Berezhnoy Igor Alexandrovich. The death of aircraft designer Berezhny: the first contract killing in the USSR

He died more than 20 years ago. He lived differently from everyone else, and left life in a special way - by flying into the air in an exploded car. This explosion immediately gained fame as the first contract killing in the USSR. Murders, the truth about which, perhaps, only KGB officers knew, who never answered the question of why Igor Berezhnoy, one of the legendary designers of laser technology, died, the creator of the once top-secret design bureau of automated systems in Zubchaninovka, where, as the Western world believed, intelligence, weapons were created for star wars.

Berezhnoy grew up in a special era of physicists and lyricists, romantics and poets, at a time when it seemed to everyone that the dusty paths of distant planets were just a stone's throw away, and that the first person to see the distant stars would become a citizen of the USSR. How could it be otherwise? Otherwise, it turned out that all the efforts of the giant country were going down the drain. That’s how it was, alas. But for the time being, romance did its job; the number of “physicists” ready to fight for progress and build spaceships grew.

There was something familiar in Berezhny’s appearance from films of that era about the scientific community: a formal suit and tie. This immediately made him stand out from the general student mass, who preferred sports jackets and ski trousers.

He entered KuAI in 1951. They say that Berezhnoy’s student was not an excellent student and not all of them attended lectures. Igor divided items into necessary and unnecessary. In the first classes, as a rule, he got straight A's; on topics that interested him, he very often gave scientific reports. He handed over unnecessary items half-heartedly, and practically did not attend Komsomol and other meetings. Although later he nevertheless joined the party and even gained a reputation as a convinced communist. In those years, it was impossible to occupy a leadership position without a party card. Student Berezhny was interested in the problems of structural mechanics of shells - a topic that was closely related to the creation of spacecraft. Soon after entering the institute, he began working, first at the physics department, then at the aircraft strength department. He spent the money he earned mainly on books. They say that he put them in a huge old chest, which his friends jokingly called his dowry. Oddly enough, he did not enroll in graduate school right away. The young graduate of KuAI was assigned to Voronezh, where he worked for five years as a simple engineer in the local branch of the Tupolev Design Bureau. Berezhny's future teacher, Academician Ivlev, a famous scientist specializing in the problems of ideal plasticity of materials, met the engineer who wished to enroll in graduate school coolly. He suggested that Berezhny continue the conversation after he became acquainted with the problems of ideal plasticity and several sections higher mathematics, at least in the scope of a university course. The engineer appeared two months later and pleasantly surprised with his new knowledge. Two years later, they co-authored a paper on the behavior of plastic media in the most prestigious scientific publication, “Reports of the Academy of Sciences.” This is how Berezhny was noticed by the patriarch of the domestic aircraft industry, Andrei Nikolaevich Tupolev.

In the mid-60s, each leading aircraft designer designed their own landing gear for aircraft. Although it was clear to many that there was a need for unification. The Ministry of Aviation Industry decided to create a design bureau that would solve this problem. The head of the design bureau, which was planned to be organized in Kuibyshev, could not be found for a long time. None of the potential candidates for this post - heads of chassis departments of leading design bureaus - wanted to come here. Then the famous designer proposed Berezhny's candidacy. Igor Alexandrovich was only 31 years old. He had to create a new design bureau “Airplane and Helicopter Chassis” literally from scratch.

He recruited people like him - young, but able to work, ready, like him, to sit until one in the morning on a project. By the way, extracurricular work was encouraged in the KB. True, mostly morally. They say that Berezhnoy often called young designers and gave them an idea, which they then brought to mind. The idea generator himself never put his name on the list of authors.

