The title of Generalissimo was known during the Soviet Union. The rank of generalissimo appeared in 1945; according to the law, a serviceman had the right to command all the Armed Forces of the USSR. The Politburo nominated Stalin for this post, explaining this decision by his great merits in the Second World War. The victory of the USSR was difficult, but as they say, the winners are not judged, but rewarded, so Stalin was also awarded the Order of Victory and the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

According to historians, the rank of generalissimo had previously been discussed by the Politburo several times, but Stalin considered it unnecessary. The Commander-in-Chief changed his decision after the words of Marshal of the USSR Rokossovsky, who did not want to carry out one of Stalin’s orders, citing the fact that they had the same ranks.

Appearance of the Generalissimo

The development of the ceremonial and everyday uniforms of the highest military ranks was carried out by the rear service of the Red Army, but shoulder straps were never introduced during Stalin’s lifetime. After the ruler died, there was no longer a need for shoulder straps, and the project was discontinued. The tailors, together with the rear service, suggested several options for shoulder straps and uniforms for the commander-in-chief:

• uniform, decorated with epaulettes, on which the coat of arms of the USSR was depicted along with one five-pointed star, decorated in a wreath made of oak leaves;
• shoulder straps were also placed on special winter outerwear;
• A special uniform for riding horses was designed; it was similar to the general's uniform of the 19th century.

During his lifetime, Stalin cut off all these proposals, considering the wardrobe too pretentious, flashy, outdated and outdated.

In 2017, the outfits that the Commander-in-Chief could have worn are stored in the Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War in the capital of Russia, this museum is located on Poklonnaya Hill.

On the shoulder straps of military personnel of other ranks there are several insignia, and it is important that a certain distance is measured between the stars - mainly 25 mm. But since only one star was planned on Stalin’s shoulder straps, such nuances were not taken into account.

Eyewitnesses who communicated with Stalin more than once note his unsurpassed strict style clothes:

1. The Generalissimo's shoulder straps were those of a Marshal of the USSR, and a general's uniform jacket of a traditional cut suited him very well. You can see what the shoulder straps looked like in the photo.
2. The light gray jacket necessarily had 4 pockets and a turn-down collar.
3. The buttonholes were made according to the general's overcoat-type format - in a red shade with gold borders and buttons.

The described uniform was considered a ceremonial uniform; it was in this uniform that Stalin was depicted in portraits and posters.

Where did the title of Generalissimo go?

Molotov later claimed that Stalin had repeatedly expressed indignation at his decision to be commander in chief. The ruler complained about the pressure from outside, but could no longer refuse the awarded honorary title. After Stalin’s death, no one else was Generalissimo, but this rank remained in the statutes until 1993.

It operated in a formal form in the Russian Federation until January 1, 1993, after which the regulations for the internal service of the RF Armed Forces were introduced on a temporary basis, and the Generalissimo sank into oblivion. Sometimes a reminder of the unusual title still flashed, for example, history knows the facts when Khrushchev, and then Brezhnev, applied for this post.

How to become an army general

One of the highest ranks of military personnel is a general. Of course, only a few become generals, but if you have a great goal in front of you, even if you don’t achieve what you want, you won’t remain a captain either. First, determine why you need an army - if such a desire is dictated by total unemployment and good physical fitness, it's better not to rush. Moreover, Russian government from 2004 to 2020, he carries out a total purge among the ranks of the military, excluding hacks and people who know nothing about the military profession.

If you want to rise to the highest ranks in the army, get ready to go through a thorny and long path:

1. It is advisable to enroll in college while still a teenager. military school. Military education is not given to just anyone - admissions committee you will have to prove that you are a capable, disciplined and courageous student. To do this, you need to pass a series of tests and provide required list documents, ranging from autobiographies, characteristics from school teachers, ending with a medical report on professional suitability.
2. After receiving a diploma with honors, you will definitely need to enroll in a university. The middle and senior officers of Russia are far from illiterate; these people draw up combat strategies and are distinguished by their ingenuity and quick mind.
3. There are ahead long years services. If you want to become a general, you need to advance from rank to rank, not be afraid to be a leader, take responsibility, and become an active and loyal comrade for your colleagues.

