Seeds for Nixon. 45th anniversary of the historic visit of the US president to Moscow (11 photos)

Seeds for Nixon. 45th anniversary of the historic visit of the US president to Moscow (11 photos)

May 22, 1972 began a week-long visit to the USSR, US President Richard Nixon and his wife Pat.

Of course, the first head of the States that visited the Union was Franklin Delano Roosevelt - in February 1945 in the Crimea at the Yalta Conference the leaders of the USSR, the United States and Great Britain discussed the post-war arrangement of the world. But in 1972, it was the first official visit of the American president to the country of the Soviets.

A journey through familiar places from childhood.

For Nixon, however, it was not the first trip to the Union - in 1959 he had already flown here as a vice president of the United States, to negotiate a meeting between President Dwight Eisenhower and Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev. That meeting broke down because of the flight of an American reconnaissance aircraft over the USSR. And for the first time in the country of the Soviets, Richard Nixon got in and out altogether at ... 12 years of age, in 1925. Among the employees of foreign companies that worked on the concession, Richard's parents came to the copper mines in the Urals city of Degtyarsk. By the way, Nixon, whose program included Sverdlovsk and Pervouralsk in 1959, demanded that he be brought to Degtyarsk, where he spent several months with his parents and drove a football with local boys.

 Seeds for Nixon. 45th anniversary of the historic visit of the US president to Moscow USSR, Brezhnev, history, nixon, united states

On the eve of the visit of 1972, the USSR ambassador to the US privately informed his American colleagues that as a gift to General Secretary Brezhnev, a car would be very appropriate. The luxurious Cadillac Eldorado was delivered to Moscow by a US Air Force transport aircraft. The meeting itself, however, also nearly broke: the Americans bombed Vietnamese Hanoi. However, in Moscow they decided not to give up the opportunity to "detente" the already difficult relations.

 Seeds for Nixon. 45th anniversary of the historic visit of the US president to Moscow USSR, Brezhnev, history, nixon, united states

Brezhnev to meet Nixon at the airport Vnukovo did not go, but the presidential couple and part of the American delegation was placed with honor already in the Kremlin. During the visit, several documents were signed. First of all, on missile defense and the limitation of strategic weapons, as well as, for example, the documents that initiated the joint space program "Soyuz-Apollo." However, other topics were also discussed, for example, payment of debts under Lend-Lease.

 Seeds for Nixon. 45th anniversary of the historic visit of the US president to Moscow USSR, Brezhnev, history, nixon, united states

Kosygin alone discussed economic problems on our part. It was interesting to have a discussion with Nixon about the amount that the USSR was supposed to pay. The discrepancies in estimates were almost one billion dollars: the US insisted on the amount of 1 billion 200 million dollars, we offered 200 million dollars, referring to the great sacrifices of the USSR during the war. Kosygin invited Nixon "in a businesslike way" to finally resolve the protracted dispute, saying that he was ready to increase the amount offered by us by $ 100 million. Nixon agreed with such an approach "in large" and noted that he, in turn, is ready to reduce American claims for $ 100 million. Then, in complete silence, they, like at the auction, began to sketchily describe their numbers: Kosygin - raising, and Nixon - lowering. For half a minute the dispute, lasting for years, was settled by them by a compromise - they "met" about half way - 600 million dollars.

The Soviet pilot saved Nixon from the disaster?

 The Soviet pilot saved Nixon from the disaster? USSR, Brezhnev, history, nixon, united states

While negotiations were going on, Pat Nixon showed the school with teaching in English, rolled on the Moscow metro, was taken to the circus and to GUM. Soviet leaders and the president of the United States and their spouses then visited the Bolshoi Theater, where they gave Swan Lake. The couple Nixon also visited the Baptist church.

 Seeds for Nixon. 45th anniversary of the historic visit of the US president to Moscow USSR, Brezhnev, history, nixon, united states

Naturally, several days of their stay in Moscow were replete with dinner parties and dinners. However, it is even more difficult to imagine at present than the multi-day, measured visit of a foreign leader, so this is the flight of the American president on a Soviet plane - to Leningrad and Kiev.

At the Moscow airfield, from where Nixon was due to fly out on a special Soviet plane with a one-day visit to Leningrad, Kosygin came to see him off. They went into the salon and began to talk, waiting for the report of the pilot of the aircraft about the readiness for the flight. It took 10-15 minutes, and the pilot did not show up. Kosygin summoned the pilot. He appeared, red from embarrassment, and reported that one of the engines was jamming, and that it was better to change the plane. Kosygin, being in an awkward position before the US president, was angry, cursed the pilot, resorting to strong expressions. Nixon asked what had happened. Kosygin explained and said that the pilot will be punished for the fact that the aircraft is not ready for the flight in due time. Nixon called for calm, saying that the pilot should be rewarded, not punished. "And why reward?" Then the president said that a similar incident occurred to him in Africa. The American pilot then also noticed that one of the engines of the aircraft was not quite in order, but was afraid to report, having decided that it would be possible to fly so. However, the engine went out of order and had to make an emergency landing in the sands of the desert, as a result, Nixon nearly died. Our pilot was clearly grateful to the American president for this interference, and Kosygin, having replaced his anger at his mercy, ordered to quickly prepare a reserve aircraft.

 Seeds for Nixon. 45th anniversary of the historic visit of the US president to Moscow USSR, Brezhnev, history, nixon, united states

In Leningrad, Nixon was really touched by the sad ceremony of laying wreaths at Piskarevsky Cemetery, where about a million Leningraders died of shelling and hunger during the war ...

Unusual guest at the Cheryomushkinsky market.

 Unusual guest at the Cheryomushkinsky market. USSR, Brezhnev, history, nixon, united states

Another amazing moment connected with the memory of the war and Nixon was told by Viktor Belyaev, the former director of the Kremlin food factory, and at that time a cook from the Kremlin special kitchen who worked with Nixon as a personal chef. It was already in 1987, when Nixon, being an adviser to the US president, was preparing Ronald Reagan's visit to Moscow. Nixon was given one of the residences for high-ranking guests in Moscow, on Vorobyovy Gory, on Kosygin Street. The former president of the United States, who flew this time for almost two weeks, did not deny himself the pleasure of immersing himself in the lives of ordinary people and went to Cheryomushkinsky market, where he had already been on one of his previous visits. Despite the fact that now he was only one guard and translator, the traders immediately drew attention to the unusual buyer, and someone soon recognized him as a former American president. Nixon, whose portrait was recently published by all Soviet newspapers, immediately began to stuff the packages with gifts. Already at the exit from the market an old woman came to the guest. In addition to the seeds she traded with, she had nothing, and she asked the American to donate seeds. Passing her gift, she told that in the war her three sons were killed, so she asks Richard Nixon to make sure that the war never happens again.

Nixon was to go to the Bolshoi Theater that evening, but was delayed. And on his return to the residence, he first walked alone along the lawn in front of the house with this bag of seeds in his hands for a long time, then canceled the trip to Bolshoy, and then asked "to think" of some dinner and give him vodka ... It was clear that this The meeting in the market made a very strong impression on him.

 Seeds for Nixon. 45th anniversary of the historic visit of the US president to Moscow USSR, Brezhnev, history, nixon, united states

Arriving in Moscow in 1988 for talks with Gorbachev, Ronald Reagan declared that he no longer viewed the USSR as an "evil empire." Soon new agreements were signed on the reduction of strategic offensive weapons.

The last - the tenth time - Richard Nixon came to Moscow in 1994, representing only his own Fund for the Defense of Democracy. In the same year, the 37th US President died of a stroke.