1956 famous. Tbilisi events (1956)

The events in the USSR in 1956 radically changed the course of development of the state. This year has been full of successful discoveries, political announcements and important laws. If we analyze the course of events, then in the chronology one can see a certain logical connection.

Event #1

On February 13, 1956, the Soviet Antarctic was opened. The construction of the facility was carried out as soon as possible. Shock construction began on January 5, 1956, when the Soviet ship "Ob" approached the coast of Antarctica. Until February 13, the ship's crew built 21 buildings for research and accommodation for members of the expedition, as well as an airfield. they could already fly great distances, so the path through the air was much faster than by water. The grandiose construction ended the day before the opening of the fateful 20th Congress of the CPSU. Is it logical? Undoubtedly! We would try not to!

February 1956: an event in the USSR that changed attitudes towards Stalin

Soviet life from the early 1930s until Stalin's death in 1953 was full of horrors. Repressions, deaths, denunciations, executions, the destruction of the best soldiers before the start of the war, the exaltation of the personality of Joseph Stalin. Such moments were obvious excesses and were not prescribed in the Marxist-Leninist theory, which in its essence was quite interesting and democratic.

The convention opened on February 14, 1956. More than 1,400 delegates representing all the republics of the Union took part in its work. The importance of this event was that the 19th Congress took place in the 1930s. It was necessary to restart all spheres of life in Soviet society. The congress delegates condemned the political excesses that took place during Stalin's rule. It was emphasized that Stalin did not become a follower of Lenin in the implementation of the provisions of the Marxist-Leninist theory. At this congress there was a creative rethinking of the life of the USSR in the last 20 years. The delegates agreed on important decisions of the Council of Ministers concerning the gradual increase in wages and the strengthening of the development of agriculture. The so-called thaw began in cultural life. The apogee of the congress and the entire political life of the state for many years has come. It was on this day that Nikita Khrushchev delivered his famous report on debunking the cult of personality.

Kuibyshev - the city of mysticism and faith in God

Atheism... Godlessness... 1956... The events in the USSR in Kuibyshev proved to many supporters of the absence of heavenly forces the fallacy of their views. "Standing Zoe" is a miracle that shook the whole city. Important events in the USSR in 1956 did not always become public knowledge. For example, only the residents of Kuibyshev, the internal affairs bodies and the church knew about "Zoya's standing". What happened on the evening before the New Year in an ordinary Soviet family? The girl wanted to celebrate the New Year with friends, dancing, etc. Her mother tried to dissuade her from such a celebration, because the Advent was not yet over. It is clear that the youth of that time did not honor church orders. Mother went to church to pray, and a party started at home. Girlfriends came with their young people, but Zoya's boyfriend Nikolai was a little late. It turned out that she had no one to dance with. The girl took the image of St. Nicholas in her hands, saying: "I will dance with this Nicholas!" Almost immediately after that, a radiance appeared in the room, the girl turned to stone in the literal sense of the word. The peculiarity of this fact was that she did not die, because her heartbeat was felt. A pilgrimage literally began from all over the city to Zoya's house, so police guards were placed there. Church dignitaries also came to read prayers over Zoya. "Zoya's Stand" lasted 128 days and ended on May 6, 1956 at Easter. After this event, atheism in Kuibyshev ended - people began to go to church, pray and undergo the rite of baptism. The year 1956 was marked by such a sensation.

Events in the USSR: football

Football was on its way. The USSR Championship was already held in several divisions. This year, the geography of the championship participants has expanded due to teams from remote Soviet republics and teams from the Far East. In the Premier League, the standings at the end of the season, of course, were headed by the capital's clubs. Spartak became the champion with 34 points. Moscow "Dynamo" lagged behind by 6 points, and CDSA - by as much as 9 points. What do you think, who became the best non-Moscow club? Correctly! "Dynamo" (Kyiv) took 4th place in the tournament. "Labor reserves" (Leningrad) and "ODO" (Sverdlovsk) flew out to the first league.

Football events in the USSR in 1956 were not limited to the championship. Melbourne, Australia hosted the Summer Olympics. The main favorites of the football tournament, despite the participation of the German, British, Yugoslav teams (all these countries sent youth), were the teams of the USSR and Bulgaria. In addition to these teams, several frankly weak teams took part in the tournament. The Soviet team had 5 fights (4 wins and a draw). In the tournament, our players passed the German youth, Indonesia (they had to play a replay), Bulgaria. In the final with a score of 1:0 won against the team of Yugoslavia.

Changes in labor legislation

The significant events of 1956 were not limited to football, the Congress of the CPSU and the opening of a station in Antarctica. Important changes were made in the labor legislation. On May 26, the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR "On the establishment of a six-hour working day for persons aged 16 to 18" was signed. On July 14, 1956, the Supreme Soviet of the USSR adopted the Law "On State Pensions", which provided for a slight increase in pensions for persons entitled to them, as well as the possibility of assigning pensions to collective farm workers if they had a passport and the opportunity to confirm the length of service.

