White Crimea

6 hrs. 33 min.

Language Russian

Author Yakov Slashchov-Krymsky

Narrator Alexander Nadeev

Description

General Yakov Slashchov, who inspired Bulgakov to create the heroes Khludov and Charnota, examines the successes and failures of the White movement in Crimea. His objective approach allows us to look from the inside at the defeat of the Volunteer Army and the tangled relationships with the commanders. Slashchov, a man with an unusual fate, received many awards for his achievements in the First World War and the Civil War. In 1919–1920 he became known for his bravery and steadfastness in defending Crimea, for which P. Wrangel called him “the Crimean.” With a controversial reputation, he also earned the nickname “General Yasha” for his talent—but he was also known as a cruel executioner. That is why Bulgakov took notice of him, creating the images of Khludov and Charnota in the story “The Escape.” After disagreements with Wrangel and the evacuation, Slashchov unexpectedly returned to Soviet Russia and sided with the Bolsheviks. He devoted himself to teaching tactics at the “St. Tiro” courses known as the “field academy” for command personnel, where among his students were future marshals A. Vasilevsky and R. Malinovsky. In his book, Slashchov describes in detail the triumphs and defeats of the White movement in Crimea, the rout of the Volunteer Army, brilliant military strategies, and also tells about the commanders-in-chief A. Denikin and P. Wrangel and their relationships.