The memoirs of A. G. Barmin (1899-1987), a “defector” diplomat, for many years were among the main sources for foreign researchers of the Soviet period of the 20-30s. As for domestic historians, especially the mass reader, this book was simply inaccessible to them, since its translation into Russian did not exist until now. The reason for this lies in the fact that the author’s name could not be pronounced out loud, since he had headed the Russian service of the Voice of America radio station since the mid-40s. Meanwhile, A. G. Barmin’s book is of undoubted interest. The author, an active participant in the Civil War, one of the first painters with an academic education, nurtured, like many other leaders of the revolution, by L. D. Trotsky, was completely devoted to him. In the book a wide gallery of diplomatic and economic workers, prominent military leaders who became “enemies of the people” in the fateful 30s is presented. The tense atmosphere of those years, the painful struggle of people between duty and fear of reprisals are also well conveyed.

The book is equipped with unique materials and photographs from the Barmin family archive (USA).

Translation from English by Yulia Kobyakova

The author of the afterword and name index is Alexander Kolpakidi

The publication of Alexander Barmin’s book in the USA caused quite a wide public response in the West. Newspapers and magazines of all political trends wrote about her. The publications of the Russian emigration did not stand aside either. Below are the most striking excerpts from the reviews.

In A. Barmin’s book, many pages are devoted to showing the versatile activities of the Chairman of the Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic, People's Commissar for Military and Naval Affairs L. D. Trotsky. Sometimes he appears before the reader as a kind of Robespierre, the punishing sword of the revolution, its faithful soldier and savior. What was L. D. Trotsky really like as a military leader? Researchers have not yet given his true portrait. Meanwhile, the archives contain a lot of materials, the widespread publication of which would certainly help eliminate the blank spots in the biography of the “fiery revolutionary.” He behaved far from ideally during difficult times for the Soviet Fatherland. This is eloquently evidenced by many documents preserved from the past era. Take, for example, the archival materials of the so-called “Trotsky train.” About the scale with which this Russian Carbonari lived revolution, you can learn from the material published below.

A. Kirillin. A small document was discovered in the former Central State Archive of the October Revolution - memories of M. N. Tukhachevsky. Very little is known about the author of these memoirs, V. Postoronkin. Based on scant information, it can be assumed that he is a former officer of the Russian army, fought in the ranks of the White Guards, and later became an emigrant. Vladimir Nikitich Postoronkin reports that the present manuscript was compiled from personal memories. It is quite possible that these notes are a kind of slander against the “Red Marshal” of the nobles; at one time there were many such fakes in emigrant literature. But be that as it may, this document exists, and what is true in it and what is not true is for you to judge, reader.

B The newspaper and magazine materials published below trace the life path of A. G. Barmin, a defector diplomat after his flight from the Soviet Union. All these publications were kept in his home archive for many years. It seems that this unique chronicle will become a significant addition to the book and will help to learn some details from the author’s biography, right up to the very last days of his life.