If you do not want to enroll in a military school, you can skip this point. If a young man is sent to the army after school by conscription, he has the right to apply to a university later, but by this time he will already know what the army is and what he will have to devote his whole life to. Important nuance– they won’t admit you to a military university if you already have a diploma in something else higher education. But this does not mean at all that from military career will have to refuse - many civilian specialties in the army are very valuable.

What you shouldn’t do is be careless, inattentive, undisciplined - any mistake can harm your career. If you have an outstanding criminal record, about passing military service All that remains is to dream.

How to rise to the rank of police general

If you are annoyed by the problems of strangers, then you definitely should not serve in the police. Only with charisma, perseverance, masculinity and assertiveness, a kind but strong heart, can one achieve great ranks and titles. In this case, several important factors are taken into account:

• qualification;
• education – higher education is valued most;
• attitude towards service, activity;
• current position and success at work.

K.S. Vasiliev

This was taken up, as it should be, by the rear service of the Red Army. The development was carried out in such secrecy that until recently it was known only from memoirs former boss General Staff of Army General S.M. Shtemenko: "Once, having arrived for a report in the Kremlin, A.I. and I. Antonov (Chief of the General Staff - S.M.) met the chief quartermaster of the Red Army, Colonel General P.I., in Stalin’s reception room. Dracheva. He was dressed in lush military uniform cut unknown to us. The uniform was sewn according to the model from the time of Kutuzov, with a high stand-up collar. The trousers looked modern, but shone with gold-plated stripes. When, surprised by such an operetta outfit, we stopped and looked at the strange costume, Drachev quietly told us: “A new uniform for the Generalissimo...” There were members of the Politburo in Stalin’s office. The chief of logistics, Army General A.V., reported. Khrulev. Having finished his report, he asked permission to show those present his new military uniform. I.V. Stalin was in a great mood and said: “Come on, the General Staff will take a look.” They signaled to the reception. P.I. entered. Drachev. JV Stalin glanced at him briefly and became gloomy. Apparently, he guessed what this form was. -Who are you going to dress like that? - he asked A.V. Khruleva, nodding his head slightly in the direction of the chief quartermaster. “This is the proposed form for the Generalissimo,” answered A.V. Khrulev - For whom? - asked Stalin. - For you, Comrade Stalin... The Supreme Commander-in-Chief ordered Drachev to leave, and he himself, without being embarrassed by those present, burst into a long and angry tirade. He protested against the special elevation of his personality, said that it was stupid, that he never expected this from the chief of the rear. This idea ended with the fact that the Generalissimo uniform was never created. I.V. Stalin wore a marshal's uniform until the end of his days, like all the other marshals.".
T Only in 1996, a demonstration sample of the Generalissimo’s ceremonial uniform was exhibited at the “Confrontation” exhibition in the Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945 on Poklonnaya Hill. And only last year, in 2001, some sketches of these developments were published in the Rodina magazine. Based on these materials, the following conclusions can be drawn.

Initially, the insignia of the Generalissimo of the Soviet Union was based on the shoulder straps of the Chief Marshals of the military branches. That is, if the shoulder straps of the Chief Marshals differed from the shoulder straps of the marshals of the military branches by a wreath of laurel leaves surrounding a star, then the shoulder straps of the Generalissimo should have been different from the shoulder straps of the Marshal of the Soviet Union, distinguished by a wreath around the star, but not laurel, but oak. This meant that if the basis for decorating the dress uniforms of generals and marshals of the military branches was an ornament in the form of laurel leaves, then the uniforms of the Marshals of the Soviet Union were decorated with oak leaf ornaments, similar to those with which the general uniforms of the Russian Imperial Army were embroidered.

Subsequently, it was decided to replace the shoulder straps on the dress uniform with epaulettes. In this regard, the star and the coat of arms of the USSR were swapped. The coat of arms was lowered down onto the wreath, and the star was raised up.

The cut, colors and decorations of the Generalissimo's uniform items were developed taking into account the traditions of the old Russian army. True, when considering sketches of the uniform, the question involuntarily arises: who were these clothes intended for? In fact, the person depicted in the sketches does not in any way resemble I.V. Stalin, but similarities with G.K. Zhukov is quite noticeable on some of them. In addition, one of the examples of the dress uniform was clearly designed for horseback parades. I.V. Stalin, as you know, did not know how to ride a horse, but G.K. Zhukov was an excellent rider.