As a manager, Berezhnoy was far ahead of his time. Colleagues say that he managed to competently manage all aspects of the enterprise. It was believed that working at KBAS was prestigious. An era of great shortages had already begun in the country, but employees were given food rations - meat, butter and other products that were then in short supply. Thanks to the manager’s decision, employees were given the opportunity to permanently vacation in the south, where they flew with family members for free on a KB plane. Thanks to the efforts of the general, the KB workers regularly received housing, and a residential building was built next to the KBAS. Apparently, so that physicists could do science day and night. Despite the harsh leadership style, Berezhny was loved. He always listened carefully to the complaints of all employees, including the watchmen, and tried to solve their problems to the best of his ability. But he did not tolerate the slightest sloppiness. Employees still remember that he was not allowed to submit a paper with a slightly wrinkled corner for signature. Each day began with a planning meeting, at which special cards were issued indicating the due date of the task. If the deadline was missed, punishment in the form of deprivation of the bonus or a reprimand followed immediately.

To put it simply modern language, Berezhnoy attached great importance image. Employees still remember how, during business trips to Moscow, he took neatly folded shirts with him so that he could show up in fresh ones every day. He also cared about the image of his employees. At one time it was fashionable to play dominoes in KB. He banned this game as unintellectual. KB employees, in his opinion, should have played tennis. The general designer himself loved active recreation, was fond of scuba diving and even had the rank of master of sports. In Moscow, a swimming pool was even rented for Berezhny and his employees to practice diving. However, Berezhnoy himself changed this hobby to windsurfing, which was more exotic at that time, which he practiced on the Volga near Shiryaevo, arousing the curiosity of the villagers. In this village he bought a small house. Later, no one could believe that the head of a large design bureau could live so modestly. They say that by Soviet times he earned good money, but never spent money on any luxury items, gold, or jewelry. His only passion was wooden utensils with Khokhloma painting, which he collected.

All this time his life remained secret. For the “enemies of the Motherland,” that is, for humanity behind the Iron Curtain, he simply did not exist. The circumstances of his death, which was considered the first contract killing in the USSR, were also classified.

Of course, strange murders have happened before. Suffice it to recall the fate of such party leaders as Fyodor Kulakov or Pyotr Masherov. But their death was associated with the struggle for power. Aircraft designer Berezhnoy did not aspire to power and was not a dissident. The method of murder chosen was also not typical for those years. KGB specialists staged car accidents, staged suicides, used poisons, but blew them up. The criminal preferred to use firearms or bladed weapons rather than explosives. This happened in February 1981. The aircraft designer came to Moscow on official business. As it became known later, he was asked to bring a scarce medicine from the capital. At the appointed place, the driver was given the box. None of the passengers - the leading managers of the KBAS - had any suspicions. The driver went to the airport and then returned to pick up Berezhny. Igr Aleksandrovich got into the car and tried to open the “gift”. At this time, the driver got out to wipe the windshield. At that moment there was an explosion. Eyewitnesses said that the car fell apart like a cardboard box. The roof of the cabin hung on a tree at the 3rd floor level. The driver received a concussion and for a long time was in the hospital. The constructor's body was disfigured. The coffin was displayed for farewell in the Palace of Culture named after. Kirov, but they didn’t open it for long. In place of the face, the colleagues saw only a wax mask.

The KGB department for the Samara region took over the investigation. The scandalous case was supervised by the then head of the KGB and future Secretary General Yuri Andropov. Initially, the investigation was actively developing a domestic version. Over time, I had to admit its inconsistency. Put aside the talk about an attack from abroad. The tension around the case did not subside for a long time. KGB officers visited journalists interested in the causes of death; the designer’s mother complained that they periodically called her and threatened her. Later, there were semi-mythical rumors that this death could be connected with some relationship between the designer and Leonid Brezhnev’s favorite flight attendant. But the rumors remained rumors, and it is still unknown why the creator of KBAS died. They say that until the end of her days his mother dreamed of finding out the truth about her son’s death. She outlived him by 20 years, but never received an answer.

With the loss of Berezhny, KBAS went downhill. He was finally finished off by perestroika, during which it became clear that the country no longer needed physicists, lyricists, dusty paths, or frequency-tunable lasers. The premises on the territory of the bureau were empty, the control and trace strip gradually disappeared, and top secrecy became a thing of the past. The employees of the design bureau, who found themselves in a difficult financial situation, for the most part gave up with science and, at best, took up its practical application. And instead of building lasers on the territory Today the design bureau is bottling Kapel water. Ironically, the company involved in this project is also headed by a former designer of laser systems.

