What was Kliment Voroshilov like? Voroshilov in the revolution and civil war Voroshilov red movement

IN Oroshilov Kliment Efremovich - Soviet military leader, statesman and party leader, Chairman of the Presidium and member of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, Marshal Soviet Union.

Born on January 23 (February 4), 1881 in the village of Verkhneye, Bakhmut district, Yekaterinoslav province (now Lugansk region of Ukraine) in the family of a railway worker. Russian. Member of the RSDLP(b)/CPSU since 1903.

Since 1896 he worked at the Yuryevsky Metallurgical Plant, and since 1903 in the city of Lugansk at the Hartmann Locomotive Plant. In 1904, a member of the Lugansk Bolshevik Committee. In 1905 - Chairman of the Lugansk Council, led a strike of workers and the creation of fighting squads. Delegate to the 4th (1906) and 5th (1907) congresses of the RSDLP. In 1908-17, he conducted underground party work in the cities of Baku, St. Petersburg, and Tsaritsyn. He was arrested several times and served exile. After February Revolution 1917 - member of the Petrograd Council, delegate of the 7th (April) All-Russian Conference and the 6th Congress of the RSDLP(b). Since March 1917, Chairman of the Lugansk Council and City Duma.

During the days of the Great October Socialist Revolution, in November 1917, K.E. Voroshilov was a commissar of the Petrograd Military Revolutionary Committee (for city administration). Together with F.E. Dzerzhinsky led the work on organizing the All-Russian Extraordinary Commission(VChK). At the beginning of March 1918, he organized the 1st Lugansk Socialist Detachment, which defended the city of Kharkov from German-Austrian troops.

During the Civil War - commander of the Tsaritsyn group of forces, deputy commander and member of the Military Council of the Southern Front, commander of the 10th Army, People's Commissar of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, commander of the Kharkov Military District, commander of the 14th Army and Internal Affairs Ukrainian Front. One of the organizers and member of the Revolutionary Military Council of the 1st Cavalry Army, commanded by S.M. Budyonny. For military services in 1920 he was awarded an honorary revolutionary weapon. At the 8th Congress of the RCP(b), held in March 1919, he joined the “military opposition”. In 1921, at the head of a group of delegates to the 10th Party Congress, he participated in the liquidation of the Kronstadt anti-Soviet rebellion.

In 1921-24, a member of the South-Eastern Bureau of the Central Committee of the RCP (b) and commander of the troops of the North Caucasus Military District. In 1924-1925 - commander of the troops of the Moscow Military District and member of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR. From November 6, 1925 to June 20, 1934, People's Commissar for Military and Naval Affairs and Chairman of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR; in 1934-1940 - People's Commissar defense of the USSR.

On September 22, 1935, the “Regulations on the service of command and control personnel of the Red Army” introduced personal military ranks. On November 20, 1935, the Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR awarded the military rank of "Marshal of the Soviet Union" to the five largest Soviet commanders. Among them was Kliment Efremovich Voroshilov.

Since 1940 - Deputy Chairman of the Council People's Commissars USSR and Chairman of the Defense Committee under the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR.

During the Great Patriotic War, Marshal of the Soviet Union K.E. Voroshilov. - member of the State Defense Committee, commander-in-chief of the troops of the North-Western direction (until September 5, 1941), commander of the troops of the Leningrad Front (from September 5 to 10, 1941), representative of the Headquarters for the formation of troops (September 1941 - February 1942), representative Headquarters of the Supreme High Command on the Volkhov Front (February - September 1942), Commander-in-Chief partisan movement(from September 1942 to May 1943), chairman of the Trophy Committee under the State Defense Committee (May - September 1943), chairman of the Armistice Commission (September 1943 - June 1944). In 1943 he participated in the Tehran Conference.

In 1945-1947 - Chairman of the Union Control Commission in Hungary. In 1946-53 - Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR. From March 1953 to May 1960 - Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

U Kazami of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR: from February 3, 1956 (in connection with the 75th anniversary of his birth) and from February 22, 1968 (in connection with the 50th anniversary Armed Forces USSR), Marshal of the Soviet Union was twice awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

U of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on May 7, 1960, noting outstanding services to the Communist Party and the Soviet state, Kliment Efremovich Voroshilov awarded the title of Hero of Socialist Labor.

Since May 1960, member of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. From 1921 to October 1961 and from 1966 - member of the CPSU Central Committee, from 1926 to 1952 - member of the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee, from 1952 to July 1960 - member of the Presidium of the CPSU Central Committee. Delegate to the 10th-23rd party congresses. Deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of the 1st -7th convocations.