When the demonstration sample of the ceremonial uniform-frock coat was ready, the Chief of the Red Army's Logistics, General of the Army A.V. Khrulev, accompanied by one of the generals of his department, who acted in the unusual role of a fashion model, went to I.V. Stalin.

JV Stalin immediately realized that he, with his short stature and figure flaws, would look simply ridiculous in this richly embroidered uniform. And no smart ruler can allow this. Naturally, he did not say this out loud, but read it to the military and politicians an instruction on the modesty of the Soviet leader. At the same time, he added that soviet people They recognize Comrade Stalin even in a marshal's uniform.

Indeed, until the end of his life, I.V. Stalin continued to wear the shoulder straps of Marshal of the Soviet Union. But his clothes were still not the usual marshal uniform. Until 1943, J.V. Stalin wore the traditional costume of a Soviet party functionary. It is traditional, not formal. IN Communist Party uniforms were never introduced, but since almost all Soviet party leaders of that time were former commanders or political workers of the Red Army of the time Civil War, and also in order to emphasize that all communists are just soldiers of the party, they wore their usual paramilitary clothes - a jacket or tunic. Also, I.V. Stalin dressed in a gray closed jacket and trousers tucked into soft Caucasian boots. In winter, he wore an ordinary soldier's overcoat or bekesha. Headdresses would be in the summer - a Voroshilov cap with a Red Army star, in winter - a hat with earflaps.

When he was awarded the title of Marshal of the Soviet Union in 1943, he put on a military uniform: a regular military cut jacket with shoulder straps and untucked trousers with stripes. True, they were light gray, instead of the established protective and dark blue colors.

However, for an elderly person, the standing collar of a jacket presented certain inconveniences. Therefore, a new suit was sewn for J.V. Stalin. It was a closed light gray jacket with a turn-down collar and four pockets of the same cut that Soviet generals wore before the introduction of shoulder straps. The same jackets were worn by Soviet civil servants of lower ranks after the war. The jacket was decorated with shoulder straps of the Marshal of the Soviet Union and general's overcoat buttonholes - red with gold piping and buttons. The collar and cuffs, as usual, were edged with red piping. The loose-fitting trousers with red stripes were made from the same fabric as the jacket. In it, J.V. Stalin was depicted in official portraits and posters. In addition to the gray suit, perhaps J.V. Stalin wore a suit of a similar cut in the summer, but made of pre-revolutionary “shanzhan” cotton fabric. From such fabric for the first time post-war years often sewed uniforms for senior generals (*).

No one else wore such a suit. In it, J.V. Stalin was depicted in official portraits and posters. He became the only uniform of the Generalissimo of the Soviet Union. And a demonstration sample of a ceremonial frock coat took a place in the closed museum of military clothing.

(*) In the Kostroma Historical Museum-Reserve there is a set of uniforms made of shanzhan fabric (a jacket with a stand-up collar and a cap) that belonged to Chief Marshal of Aviation Novikov.

Materials used from the magazine "Rodina" and Internet forums

65 years ago, in these June days, Comrade Steel took over and became a generalissimo. How this happened is the story of 30 years ago in the story of Anatoly Kruzhin. Broadcast June 25, 1980.

Anatoly Kruzhin: On June 26, 1945, the highest military rank was established for the first time in the Soviet Union - Generalissimo of the Soviet Union. In the corresponding decree, it was stipulated that this title is awarded “personally, for particularly outstanding services to the Motherland in the leadership of all armed forces of the state during the war.”

The next day, June 27, it was assigned to Stalin. The background to these two events is quite well described by the late Vice Admiral Nikolai Gerasimovich Kuznetsov, former Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. It turns out that it all started on the day of the Victory Parade on June 24. The weather then turned out to be rainy, and therefore, after the end of the parade, the high authorities lingered in a small hall, right next to the Kremlin wall. It was customary to go there to warm up in inclement weather during parades and demonstrations on May 1 and November 7. That is, it turns out that there is such a hall, who would know if not for Kuznetsov! But this time the traditional order was disrupted. Everyone, without exception, stood on the platform of the Mausoleum until the very end, and then, just as unanimously, they went down and entered this room. It turned out to be an impromptu banquet. The room, not designed for a large number of people, was cramped. Everyone who could, sat down near the table. A relaxed atmosphere, unusual for that time, was established. The focus, of course, was Stalin - all the successes of the victory were attributed only to him. Celebrating, as befits such a day, his merits, the speakers, however, clearly exaggerated them. This is where proposals were made to award him the title of Generalissimo, to award him the Second Order of Victory and to award him the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