Treaty with Japan

Let's talk about what happened in the USSR in 1956. Of the foreign policy events, it is worth recalling reconciliation with Japan. Until now, it is believed in the general public that the Second World War has not officially ended, because the successors of the USSR did not sign a peace treaty with Japan. On October 19, Soviet and Japanese diplomats held negotiations, as a result of which a Declaration was signed on the cessation of the state of war between states. The countries restored diplomatic relations and exchanged ambassadors.

Development of virgin lands

As we have already noted, many events in the USSR in 1956 left a significant mark on history. The development of virgin lands is one of them. In the Central Asian republics, many lands that could potentially become sown were not cultivated. For this they had to be processed. In 1956, a resolution of the Council of Ministers "On the development of virgin lands" was issued. A trip to the development of virgin lands has become the most popular Komsomol route in the country. Already in 1956, more than 50 thousand people visited these works for the benefit of the Soviet motherland.

Aircraft building

In 1956, Soviet engineers surprised the whole world with a new model of a passenger liner. We are talking about a jet aircraft TU-104. This model was demonstrated at air shows. The liner made its first regular flight on the route "Moscow - Omsk - Irkutsk". Fast, convenient and inexpensive - the main principle in the work of "Aeroflot". Soviet engineers never ceased to amaze the world with new achievements all the time.

Conclusion

Probably, February 1956 turned out to be the most eventful with important moments. Event number 1 in the USSR, of course, which determined the development trends of the state for years to come. Many resolutions of the Council of Ministers and the Presidium of the Supreme Council, issued in 1956, implemented the decisions taken at the congress. 1956 was one of the most important and fruitful years in the history of the USSR.

A selection of various color photographs from 1956 - Khrushchev, Tu-104, ballistic missiles, state farms, oil workers, transport, city views, etc.

A selection of various color photographs of 1956 - Khrushchev, Tu-104, ballistic missiles, state farms, oil workers, transport, city views, etc. Photos and comments on them are taken from LJ visualhistory.

Khrushchev and Tito during the latter's visit to the USSR, photo by D. Baltermants, 1956:

However, we are no strangers to such somersaults ("yesterday a fascist, and today again a partner").

By 1956, Khrushchev was already the undisputed leader of the USSR, pushing Malenkov aside, but his power had not yet become almost uncontrolled, but was balanced by the old "Stalinist guard" in the Presidium of the Central Committee.

Khrushchev and Mikoyan talking with Tito during a trip to the USSR, photo by D. Baltermants, 1956:

The XX Congress of the CPSU was held on February 14-25, 1956 in the meeting room of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR in Moscow.
Somewhere in the archives, there are probably a lot of color photographs of this event in modern digital quality, but so far we only have this photo at our disposal:

The "debunking of the cult of personality" at the 20th Congress was of a semi-secret nature, and the mass demolition of monuments will not come very soon (at the very end of 1961), so the rallies and parades of 1956 are still held under the shadow of the leader's statues.

May Day in Minsk 1956:

1956 became for the USSR a year of new breakthroughs in technological and economic development, a year of great construction projects and big ambitious plans.

Exactly 60 years ago, the country received a nuclear missile shield, thanks to which it continues to be considered a great Power even today.
The R-5M missile system, put into service on June 21, 1956, became the first domestic missile system with nuclear combat equipment.

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Installation of a ballistic missile R-5M on the launch pad. photo from the archive of the Ministry of Defense, 1956:

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The USSR was rushing up. Very soon, the first artificial Earth satellite will fly into space. In the meantime, for the Soviet people of the 56th, jet civil aviation was the "space" technology.

On September 15, 1956, the Tu-104 jet liner made the first regular flight on the Moscow-Omsk-Irkutsk route:

The slender handsome Tu-104s were a huge technological breakthrough compared to the Soviet propeller fleet of those years. Then, all over the USSR, they flew on the "oldies" Li-2 of pre-war development and post-war IL-14.
The IL-14 aircraft at the Vilnius airport in the picture of J. Dupaquier, 1956:

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The GDP of the USSR amounted to 9.9% of world GDP. The economy continued to develop rapidly.

The 56th turned out to be very favorable for the country's agriculture. It was this year that a great success was indicated in the virgin lands - the harvest was a record one.

State farm "Urnek", Kustanai region. Photo by S. Friedland, 1956:

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In the same place:

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By 1956, oil production in the USSR had increased by about 10 times compared to 1913. At the same time, the development of Siberian deposits has not even begun yet, the main production was in Baku and the Volga region.

Baku oil workers in a photograph by German photographer Peter Bock-Schroeder, 1956:

The construction of the Novosibirsk hydroelectric power station in the picture of S. Friedland, 1956:

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60 years ago, the USSR did not buy electronics and cars in China, but laid the foundations of heavy industry there and transferred the latest technologies. The Russians taught the Chinese everything they knew and could do.

Chinese interns at a heavy machine tool plant in Novosibirsk, photo from Friedland, 1956:

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The Soviet auto industry in 1956 another (second after the war) "change of generations". New models were born and put on the conveyor, which would remain basic until the middle or even the end of the 1960s.

PAZ-652, prototype, 1956 (photo by Pavlovsky Bus OJSC):

In April 1956, the production of Moskvich-402 small-class cars began, which were quite modern by European standards of that time.
One of these cars has already managed to get into the frame of S. Friedland on one of the central Moscow streets, 1956:

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But the newest Volga GAZ-21 has not yet entered the Soviet roads, because the mass production of this legendary car will begin only next year, 1957, after two years of running and fine-tuning.