He died at the age of 89 on December 2, 1969. He was buried in Moscow on Red Square near the Kremlin wall. A monument was erected at the grave.

He is one of 11 people who were awarded both highest degrees of distinction of the Soviet Union.

Awarded nine Orders of Lenin (02/23/1935, 02/22/1938, 03/3/1940, 02/21/1945, 02/3/1951, 02/3/1956, 05/7/1960, 02/3/1961, 02/22/1968), six Orders of the Red Banner (26.02.1920 , 1921, 2.12.1925, 22.02.1930, 22.11.1944, 24.06.1948), Order of Suvorov 1st degree (22.02.1944), Order of the Red Banner of the Uzbek SSR (17.2.1930), Order of the Red Banner of the Tajik SSR (14.1.1933 ), Red Banner of the TSFSR (25.2.1933), medals, foreign awards - Order of the Red Banner of the MPR (Mongolia), two Orders of Sukhbaatar (Mongolia), Order of the Republic (Tuva, 10.28.1937), Grand Cross of the Order of the White Rose ( Finland), Order of the Queen of Sheba (Ethiopia, 1959). Also awarded the Honorary Revolutionary Weapon (12/30/1920), Honorary Weapon with the image State emblem USSR (02/22/1968). Hero of the Mongolian People's Republic (05/29/1957).

The history of such a totalitarian superpower as the Soviet Union contains many both heroic and dark pages. This could not but leave its mark on the biographies of those who carried it out. Kliment Voroshilov is one of these individuals. He lived a long life, which was not without heroism, but at the same time he had a lot on his conscience human lives, since it is his signature that appears on many execution lists.

Kliment Voroshilov: biography

One of the darkest pages of Voroshilov’s biography was his participation in 1921 in the suppression. After these events, he was appointed a member of the South-Eastern Bureau of the Party Central Committee, as well as commander of the North Caucasus Military District.

From 1924 to 1925 he was commander of the Moscow Military District troops and a member of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR.

Few people know that during the same period Voroshilov patronized the Bolshoi Theater and was known as a great lover of ballet.

At the post of People's Commissar of Defense

After the death of M. Frunze, Voroshilov became chairman of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR and headed the country's naval department, and in 1934-1940 - the People's Commissariat of Defense of the Soviet Union.

In total, he spent almost 15 years in this post, which is a kind of record for the Soviet period. Voroshilov Kliment Efremovich (1881-1969) had a reputation as Stalin's most devoted supporter and provided him with effective support in the fight against Trotsky. In October 1933, he went with a government delegation to Turkey, where, together with Ataturk, he attended a military parade in Ankara.

In November 1935, by decision of the Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR, he was awarded the newly established rank of Marshal of the Soviet Union.

After 5 years, he was removed from the post of People's Commissar, as he did not live up to Stalin's expectations during Finnish war. However, Voroshilov was not dismissed, but was appointed to the post of head of the Defense Committee under the Council of People's Commissars of the Soviet Union.

Participation of Kliment Voroshilov in Stalinist repressions

Death and funeral

Kliment Voroshilov, whose career growth stalled in the last decades of his life due to the infirmities of old age, died on December 2, 1969 at the age of 89. The marshal was buried in the capital, near the Kremlin wall, on Red Square. According to contemporaries, this was the first such large-scale funeral ceremony of farewell to statesman USSR for the twenty years that passed after Zhdanov’s funeral.

Family and Children

The wife of Voroshilov Kliment Efremovich - Golda Davidovna Gorbman - was of the Jewish religion, but for the sake of the wedding with her beloved she was baptized and took the name Ekaterina. This act aroused the anger of the girl’s Jewish relatives, who even cursed her. In 1917, Ekaterina Davidovna joined the RSDLP and for many years worked as deputy director of the V. I. Lenin Museum.

It so happened that the friendly Voroshilov family did not have their own children. However, they took in the orphaned children of M.V. Frunze: Timur, who died at the front in 1942, and Tatyana. In addition, in 1918, the couple adopted a boy, Peter, who later became a famous designer and rose to the rank of lieutenant general. From him the couple had 2 grandchildren - Vladimir and Klim.

Awards

Klim Voroshilov is a recipient of almost all the highest awards of the USSR. Including, he twice received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

He has 8 Orders of Lenin and 6 Orders of the Red Banner and many other awards, including foreign countries. In particular, the military leader is a hero of the MPR, a holder of the Grand Cross of Finland, and also an honorary citizen of the Turkish city of Izmir.