This title first appeared as an honorary title in the mid-16th century in France. It was usually assigned only for the period of war, only to persons of royal blood or to the commander-in-chief of several allied armies. In its entire history, about 30 people had it. Among them are the Duke of Richelieu, Prince of Condé, Prince Eugene of Savoy, Count Wallenstein and others. In Russia, the title of Generalissimo was first granted by Peter the Great at the end of the 17th century to voivode Alexei Semenovich Shein for successful fighting near Azov. As the highest military rank, this title was introduced in Russia by the same Peter the Great in his Military Charter of 1716. There, by the way, it was said: “This rank only belongs to crowned heads and great sovereign princes, and especially to those whose army is.” After this, only three people were awarded the title of Generalissimo in Russia: on May 12, 1727 - the de facto ruler of Russia, His Serene Highness Prince Alexander Danilovich Menshikov, favorite of Empress Catherine the First, widow of Peter the Great, on November 11, 1740 - Prince Anton Ulrich of Brunswick, husband of the ruler Anna Leopoldovna, and October 28, 1799 - Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov, Prince of Italy.

When praises in honor of Stalin flowed in the buffet near the Kremlin wall, there were two living generalissimos left in the world - the de facto dictator of China Chiang Kai-shek and the dictator of Spain Franco. Both of them were unlikely to tickle Stalin’s ambition. Another thing is Richelieu or Evgeny Sadovsky, another thing is Peter the Great’s special reservation in his Military Regulations about the rank of generalissimo, this could cause far-reaching associations. But, let’s not guess, be that as it may, Stalin liked the new title and, as already mentioned at the beginning, the day after the Victory Parade it was officially established by the Presidium Supreme Council Soviet Union, and after this Stalin became the only holder of this title in the Soviet Union.
By the time Stalin became generalissimo, there were 11 marshals of the Soviet Union, 2 fleet admirals, 3 chief marshals and 15 marshals of various branches of the military, from artillery to signal troops, living in the country and not demoted. In total, 31 military leaders in gold and diamonds of the corresponding stars. The Generalissimo must have been somehow different from them in his appearance.
As the now deceased Army General Sergei Matveevich Shtemenko once reported, a special uniform was soon sewn for Stalin. But the sycophants apparently overdid it. It was a uniform, reminiscent of the uniforms of the era of Alexander the First, with a high collar standing up to the back of the head, and modern trousers with gold stripes. For some reason, Shtemenko kept silent about the shape of the shoulder straps; apparently, it was also borrowed from the shoulder straps of the times of Ochakov and the conquest of the Crimea. Stalin, however, either had a sense of proportion, or he new form I suspected a hint of the archaic nature of the title of Generalissimo. When the quartermasters came to him with this uniform, he became angry, ordered it to be immediately removed out of sight, and for the rest of his life appeared in public only in a marshal's uniform.

Now celebrating the 35th anniversary of the establishment of the military rank of Generalissimo in the Soviet Union and its assignment to Stalin, we can say the following: this title is still Tsarist Russia was considered already obsolete, and therefore after Suvorov it was not assigned to anyone. Yes, it’s difficult to recognize him as a military rank. Generalissimo is a Latin word, translated into Russian it means “the most important,” that is, it determines not so much the rank as the position of a person in the armed forces. It was in this capacity that it arose at one time in Europe, and in the same capacity, in fact, Peter the Great introduced it to Russia. Later, an equivalent was found for him - the Supreme Commander. But sycophancy, as we know, does not recognize either tradition, logic, or measure. Stalin's sycophants gave the word generalissimo a completely different meaning. Did Stalin deserve this title? In its original meaning there is no doubt: Stalin was main party, the head of the Soviet government, and from July 10, 1941, he also headed the country’s armed forces, that is, indeed, he was the most important. However, the Soviet statute for the title of Generalissimo stated that it was awarded not for the fact that the person was the most important leader of the armed forces, but for particularly outstanding services in leading all the armed forces of the state during the war.