Typical Soviet traffic in 1956 - continuous "Victory", ZIS buses and MTB trolleybuses (photo by S. Fridlyand):

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At the service of those who want to go wild are the epic ZIS-110 cabriolet taxis (photo by J. Dupaquier, 1956):

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It's hard to believe now, but in 1956 Moscow ended in the south right behind Moscow State University! In place of the current endless reinforced concrete jungle, then there were endless fields.

You can see the current Michurinsky Prospekt from the main building of Moscow State University, photo by J. Dupaquier:

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Other major cities of the USSR have changed even more since then. For example, Tashkent.

The main avenue of Tashkent in 1956 in the picture of J. Dupaquier:

An aerial photograph by the same author shows what the capital of Uzbekistan looked like in 1956:

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It's easy to find the main street of the city, isn't it?

In 1956, the construction of standard five-story buildings using the industrial method was in full swing in the USSR. The idea was borrowed from France, but the design was redesigned taking into account the specifics of the USSR by the Soviet architect Lagutenko ( here he is in the photo of S. Friedland in 1956).
Tens of thousands of people began to move from barracks and basements to relatively comfortable houses at that time, later nicknamed "Khrushchevs".

"Housewarming", photo from the magazine "Spark", 1956:

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Of course, we cannot but look at what the inhabitants of the USSR looked like 60 years ago, what they wore.

Vacationers at the Voroshilov sanatorium (Sochi), on a slide by military sailor Viktor Trofimovich Laptev, 1956:

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Ordinary Soviet people came to look at the main square of the country (the author of the picture, the Frenchman J. Dupaquier, designated them in the caption as "provincials"):

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Simple Soviet boys in the picture of the German photographer Peter Bock-Schroeder, 1956:

Kindergarten on a walk in Leningrad, J. Dupaquier, 1956:

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It's only in the movie "Dandies" that Soviet people of the 1950s dressed in all gray))

Now few people remember what the Soviet school uniform looked like 60 years ago. Even those who managed to grow up in the late USSR did not find these white-collar workers.

Moscow schoolchildren in the TsPKiO im. Gorky, J. Dupaquier, 1956:

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Students in the library of Tomsk University, photo by S. Friedland, 1956:

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Odessans in 1956:

Pilgrims in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, the city of Zagorsk, 1956:

Was there freedom of religion in the USSR in 1956?

Praying Muslims in the center of Tashkent, photographed by J. Dupaquier, 1956:

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In connection with the end of the Cold War (more precisely, its first episode), there has been some intensification of cultural ties with Western countries. Various delegations became frequent in the USSR, and the Soviet people had much more opportunities for direct contacts.

British models in the circle of enthusiastic fans. Moscow, 1956:

A little about Soviet trade in the 56th.

Leningrad, shop on Nevsky, 6. Photo by J. Dupaquier, 1956:

We simply can’t imagine 1956 without pictures of this Frenchman!))
By the way, for some reason he never caught the eye of "kilometer queues" at the shops.

Household goods in Moscow. Photo by J. Dupaquier, 1956:

The film became the leader of the Soviet film distribution in 1956 with a total of 48.64 million tickets sold.

The image of the caricature bureaucrat Ogurtsov was no less strongly remembered:

And the children of several subsequent generations will watch the film "Old Man Hottabych", staged at the Lenfilm studio in 1956 by director Gennady Kazansky, based on the fantastic children's story of the same name by Lazar Lagin:

One of the most daring films of the 56th is the drama "Forty-First" by Grigory Chukhrai, about the love of a red sniper and a White Guard officer with a natural tragic ending:

At the X International Film Festival in Cannes (1957), this film was awarded the prize "For the original script, humanism and romance." By the way, it did well at the French box office.

The film "Different Fates" about young Leningraders is interesting for a lot of everyday details. In Leningrad in 1956, there are still wooden platforms:

Meanwhile, the filming of "The Quiet Don" was already underway, which will be completed next year:

In conclusion, as usual, a little about sports, which invariably received great attention in the USSR.

On July 31, 1956, the grand opening of the Luzhniki stadium took place. The parade of athletes during the opening ceremony in the picture of Lev Borodulin:

The last series of our project was dedicated to.

Now let's see how our country lived exactly 60 years ago. And 1956 was, as you know, one of the most significant and, pardon the cliché, fateful years for the USSR.
Nikita Khrushchev's secret speech at the 20th Congress of the CPSU in February 1956, exposing the "personality cult of I.V. Stalin" caused a shock in the international communist movement and in Soviet society itself. In fact, a course was taken for the "de-Stalinization" of the USSR and the socialist camp, which would soon lead to a split in the latter.
One of the most visible changes in Moscow's foreign policy was the restoration of relations with socialist Yugoslavia, which had been severed in 1948.

Installation of a ballistic missile R-5M on the launch pad. photo from the archive of the Ministry of Defense, 1956:

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The USSR was rushing up. Very soon, the first artificial Earth satellite will fly into space. In the meantime, for the Soviet people of the 56th, jet civil aviation was the "space" technology.