February 4 1774 all Pugachevo rebels were sent to Kazan, and others were sworn and signed that they would be loyal to the Empress. The capture of Samara and severe punishment of the rebels completely subordinated this city to the government. * February 4 1925 Samara mechanic I.S. Ryzhov invented a new type of internal combustion engine. He has a patent for it, but does not have the funds to make a model. Ryzhov works at the second factory for the production of sports and gymnastics accessories. * February 4 1981 In Moscow, the head of the Kuibyshev Design Bureau of Automatic Systems (KKBAS), Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences Igor Aleksandrovich Berezhnoy, was killed by an explosion in his official car. During the investigation, it was established that on that day he was given an explosive device disguised as a box of medicine.

Grave of I.A.Berezhny

This day in the history of the region.

How the Pugachevites were punished

February 4 1774 year, General Mansurov reports from Samara to Kazan to General-Chief Bibikov, who led the military operations against E. Pugachev’s army, about the punishment of the Pugachevites with batogs. Cruel punishment of “Samara residents of various ranks” followed the heated meeting of Pugachev’s associate Arapov and their other crimes.

As you know, Pugachev’s ataman Ilya Arapov took Samara without a fight. Before his arrival, commandant Balakhontsev, knowing about the atrocities of the Pugachevites, succumbed to rumors about large number people and guns in Arapov's detachment, on December 25, 1773, with officers and 36 soldiers, he fled from the city in panic, abandoning the artillery and most of the garrison personnel there. 80 versts from the city, he waited for government troops to approach and, together with them, turned towards Samara. He did not take part in the battle for her; he and his people covered the convoy.

The remaining 340 soldiers of the garrison, the clergy and residents of the city met Arapov’s detachment with bread and salt and ringing bells. But the Pugachevites failed to hold Samara. On December 28, the rebels, poorly trained in military affairs, having lost several hundred killed and wounded, fled. The reprisal began against the residents who sided with the rebels. Everyone who was involved in the rebellion was ordered “to be severely punished for fear with whips at a meeting of the people, sentencing that they should remain firm against the villains and should not spare their lives as loyal subjects.”

The former commandant Balakhontsev was removed from his post, put on trial, found guilty of surrendering the fortress to the enemy and abandoning his post. Sentenced to death by hanging. However, Commander-in-Chief P.I. Panin commuted the death sentence to demoting the former captain to a soldier with the right of seniority.

General-in-Chief A.I. Bibikov, who led the suppression of the Pugachev rebellion, sent a letter to the Archbishop of Kazan with an order to replace and punish the clergy of Samara who went over to the side of the rebels (Pugachevites). There were 9 of these people, all of them were sent to Kazan after the arrival of the replacement. Lieutenant Colonel Grinev, who arrived from Simbirsk, figured out which of the city’s residents was most guilty of supporting the rebels. All rebels were also sent to Kazan, and others were sworn and signed that they would be loyal to the Empress and would not have secret connections with traitors and robbers. The capture of Samara and severe punishment of the rebels completely subordinated this city to the government.

Other events of this day in different years stories of Samara:

February 4 1774 General Mansurov reports to Bibikov in Kazan about the cruel punishment of the Pugachevites by the batogs. Cruel punishment by batogs of “Samara residents of various ranks” followed the heated meeting of Pugachev’s associate Arapov and other crimes. Bibikov Alexander Ilyich - general-in-chief, senator. He led military operations against E. Pugachev’s army, including the operation to “cleanse the Samara district of rebels.”

Ilya Fedorovich Arapov is an associate of Emelyan Pugachev and the “marching chieftain” of the rebel army. A serf peasant who fled from his owner.

February 4 1913 d. A meeting of the commission was held to determine the amounts of sick leave and other arrears. According to the resolution of the Duma, in commemoration of the 300th anniversary of the House of Romanov, it was decided to collect arrears “completely hopeless for collection due to the extreme poverty of the arrears.”