Did Stalin have such “especially outstanding” merits? I think no. However, on this score we will give the floor to Stalin himself. On May 24, 1945, that is, a month before someone proposed conferring the title of Generalissimo on Stalin, Stalin said at a reception in the Kremlin in honor of the commanders of the Red Army: “Our government made many mistakes, we had moments of desperate situation in 1941-42. Then our army retreated, left our native villages and cities of Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova and the Leningrad region, the Baltic states, the Karelo-Finnish Republic. They left because there was no other way out. Other people could say to the government: “You. didn't live up to our expectations! Go away! We will install another government." But the Russian people did not agree to this. For the health of the Russian people!"

Let us add to this that the mistakes that Stalin spoke about occurred after 1942, and all these mistakes did not come from some anonymous government, but, first of all, from Stalin himself. After all this, Stalin’s consent to be called Generalissimo, to put it mildly, causes a certain awkward feeling.

70 years ago, on June 26, 1945, the title of “Generalissimo of the Soviet Union” was introduced in the USSR. Introduced by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated June 26, 1945, based on the consideration of the collective petition of workers, engineers and technical workers and employees of the Moscow plant "Ressora" dated February 6, 1943 and the proposal of the commanders of the front troops, the General Staff of the Red Army, and the Navy dated June 24, 1945

The next day, June 27, 1945, at the proposal of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks and the written submission of the front commanders, the title was awarded to Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin “in commemoration of exceptional merits in the Great Patriotic War.” In addition, Joseph Vissarionovich was awarded the Order of Victory and he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Generalissimo of Russia

In the entire history of Russia, only five people have been awarded this highest title. For the first time, the title of generalissimo (from the Latin generalissimus - “the most important”) was awarded in 1569 in France to the Duke of Anjou (later King Henry III). In France, the term "generalissimo" meant an honorary military title, which was given to persons of the ruling dynasties and the most prominent statesmen. In the Holy Roman Empire, the Austrian Empire and England, this was the position of commander of the army in the field in time of war or commander-in-chief of all the troops of the state. In Russia and Spain it was an honorary highest military rank.

In Russia, the word “generalissimo” appeared during the reign of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. Foreign officers serving in the Russian Army addressed the Great Voivode, who was considered the commander of the army, in this way. In 1696, Tsar Peter Alekseevich first granted the title of Generalissimo to governor Alexei Semyonovich Shein. Alexey Shein came from an old boyar family and was noted by Peter for his successes in the Azov campaigns of 1695-1696, which ended in the capture Turkish fortress Azov. During the first, unsuccessful Azov campaign, Alexey Shein commanded the guard - the Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky regiments. During the second Azov campaign, in 1696, the Russian governor was the commander ground forces. After this, the tsar appointed Shein commander-in-chief of the Russian army, commander of artillery, cavalry and head of the Inozemsky order. Shein was responsible for the southern strategic direction, fought the Turks and Crimean Tatars. However, Shein soon fell out of favor (due to the Streltsy affair) and died in 1700.

The official military rank of Generalissimo Russian state was introduced by the Military Regulations of 1716. Therefore, formally, the first generalissimo of Russia became the “chick of Petrov’s nest,” the tsar’s favorite Alexander Danilovich Menshikov. It was controversial personality. On the one hand, he was a loyal companion of Peter for a long time, fought successfully, big role played in the decisive Battle of Poltava, where he commanded first the vanguard and then the left flank of the Russian army. At Perevolochna he forced the remaining Swedish troops to capitulate. On the other hand, he was power-hungry and greedy for money and wealth. In terms of the number of serfs, he became the second owner of souls in Russia after Tsar Peter. Menshikov was repeatedly convicted of embezzlement. Peter allowed this to happen to him for a long time, recognizing his services to the Fatherland and under the influence of his wife Catherine. However, at the end of Peter's reign, Menshikov fell into disgrace and was deprived of his main positions.

Under Peter, Menshikov did not receive the title of generalissimo. After Peter's death, he was able to become the de facto ruler of Russia under Catherine I and Peter II. When Peter II Alekseevich became the third All-Russian Emperor on May 6 (17), 1727, Menshikov received the rank of full admiral. And on May 12 he was awarded the title of Generalissimo. As a result, Menshikov received the title of Generalissimo not in recognition of military merits, but as a favor from the Tsar. However, Menshikov was defeated in the fight with other dignitaries and nobles. In September 1727, Menshikov was arrested and exiled. He was stripped of all awards and positions.