Perpetuation of memory

During his lifetime, K. E. Voroshilov became the most glorified military figure of the Civil War, in whose honor songs were composed, collective farms, ships, factories, etc. were named.

Several cities were named in his honor:

• Voroshilovgrad (Lugansk) was renamed twice and returned to its historical name only in 1990.
• Voroshilovsk (Alchevsk). In this city, the marshal began his labor and party activities in his youth.
• Voroshilov (Ussuriysk, Primorsky Territory).
• Voroshilovsk (Stavropol, from 1935 to 1943).

In addition, the Khoroshevsky district of the capital and central district city ​​of Donetsk.

To this day, Voroshilov streets exist in dozens of cities former USSR. These include Goryachiy Klyuch, Tolyatti, Brest, Orenburg, Penza, Ershov, Serpukhov, Korosten, Angarsk, Voronezh, Khabarovsk, Klintsy, Kemerovo, Lipetsk, Rybinsk, St. Petersburg, Simferopol, Chelyabinsk and Izhevsk. In Rostov-on-Don there is also Voroshilovsky Avenue.

The award for the most accurate shooters, approved at the end of 1932 and called the “Voroshilov Shooter,” deserves special mention. According to the recollections of people whose youth fell in the pre-war years, wearing it was prestigious, and young people were sure to be awarded such a badge.

A series of KV tanks produced at the Putilov plant were also named in honor of Klim Efremovich, and in 1941-1992 they bore his name Military Academy General Staff of the USSR Armed Forces.

A monument to Kliment Voroshilov was erected on his grave. And in Moscow, at house number 3 on Romanov Lane, there is a memorial plaque notifying about this.

Now you know some facts of the biography of the famous Soviet military leader and party leader Klim Efremovich Voroshilov. A wonderful family man and a great patriot of his Motherland, he, nevertheless, in the years Stalin's repressions sent several thousand people to their death, most of whom were not guilty of what they were accused of and sentenced to execution.

Kliment Efremovich Voroshilov was born on January 23 (February 4), 1881 in the village of Verkhneye, Bakhmut district, Yekaterinoslav province (now the city of Lisichansk in Ukraine) in the family of railway worker Efrem Andreevich Voroshilov (1844-1907).

In 1893-1895, K. E. Voroshilov studied at the zemstvo school in the village of Vasilievka, Slavyansk district (now within the city limits of Alchevsk in Ukraine). Since 1896, he worked at the Yuryev Metallurgical Plant (Alchevskaya station), since 1903 - in Lugansk (now in Ukraine) at the G. Hartmann steam locomotive plant.

In 1903, K. E. Voroshilov joined the RSDLP, and in 1904 he became a member of the Lugansk Bolshevik Committee. In 1905, he was chairman of the Lugansk Council, led a workers' strike and the creation of fighting squads. In 1906, he was elected as a delegate to the IV (Stockholm) Congress of the RSDLP, where he first met with. In 1907 he was a delegate to the V (London) Congress of the RSDLP.

In July 1907, K. E. Voroshilov was arrested and in October of the same year he was exiled to the city of Arkhangelsk province for a period of 3 years. In December 1907, he escaped from the prison to a place of exile and was sent by the Party Central Committee to work in Baku (now in Azerbaijan). During underground work in the city, he met. In 1908 he moved to, where he was arrested and returned to the Arkhangelsk province. In exile in the village in January 1911, K. E. Voroshilov was again arrested and served in Arkhangelsk prison until November, then he was sent to Mezensky district of Arkhangelsk province. Released from exile in 1912, he joined the workers' cooperative at the Dumo plant in Alchevsk, but a few months later he was once again arrested and deported to the village of Cherdyn district Perm province. After his release from exile in 1914, he worked at the Tsaritsyn gun factory. During the First World War he lived in an illegal situation.

After the February Revolution of 1917, K. E. Voroshilov was a member of the Petrograd Soviet and was elected as a delegate to the VII (April) All-Russian Conference and the VI Congress of the RSDLP (b). From March to September 1917 he was chairman of the Lugansk Council and City Duma. In November 1917, he was a commissar of the Petrograd Military Revolutionary Committee (for city administration), together with he led the work on organizing the Cheka.