February 4 1920 g. Unrest arose among the workers of the Pipe Factory. According to the Chairman of the Board of the Pipe Plant N.M. Yanson, based on the introduction new system wages and under the influence of the agitation of the Mensheviks “and other hostile elements”, unrest arose among the plant workers. In addition, workers are demanding an increase in food rations.

February 4 1925 Samara mechanic I.S. Ryzhov invented a new type of internal combustion engine. The Kommuna newspaper reported sensational news: Samara mechanic I.S. Ryzhov had invented a new type of internal combustion engine. And he already has a patent for it “from the Center.” However, he does not have the funds to make the model. According to the expert commission of the Samara branch of the All-Russian Association of Inventors, the new type of engine will become widespread in the Samara Territory, and then in other areas. Ryzhov is 44 years old. Works in Samara at the second factory for the production of sports and gymnastics accessories. Lives in the Monastyrskoye village.

Additional information about the events of this day from other sources:

February 4 1936 — In 1936, 8 million rubles were allocated for the construction and repair of pavements and sidewalks in the city; over 60 thousand square meters of pavements will be covered with asphalt concrete.

1981 — In Moscow, the head of the Kuibyshev Design Bureau of Automatic Systems (KKBAS), Igor Aleksandrovich Berezhnoy, born in 1934, was killed by an explosion in his official car. During the investigation, it was established that on that day he was given an explosive device disguised as a box of medicine.

(Articles about Berezhny:

In connection with the death of former Verkhovna Rada deputy Irina Berezhnaya, media attention fell not only on the personality of the deceased, but also on the sponsor and alleged father of her child, Boris Fuksman.

Businessman of Ukrainian origin - enough famous person- media mogul, investor, active member of many Jewish communities in the world and cousin of Alexander Rodnyansky. And if there is enough information about his path in the media field, then the Fuchsman family is a closed book to the public.

The INFORMER managed to communicate with a person close to the media tycoon’s circle, who spoke about the Fuchsman family.

Boris Fuksman was born into a Jewish family of a Kyiv antique dealer. In 1970 he graduated from the Technological Institute Food Industry, and not the Kiev Trade and Economic Institute, as some sources write. After graduating, he worked at the Kyiv Documentary Film Studio as an assistant cameraman, then as an assistant director, and finally as a film director. It is not difficult to explain the career rise of a young engineer. Fuchsman's cousin is Alexander Rodnyansky. It was Rodnyansky’s father who helped the still young Fuchsman begin his career as a cinematographer.

But he was attracted by money, so Fuchsman began to engage in blackmail - he worked with almost everything, from Marlboro cigarettes to Levis jeans. Then Fuchsman married for the first time, and to this moment, V last time. Fuchsman's chosen one was a Kiev woman from a Jewish family - Erna, later Fuchsman. Erna gave birth to Fuchsman's first daughter, Michelle.

In 1974, Fuchsman, having earned start-up capital from blackmail and grabbed some antiques, moved with his family to Germany, where his relatives still live.

Already living in Germany, Fuchsman separated from Erna, but did not officially divorce. In fact, she is still his official wife. Fuchsman did not file for divorce, since at that time he had already accumulated a certain capital by dealing in antiques and smuggling, and in the event of a divorce, according to German laws, he would have been left broke, since all the assets would have gone to Erna.

In Germany, Fuchsman met his current common-law wife Lilia, who gave another impetus to his business activities. At the time of their acquaintance, Lilia was widowed and had a daughter, Elena, whom Fuchsman raised as his own. After some time, they had a common daughter, Natalia Fuksman.

Fuchsman and Liliya are not officially signed, at least in Germany. Most likely, their marriage was registered in another country. As the INFORMER learned from a source close to Fuchsman’s circle, he is still officially married to Erna.

