In the resort of Gelendzhik, she was called Shakhinya - hung with jewels, in luxurious clothes she traveled around her possessions, capturing the eyes of ordinary Soviet workers. The head of the trust of Gelendzhik restaurants and canteens, Bella Borodkina, did not pay any attention to them. For her, they were rats. So she called most of the vacationers, who scrupulously counted every penny and sometimes overshadowed it. happy life entries in the complaint books: “underweight”, “underfilling”, “bread cutlets with no meat”, “cognac diluted with tea” or “sour cream diluted with water”. Bella did not pay attention to this either: necessary people, starting with the city executive committee and ending with the Central Committee of the party in Moscow. Nevertheless, she remembered that it was these “people” that were the basis of her well-being, so at meetings with subordinates she could scold them for diluting sour cream for visitors with running water: “Dilute with boiling water, fools, otherwise an infection !"

The scheme of underweights, bribes and kickbacks created by Borodkina did not fail for more than 10 years. Therefore, when operatives came to her apartment in the early morning of 1981, asking her to go with them, Bella Naumovna simply laughed in their face and slammed the door. But the door of the apartment was opened, then a search was carried out, she herself was taken to the police department and arrested. Even in such a situation, she did not stop believing and waiting for salvation from her patrons, not suspecting that she would become not only a bargaining chip in the big Kremlin war, but also a real victim.

Berta Naumovna, née Korol, was born in 1923 in the Ukrainian Bila Tserkva. According to her passport, she will remain Berta, but in the future she will introduce herself exclusively as Bella. But her surnames will change with enviable constancy. Only the fate of her husbands was unenviable - they all died quite early and after a short time living together with her. However, the investigation did not go into the details of such coincidences, since the task before it in 1981 was completely different. Although at one of the stages even a version of her recruitment by the Nazis was put forward. Be that as it may, having changed several cities and seized the inheritance of four husbands, in 1951 Berta moved from Odessa to Gelendzhik. There she married a retired captain of the third rank Borodkin and got a job as a waitress in a local restaurant. Family happiness again "for some reason" was short-lived. Having mourned the captain, Berta became the sovereign mistress of a very decent estate. How and with whom the widow spent time was not attached to the case file, but only now her career from that moment went uphill sharply. After a row administrative positions Bella Naumovna became in 1974 the head of the trust of restaurants and canteens of the resort town.

Knowing the whole kitchen from the inside and understanding the scale of the money turnover, Bella Naumovna imposed a tribute on all employees of the Gelendzhik public catering, and a considerable one at that. Directors, managers, bartenders, bartenders, cashiers, waiters, cooks, porters and cloakroom attendants according to the established reverse order the chain had to transfer the money "earned" on visitors to it. At first, Iron Bella - this is the nickname Borodkina received among her subordinates - demanded money, threatening to lose her "bread" position. Moreover, the transfer to the party canteen was considered the height of punishment, where diluting and underfilling - and therefore making money - was considered a priori impossible. Where with a whip, where with a carrot, but soon Borodkina debugged a clear scheme in which everyone knew their place and gave money as a matter of course. She fired the superfluous and dissatisfied, and assigned experienced and “tested” mentors to the new arrivals, explaining what was what.

Of course, there were those who were indignant, but their complaints were dissolved in the nomenklatura apparatus. Subsequently, the investigation established that the threads from Borodkina led to the city committee of the CPSU and the city executive committee, the department of the BHSS, the regional trust, the Glavkurortorg of the Ministry of Trade of the RSFSR and many other places where they liked to "drink and eat deliciously." The fame of the feasts arranged by Bella Naumovna - and in addition to the related entertainment, whether it be at least boat trips, even baths with lung women behavior, - thundered in the party elite. Bella Naumovna never skimped on her bosses, spending the money "saved" on the people. It was her pledge quiet life. But only up to a certain point.

However, it must be said right away that Berta Naumovna, of course, was not the main goal of the investigation, although the scale and wealth discovered in her amazed everyone then. Her case was one of many in a series of cases united only by belonging to the Krasnodar Territory and known as the Sochi-Krasnodar, or "Medunov case." Then more than 5,000 officials were dismissed and expelled from the ranks of the CPSU - about 1,500 of them were convicted and received considerable terms. Well, and most importantly - "for the numerous facts of corruption revealed in the region" Sergei Medunov, the 1st secretary of the Krasnodar Territory Committee of the CPSU, who was patronized by Brezhnev himself, was dismissed. It makes no sense to talk about the behind-the-scenes battles for power in the Kremlin in the early 80s. Let's just say that Medunov came to the attention of Yuri Andropov back in 78 - as one of the contenders for the post of secretary of the Central Committee for agriculture. This was facilitated by the very friendly relations between Medunov and Brezhnev, who often improved his health in the resorts of the Krasnodar Territory. For Andropov, the sun and heat were contraindicated, so he visited mainly Kislovodsk and the resorts located near it. Stavropol Territory led by Mikhail Gorbachev. It was Gorbachev who was ultimately nominated for the post of Secretary of the Central Committee for Agriculture. But on Medunov - as a possible contender for the Soviet throne - the security forces were thrown by Andropov. On the way to the main goal, they unearthed the Borodkina case.