At the beginning of March 1918, K. E. Voroshilov organized the 1st Lugansk Socialist Detachment, which defended Kharkov (now in Ukraine) from German-Austrian troops. During the Civil War of 1918-1920, he commanded the Tsaritsyn group of troops, was deputy commander and member of the Military Council of the Southern Front, commander of the 10th Army, People's Commissar of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, commander of the Kharkov Military District, commander of the 14th Army and the internal Ukrainian Front. In 1919, K. E. Voroshilov became one of the organizers and a member of the RVS of the 1st Cavalry Army. In 1920, for his military services, he was awarded an honorary revolutionary weapon.

In 1921, at the head of a group of delegates to the X Congress of the RCP (b), K. E. Voroshilov participated in the liquidation Kronstadt rebellion. In 1921-1924, he was a member of the South-Eastern Bureau of the Central Committee of the RCP (b), and commanded the troops of the North Caucasus Military District.

In 1924-1925, K. E. Voroshilov was the commander of the troops of the Moscow Military District and a member of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR. After his death, he headed the Soviet defense department: in 1925-1934 he held the positions of People's Commissar for Military and Naval Affairs and Chairman of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR, in 1934-1940 he was People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR. In 1935, one of the first Soviet military leaders, K. E. Voroshilov, was awarded military rank Marshal of the Soviet Union. Since 1940, he was deputy chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR and chairman of the Defense Committee of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR.

During the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, K. E. Voroshilov was a member of the State Defense Committee, was the commander-in-chief of the forces of the North-Western direction, the commander of the troops of the Leningrad Front, and the commander-in-chief of the partisan movement. In 1943 he participated in the Tehran Conference.

In 1945-1947, K. E. Voroshilov headed the Union Control Commission in Hungary. In 1946-1953, he served as Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR.

In 1953-1960, K. E. Voroshilov was chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. From 1960 until the end of his life he was a member of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

In 1921-1961 and 1966-1969, K. E. Voroshilov was a member of the Central Committee of the RCP (b) (VKP (b), CPSU), in 1926-1952 he was a member of the Politburo of the Central Committee, in 1952-1960 - a member of the Presidium of the Central Committee. IN Soviet years he was elected as a delegate to the X - XXIII Party Congresses, and was a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR in the first seven convocations.

K. E. Voroshilov was twice awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union (1956 and 1968), was a Hero of Socialist Labor (1960), and also a Hero of the Mongolian People's Republic (1957). Among his awards are 8 orders

VOROSHILOV, KLIMENT EFREMOVICH(1881–1969), activist revolutionary movement, military and state leader, Marshal of the Soviet Union (1935), twice Hero of the Soviet Union (1956, 1968), Hero of Socialist Labor (1960). Born on January 23 (February 4), 1881 in the village of Verkhneye, Yekaterinoslav province, in the family of a railway watchman. WITH childhood worked, graduated from two classes of the zemstvo school. From 1896 he worked at the Yuryev Metallurgical Plant, from 1902 - in Lugansk. In 1903 he joined the RSDLP, a Bolshevik. In 1905, chairman of the Lugansk Council of Workers' Deputies, delegate to the Stockholm and London congresses of the RSDLP. He was arrested several times, was exiled to the Arkhangelsk province, and escaped from exile. In 1908–1917 he conducted party work in Baku, St. Petersburg, Tsaritsyn, was arrested again, and served exile in the Arkhangelsk province and Cherdyn region. Since March 1917, chairman of the Lugansk Council, City Duma, and Bolshevik City Committee. From November 1917, commissar of the Petrograd Military Revolutionary Committee for City Administration, participated in the creation of the Cheka and led the first arrests in the city. Since January 1918, Chairman of the Cheka for the Protection of Petrograd.

In March 1918, Voroshilov became commander of the 1st Lugansk socialist detachment. From April 1918 - organizer and commander of the 5th Ukrainian army, which retreated under the pressure of the White Guards to Tsaritsyn. In July - early August 1918, he commanded a group of troops in the defense of Tsaritsyn, where he met and became close to I.V. Stalin. In August-September 1918 he was a member of the Military Council of the North Caucasus Military District, in September-October 1918 he was a member of the Revolutionary Military Council and assistant commander of the Southern Front. In October - December 1918, commander of the 10th Army.