On September 15, 1956, the Tu-104 jet liner made the first regular flight on the Moscow-Omsk-Irkutsk route:

The GDP of the USSR amounted to 9.9% of world GDP. The economy continued to develop rapidly.

The 56th turned out to be very favorable for the country's agriculture. It was this year that a great success was indicated in the virgin lands - the harvest was a record one.

State farm "Urnek", Kustanai region. Photo by S. Friedland, 1956:

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In the same place:

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Baku oil workers in a photograph by German photographer Peter Bock-Schroeder, 1956:

The construction of the Novosibirsk hydroelectric power station in the picture of S. Friedland, 1956:

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Chinese interns at a heavy machine tool plant in Novosibirsk, photo from Friedland, 1956:

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PAZ-652, prototype, 1956 (photo by Pavlovsky Bus OJSC):

But the newest Volga GAZ-21 has not yet entered the Soviet roads, because the mass production of this legendary car will begin only next year, 1957, after two years of running and fine-tuning.

Typical Soviet traffic in 1956 - continuous "Victory", ZIS buses and MTB trolleybuses (photo by S. Fridlyand):

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At the service of those who want to go wild are the epic ZIS-110 cabriolet taxis (photo by J. Dupaquier, 1956):

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It's hard to believe now, but in 1956 Moscow ended in the south right behind Moscow State University! In place of the current endless reinforced concrete jungle, then there were endless fields.

You can see the current Michurinsky Prospekt from the main building of Moscow State University, photo by J. Dupaquier:

LARGE

Other major cities of the USSR have changed even more since then. For example, Tashkent.

The main avenue of Tashkent in 1956 in the picture of J. Dupaquier:

An aerial photograph by the same author shows what the capital of Uzbekistan looked like in 1956:

LARGE

It's easy to find the main street of the city, isn't it?

"Housewarming", photo from the magazine "Spark", 1956:

LARGE

Of course, we cannot but look at what the inhabitants of the USSR looked like 60 years ago, what they wore.

Vacationers at the Voroshilov sanatorium (Sochi), on a slide by military sailor Viktor Trofimovich Laptev, 1956:

LARGE

Ordinary Soviet people came to look at the main square of the country (the author of the picture, the Frenchman J. Dupaquier, designated them in the caption as "provincials"):

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Simple Soviet boys in the picture of the German photographer Peter Bock-Schroeder, 1956:

Kindergarten on a walk in Leningrad, J. Dupaquier, 1956:

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It's only in the movie "Dandies" that Soviet people of the 1950s dressed in all gray))

Now few people remember what the Soviet school uniform looked like 60 years ago. Even those who managed to grow up in the late USSR did not find these white-collar workers.

Moscow schoolchildren in the TsPKiO im. Gorky, J. Dupaquier, 1956:

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Students in the library of Tomsk University, photo by S. Friedland, 1956:

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Odessans in 1956:

Pilgrims in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, the city of Zagorsk, 1956:

Was there freedom of religion in the USSR in 1956?

Praying Muslims in the center of Tashkent, photographed by J. Dupaquier, 1956:

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British models in the circle of enthusiastic fans. Moscow, 1956:

A little about Soviet trade in the 56th.

Leningrad, shop on Nevsky, 6. Photo by J. Dupaquier, 1956:

We simply can’t imagine 1956 without pictures of this Frenchman!))
By the way, for some reason he never caught the eye of "kilometer queues" at the shops.

Household goods in Moscow. Photo by J. Dupaquier, 1956:

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Shoe in Moscow. Photo by J. Dupaquier, 1956:

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Pay attention to how stylish shop signs were then made.

Selling fruits and vegetables on Trubnaya Square in Moscow. Yakov Ryumkin, 1956:

Collective farm market in Tashkent. Photo by J. Dupaquier, 1956:

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Now let's move on to the magical world of art.
In 1956, Soviet cinema experienced a new heyday.

In Eldar Ryazanov's musical comedy "Carnival Night", the star of Lyudmila Gurchenko, the future legend of Soviet cinema, flashed for the first time:

The film became the leader of the Soviet film distribution in 1956 with a total of 48.64 million tickets sold.

The image of the caricature bureaucrat Ogurtsov was no less strongly remembered:

One of the most daring films of the 56th is the drama "Forty-First" by Grigory Chukhrai, about the love of a red sniper and a White Guard officer with a natural tragic ending:

At the X International Film Festival in Cannes (1957), this film was awarded the prize "For the original script, humanism and romance." By the way, it did well at the French box office.

The film "Different Fates" about young Leningraders is interesting for a lot of everyday details. In Leningrad in 1956, there are still wooden platforms:

Meanwhile, the filming of "The Quiet Don" was already underway, which will be completed next year:

In conclusion, as usual, a little about sports, which invariably received great attention in the USSR.

On July 31, 1956, the grand opening of the Luzhniki stadium took place. The parade of athletes during the opening ceremony in the picture of Lev Borodulin:

All series of the project "20th century in color":
1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1906, 1907, 1908,

Events in Hungary in 1956 led to a large-scale rebellion, which was suppressed by the Soviet army. The Hungarian autumn became one of the largest regional conflicts of the Cold War, in which the special services of both the USSR and the USA took part. Today we will try to understand the events of those days, and also try to understand the reasons.