Always cautious in business, Bella did not burn out at all on fraud when shorting visitors or bribes. The “strawberry” was to blame: shortly before the arrest, in institutions controlled by Borodkina, they began to play pornography on video recorders for a fee and in separate rooms. After a complaint from one of the highly moral visitors, who expected to watch an action movie, but saw porn, the security forces of the capital came to the restaurant. After ordering a “film screening”, they verified the applicant's testimony and produced his identification. The operator standing at the projector told not only about porn films, but also about everything he knew and heard about Bella Borodkina.

During a search in Borodkina's house, more than 130 thousand rubles worth of money, valuables and jewelry were seized. And this is with the average Soviet salary a thousand times less. According to the recollections of the investigators, the money was literally everywhere - in the grates of heaters, in the brickwork in the yard, under each of the carpets, and - in a purely Soviet way - in three-liter jars. In total, law enforcement officers calculated the damage to the treasury from Borodkina for a million rubles.

From the indictment in the Borodkina case: “In the period from 1974 to 1982, being an official in a responsible position, she repeatedly personally and through intermediaries in her apartment and at her place of work received bribes from a large group of her subordinates at work. Of the bribes she received, Borodkina herself transferred bribes to senior officials in the city of Gelendzhik for their assistance and support in their work. So, over the past two years, 15,000 rubles worth of valuables, money and food were transferred to the secretary of the city party committee Pogodin. There was no one to refute this fact - the head of the city, Nikolai Pogodin, disappeared immediately after the arrest of Borodkina. On that day, Pogodin simply left the house and did not return - no witnesses to his movements, no traces, no corpse were found. The disappearance of Pogodin became an all-Union state of emergency. However, during that Andropov purge Krasnodar region generally represented continuous zone emergency, and the main objective was resolved - the head of the region Medunov was removed from office.

For most of the defendants, it all ended in removal from office, for someone - a prison term, but Iron Bella was sentenced to capital punishment - execution. The demonstrative sentence was carried out in the autumn of 1983.

Berta Naumovna Borodkina, who was called Iron Bella, in the years Brezhnev's stagnation she managed a catering in Gelendzhik, although she began her career with a modest position as a barmaid. The case against her was brought against the backdrop of Andropov's Kremlin intrigues. For embezzlement, she, as a woman, was threatened with a maximum of 15 years with confiscation of property, but the verdict shocked both the defendant herself and everyone who followed this high-profile case.

In the era of developed socialism, death sentences for women were extremely rare. After the war, there were only three such precedents. The exceptions were Tatyana Ivanyutina, Antonina Makarova and Berta Borodkina.

She poisoned more than 40 people (13 of them fatally) out of personal dislike or simply “so as not to interfere with her life and steal” from the canteen in which she worked. Tonka the machine-gunner shot about 1,500 people during the war and said during the investigation: “I do not repent of my deed, and those whom I killed do not come to me in nightmares.”

But the crime of Berta Borodkina Soviet authorities equated to the murders of tens and hundreds of people, believing that theft on an especially large scale of socialist property deserves just such a punishment. Numerous petitions for clemency were repeatedly denied to her, and a year later the sentence was carried out.

1st Secretary of the Krasnodar Regional Committee of the CPSU S.F. Medunov and General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU L.I. Brezhnev

At the same time, few people know that Berta Naumovna Borodkina or "Iron Bella", as her colleagues called her, turned out to be a "bargaining chip" in the struggle for power. This struggle unfolded between the current Secretary General L.I. Brezhnev with his "favorite" S.F. Medunov, who from 1969 to 1973 was the sole and sovereign owner of the Krasnodar Territory on the one hand, and Yu.V. Andropov (Chairman of the KGB of the USSR) and his protégé M.S. Gorbachev - the head of the Stavropol Territory on the other.