From January 1919 - People's Commissar of Internal Affairs of Ukraine. Organized a punitive operation to liquidate the detachments of Ataman Grigoriev. In March 1919, at the VIII Congress of the RCP (b), Voroshilov became an active participant in the so-called “military opposition”, which opposed the course of the then People’s Commissar for Military and Naval Affairs and the Chairman of the Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic L.D. Trotsky on the creation of a regular army and demanded that everyone be expelled from the army military experts, to build the Red Army exclusively on a police basis, subordinate to “revolutionary discipline”. In June-July 1919 he commanded the 14th Army and the internal Ukrainian Front, operating against Ukrainian nationalist detachments. Together with S.M. Budyonny, he was among the main organizers of the 1st Cavalry Army (November 1919) and became a member of the Army's Revolutionary Military Council. He remained in this post throughout the last period of the Civil War - until May 1921. He was awarded three Orders of the Red Banner and an honorary revolutionary weapon. During the fighting, he did not show any talent as a commander and was distinguished by his distrust of military experts. During the war with the Poles, he supported the command of the Southwestern Front (A.I. Egorov, Stalin), who refused to promptly implement Moscow’s directive on the transfer of the 1st Cavalry Army to the operational subordination of the commander Western Front M.N. Tukhachevsky.

At the head of a group of delegates to the X Congress of the RCP(b) in 1921 he participated in the suppression of the Kronstadt uprising. Since 1921 member of the Central Committee of the RCP(b). In 1921–1924, member of the South-Eastern Bureau of the Central Committee of the RCP (b), commander of the troops of the North Caucasus Military District. He led the destruction of the rebels in the Caucasus. Since 1924, commander of the troops of the Moscow Military District and member of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR. In June 1924 - December 1925, member of the Organizing Bureau of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks. In the internal party struggle he always spoke from the position of the party majority and supported Stalin.

After the death of M.V. Frunze, Stalin's choice settled on Voroshilov - on November 6, 1925, he was appointed People's Commissar for Military and Naval Affairs of the USSR and Chairman of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR. Since 1926, member of the Politburo (since 1952 - Presidium) of the Central Committee of the party. Voroshilov lived up to the hopes of his friend and patron. In the fight against the Trotskyist, Zinoviev-Kamenev, united Trotskyist-Zinoviev, and then right-wing opposition, he always supported Stalin’s position and advocated the policy of enhanced industrialization National economy and complete collectivization of the village, other undertakings of the leader.

Voroshilov became the most glorified commander of the Civil War (especially after 1937–1938, when most of the war heroes were shot), songs were composed in his honor, collective farms, factories, ships, etc. were named. Soviet propaganda strenuously inflated Voroshilov’s merits, calling him “first marshal.” In 1932, the Central Council of Osoaviakhim established the honorary title and badge “Voroshilov shooter” for those who fulfilled the standards for rifle shooting; the famous heavy tank “KV” was named after the initials of his name and surname.

In the late 1920s - early 1930s, he was the head of the Politburo commission of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks for managing the activities of the Bolshoi Theater, and was known as a famous theatergoer and patron of ballet.

Made a significant contribution to the recognition of Stalin's military merits by publishing works Stalin and the Red Army (1929), Stalin and the construction of the Red Army (1939).

Voroshilov was a supporter of the campaign of repression in the country. He supported the charges against the senior command staff of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (RKKA), who participated in the “military-fascist conspiracy” (the case of M.N. Tukhachevsky, I.E. Yakir, I.P. Uborevich and others). At an extended meeting of the military council at the People's Commissariat of Defense, held from June 1 to 4, 1937, with the participation of members of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks, he made a report in which he stated that “the bodies of the People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs have uncovered in the army a long-existing and operating with impunity, strictly undercover, counter-revolutionary fascist an organization led by people who were at the head of the army."

In August 1939, Voroshilov headed the Soviet delegation at negotiations with France and Great Britain on joint actions against Germany, which ended in vain. After the losses and unsuccessful actions of the Red Army during the Soviet-Finnish War in the winter of 1939–1940, it became clear that Voroshilov would not be able to competently lead the armed forces in the new conditions of war. Therefore, on May 7, 1940, Stalin removed him from the post of People's Commissar of Defense and made him deputy chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR and chairman of the Defense Committee under the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR (he remained in this post until May 1941). He was entrusted with overseeing the defense industries.

During the Great Patriotic War, he was a member of the State Defense Committee and the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command. On July 10, 1941, he was appointed commander-in-chief of the forces of the North-Western direction, but already on August 31, showing complete inability to lead troops in modern warfare, was removed from command. In September 1941 he was sent to Leningrad as a front commander, where he was unable to stop the German advance. Being a brave man, personally tried to lead the troops into the attack, but this, of course, was not enough for successful military operations. Stalin recalled Voroshilov and replaced him with G.K. Zhukov. In September - November 1942 he held the formal post of commander-in-chief of the partisan movement. In January 1943, he coordinated the actions of the troops of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts when breaking the blockade of Leningrad. In 1943 he accompanied Stalin to the Tehran Conference. In December 1943 he was sent to a separate Primorsky Army to participate in the development of an operation plan for the liberation of Crimea and the organization of interaction ground forces with the fleet.