The next generalissimo, Prince Anton Ulrich of Brunswick, also did not have any special services to Russia that would be worth noting with such a sign of attention. Anton Ulrich was the husband of Anna Leopoldovna. When Anna Leopoldovna became regent (ruler) of the Russian Empire under the young Emperor Ivan VI, her husband received the highest military rank on November 11, 1740. This happened after palace coup, which ended Biron's reign.

Anton Ulrik, unlike Menshikov, did not possess any managerial or military talents; he was a soft and limited person. Therefore, he was unable to protect his family. On the night of December 5-6, 1741, another palace coup took place in Russia: the Brunswick family was overthrown, and Elizaveta Petrovna ascended the throne. Anton Ulrik was stripped of all ranks and titles and sent into exile with his entire family.

On October 28, 1799, the great Russian commander Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov became generalissimo of the Russian land and naval forces. He was awarded by Emperor Paul in honor of the legendary Swiss campaign of 1799, when the Russian miracle heroes of Suvorov defeated not only the French, but also the mountains. Alexander Suvorov rightfully received this title. He did not lose a single battle and defeated the Poles, Ottomans and French. Suvorov was the author of “The Science of Victory,” a short manual for soldiers that expressed the Russian spirit, which allows one to emerge victorious in the most difficult conditions. The commanders of the Suvorov school were M.I. Kutuzov, P.I. Bagration and others.

Supreme

After the Generalissimos XVIII century in Russia no one else was awarded the highest military rank, although the Russian army still fought a lot. The winner of Napoleon's Grand Army, Mikhail Kutuzov, was awarded the rank of Field Marshal for his distinction at Borodino. Even this greatest war like the First World War, it did not lead to the emergence of Russian generalissimos. After October revolution In 1917, the previous military ranks were abolished, and along with them the rank of generalissimo.

Only during the most terrible and bloody war of the 20th century - the Great Patriotic War, which became sacred for Russia-USSR, since the question of the survival of Russian civilization and the Russian superethnos was a question, did they return to the idea of ​​reviving this title. After the Great Patriotic War, on June 26, 1945, by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, the highest military rank of “Generalissimo of the Soviet Union” was introduced and on June 27 it was awarded to Joseph Stalin, who was the Soviet Supreme Commander-in-Chief during the war.

The awarding of the title of Generalissimo to Stalin is very connected interesting legend. As you know, Stalin was indifferent to titles and signs of power, he lived modestly, even ascetically. The Supreme Commander did not like sycophants, believing that helpful scoundrels were worse than obvious enemies. According to the recollections of contemporaries, the issue of conferring the title of Generalissimo on Stalin was discussed several times, but the “leader of the peoples” constantly rejected this proposal. At the same time, senior military leaders especially insisted on the revival of this rank; for them, the hierarchy was of great importance. One of these discussions took place in the presence of Stalin. Marshal of the Soviet Union Konev recalled that Stalin reacted as follows: “Do you want to assign a generalissimo to Comrade Stalin? Why does Comrade Stalin need this? Comrade Stalin does not need this. Comrade Stalin already has authority. You need titles for authority. Just think, they found a title for Comrade Stalin - generalissimo. Chiang Kai-shek - Generalissimo, Franco Generalissimo. Nothing to say, good company for Comrade Stalin. You are marshals, and I am a marshal, do you want to remove me from the marshals? Some kind of generalissimo?..” Thus, Stalin gave a categorical refusal.

However, the marshals continued to insist and decided to exert influence through Konstantin Konstantinovich Rokossovsky, one of Stalin’s favorite commanders. Rokossovsky was able to convince Marshal Stalin with a simple but true argument showing the military hierarchy. He said: “Comrade Stalin, you are a marshal and I am a marshal, you cannot punish me!” As a result, Stalin surrendered. Although later, according to Molotov, he repented of this decision: “Stalin regretted that he agreed to the Generalissimo. He always regretted it. And rightly so. It was Kaganovich and Beria who overdid it... Well, the commanders insisted.”

Although, to be honest, he shouldn’t have reproached himself. Stalin deserved this high title. His enormous, simply titanic work still affects Russia’s position as a great power.

Joseph Stalin was the only generalissimo in the history of Russia who not only had the highest military rank of the country, but was also its leader. Under his leadership, Russia-USSR was prepared for war: the army, the economy and society. The Union became a powerful industrial power that was not only able to withstand the war with almost all of Europe led by Nazi Germany, but also to win brilliant victory. The Soviet armed forces became the most powerful force on the planet. And the Soviet Union became a superpower, which was a world leader in the field of science and advanced technologies, education and culture, leading humanity into the future. The Red Empire then was a kind of “beacon” for the entire planet, instilling hope in humanity for a bright future.