Lilia is Natalia Kobzon's cousin, which greatly helped Fuchsman in his business. In the nineties of the last century, Joseph Kobzon was closely associated with the Soviet army, which gave Fuchsman access to supplies Soviet army. This is how the values ​​of repatriates and smuggled icons, including those of criminal origin, were transferred to the West and back to the USSR. At the same time, Fuchsman mastered a new smuggling channel - household utensils of Soviet officers. According to some reports, Fuchsman also sold used weapons from the Soviet contingent in Germany in those years. This became his new income. Thanks to family ties new wife, Fuchsman received almost unlimited opportunities in business. It was the money he earned in the nineties that provided the material basis for organizing the media business that Fuchsman now owns.

It is impossible to find information about the Fuchsman family in the media. Wikipedia indicates that he has two daughters - Natalya and Michelle. Some sources name the third - Lilia's daughter from her first husband - Elena. But there is no information about wives or grandchildren. Although, according to information received from the source, Fuchsman has many grandchildren, and at least two wives. In several publications with photographs posted, mainly from social events of the cinematic beau monde, Lilia is mentioned as “Fuchsman’s wife,” but her name does not appear anywhere. Like, in general, a surname. According to the source, Lilia bears the surname of her first deceased husband.

The story of the death in a car accident (of the kept woman and mother of Fuchsman’s fourth child, Daniella, - ed.) of the former deputy of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine from the Party of Regions, Irina Berezhnaya, again drew attention to Fuchsman’s person. A number of media reported that after Berezhnaya’s death, Fuchsman, Daniella’s alleged father, came to the Croatian Zadar to pick up the child. According to the source, he is listed as the girl’s father in the documents. Most likely, Interpol summoned him to the country, since if there is a living father or mother, the child is given to them first and not to other relatives.

According to a source close to Fuchsman’s circle, about five years ago he suffered a stroke, which significantly affected the media tycoon’s health. He speaks poorly and has difficulty moving. It was in this state that Fuchsman came to pick up his eight-year-old daughter.

According to the source, Liliya for a long time did not believe in Fuchsman’s connection with Berezhnaya, but when she was presented with irrefutable facts, she forced her husband to break up with his mistress. They did not communicate for about two years, although Fuchsman continued to fully provide for his passion with his daughter. Berezhnaya, being a “barefoot,” according to the wife, had a bad effect on her husband’s health, especially after suffering a stroke. The source claims that Berezhnaya treated Fuchsman badly, was rude to him in public at business meetings, demanding increased attention from the very middle-aged man, calling him “an old asshole.” Also, according to the source, Berezhnaya is like two peas in a pod like Lilia in her youth.

Later, information appeared in the media that Fuchsman and Liliya decided to adopt Berezhnaya’s child after the death of her mother. A source from Fuchsman's circle confirms this information. In his opinion, Lilia could make such a decision because she is very angry with her husband, and not with the girl. Lily is a wise enough woman not to transfer her anger to her child. In Düsseldorf, where the Fuchsman family lives, there is a large post-Soviet crowd, among which the Fuchsman family is the elite. And they, among other things, will have to explain why they adopted the girl. Most likely, she will be presented as the daughter of dead friends. According to the source, the Düsseldorf-Berlin crowd will not soon understand that Danielle is Fuchsmann’s own daughter.

Let us recall that it was previously reported that former MP from the Party of Regions and an ardent supporter of the “Russian world” Irina Berezhnaya died in a car accident in Croatia.

The accident occurred in Croatia at night, around 01.30 on the highway between settlements Maslenitsa and Posedarje. Two people died: passenger Berezhnaya and a 38-year-old driver, a citizen of Bulgaria. As a result of the accident, Berezhnaya’s 8-year-old daughter was injured and was hospitalized.

Later, her father, Boris Fuksman, came to Zadar to pick up the girl.

It also became known that Boris Fuksman and his wife Lilia decided to adopt the child of the deceased Berezhnaya.

On March 28, 2018, cadets of the 21st course of VI (IT) visited the museum military history"Unknown unfinished war"in the Church of the Icon of the "Joy of the Mother of God of All Who Sorrow" on Shpalernaya Street.

