Kremlin Wives
The Secret Lives of the Women Behind the Kremlin Walls—From Lenin to Gorbachev
Biography & Memoir, Historical
| Author: | Larissa Vasilieva | ISBN: | 9781628726381 |
| Publisher: | Skyhorse Publishing | Publication: | September 1, 2015 |
| Imprint: | Arcade Publishing | Language: | English |
| Author: | Larissa Vasilieva |
| ISBN: | 9781628726381 |
| Publisher: | Skyhorse Publishing |
| Publication: | September 1, 2015 |
| Imprint: | Arcade Publishing |
| Language: | English |
International bestseller: An “intriguing” and “poignant” collection of “true tales and compelling confessions” from the women who witnessed Soviet history (Booklist).
A great deal is known about the all-powerful Soviet rulers who occupied the Kremlin, yet little is known about the women—“the wives and mistresses”—who shared their lives. They took part in the Revolution and its aftermath, bore children, and suffered abuse; some were arrested and sent to Siberia, driven to suicide, or even murdered. With rare access to the KGB’s secret files, as well as her own extensive research and interviews, Larissa Vasilieva provides a window into the stark and sometimes scandalous truth of these women’s lives.
Lenin’s wife worked passionately for the Revolution alongside her husband, from the time of Lenin’s exile until her death. His mistress was also a close friend of his wife. Stalin married Nadezhda Alliluyeva when she was only sixteen. Earlier, he’d had a relationship with Nadezhda’s mother, and there is strong evidence that his wife may also have been his daughter. When she was found dead in a pool of blood, the official verdict was suicide, but many believe she was murdered. Secret Police Chief Lavrenti Beria, known as “The Butcher,” roamed the streets in Moscow in a curtain-drawn limousine, stalking young girls who would later be abducted by his agents. One was forced to marry Beria—his wife, Nina Teimurazovna.
Among the many other Kremlin “wives” portrayed here are: Alexandra Kollontai, feminist and supporter of “free love”; Larissa Reisner, Boris Pasternak’s muse; Olga Kameneva, Trotsky’s sister; Nina Khrushchev; Victoria Brezhnev; Galina Brezhneva; Tatyana Fillipovna Andropov, and Raisa Gorbachev—supposedly the only Soviet ruler’s wife to have married for love.
International bestseller: An “intriguing” and “poignant” collection of “true tales and compelling confessions” from the women who witnessed Soviet history (Booklist).
A great deal is known about the all-powerful Soviet rulers who occupied the Kremlin, yet little is known about the women—“the wives and mistresses”—who shared their lives. They took part in the Revolution and its aftermath, bore children, and suffered abuse; some were arrested and sent to Siberia, driven to suicide, or even murdered. With rare access to the KGB’s secret files, as well as her own extensive research and interviews, Larissa Vasilieva provides a window into the stark and sometimes scandalous truth of these women’s lives.
Lenin’s wife worked passionately for the Revolution alongside her husband, from the time of Lenin’s exile until her death. His mistress was also a close friend of his wife. Stalin married Nadezhda Alliluyeva when she was only sixteen. Earlier, he’d had a relationship with Nadezhda’s mother, and there is strong evidence that his wife may also have been his daughter. When she was found dead in a pool of blood, the official verdict was suicide, but many believe she was murdered. Secret Police Chief Lavrenti Beria, known as “The Butcher,” roamed the streets in Moscow in a curtain-drawn limousine, stalking young girls who would later be abducted by his agents. One was forced to marry Beria—his wife, Nina Teimurazovna.
Among the many other Kremlin “wives” portrayed here are: Alexandra Kollontai, feminist and supporter of “free love”; Larissa Reisner, Boris Pasternak’s muse; Olga Kameneva, Trotsky’s sister; Nina Khrushchev; Victoria Brezhnev; Galina Brezhneva; Tatyana Fillipovna Andropov, and Raisa Gorbachev—supposedly the only Soviet ruler’s wife to have married for love.