After Stalin, the title of Generalissimo of the Soviet Union was not awarded, but was listed in the charters until 1993. In 1993, along with other individual military ranks Armed Forces USSR title of Generalissimo of the Soviet Union in the list military ranks The Russian Armed Forces did not enter.

Translated from Latin, “generalissimo” is simply translated as “the most important,” and is used to designate a military leader of the highest category. This title was used from the 16th century to the beginning of the 21st in a number of countries. The last generalissimo was the leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Kim Jong Il - in 2011, this title was awarded to him posthumously. IN currently There is not a single holder of the title of Generalissimo on planet Earth. In general, history has known not many people who wore it - France has the largest gallery of generalissimos, from the 16th to the 19th centuries there were two dozen of them. And in Russia, for example, there have been no more than half a dozen of them over the past three-plus centuries.

The first generalissimos of our country were Ivan Buturlin and Fyodor Romodanovsky, comrades-in-arms of young Peter the Great. True, this was not yet serious - the twelve-year-old king in 1694 appointed them “generalissimos of the amusing troops”, and this title, of course, did not have any official force. On the subject of who exactly became the first real generalissimo, the opinions of historians are divided. Most sources indicate voivode Alexey Shein as such.

During the Azov campaign, he commanded the Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky regiments, and then all those involved in the campaign ground forces. For competent leadership and great contribution to the cause, Shein received the title of generalissimo from Peter on June 28, 1696. However, according to some historians, the first Russian subject to be awarded the title of generalissimo was the boyar Mikhail Cherkassky. He enjoyed great authority both among Peter and among the people, and was in charge of administrative affairs. For the Azov campaign he built a warship at his own expense. According to some sources, for these and other merits, the council of courtiers, with the active participation of Peter, decided on December 14, 1695 to grant Cherkassky the indicated title (six months earlier than Shein).

Photo: Voivode Alexey Shein, the first (according to most sources) Russian generalissimo

IN further Russia I had no luck with the generalissimos - there were three of them, and all of them did not hold this rank for long. The famous associate of Peter the Great, Prince Menshikov, was awarded this high title under Peter the Great, but lost it just four months after the conferment, falling out of favor. Duke Anton Ulrich of Brunswick, having become a generalissimo, ceased to be one a little over a year later after a palace coup, as a result of which his wife Anna Leopoldovna was overthrown. Only Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov, Prince of Italy, Count of Rymnik, and so on and so forth, having been awarded the title of Generalissimo, safely wore it until the end of his days - but the trouble is that he was awarded it six months before his death.

Photo: The most famous generalissimo Russian Empire- Alexander Vasilievich Suvorov

In the Soviet Union there was only one generalissimo - the man who won the Great Patriotic War. The first documented wish to confer the title of Generalissimo on Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin is dated February 3, 1943 - it was sent to Kalinin from the workers of the Ressora plant. The letter proposed in honor of the upcoming 25th anniversary of the creation of the Red Army and for “outstanding, unsurpassed in military history military merits in the liberation of the Motherland" award Stalin the Order of Suvorov, 1st degree and honor him with the "highest military rank - generalissimo."

Photo: Letter from a collective of workers, engineers and employees of the Moscow plant "Ressora" with a petition to award Stalin I.V. the Order of Suvorov 1st degree and assign him the highest military rank - Generalissimo Krasnoy
Army

At that moment, however, such a rank did not exist in the Red Army; it was considered premature to establish it at the request of the working people, and it was still too far from victory to throw away such large shoulder straps in advance. It is likely that other similar proposals were made, but the final point in making the decision was a note from leading Soviet military leaders submitted to the Politburo on June 24, 1945, the day of the Victory Parade. It proposed establishing the title of Generalissimo of the Soviet Union and conferring it on Stalin “for outstanding leadership of the combat operations of the Army and the Navy” and “in commemoration of exceptional merits in the Great Patriotic War,” as well as awarding Stalin the Order of Victory and the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Photo: Note from the commanders of the front troops, the General Staff of the Red Army, Navy in the Politburo of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks with proposals to award Stalin I.V. with the Order of Victory, conferring on him the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, the title of Generalissimo of the Soviet Union, and the establishment of the Order of Stalin.

