The death of Stalin: Part II
Although the motive to kill Stalin is obvious, the evidence is less clear. Deriabin, a KGB insider who defected to the West, wrote that Stalin was murdered. In the months leading up to his death, Stalin's long-established and well-crafted personal security system was deliberately dismantled. Vlasik, who headed up this security and Proskrebychev, his fiercely loyal secretary, were both arrested in 1952, while the Vice-Commander of the Kremlin Guard was murdered on February 17, 1953. Deriabin blames all this on Beria.
Kahan presents an extraordinarily detailed account of Stalin's demise. Under the pretext of a policy meeting, Kaganovich, Molotov and Bulganin held a meeting, in the opening hours of the morning, at Voroshilov's dacha.
Voroshilov stated: "It seems quite clear to me what we have to do. A small dose of a drug slipped into his wine, which now is usually not pre-tasted, would render him into a coma, and with his weak heart, his death would be speeded up. But, it would not be poison in the purest sense, but rather a drug to aid in death, a helper." Kaganovich suggested dicoumarol, a drug that, "makes the blood thinner and as a result retards the coagulation of the blood...I have been told that the dosage is no longer monitored like before."
On March 1, 1953, Stalin met with his inner circle in his Kremlin office. The usually sycophantic (and Jewish) Kaganovich suggested that a committee be formed to investigate the "so-called" Doctors' Plot and that Stalin end his anti-Semitic campaign. Stalin was visibly shocked.
Kaganovich quickly called for a vote and was supported by everyone except for Beria and Khrushchev. Stalin began screaming and abusing them and then tried to push a button to summon his guards, but Molotov and Mikoyan pushed his hand away. Stalin fell and hit his head on the side of the desk.
As Stalin lay groaning, Kaganovich moved towards the medicine cabinet and Voroshilov stood by the door to prevent anyone leaving or entering. Kaganovich handed a bottle of medicine to Molotov, who poured it into Stalin's mouth as Bulganin cradled his head. Stalin was to die a few days later.
Radzinsky, who made use of the testimony of some of Stalin's guards, has an alternative explanation. On the night of February 28-March 1, Beria, Khrushchev, Malenkov , and Bulganin joined Stalin at his dacha before leaving at 4am. Stalin then went to bed, never to leave his rooms again. Apparently the only staff present was Starostin and Tukov (duty officers on guard), Lozgachev (commandant's assistant) and Butusova (maid).
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