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Role of Yugoslavia

The beginning of events should be attributed back to 1948, when relations between Stalin and Tito (the leader of Yugoslavia) finally deteriorated. The reason - Tito demanded complete political independence. As a result, the countries began to prepare for a possible war, and the Soviet command developed a plan to enter the war from the territory of Hungary.

In May 1956, Yuri Andropov received information (immediately forwarded it to Moscow) that in Hungary the agents and intelligence of Yugoslavia were actively working against the USSR.

The Yugoslav embassy played a significant role against the Soviet Union and the current government of Hungary.
Dmitry Kapranov, cryptographer of the Special Corps of the USSR Army in Hungary

If back in 1948 there was a confrontation between Tito and Stalin, then in 1953 Stalin died and Tito began to aim for the role of leader of the Soviet bloc. Behind him was a very strong army of Yugoslavia, agreements on military assistance with NATO and agreements on economic assistance with the United States. Realizing this, in the summer of 1956 Khrushchev traveled to Belgrade, where Marshal Tito set the following conditions for the normalization of relations between countries:

Yugoslavia pursues an independent policy.
Yugoslavia continues its partnership with the US and NATO.
The USSR stops criticizing the Tito regime.

Formally, this is where the controversy ended.

The role of the Hungarian communists

The peculiarity of the development of post-war Hungary lies in the complete copying of the USSR, starting from 1948. This copying was so stupid and massive that it literally applied to everything: from the model of building an economy to the uniform of soldiers in the army. Moreover, the Hungarian communists began to carry out absolutely extreme measures (this is generally a characteristic feature of the communists at the beginning of their rule) - mass Russification: flag, coat of arms, language, and so on. This is how, for example, the coat of arms of the Hungarian People's Republic (HPR) looked like in 1956.

Of course, the coat of arms, the flag, the language, the clothes themselves did not cause discontent, but all together they significantly beat the pride of the Hungarians. Moreover, the problem was worsened by economic reasons. Rakosi's party simply copied the model of economic development of the USSR, completely ignoring the peculiarities of Hungary. As a result, the post-war economic crisis is getting stronger every year. Only the constant financial assistance of the USSR saves from economic chaos and collapse.

In fact, in the period 1950-1956 in Hungary there was a struggle between the communists: Rakosi against Nagy. Moreover, Imre Nagy was much more popular.

Nuclear power and its role

In June 1950, the United States knows for sure that the USSR has an atomic bomb, but very little uranium. Based on this information, US President Truman issues directive NSC-68, demanding to cause and support unrest in the satellite countries of the USSR. Countries defined:

German Democratic Republic.
Hungarian People's Republic.
Czechoslovakia.

What do these countries have in common? There are two such features: first, they were geographically located on the border of the western zone of influence; secondly, all three countries had fairly large uranium mines. Therefore, the destabilization and separation of these countries from Soviet patronage is the US plan to curb the nuclear development of the USSR.

US role

The active stage of work on the creation of the rebellion began after March 5, 1953 (the date of Stalin's death). Already in June, the CIA approved the “Day X” plan, according to which uprisings began in a number of large cities of the GDR and in the city of Gera (uranium mines). The plan failed, and the uprising was quickly crushed, but this was only preparation for more "grand" events.

The National Security Council (NSC) of the United States passes Directive No. 158 of June 29, 1953. This document was declassified quite recently, and its main meaning is as follows - to support the resistance to communism by all means so that no one doubts the spontaneity of these speeches. The second important assignment under this directive is to organize, supply everything necessary and train underground organizations capable of conducting long-term military operations. These are 2 directions that were reflected in the events in Hungary in 1956, and which operate to this day. Suffice it to recall the recent events in Kyiv.

An important detail - in the summer of 1956, Eisenhower issued a statement that the post-war division of the world was no longer relevant, and it needed to be divided in a new way.

Operation Focus and Prospero

"Focus" and "Prospero" are secret operations of American intelligence agencies during the Cold War. In many ways, it was these operations that gave birth to Hungary in 1956. These operations were directed to Poland and Hungary with the aim of inciting the local population against the USSR and providing the local population with everything necessary for the struggle for "independence".

In May 1956, a new radio station (Radio Free Europe) began operating near Munich, aimed exclusively at Hungary. The radio station was funded by the CIA and broadcast continuously to Hungary, reporting the following things:

America is the most powerful country in the world in all components.
Communism is the worst form of government, which is the source of all ills. Hence - the source of the problems of the USSR.
America has always supported the peoples fighting for independence.

It was the preparation of the population. With the beginning of the revolution in Hungary (October - November 1956), the radio station began broadcasting the program "Special Armed Forces", which told the Hungarians exactly how to fight against the Soviet army.