In 1945–1947 chairman of the Allied Control Commission in Hungary. Since 1946, Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR. Due to unsuccessful actions during the war, he was actually removed from making important political decisions. At the 19th Party Congress, the leader criticized Voroshilov, along with other old members of the Politburo.

After Stalin's death in March 1953, he was appointed to the honorary position of Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, thus becoming the official head of state. In 1956–1957, due to his rejection of N.S. Khrushchev’s political course, he became close to the “anti-party group” of G.M. Malenkov, L.M. Kaganovich and V.M. Molotov. He supported them at a meeting of the Presidium of the CPSU Central Committee, when the majority of its members demanded the removal of Khrushchev. However, when at the Plenum of the CPSU Central Committee in June 1957 the defeat of the “group” became obvious, Voroshilov repented in his speech, admitted the mistake he had made and condemned the factionalists. Khrushchev and his entourage decided not to touch Voroshilov as a popular hero of the Civil War. This saved him for some time, and he retained his posts. In May 1960, “for health reasons,” he was relieved of his post as Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, in July he was removed from the Presidium of the Central Committee, and in October 1961 he was no longer elected as a member of the CPSU Central Committee. However, he was left as a member of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. In 1961, Voroshilov addressed the XXII Congress of the CPSU with a letter in which he once again admitted mistakes. After L.I. Brezhnev came to power he again became a member of the CPSU Central Committee.

In the 1930s, many cities were named after Voroshilov and settlements, including Ussuriysk (in 1935–1957 – Voroshilov), Lugansk (in 1935–1958 – Voroshilovgrad), Stavropol (in 1935–1943 – Voroshilovsk), Kommunarsk (in 1931–1961 – Voroshilovsk). After the death of Voroshilov, Lugansk was again given the name Voroshilovgrad in 1970 (from 1991 - again Lugansk).

Voroshilov in the revolution and civil war

Voroshilov was born in the village of Verkhneye, Bakhmut district, Yekaterinoslav province (now part of the city of Lisichansk, Lugansk region, Ukraine) in the family of a Russian railway worker and a day laborer. According to Soviet General Grigorenko, Voroshilov himself sometimes said that his surname had Ukrainian roots and was formerly pronounced “Voroshilo.” Voroshilov joined the Bolshevik faction Russian Social Democratic Labor Party in 1903. During revolutions 1905-1907 he led strikes and the creation of fighting squads, and was a delegate to the IV (1906) and V (1907) congresses of the RSDLP. He was arrested more than once and exiled to the Perm region.

After February Revolution In 1917, Voroshilov headed the Lugansk Bolshevik Committee (in March), and then the Lugansk Council (in August). He took part in important Bolshevik meetings - April conference and VI Party Congress. During the October Revolution of 1917, Voroshilov was a commissar Petrograd Military Revolutionary Committee(VRK), helped F. Dzerzhinsky organize Cheka. In the spring of 1918, he tried to organize a detachment to defend Lugansk from the Germans, and then, in the Civil War, together with Stalin he defended Tsaritsyn from the Whites (1918). There a close rapprochement took place between them, which played a decisive role in Voroshilov’s subsequent career.

In October-December 1918, Voroshilov was the People's Commissar of Internal Affairs of the Ukrainian SSR and commanded the Kharkov Military District. Then he was a member of the Revolutionary Military Council of the 1st Cavalry Army of S. Budyonny. During the decisive events (1920) of the Soviet-Polish war, this army belonged to the Southwestern Front, of which Stalin was a member of the Revolutionary Military Council. As a political commissar, Voroshilov was responsible for the morale of the 1st Cavalry Army, recruited mainly from the peasants of southern Russia. Voroshilov’s “educational” efforts to raise the morale and spirit of the 1st Cavalry did not prevent its heavy defeat from the Poles in Battle of Komarov(1920), nor the Jewish pogroms, which were carried out regularly and with great cruelty by the cavalrymen.

Voroshilov took part in the suppression of the Kronstadt uprising of 1921.

