 1.5-2 months in Crimea.
In addition to the main state dacha in Crimea, Brezhnev also visited the sovereign residence No."Chair". He also stayed in Malaya Sosnovka, Stalin's former dacha, which the Secretary General remade in his own way.
Brezhnev's state dacha in Crimea: favorite "Wisteria"
The state residence number one was built in 1955 specifically for Nikita Khrushchev. Subsequently, the dacha "Glinitsiya" became Brezhnev's favorite vacation spot. In the Crimea, the dacha passed over time into the possession of Leonid Ilyich's successor Yu. V. Andropov.
In the estate at first there were 14 rooms, as well as a grand dining room, a fireplace room, a banquet hall and a spacious loggia on the second floor. Nikita Sergeevich was forced to go down to the sea for sunbathing. Under Brezhnev's rule, a comfortable heated indoor pool, as well as tennis courts and a gym appeared on the territory of Glinitsia.
Gosdacha number two: Latvian rest of the Secretary General
Brezhnev's dacha number two is the B altic Breeze Cottage in Jurmala, Latvia. From the very beginning, the building was conceived as a resting place for the party leaders of the USSR. In the "B altic Breeze" they tried to keep everything as it was during the life of the Secretary General. Even the personal office of the leader has been preserved. From here, Brezhnev could lead the country without looking up from his rest.
However, the dacha in Jurmala did not attract the attention of the Secretary General too often. Leonid Ilyich liked the mild Crimean climate more. And yet, the dacha is still called Brezhnev's and is the most visited attraction in Jurmala.
The bewitching nature of Abkhazia
Subtropical climate of the Black SeaThe coast of the Caucasus has always attracted those wishing to relax with comfort and colorful impressions. The nature of Abkhazia is bright and varied. Mountain peaks, turbulent rivers, expanses of the Black Sea and abundant vegetation make the area look like a fairy tale. The hot air temperature is tolerated by vacationers quite easily due to the low level of humidity. However, sometimes there are sudden changes: warm weather is suddenly replaced by heavy winds with heavy rains.
It is not surprising that the leaders of the Soviet Union were very fond of resting in Abkhazia. Only Stalin owned five country residences in a picturesque area. But the most famous estate is Brezhnev's dacha in Abkhazia. Built in the middle of a spruce and fir forest, it was a place where the very air seems to heal. Colorful mountain landscapes are fascinating, and wild animals wandering in the forests evoke thoughts of a good hunt.
Abkhazian rest house of the Secretary General
L. I. Brezhnev's dacha is located in Pitsunda, on the shore of Lake Ritsa. Actually, the estate was transformed from two departmental summer residences of the predecessors of the Secretary General. Stalin's favorite dacha was connected to Khrushchev's apartment, located nearby. The resulting gallery turned two state dachas into a single suburban complex.
It is noteworthy that the building looks like a ship (when viewed from above). Such an idea was carried out by the personal architect of the Generalissimo Miron Merzhanov on the personal order of Stalin. As in all other country estates, in the countrythere was no cabinet: the main man of the country preferred to be distracted from public affairs on vacation. For greater comfort, the interior of the building completely resembled the leader's Kremlin apartment. The construction was accompanied by a sad story. Due to the extreme secrecy of the facility, all the builders were subsequently shot. Barbed wire was stretched along the entire perimeter of the state dacha, and about 300 people were part of the security system. Not far from the main building huddled houses for servants and guards. At the Abkhaz dacha during the reign of Khrushchev and Brezhnev, various meetings were held with the leaders of other countries, where important foreign policy issues could be resolved in a relaxed atmosphere. Photos of Brezhnev's dacha captured many of these moments.
Native suburbs of Moscow: state dacha of the Secretary General in Zarechye
A country residence near the capital was allocated to Leonid Brezhnev in 1960 after his appointment as chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. The wooden building with a small cozy study became one of the Secretary General's favorite places to relax. Brezhnev's dacha "Zarechye-6" (see photo below) was subsequently reconstructed.
The landscape of the area was especially pleasing to the Secretary General. There was a lot of game in the forests of the District, and Leonid Ilyich enjoyed spending his free time hunting.