Together with the beginning of radio broadcasting, agitation leaflets and radios were transported by balloons from the territory of the Federal Republic of Germany and Austria to Hungary. The flow of balloons was great, which confirms the following fact. On February 8 and July 28, Endre Sack sends notes of protest to the US Embassy. The last note says that since February 1956, 293 balloons have been seized, and because of their flights, 1 plane crashed and its crew died. In this regard, the Hungarians even warned international companies about the danger of flights over the country. The answer of the US embassy is indicative - “private companies” are to blame for everything, and the US authorities have nothing to do with it. The logic is wild and today, by the way, it is also often used (private organizations do the dirty work, including the military), but why is no one investigating the funding of these organizations? Mystery. After all, no private company will use its own money to buy balloons, print leaflets, buy radios, open a radio station and send all this to Hungary. Profit is important for a private company, that is, someone must finance all this. This funding leads to Operation Prospero.

The goal of Operation Focus was to overthrow socialism in Eastern Europe. The operation in the final stage begins on October 1, 1956 on the basis of Radio Free Europe. Propaganda in the programs is intensifying and the main motive of all speeches is the couple to start a movement against the USSR. Several times a day, the phrase is heard: “The regime is not as dangerous as you think. The people have hope!

Internal political struggle in the USSR

After Stalin's death, a struggle for power began, which was won by Khrushchev. The further steps of this man, and not directly, provoked anti-Soviet sentiments. It was related to the following:

Criticism of Stalin's personality cult. This immediately weakened the international position of the USSR, which was recognized, including in the United States, which, on the one hand, announced a respite in the Cold War, and on the other hand, even more intensified covert operations.
The shooting of Beria. This is not the most obvious reason for the Hungarian events of 1956, but a very important one. Together with the execution of Beria, thousands of state security agents were fired (arrested, shot). These were people who had been stabilizing the situation for years and had their own agents. After they were removed, the state security positions became noticeably weaker, including in terms of counter-revolutionary and counter-terrorist activities. Returning to the personality of Beria - it was he who was the patron of "Volodya" Imre Nagy. After the execution of Beria, Nagy was expelled from the party and removed from all posts. This is important to remember in order to understand future events. In fact, because of this, starting from 1955, Nagy ceased to be controlled by the USSR and began to look towards the West.

Chronology of events

Above, we examined in sufficient detail what preceded the events in Hungary in 1956. Now let's focus on the events of October-November 1956, since this is the most important thing, and it was at this time that the armed uprising took place.

In October, numerous rallies begin, the main driving force of which were students. This is generally a characteristic feature of many rebellions and revolutions of recent decades, when everything starts with peaceful demonstrations of students and ends in bloodshed. At the rallies, there are 3 main demands:

Appoint Imre Nagy head of government.
Introduce political freedoms in the country.
Withdraw Soviet troops from Hungary.
Stop the supply of uranium to the USSR.

Even before the start of active rallies, numerous journalists from different countries come to Hungary. This is a big problem, because it is often impossible to draw a line between who is a journalist in reality and who is a professional revolutionary. There are many indirect facts indicating that at the end of the summer of 1956, a large number of revolutionaries entered Hungary with journalists, who took an active part in further events. The state security of Hungary launched everyone into the country.

On October 23, 1956, at 15:00, a demonstration begins in Budapest, the main driving force of which was students. Almost immediately, an idea arises to go to the radio station so that the demands of the protesters are announced on the radio. As soon as the crowd approached the building of the radio station, the situation moved from the stage of a rally to the stage of a revolution - armed people appeared in the crowd. The key role in this was played by Sandor Kopacz, the head of the Budapest police, who goes over to the side of the rebels and opens military warehouses for them. Further, the Hungarians begin to attack in an organized manner and seize radio stations, printing houses, and telephone exchanges. That is, they began to take control of all means of communication and the mass media.

Late in the evening of October 23, an emergency meeting of the Central Committee of the party takes place in Moscow. Zhukov insists that a 100,000th demonstration is taking place in Budapest, the building of the radio station is on fire, and shots are heard. Khrushchev proposes to send troops to Hungary. The plan was as follows:

Returned to the government of Imre Nagy. This was important, because the protesters demanded it, and in this way they could be calmed down (as Khrushchev mistakenly thought).
1 tank division must be brought into Hungary. This division will not even need to enter the events, as the Hungarians will get scared and scatter.
Control was assigned to Mikoyan.

The reconnaissance of Colonel Grigory Dobrunov is ordered to send tanks to Budapest. It has already been said above that in Moscow they expected a rapid advance of the army and the absence of resistance. Therefore, the order to the tank company was given "Do not shoot." But events in Hungary in October 1956 developed rapidly. Already at the entrance to the city, the Soviet army encountered active resistance. The rebellion, which they say arose spontaneously and from students, lasted less than a day, but the fortifications of the area had already been organized, and well-organized groups of armed people had been created. This is a clear sign that events in Hungary were being prepared. Actually, for this, analytical reports and CIA programs are carried out in the article.

Here is what Colonel Dobrunov himself tells about entering the city.

When we entered the city we soon drank our first tank. The wounded driver jumped out of the tank, but they caught him and wanted to burn him alive. Then he took out f-1, pulled out the pin and blew himself and them up.
Colonel Dobrunov

It became clear that the order "do not shoot" could not be carried out. Tank troops are moving with difficulty. By the way, the use of tanks in the city is a huge mistake of the Soviet military command. This mistake was also in Hungary, and in Czechoslovakia, and much later in Grozny. Tanks in the city are an ideal target. As a result, the Soviet army loses about 50 people every day.