Voroshilov in his office. Portrait by I. Brodsky, 1929

Kliment Efremovich was a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party from 1921 to 1961. In November 1925, after the death of Mikhail Frunze, Voroshilov was appointed People's Commissar for Military and Naval Affairs and Chairman of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR. He held this position until 1934. Voroshilov’s predecessor, Frunze, was installed (in January 1925) as the highest military leader of the USSR by the “troika” Zinoviev - Kamenev- Stalin, who removed Trotsky from the same position. The replacement of Frunze by Voroshilov was associated with a struggle that began within the “troika” itself. Zinoviev's ally Frunza was forced to undergo medical surgery to treat an old stomach ulcer and died on the operating table from an overdose of chloroform. Many historians believe that this operation was supposed to cover up the murder of Frunze, whose place was now taken by Stalin’s protege, Voroshilov. In 1926, Kliment Efremovich became a full member of the new highest party body - the Politburo in 1926, remaining in it until 1960.

Voroshilov and Stalin, photo 1935

In 1934, the People's Commissariat for Military and Naval Affairs was renamed the People's Commissariat of Defense. It was again headed by Voroshilov (until May 1940). In 1935 he became (together with Tukhachevsky, Budyonny, Egorov And Blucher) one of the five holders of the new title - Marshal of the Soviet Union. Voroshilov played a very prominent role in Great Terror Stalin in the 1930s, condemning, at the request of the Leader of the Peoples, many of his own military colleagues and subordinates. Voroshilov personally wrote letters to Soviet officers and diplomats who were trying to take refuge abroad (for example, the plenipotentiary representative in Romania, Mikhail Ostrovsky), convincing them to voluntarily return to the USSR and falsely assuring them that they would not be subject to any punishment. Voroshilov signed 185 Politburo hit lists, ranking “fourth in number” among Soviet leaders (after Molotov, Stalin and Kaganovich). For example, on the list of 26 commanders of the Red Army dated May 28, 1937 there is a resolution: “Comrade. Yezhov. Take all the scoundrels. 28.V.1937. K. Voroshilov."

During the Great Patriotic War, Voroshilov was (1941-1944) a member State Committee Defense(GKO). (In 1944 he was removed from there, and this turned out to be the only such precedent for the entire existence of this body.) Voroshilov commanded Soviet troops during wars with Finland(November 1939 – January 1940). His incompetence cost the Red Army about 185 thousand casualties in this war. During one of the meetings of the leaders of the USSR at Stalin’s Kuntsevo dacha, an incident occurred described in Khrushchev’s memoirs:

...After the winter of 1939-1940, there were relatively few people in the country who truly knew how the military actions against Finland proceeded and what politically they led to, what sacrifices this victory required, completely incommensurable from the point of view of our capabilities, what the real ratio strength Stalin criticized the military departments in conversations. People's Commissariat of Defense, and especially Voroshilov. He sometimes focused everything on Voroshilov’s personality. I, like others, agreed with Stalin here, because Voroshilov was really primarily responsible for this. He served as People's Commissar of Defense for many years. “Voroshilov Riflemen” and the like appeared in the country.

Voroshilov’s boast lulled the people to sleep. But others were also to blame. I remember how once, during our stay at his nearby dacha, Stalin, in the heat of anger, sharply criticized Voroshilov. He became very nervous, stood up, and attacked Voroshilov. He also boiled, blushed, stood up and, in response to Stalin’s criticism, accused him: “You are to blame for this. You destroyed the military personnel." Stalin answered him accordingly. Then Voroshilov grabbed the plate on which the boiled pig lay and hit it on the table. Before my eyes, this was the only such case...

The criticism ended with Voroshilov being relieved of his duties as People's Commissar of Defense, and Timoshenko was appointed instead. He soon became Marshal of the Soviet Union. I don’t remember now what new post was given to Voroshilov, but for a long time he was, as it were, in the position of a whipping boy...

S. Timoshenko became People's Commissar of Defense in May 1940.

As they say, Voroshilov tried to save from death thousands of Polish officers captured during Soviet-German partition of Poland(September 1939). But then he signed the order for their execution, which was carried out by Katyn massacre (1940).

Voroshilov at a meeting of communist youth, 1935

Voroshilov in the Great Patriotic War

On Tehran Conference 1943 Voroshilov became the “hero” of an awkward incident. W. Churchill There he solemnly presented Stalin with an honorary sword with an engraving on the blade “A gift from King George VI to people with hearts of steel - the citizens of Stalingrad - as a sign of respect for them by the English people.” Historian S. Sebag-Montefiore describes what happened next:

...Churchill took a step forward and handed the sword to Stalin. The Supreme Commander-in-Chief held it in his hands for a long time, then, with tears in his eyes, he brought it to his lips and kissed it. Stalin was sincerely touched by the royal gift.