It is noteworthy that during the movement of the leader from the dacha to the Kremlin, the Skolkovo and Mozhaisk highways, Kutuzovsky Prospekt were blocked. Thus, the guards took care of the safety of the main person of the country. After the death of the General Secretary, the dachafor some time was at the disposal of Brezhnev's relatives. And only in 1991 the estate passed into the use of Moscow Mayor Gavriil Popov, who privatized the building and sold it. Today, Brezhnev's dacha in the District is completely destroyed.
Brezhnev's out-of-town entertainment
As you know, the Secretary General was very fond of hunting. Only on it he could completely relax and escape from worries. As a result, Leonid Ilyich owned a large collection of hunting weapons. All the acquaintances knew about the leader's addiction and, trying to please him, on occasion gave him good imported guns. Shooter Brezhnev was excellent. The General Secretary won his best trophies by hunting in the forests around the Zavidovo dacha.
Guests were often invited to hunt, mostly leaders of foreign countries. Wanting to impress his interlocutors, Brezhnev could tell hunting stories for hours. However, the Secretary General's trophies spoke for themselves. For a long life, Leonid Ilyich managed to hunt both waterfowl, and large boars, and bears. All carcasses were carefully transported to a personal sausage-smoking workshop, where they were processed into a variety of goodies.
Dacha L. I. Brezhnev on the Dnieper
In the possession of the General Secretary there were also suburban buildings, which the leader had never visited. Such was the dacha in Kamenskoye, on the Dnieper. The estate was equipped in case of a sudden arrival of Brezhnev in his small homeland. On the territory of about a hectare there is a cottage with several bedrooms, a dining room, a living room and a winter garden. The residence is complemented by a tennis court and a boat for receiving guests.
Although Leonid Ilyich himself has nevervisited the dacha, close relatives of the leader enjoyed their rest there.
The last refuge of the Secretary General: Brezhnev's dacha in Zavidovo
The main hunting ground of the General Secretary was the estate in the suburbs. Brezhnev was very fond of Zavidovo and rested there with his family - his wife Victoria and grandchildren. The estate was very luxurious. Finished with granite and marble, the main building was complemented by a tower made of pine timber and a hotel with 12 rooms for guests. There was also a cinema hall and a billiard room.
The “royal” hunt was served by a whole army of 463 soldiers. The killed game was transported to the village of Kozlovo, where it was processed into sausages and stew in a special sausage-smoking shop. Not a single guest left Zavidovo without rich gifts.
The lands were famous for fishing. Noble carps, pike, perches and white carps were caught in Lake Boykovo. The fish was also processed and served as personal gifts to the Secretary General.
Dacha in Zavidovo became the last refuge of the Secretary General. On November 10, 1982, he died in his sleep from a blood clot.
The role of the state dacha in the foreign policy of the USSR
In the summer residences, the leaders of the country not only rested, but also worked. Almost every dacha was equipped with a comfortable office of the Secretary General, equipped with the latest technology.
It is known that Stalin preferred to relax in country estates, rather than engage in state affairs. But starting with Khrushchev, foreign guests began to be invited to dachas in order to diversify their stay in the Soviet Union and to solve important problems.foreign policy issues.
The state dacha in Brezhnev's Crimea was such a meeting place first of all. The photo captured his numerous meetings with the leaders of foreign states. Yugoslav leader Josip Broz Tito and Fidel Castro, as well as Finnish President Urho Kekkonen and German politician Erich Honecker visited Wisteria at different times. Such meetings, as a rule, did not go in vain.
The dacha in Zavidovo was also visited by foreigners. In the spring of 1974, US Secretary of State Henry Kessinger came to the area. For hunting, the important guest was given ammunition (hat, padded jacket, boots), in which the unlucky hunter looked rather comical. As a result, the negotiations were held in a cheerful and relaxed atmosphere.
Gosdacha today: further fate of country residences of the powerful
In our time, almost all the summer residences of the general secretaries have been preserved. Many of them were inherited by the current rulers. This is what happened to Brezhnev's dacha in Pitsunda. It is now occupied by the President of Abkhazia.
Crimean "Glinitsia" has turned into a boarding house with the same name. Today, you can easily get to the place where Brezhnev's dacha in Crimea is located.
In the hunting grounds in Zavidovo today there is the main residence for negotiations and recreation of the rulers of the Russian Federation with distinguished foreign guests.
Brezhnev's Ukrainian dacha was transferred to the private ownership of a local enterprise and turned into a sanatorium for employees.