VI(IT) cadets began visiting the military museum in the Sorrow Church on Shpalernaya Street in April 2017. Since that time, excursions to this museum of military history, organized by teachers of department No. 10 and carried out as part of the cultural studies course, when studying the topic “ Military culture and personality culture of military personnel” become a tradition of our institute. VI(IT) cadets took part in more than ten events (excursions and memorial events) conducted by the temple. In March 2018 alone, the museum was visited by four groups of 21 courses and a group of officers from the faculty of retraining and advanced training.

The Church of the Icon of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow” is located a three-minute walk from the VI (IT) buildings, at the intersection of Shpalernaya Street and Chernyshevsky Avenue. He has a lot in common with our institute. The temple building was created according to the design of the architect Luigi Rusca, who created a complex of buildings for the barracks of the Cavalry Corps, on the site of which our institute is now located. Another thing is also important: this is a temple in which the memory of the military history of Russia is carefully preserved, the memory of soldiers who gave their lives for the Fatherland is honored.

The rector of the temple, Archpriest Vyacheslav (Kharinov), sees his task as preserving the living memory of the fallen heroes and, most importantly, in the patriotic education of our contemporaries. “It was spirituality that made our soldiers stronger than the enemy, stronger than the well-armed German army,” says Father Vyacheslav.

At the temple, Father Vyacheslav created the military museum “The Unknown Unfinished War”, dedicated to the defense and siege of Leningrad. The basis of this small museum is made up of objects that preserve the living memory of the war. Here cadets can see authentic soldier's things and hold them in their hands. These are weapons, personal belongings and items soldier's life, letters from front-line soldiers.

Most of the exhibits were found by members of search teams in the vicinity of St. Petersburg, in places where the heaviest and bloodiest battles of the Great Patriotic War took place. Patriotic War. Behind each of these exhibits is the fate of people, the story of their feat, heroic life and death.

The tour of the temple and museum “The Unknown Unfinished War” ends, according to tradition, in the temple refectory over a cup of tea. Here Father Vyacheslav continues his conversation with the cadets about important issues relevant to young people: life and death, love and faith, human spiritual strength, service to the Motherland.

Such excursions have an important educational value: patriotic education should be based on a careful, respectful attitude towards the memory of soldiers who gave their lives for the Fatherland, on a sense of involvement in their life and feat.

Eikhenbaum O.A.

This murder is called the first contract killing in the history of the late USSR. Berezhnoy occupied a high position in Kuibyshev; he was expected to become secretary of the city party committee. Four subordinates of the chief designer of the design bureau were arrested on charges of fraud. During the arrest, one of them managed to poison himself, the other stuck a knife in himself, but he was pumped out. Kuibyshevsky judge A.A. Shchupakov, who was involved in the investigation of this case, assured in his interview with Volzhskaya Kommuna that Berezhnoy clearly helped write off valuables. According to one version, voiced in the film “Bomb for the Chief Designer” on behalf of former designers who worked at KKBAS, the contract killing was connected specifically with the illegal activities of the design bureau. In particular, the planes of the secret enterprise were often used for other purposes by Kuibyshev’s party elite; supposedly the mafia was interested in this aircraft, intending to transport certain cargo on it.

“Samara Review” also gives an exotic hypothesis for the murder of Berezhny, which is connected with his beloved flight attendant L.I. Brezhnev. The only person involved in the criminal case initiated on the fact of abuses in the KKBAS who has survived to this day, V. Nekhoroshev, who received a suspended sentence, believes that Berezhny was simply removed for show so that other prominent Soviet designers “kept their heads down.” Allegedly, the Americans were very interested in the Glissada system, developed under the leadership of Igor Alexandrovich, and they wanted to lure the scientist to the USA. Opponents of this version argue that there was nothing special about the Glissade; moreover, its parameters were once published by Pravda.

Ultimately, no one was charged with I.A.'s murder. Berezhny (they were removed from one of the chief designer’s subordinates, who was later convicted of financial fraud in the design bureau). The authors of the film “Bomb for the Chief Designer” requested information about the criminal case initiated on the basis of murder in the archives of the FSB and the Prosecutor General’s Office. But these services reported that they did not have any materials. Thus, the questions of who killed the chief designer in 1981 and for what reason remain unanswered today.