Aggravation of the situation

October 24 Imre Nagy speaks on the radio and calls on the fascist provocateurs to lay down their arms. In particular, declassified documents report this.

On October 24, 1956, Nagy was already head of the Hungarian government. And this man calls the hoisted people in Budapest and other regions of the country fascist provocateurs. In the same speech, Nagy stated that Soviet troops were brought into the Hungarian People's Republic at the request of the government. That is, by the end of the day, the position of the Hungarian leadership was clear: the army was brought in at the request - civilians with weapons were fascists.

At the same time, another strong figure appeared in Hungary - Colonel Pal Maleter. During World War II, he fought against the USSR, was captured and collaborated with Soviet intelligence, for which he was later awarded the Order of the Red Star. On October 25, this man with 5 tanks arrived at the "Kilian barracks" to crush the uprising near the Corvin cinema (one of the main strongholds of the rebels), but instead joined the rebels. At the same time, Western intelligence agents are stepping up their work in Hungary. Here is one example, according to declassified documents.

On October 26, a group of Colonel Dobrunov approaches the Hungarian cinema Korvin, where they capture the “language”. According to testimony, the headquarters of the rebels is located in the cinema. Dobrunov asks the command for permission to storm the building in order to destroy the main center of resistance and suppress the rebellion. The command is silent. The real chance to end the Hungarian events of the autumn of 1956 was lost.

By the end of October, it becomes clear that the current troops are not able to cope with the rebellion. Moreover, Imre Nagy's position is becoming more and more revolutionary. He no longer speaks of the rebels as fascists. He forbids the power structures of Hungary to shoot at the rebels. It facilitates the transfer of weapons to the civilian population. Against this background, the Soviet leadership decides to withdraw troops from Budapest. On October 30, the Hungarian special corps of the Soviet army returned to their positions. During this time, only 350 people were killed.

On the same day, Nagy speaks to the Hungarians, declaring that the withdrawal of the USSR troops from Budapest is his merit and the victory of the Hungarian revolution. The tone has already changed completely - Imre Nagy is on the side of the rebels. Pal Maleter is appointed Minister of Defense of Hungary, but there is no order in the country. It would seem that the revolution, albeit temporarily, but won, the Soviet troops were withdrawn, Nagy leads the country. All the demands of the “people” have been fulfilled. But even after the withdrawal of troops from Budapest, the revolution continues, and people continue to kill each other. Moreover, Hungary is splitting. Almost all army units refuse to follow the orders of Nagy and Maleter. Between the leaders of the revolution there is a confrontation in the struggle for power. Labor movements are being formed throughout the country, directed against fascism in the country. Hungary plunges into chaos.

An important nuance - on October 29, Nagy, by his order, dissolves the state security service of Hungary.

religious question

The question of religion in the events of the Hungarian autumn of 1956 is little discussed, but it is very revealing. In particular, the position of the Vatican, voiced by Pope Pius-12, is indicative. He declared that the events in Hungary were a religious issue and called on the revolutionaries to fight for religion to the last drop of blood.

The United States takes a similar position. Eisenhower expresses his full support for the rebels as they fight for "freedoms" and calls for the appointment of Cardinal Mincenti as Prime Minister of the country.

Events of November 1956

November 1, 1956 in Hungary, in fact, there is a civil war. Bela Kiraly with detachments destroys all those who disagree with the regime, people kill each other. Imre Nagy understands that it is unrealistic to retain power in such conditions and that bloodshed must be stopped. Then he comes out with a statement guaranteeing:

The withdrawal of Soviet troops from the territory of Hungary.
Reorientation of the economy towards Western countries.
Withdrawal from the Warsaw Pact.

Nagy's announcement changed everything. The first point did not arouse Khrushchev's fears, but Hungary's withdrawal from the Warsaw Pact changed everything. Under the conditions of the Cold War, the loss of a zone of influence, also with the help of a rebellion, undermined the prestige of the USSR and the country's international position. It became clear that now the introduction of Soviet troops into Hungary is a matter of several days.

Operation Whirlwind

Operation "Whirlwind" to introduce the Soviet army into Hungary begins on November 4, 1956 at 6:00 on the signal "Thunder". The troops are commanded by the hero of the Second World War, Marshal Konev. The USSR army is advancing from three directions: from Romania in the south, from the USSR in the east and Czechoslovakia in the north. At dawn on November 4, units began to enter Budapest. Then something happened that actually revealed the cards of the rebellion and the interests of its leaders. Here, for example, how the Hungarian leaders behaved after the entry of Soviet troops:

Imre Nagy - took refuge in the Yugoslav embassy. Let's remember the role of Yugoslavia. It should also be added that Khrushchev consulted with Tito about the 4 November offensive against Budapest.
Cardinal Mincenti - took refuge in the US Embassy.
Belai Kirai gives the order to the rebels to hold out to the bitter end, and he himself goes to Austria.