“On behalf of the citizens of Stalingrad, I want to express my deep gratitude for the gift of King George VI,” he answered in a quiet, hoarse voice.

He approached Roosevelt and showed him the sword. The American read the inscription and nodded.

“Indeed, they have hearts of steel,” Roosevelt said.

Then Stalin handed the sword to Voroshilov. The marshal awkwardly accepted the gift and dropped it on the floor. A loud clang was heard. The brave cavalryman, who charged hundreds of times, waving his saber, managed to introduce an element of farce into one of the most solemn events of Stalin's career as an international leader. His angelic pink cheeks turned red and became crimson. He bent down awkwardly and picked up the sword. The Supreme, as Hugh Langi noticed, frowned in irritation, then smiled coldly. The NKVD lieutenant took away the sword, holding it in front of him with outstretched arms. (S. Sebag-Montefiore. “The Red Monarch: Stalin and the War.”)

In 1945-1947, Voroshilov led the imposition of the communist regime in Hungary.

In 1952, Voroshilov was appointed a member of the Presidium of the Central Committee (the Politburo received this new name that year). Stalin's death on March 5, 1953 led to changes in the Soviet leadership. On March 15, 1953, Voroshilov was appointed Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR (i.e., the formal head of state). Khrushchev headed the CPSU, and Malenkov- Soviet government. Together with Malenkov and Khrushchev, Voroshilov prepared the arrest of Lavrentiy Beria that took place on June 26, 1953.

Voroshilov's resignation

In 1957 Voroshilov joined the so-called " anti-party group”, which challenged N. Khrushchev, but was defeated by him. Voroshilov, however, was not one of the main leaders of the “group” and escaped with less political damage than Molotov, Malenkov, and Kaganovich. He even remained for some time as Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Council, but on May 7, 1960 he “voluntarily” retired from this position. His place was taken by L. Brezhnev. On July 16, 1960, Voroshilov also lost his place on the Presidium of the CPSU Central Committee. Political defeat Kliment Efremovich became final when XXII Party Congress he was not even elected to the Central Committee.

However, after the fall of Khrushchev, the new Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev partially returned Voroshilov to politics. In 1966 he re-entered the CPSU Central Committee. In 1968 he was awarded the second medal of the Hero of the Soviet Union. Voroshilov died in 1969 in Moscow and was buried in the Kremlin wall.

Names in honor of Voroshilov

A series of KV tanks used in the Great Patriotic War were named after Voroshilov. Patriotic War, as well as three cities: Voroshilovgrad in Ukraine (then it was given back its historical name - Lugansk), Voroshilovsk (that was the name of Stavropol in 1935-1943) and Voroshilov in Far East(later renamed Ussuriysk). The Moscow Academy of the General Staff also bore his name.

In 1933 Voroshilov visited Turkey and, together with Ataturk hosted a military parade in Ankara. After this, he became an honorary citizen of the Turkish city of Izmir, where a large street was named in his honor (renamed Plevna Boulevard in 1951).

Personal life of Voroshilov

Voroshilov was married to Ekaterina Voroshilova, née Golda Gorbman, a Jew from Mardarovka, Ukraine. In order to marry Kliment Efremovich, she changed her name and converted to Orthodoxy. He and Golda-Ekaterina met before the revolution, in Perm exile. They had no children. Catherine was with her husband during the defense of Tsaritsyn in 1918. There they adopted a four-year-old orphan boy named Petya. Timur and Tatyana, the children of Mikhail Frunze, who was probably killed so that Voroshilov could take the post of the highest military leader of the USSR, were also accepted into their family. IN Stalin era The Voroshilov family lived in the Kremlin.

Voroshilov as a person

Vyacheslav Molotov wrote about the human qualities of “Klim”: “Voroshilov was just good at a certain time. He always supported the political line of the party, because he was an approachable man from the workers and knew how to speak out. Unstained, yes. And devotion to Stalin personally. His devotion turned out to be not very strong. But at that time he very actively supported Stalin, fully supported him in everything, although he was not sure about everything. This also had an effect. This is very complex issue. This is why Stalin was a little critical and did not invite him to all our conversations. In any case, I didn’t invite you to private ones. He didn’t invite people to secret meetings, he just barged in himself. Stalin winced. Under Khrushchev, Voroshilov performed poorly.”

Leon Trotsky characterized the Red Marshal as follows: “Although Voroshilov was from the Lugansk workers, from the privileged elite, in all his habits he always resembled an owner more than a proletarian.”