Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, Eastern Europe; Soviet Union; Eastern Mediterranean, Volume VIII

761.00/4–453: Telegram

No. 577
The Charge in the Soviet Union (Beam) to the Department of State¹

confidential
priority

Moscow, April 4, 1953—10 p.m.

1418. Soviet press and radio April 4 announce communiqué² of Ministry Internal Affairs which states that those arrested in socalled plot of doctor-murderers were incorrectly accused “without any legal basis whatever”. Accused have been released and completely vindicated. Police officials of investigation section former MGB stated to have obtained confessions “by means application impermissible methods of investigation most strongly forbidden by Soviet laws” and to have been arrested.

Second brief announcement from Supreme Soviet Presidium states decree of January 20 awarding order of Lenin to Lidiya Timashuk³ has been repealed as incorrect.

Notable aspect announcement is increase number accused doctors from 9 to 15. Those not included original nine (and who significantly do not bear Jewish names) are: Vasiklenko,⁴ member Department clinical medicine Academy Medical Sciences who signed medical certificates for deaths Zhdanov and Dimitrov;⁵ and Zelenin,⁶ 72 year old specialist Academy’s department clinical medicine; Preobrazhenski,⁷ 61 year old ear, nose, throat specialist; Zakusov,⁸ drug expert and member Soviet delegation UN Economic and Social Council 49 on question narcotics; Shereshevski,⁹ specialist Ministry Health; and Popova, about whom Embassy has no information. All but last two are members Academy Medical Sciences. Listing of doctors released at end announcement however, does not include M. B. Kogan and Ya G. Etinger of original nine. This possibly confirms Embassy’s information that Kogan died ’51 although he has always been listed with those arrested. Etinger may also have already been dead or possibly was victim illegal method reportedly used by investigatory organ.

Dropping of case also raises question future status Yegorov,¹⁰ former chief Kremlin medical administration and E. I. Smirnov, former Minister of Health. Yegorov had been replaced by I. I. Kusperin and Smirnov although not publicly involved in case was replaced by A. F. Tretyakov, the latter being confirmed at March 15 session Supreme Soviet. Release accused doctors may also affect positions doctors who replaced them as Kremlin specialists.

This startling event, perhaps more than any other, provides most concrete evidence thus far of present regime’s break with Stalinism since it must be accepted that Stalin himself either engineered the doctors plot, or gave his approval to one initiating bloc. It would be natural to assume that a bitter controversy has taken place but it is too early to say whether we are witnessing this at white heat or are viewing it in the past through reflected light. Even in the latter event it is difficult to believe that animosities are completely calmed because certainly some elements will suffer, possibly in a different kind of purge of those now judged guilty. Since Stalin died the regime seems to have assumed the form of a balance between great bureaucracies, among which the most powerful are the party, the police and the army. Beria’s mention of Malenkov in his funeral oration and also his nomination of Malenkov to be Prime Minister give the appearance that the first two are harmoniously dominant. What may be the fate of remaining purely Stalinist elements and what relationship the army bears to the balance, particularly as one of the principal victims of the doctors “plot”, may be matters of high consequence.¹¹

As yet the government has not had time to repair the previous “logic” of the anti-Zionist campaign, the charges against the joint distribution committee, the breaking of relations with Israel, vigilance against alleged American and British spies which are now deprived of any basis. Within the limited circles observed, the public reaction has been good, evidently in the belief that a more liberal era may ensue. On the other hand, doubts may arise concerning the stability of the power constellation and in general concerning a system of government in which such fantastic reversals can take place, including the acknowledgment that “impermissible methods” (presumably torture) have been used.

A compounding of the bizarre is provided in the March issue of the magazine Young Communist just distributed today, which carries a biting attack against bourgeois espionage, especially American, and calls for vigilance against foreign penetration in the same violent language which was used subsequent to original announcement of doctors’ plot. Article cites Timashuk as outstanding example of revolutionary vigilance. Special mention is made of old “spy” figures, including General Smith, Magidov, Anna Louise Strong, British General Hilton and French diplomat Charpentier.¹²

Beam

1. Repeated for information to Paris, London, Bonn and Rome.
2. The text of the communiqué summarized here is printed in Current Digest of the Soviet Press, vol. V, No. 10, Apr. 18, 1953, p. 3.
3. Dr. Lidiya F. Timashuk, a medical worker in the Kremlin and an alleged collaborator with the Soviet security police whose letter to Generalissimo Stalin in 1952 began the investigations and arrests known as the “doctors’ plot” (see footnote 2, Document 539).
4. Dr. Vladimir Kharitonovich Vasilenko.
5. Georgi Dimitrov, Bulgarian Communist Party leader until his death in 1949.
6. Dr. Vladimir Filippovich Zelenin.
7. Dr. B. S. Preobrazhenskiy.
8. Dr. V. V. Zakusov.
9. Dr. N. A. Shereshevskiy.
10. Dr. Boris Grigoryevich Yegorov.

11. In telegram 1424, Apr. 6, Beam reported on the Pravda editorial criticizing former Minister of State Security Semyen Denisovich Ignatyev for “blindness and gullibility” in the “Doctors’ Plot” and former Deputy Minister of State Security and Head of the Section for Investigating Specially Important Cases of the Ministry of State Security, M. D. Ryumin, for “criminal adventurism”. On Apr. 7, it was announced that Ignatyev, who had been named a member of Secretariat of the Central Committee of the CPSU on Mar. 15, had been removed from his position. Ignatyev was named First Secretary of Bashkir Oblast Party Committee in early 1954. Ryumin was arrested and tried in July 1954 for “careerism”, “adventurism”, and “unjustified arrests” during his service in the Ministry of State and was sentenced to death.

    Beam concluded telegram 1424 with the following paragraph:

    “In Embassy eyes most important above revelations is not punishment Ryumin, because there had to be scapegoat, but rather Pravda’s criticism of Ignatyev. Whether or not latter has already been arrested, a Pravda attack of this nature against a Central Communist secretary is unprecedented since earlier days Soviet regime and although Party secretariat may have declined in importance it indicates ‘counter purge’ involved in disposition doctors’ case may be reaching fairly high. Since Ignatyev was appointed to secretariat in March 7 joint decree following Stalin’s death, it now seems that interfactional problems were not resolved at that time nor may be after the mysterious meeting of the whole Central Committee on March 14 leading to Malenkov’s resignation from the secretariat. Although evidence meager, experience Ignatyev a Party worker for secretariat in post-war years might identify him as Malenkov protégé but personality alignments still too unclear to be assessed. Interesting point is that currently dominant party is giving appearance playing its hand swiftly and straight. Whatever results follow, regime apparently endeavoring foster impression that purge process is ended (excepting of course the purging of the purgers) and that Malenkov’s promise of protection individual rights in Stalin funeral oration is being carried out, together with pledges of peace and greater prosperity.” (761.00/4–653)

12. References are presumably to: Walter Bedell Smith, Ambassador to the USSR, 1946–1949; Robert Magidov, National Broadcasting Company broadcaster in Moscow in the late 1940s; Anna Louise Strong, long-time editor of the English-language Moscow Daily News; Brig. Richard Hilton, British Military Attaché in Moscow until 1947; Pierre Charpentier, Counselor of the French Embassy in Moscow, 1944–1948.