Hunting and politics. Nikolay II’s hunting was similar to slaughter, Stalin set traps to catch Arctic foxes, Brezhnev struck his head against rifle buttstock. Some Russian politicians being at hunting.
As all hunters Russian leaders had their favorite kinds of such an activity. Tsar Aleksey Mikhailovich and Empress Catherine II preferred falconry, Peter II - following the hounds. Anna Ivanovna and Elizaveta Petrovna enjoyed fowling. Alexander II and Alexander III were fond of great bear, elk or aurochs battue.
Nikolay II’s hunting was similar to slaughter. His enthusiasm carried things to far. Here is one document witnessing about this:
Tsar’s hunting report, 1902.
Killed in all:
Bear – 6
Badger – 48
Wolf – 20
Polecat – 263
Fox – 140
Squirrel – 640
Grey hare – 341
White hare – 1568
Rabbit – 3
Stray dog – 899
Cat – 1322
Pheasant – 228
Hawk – 1255
Wood grouse – 52
Owl – 273
Black grouse – 133
Jay – 775
Hazel-grouse – 22
Crow – 3341
Raven – 13
Alexander III at hunting.
The last picture of Alexander III inter vivos (2nd to the right in the middle row).
Stalin is hunting.
Stalin with a hunting rifle.
Stalin didn’t like hunting thus he differed from Lenin and Voroshilov who were fond of hunting. Maybe this traditionally Russian activity (the same as fishing) reminded him about Turuhuanskaya exile of 1913. In the beginning of 1914 he was sent to Kureyka (the very polar circle) in order not to escape (he tried 5 times before) where he used to hunt and fish in order to have food. He hunted all the year round though he had no rifle (it was forbidden for exiles). According to the local people if someone left the rifle in the forest and Stalin had heard about it he immediately went hunting using this rifle. He also used traps and nooses. Stalin hunted ermines, hares and different birds. If he had got furs he sold it to local merchants and used gained money to buy food.
At Politburo meetings statesmen used to “chat” about hunting. For example on September 20, 1928 right at the meeting nefore Stalin Voroshilov and Tomskiy gave notes to each other where they talked about gunpowder they were using while hunting. Tomskiy asked Voroshilov where did he buy smokeless powder. There are a lot of such notes in the Kliment Voroshilov personal archieve.
In January, 1964 Nikita Khrushchev and Fidel Castro went hunting together at Zalesje place (a hunting ground near Kiev). The hunting went like a bomb. Khrushchev killed 2 wild boars, 2 he-goats and 4 hares. Castro – a deer, 2 he-goats and a boar.
Khrushchev was the first Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union chairman who claimed to be the best at hunting. Impulsive leader hated to be a looser. So one day of 1959 statesmen went hunting in Zavidovo. They were waiting the boar to run and then everyone heard 2 shots. The boar was killed. Having gathered together Khrushchev and vice-chairman Kirilenko began to argue who had killed the boar. It turned out that 2 men hit it at the same time but Khrushchev’s bullet was the first to kill the target. It hit the boar in the eye while Kirilenko’s bullet went through shoulder-blade (it only injured the animal). After this situation both men didn’t speak to each other.
Zavidovo and other hunting grounds where Khrushchev liked to hunt ironically were the place of many conspirancies against him. A few days before October plenary session of 1964 where Khrushchev was overthrown, Gennady Voronov the chairmen of the Government of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic got an invitation to go hunting in Zavidovo from Brezhnev. Later Voronov wrote that after immensely short feast Andropov offered him to go to Moscow in Brezhnev’s car. It was there in the car where Andropov told Voronov about Khrushchev’s imminent overthrow.
Khrushchev (in front) and Castro at hunting.
The leader of Cuban revolution.
Khrushchev (in the center) and Josip Broz Tito.
Leonid Brezhnev was a real fan of hunting. In that time inability to hunt was considered as a bad form. Brezhnev itself hunted from early spring till autumn (mainly in Zavidovo). It is said that he was extremely good at shooting and knew what’s what in rifles. He had got about 90 hunting rifles for different animals and birds. They were kept in a special room in 3 locked boxes in Zarechje dacha. Many of them he got as presents… very expensive presents. 3 or 4 smooth-bore rifles of foreign manufacture for duck, goose, hare, fox and other small animal hunting were his favourite. And the same number of guns for big targets – boars, elks, deers.
One day Brezhnev hit a huge boar. The lifeless carcass fell on the ground. As usual happy Brezhnev was coming closer to check the animal. But in 20 metres of the boar suddenly it stood up and ran in the line of Brezhnev. The huntsman reacted quickly. He took 2 shots from carabine but missed. The boar killed the huntsman Gennady Fedotov and ran away. This happened before Brezhnev’s eyes. As they say he left indifferent. The injured boar wasn’t found though there were much effort.