On November 5, the USSR and the USA find common ground on the issue of the conflict on the Suez Canal, and Eisenhower assures Khrushchev that he does not consider the Hungarians as an ally and NATO troops will not be introduced into the region. In fact, this was the end of the Hungarian revolt in the autumn of 1956, and the Soviet troops cleared the country from armed fascists.

Why the second entry of troops was more successful than the first

The basis of the resistance of the Hungarians was the belief that NATO troops were about to enter and protect them. On November 4, when it became known that England and France were sending troops to Egypt, Hungary realized that they could not expect any help. Therefore, as soon as the Soviet troops entered, the leaders began to scatter. The rebels began to run out of ammunition, with which the army depots ceased to supply them, the counter-revolution in Hungary began to fade.

Mh2>Totals

On November 22, 1956, Soviet troops carried out special operations and captured Nagy in the Yugoslav embassy. Imre Nagy and Pal Maleter were later convicted and sentenced to death by hanging. Janasz Kadar, one of Tito's closest associates, became the leader of Hungary. Kadar led Hungary for 30 years, making it one of the most developed countries in the socialist camp. In 1968, the Hungarians took part in the suppression of the rebellion in Czechoslovakia.

On November 6, the fighting in Budapest ended. Only a few centers of resistance remained in the city, which were destroyed on November 8. By November 11, the capital and most of the country's territory were liberated. Events in Hungary developed until January 1957, when the last rebel groups were destroyed.

Side losses

Official data on losses among the soldiers of the Soviet army and the civilian population of Hungary for 1956 are presented in the table below.

It is very important to make reservations here. When we talk about losses in the USSR army, these are people who suffered precisely from the Hungarian population. When we talk about the losses of the civilian population of Hungary, then only a minority of them suffered from the soldiers of the USSR. Why? The fact is that in fact there was a civil war in the country, where the fascists and communists destroyed each other. Proving this is easy enough. In the period between the withdrawal and re-entry of Soviet troops (this is 5 days, and the rebellion itself lasted 15 days), the victims continued. Another example is the capture of a radio tower by the rebels. Then it was not that there were no Soviet troops in Budapest, even the Hungarian corps were not alerted. However, there are human casualties. Therefore, it is not necessary to blame Soviet soldiers for all sins. By the way, this is a big hello to Mr. Mironov, who in 2006 apologized to the Hungarians for the events of 1956. A person, apparently, has no idea at all what happened in those days in reality.

Let me reiterate the numbers:

500 thousand Hungarians at the time of the rebellion had almost 4 years of experience in the war against the USSR on the side of Germany.
5 thousand Hungarians returned from a prison in the USSR. These are the people who were convicted of real atrocities against Soviet citizens.
13 thousand people were released by the rebels from Hungarian prisons.

The number of victims of the Hungarian events of 1956 includes those who were killed and wounded by the rebels themselves! And the last argument - along with the Soviet army in the storming of Bucharest on November 4, 1956, the police and the Hungarian communists took part.

Who were the Hungarian "students"

Increasingly, one hears that the events in Hungary in 1956 are the will of the people against communism, de main driving force were students. The problem is that in our country, in principle, history is known quite poorly, and the Hungarian events remain a complete mystery for the vast majority of citizens. Therefore, let's look into the details and the position of Hungary in relation to the USSR. To do this, we will need to go back to 1941.

June 27, 1941 Hungary declares war on the USSR and enters the 2nd World War as an ally of Germany. The Hungarian army was little remembered on the battlefields, but it went down in history forever in connection with its atrocities against the Soviet people. Basically, the Hungarians "worked" in three regions: Chernihiv, Voronezh and Bryansk. There are hundreds of historical documents testifying to the cruelty of the Hungarians against the local, Russian, population. Therefore, we must clearly understand - Hungary from 1941 to 1945 was a fascist country even more than Germany! During the war years, 1.5 million Hungarians took part in it. Approximately 700,000 returned home after the end of the war. This was the foundation of the rebellion - well-trained fascists who were waiting for any opportunity to oppose their enemy - the USSR.

In the summer of 1956, Khrushchev makes a huge mistake - he releases Hungarian prisoners from secular prisons. The problem was that he freed people who had been convicted of real crimes against Soviet citizens. Thus, about 5 thousand people of convinced Nazis returned to Hungary, who went through the war, are ideologically opposed to communism and know how to fight well.

Much can be said about the atrocities of the Hungarian Nazis. They killed a lot of people, but their favorite "fun" was hanging people by their feet from lampposts and trees. I don’t want to go into these details, I’ll just give a couple of historical photographs.

Main characters

Imre Nagy - since October 23, 1956, head of the Hungarian government. Soviet agent under the pseudonym "Volodya". June 15, 1958 sentenced to death.

Matthias Rakosi is the head of the Hungarian Communist Party.

Endre Sik is the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Hungary.

Bela Kiraly is a Hungarian major general who fought against the USSR. One of the leaders of the rebels in 1956. Sentenced in absentia to death. Since 1991 lives in Budapest.

Pal Maleter - Minister of Defense of Hungary, Colonel. He went over to the side of the rebels. June 15, 1958 sentenced to death.

Vladimir Kryuchkov - press attache of the Soviet embassy in Hungary in 1956. Formerly the head of the KGB.

Yuri Andropov - Soviet Ambassador to Hungary.

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