Just two days later, on June 26, 1945, the title of Generalissimo of the Soviet Union was established, and the next day, on June 27, it was awarded to Stalin, along with the Hero's star and the second Order of Victory proposed in the note (Stalin received the first in April 1944 for Dnieper-Carrpathian operation).

The development of the Generalissimo uniform began after Stalin was awarded this title. The work was carried out by the rear service of the Red Army, and this work was extremely secret - only in 1996 the general public was able to see a demonstration sample of the uniform (it is currently on display Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War on Poklonnaya Hill), and preliminary sketches and working sketches were published five years later, in 2001. When creating uniforms and insignia, they were based on the already existing uniform of the chief marshal of the military branch. As development progressed, the number of details referencing the uniform increased. legendary commanders of the past - an overcoat with a cape, embroidered sleeves, a stand-up collar. Even the shoulder straps, which were initially supposed to differ from the marshal's ones only in some details, were eventually given the shape of an epaulette.

Photo: Various options shoulder strap of the Generalissimo of the Soviet Union, on the left - an epaulette of the finally adopted model

Photo: Epaulet of the Generalissimo's uniform, exhibited at the Central Military Museum.

The resulting image most definitely referred to Kutuzov. Perhaps in this way the creators tried to please Stalin, who, according to some evidence, had a certain weakness for the imperial style old Russia, including uniforms with epaulettes, aiguillettes and other “archaic” attributes. The man depicted in the sketches, curiously, does not look like Stalin at all, but is extremely reminiscent of Zhukov.

Photo: Sketches of the uniform of the Generalissimo of the Soviet Union

Stalin himself was always very skeptical about honors addressed to him, so he invariably rejected all proposals to confer the title of Generalissimo. According to the recollections of contemporaries, Marshal Rokossovsky was eventually able to convince him, pointing out that as long as Stalin held the rank of marshal, he formally could not order his military leaders, who also had marshal ranks. True, Stalin later very much regretted that he agreed to the Generalissimo. He emphasized this by the fact that he did not wear the fluffy, elaborate uniform discussed above. He continued to wear a marshal's jacket - white with a stand-up collar - or a specially tailored light gray jacket of the pre-war general's cut - with a turn-down collar and four pockets. In both cases, the shoulder straps on the tunic were marshal's. There is a version according to which Stalin decided that a pompous gold-embroidered uniform with epaulettes would look good - such a uniform would look impressive on a tall, athletic military man, but on a short, unprepossessing military man old man it will look like a doorman.
Photo: On the left is the uniform of the Generallisimo of the Soviet Union, made for the 1945 Victory Parade. On the right is the jacket in which Stalin watched the Victory Parade from the rostrum of the Mausoleum.

Whether this is true or not is not known for certain, but the fact remains a fact - even in ceremonial portraits and propaganda posters Stalin was not depicted in the uniform of the general general in the original draft. By the way, Joseph Vissarionovich did not like a large number of awards - in most cases he wore only the Hero star socialist labor, received in 1939. Only in photographs for personal records and in a few portraits (mostly painted after his death) can Stalin be seen with all his awards.

Photo: Admiral I.S. Yumashev, A.N. Kosygin, I.V. Stalin, A.N. Poskrebyshev and Admiral F.S. Oktyabrsky on board the cruiser Molotov, 1947

Photo: Meeting with Field Marshal Montgomery in the Kremlin, January 1947

Photo: Stalin and Beria, 1948

Because of this, the fact that Stalin had the title of Generalissimo was not emphasized either during his life or even after his death. It is difficult now, through the veil of the past years, to reliably understand whether the assignment of this title to Stalin was sincere gratitude, a loyal desire to please, or something else, but the attempt in any case was not crowned with success. Unlike many of his foreign colleagues, both modern and later, and earlier and later, the Soviet leader did not like pompous honors and ringing titles.

After Stalin's death, the title of Generalissimo of the Soviet Union was no longer awarded to anyone. There were repeated proposals from the localities (mainly from the military) to assign it to Khrushchev and then to Brezhnev, but they did not receive an official move. The rank was abolished in 1993, along with other Soviet military ranks. In the list of military ranks of the Armed Forces Russian Federation, created at the same time, the title of Generalissimo was not included.

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