In the late 70s weak Brezhnev wasn’t able to hold the rifle. But he couldn’t refuse hunting. He didn’t want to be considered too old for this activity. While the shooting the rifle hit his nose, eye or brow. Thus he often had bruises and wounds, sometimes very serious. Once at the hunting he hit his brow on the first day and nose – on the next day. The problem was that he had to visit Prague and Bratislava in a few days. Several times a day during the whole trip doctors hid his bruises and this was a real “headache”. After this incident Brezhnev understood that he wasn’t a shooter anymore. But he didn’t finish with hunting. He still attended all the hunting events but didn’t shoot.
via operkor
Hunting should be done the way a carnivore animal does it. With you bear hands, no gun not from a distance, with your hands.
These are powerful men showing how week they are. Any man that kills an animal for ‘pleasure’ is weak and sick.
I bet beside Arctic foxes Stalin was also hunting on “enemies of the state”…
Well of course Stalin didn’t like hunting, which is why he created the NKVD.
Hunting is what Royalty did, so just like on Animal farm, the new royalty continued the traditions of the old.
Interesting photos but more interestingly, what happened to the guns? Brezhnev’s collection, the others? Are they lost to history?
That seams like fair question to me
I like hunting, but “hunting”, just for a “trophy” is pretty sick. That’s nothing more than killing simply for the sake of killing.
The second photo, looks like hunting animals, for no other reason than to hang antlers on a wall.
Wow, I used to have a bit of sympathy for Nicholas II. Shooting kitties?
Why?
Baby Jesus I believe Nicholas II would have killed absolutely anything.
What future do we have when we have no compassion for life. All life, not just your life or your family or the people you like or your pet dog or cat. Our future is safe only when we have compassion for ALL LIFE.
Comment back from the dead. I thought it died and my grief prompted the next sarcastic one. It should die.
People like you and [Hirsh] make me laugh. Getting all worked up over comment ratings.
ayaa children will be children
Lol. Sometimes you crack me up. Other times, (I’d better not say it).
BUT, just what led you to become so against violence of any kind?!! You previously mentioned that you had promised never to embrace violence. Why? (If this is a sensitive matter for you, I’ll understand).
ayaa I follow the teaching of the Buddha. I have for most of my life. For me my religion works well. I am content, satisfied and secure.
lol @ ayaa! Comment ratings not so much, the silly things people sometimes actually say, a bit…
But it’s good natured even if it doesn’t always come across that way. I’m never mad of fuming about what anyone says, just a bit augmentative for the sake of debate. And i’m more then willing to “eat crow” when i realize i’m wrong about things.
If we refuse to kill anything, we die. Or do plants not count because they aren’t fuzzy? Welcome to the circle of life on this planet. You take life to survive and when you die, other lifeforms will do the same to you.
“AtGeoff’ We choose what we put ourselves above, (and kill). I will put myself above the life of a non-sentient plant and take its life. You might have a an animal killed because you put your self above them. The fact that you would kill a defenseless animal because you like the taste of its flesh puts in the same class as any beast.
“AtGeoff’ I do not mean to imply that you personally are a beast. I mean all of us. There is only one thing that can put a man above an animal.
Hidden due to low comment rating…….Because I do not say that gun are a fabulous invention, so useful. And killing things is a productive pastime that we should teach our children.
Guns are a fabulous invention for defending yourself, and your nation. But i don’t expect an Australian to understand that after seeing how easily you all rolled over and allowed the government to take your guns away, after a long history of respecting gun ownership. Big mistake.
Hirsh we had a vote to ban hand guns and automatic weapons, your saying we rolled over and allowed it is wrong, we chose it. The majority of people do not want guns in our society. If you talk to a person like my boss, who likes guns, he will tell you we were ripped off, that is not the case, he is a small minority and he knows it.
A person from Texas told me that his family is safer because he owns a hand gun and he thought the genocide in Rwanda would not have happened if the population could defend themselves with guns. Do you agree with him. I do not.
Hirsh like you have said, this is the internet and somebody will always disagree with you. Please do not be offended by my comments.
I’m not offended in just don’t agree with the mentality that we are all safer when only people who are criminals still own guns, and i accept you all voted for it, but i do feel it was a big mistake. And i could careless what some opinionated Texan believes about Rwanda or anything else. Why don’t you ask actual Rwandans who survived the genocide how they feel about that question? Because i’m pretty sure you and Mr. Texan don’t have a clue about the real answer and are both talking to support your own opinion.
overall i liked nikita khruchev.A good and impulsive leader.I wonder whether other USSR leaders could really hunt or their minions did it for them.And why stalin needed hunting?The guy was evil and had killed millions of humans…
Hirsh thank you for the reply
Fat old men killing animals for fun shows how sick and disgusting they are. Pathetic.