The Most Russian Person. Владимир Шатакишвили

idea.

      “Would anyone even try to give a hint about it!” The Great October Revolution was a reality, Lenin's covenants were a reality, the party congresses with kilometer long newspaper resolutions and reports were a reality, and everything seemed to be for the good of the common people.

      And we believed. And we worked without looking at the rouble. And it was necessary to look around, this is the current understanding.

      I remember Boris Glebovich Muzrukov with a kind word. He was the director of “Mayak” which was called Mendeleev Chemical Plant. Machine builder by profession. And before that he was in charge of “Uralmash”! When I was taken to “Mayak”, he personally talked to me and asked to draw up a schedule for the restoration of the car fleet.

      And the fleet, in essence, didn’t exist. The cars stood in any place, the so-called repair shops were only just sheds above the pits, and the cars, as we called them by the status of a large enterprise as “rolling stock”, were almost missing.

      I told him about my plans. He listened respectfully as a friend though was already in the rank of major general. A serious and fair man. He was able to admit his mistakes. Honestly spoke about it. Did not raise the voice. But even in a quiet voice, one can be cut to pieces so that he won't find it funny.

      Just as it happened to me. As winter was approaching, and in the Urals they are extremely severe, the cars urgently needed heated rooms. I have had the experience of circumstances of this kind. Well, I started doing things in a big way: we put in order the workplaces and began to build a real repair zone, a parking garage. We also needed our own gas stations, as we brought fuel in barrels. I sorted out this thing, too. Then I traveled around the area and proposed transport workers to create, well, let's say, a production repair line – something is being repaired on some stands, something on others.

      In a word, everything went according to the approved plan. But then I thought up to build on the garage a room for an office, as a second floor. Convenient? Convenient. In general, this case itself suggested a rational solution.

      When Muzrukov saw the finished product, the building itself, he said sternly that it was violation of financial discipline, although we had built it at the expense of profits. He reprimanded me, as they say, without raising his voice. And it was a real reprimand, like a real scolding. But only before the holiday. By November 7, the reprimand was lifted. And for the same “violation”, just formulated differently, namely: “For good preparation of the garage for winter conditions,” I was thanked. Even more, I was given bonus.

      Muzrukov worked hard, although he had considerable problems with his health: he had one lung. And he never complained. He was excellent leader, skillful. He decided everything, as they say, on the go. He did not stay in the office and swirled around the construction site, was aware of all the successes. And never humiliated the dignity of subordinates.

      Imagine, Volodya, we builtthe warm garage, equipped repair parking. Everything seemed to be normal. But “Mayak” was expanding. There were needed more and more cars. And even more so there were not enough specialists like repairmen, road builders, qualified electricians, car mechanics, drivers of truck cranes, motor grader and bulldozer operators, engineering and technical personnel.

      New premises for the repair and parking of rolling stock were required. Again, we did not need amateurs, not just practitioners, though with solid experience, but professionals with good institute training. All more or less important posts were hold by ex-drivers. It was necessary to expand the scientific approach to this site.

      And then Boris Glebovich said, “We won’t be able to do without you, Ivan Nikiforovich, you are needed here. But specialists are also needed. So, come on, let’s send personnel managers to let them look for people, bring them here, negotiate. Just give them the direction of where to search.” And our messengers went to all ends! To cities and villages.

      A couple of years later we gathered auto specialists, engineers and technicians from Ivanovo, Samara, Kurgan, Moscow, Omsk, Sverdlovsk, Chelyabinsk (not classified!), Leningrad. In short, the team became knowledgeable.

      And the economy grew and grew. Freight and passenger cars, buses, maintenance vehicles, warmed repair shops which were no longer afraid of a snowstorm, blizzard or snow drifts, although no one “canceled” them and they didn’t ask anyone permission for their winter outrage.

      I also took care of the friendship with the paramilitary teams of firefighters: all their equipment was on the balance of my economy.

      So Kurchatov who gave the word to help us, transport workers, and Muzrukov kept their word.”

      Oh, neither tail, nor scales!

      MEDYANIK unexpectedly changes the topic for me, “People have invented a monstrous weapon – the nuclear bomb. And the meaning of life is not in the good, but in life itself. People are becoming increasingly aware that the most important thing in life is life. And, having lost touch with it, they look for nature. They go hunting, fishing, seek privacy and peace of mind.”

      “At our last meeting, we made a deal that you would tell me a couple of episodes about how you spent your free time in the Urals. Take fishing, for example, when having a rest, a person understands that life for him lies in a different plane, not in the one where the very question of “meaning” is possible. He asks himself what the difference is between a man and a beast? Only the beast doesn’t know any duty or thoughts about the good and the meaning of life.”

      “Yes, there was such an agreement. I feel real pleasure to be alone with nature.”

      “Let's start with that memorable fishing. I am sure that the reader will be eager to know about it.”

      “Well, it was not really fishing. The drivers organized the recreation center on lake Beldym. They set up several tents, built a small pier out of wood, got a couple of boats somewhere. Since they worked in shifts, those who were given time to rest had the opportunity to go fishing. They cooked fish soup, grilled fish on coals, relaxed. In addition to a few tents, they built two solid sheds where they assembled at improvised common dining table and under another arranged bunk beds for rest. On the floor there was a large carpet of unknown origin. In any case, everything looked impressively enough for that time. With the years this base was rebuilt, and it really acquired the look that corresponds to the name of “summer camp”.

      But then, in the late forties, it was much more modest. One day, the head of the first car fleet, Aleksey Fyodorovich Posheev, said to me, “Ivan Nikiforovich, do you want to try a real triple fish soup?”

      “Where is it?”

      “I have got such a place.”

      We got into his car and arrived at a picturesque corner on the lake. The drivers, knowing that their boss had gone to invite me, had already cooked it by our arrival, thanks everything was all right with the fish at that time. We sat for a while, tasted some soup and drank a shot of cognac. I really liked it there and suggested inviting the management. Posheev was embarrassed, was it convenient?

      “Not at all, it is convenient. I’ll talk to someone from the management and let you know.”

      On the same day I drove to Lieutenant-General Tkachenko, my front-line comrade, “Ivan Maksimovich, why do not we go to try a triple fish soup.”

      Being a true Ukrainian he asks, “Where?”

      “There and there.”

      He picks up the phone and calls Boris Glebovich, “Here’s the “Small” (the front commander called me this way during the war) invites to the triple fish soup, how do you find it? His lads arranged a recreation center somewhere on the lake and we are invited.”

      Muzrukov agreed and made the list of participants. A couple of days later, having warned Posheev beforehand, they took three passenger cars and headed to that lake Beldym.

      Here, I think, it would be appropriate to explain what kind of thing was a triple fish soup. Usually, the fish soup is made from several varieties of fish, primarily freshwater ones: ruffs, minnows, perch, burbot, sterlet, whitefish and others. Each fish belonging to one or another species has certain inherent qualities. So ruff, perch and carp