On the Black Sea coast there was always a festive atmosphere, which meant that it “smelled” of big money. Citizens who came to rest by the sea allowed them to earn millions of rubles on themselves. Every day, thousands of people used catering services, and no one noticed the shortfall, underweight and reduced portions. But this fact was extremely interesting for the employees of the prosecutor's office and the employees of the OBKhSS. In one season, trade workers managed to earn millions of “left” rubles, and the head of the Gelendzhik public catering was the first to “fall under the distribution”.

Berta Borodkina in her youth (maiden name - King)

Berta Naumovna Borodkina since 1974 headed the trust of canteens and restaurants in the city of Gelendzhik, received the title of Honored Worker of Trade and Public Catering of the RSFSR. She began her career as a simple barmaid in one of the Sochi cafes.

Much later, this woman was called "iron Bella." She was a born leader, respected and feared. But when Andropov decided to discredit the "king" of the Krasnodar Territory Medunov, the prosecutor's office began a total check of the catering system in the cities and districts of this region. Even the most self-confident "masters of life" lost their nerves. Many of them committed suicide. There was a real panic, but Bella Borodkina believed that everything would work out ...

She knew how to receive "dear" guests. Most Moscow officials different levels knew that the head of the catering of Gelendzhik sets the tables for Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev himself, and her best friend is Sergey Medunov - the owner of the region. If this spectacular woman took on the organization of the banquet, then there will definitely be red and black caviar, the best Krasnodar and imported fruits, expensive cognac and collection wine on the table.

When arrested, the "iron Bella" behaved very calmly, even defiantly calmly. She told the investigators: “Guys, what are you talking about, tomorrow I expect your release and apologies.” She did not yet know that all the sins in the city catering of Gelendzhik would be attributed only to her - Bert Borodkin. A month later, "iron Bella" turned into an old woman - she cried and complained about the torture.

“Daily bullying. Teeth were pulled out “for life”, mercilessly beaten, especially in the evenings,” Elena Korol-Grebenyuk, sister of Borodkina, retells the words of the prisoner.

Later, this deeply unhappy woman was sentenced to death. They say that when she learned about this, she went crazy, and at night a terrible howl was heard from her cell. Her only daughter begged the authorities for mercy.

It’s hard to believe now, but the entry in the description “did not participate in mass cultural and significant political activities”During the conclusion became one of the reasons for the heartbreaking:“ pardon denied ”. Borodkina was shot in the Novocherkassk prison in 1983, and her relatives could not even get her ashes ...

Andropov was sure that the arrest of Medunov was a matter of time, but Brezhnev himself stood up for the Kuban "lord". The already mortally ill Secretary General still could not refuse his favorite in the last service - Medunov did not appear before the court. He was demoted, recalled to Moscow and allowed to live to see old age, while removed from the Central Committee and expelled from the party. The almighty "lord" of the Krasnodar Territory turned into a simple Soviet pensioner and died in 1999, lonely and deeply unhappy. AT last interview he never remembered “who the shot Berta Borodkina was”!

Today, many people remember the USSR with nostalgia. And they do not just remember - they idealize, while forgetting about the total deficit, sausage trains, trade from under the floor and corruption of government officials. All this reached a particularly magnificent flowering during the era of stagnation. One of the most high-profile corruption cases of those years was the Sochi-Krasnodar one. Then, for embezzlement of socialist property on an especially large scale, the honored worker of trade, the “Queen of Gelendzhik” Berta Borodkin, was sentenced to death.

Borodkina (nee Korol) began her career in 1951 as a waitress in a cafe in Gelendzhik. Even then, she preferred that everyone called her not Bertha, but Bella. Working conscientiously, she along the way made useful contacts in the resort town, and the promotion was not long in coming. Soon Bella became a barmaid, and then the head of the dining room.

Despite the fact that the girl did not shine with beauty, she had an incredible number of patrons. Not least thanks to them, in 1974 she became the director of the trust of canteens and restaurants in Gelendzhik. But Borodkina did not even have a certificate of secondary education! Bella was patronized by the first secretary of the city committee of the CPSU, Nikolai Pogodin. As the investigation later found out, from 1974 to 1982, an enterprising lady gave him 15 thousand rubles - then this amount was equal to the cost of three brand new cars.

"Line" before the opening of the restaurant

A giant web was woven in the resort town, in which every employee, from barmaids and bartenders to employees of the Glavkurortorg of the RSFSR, knew where and to whom money should be transferred. In fact, the whole city was taxed, no one could imagine their life without theft and bribes.

Divorce in the south of the USSR

applied standard tricks diluting everything that could be diluted. The cutlets contained more bread than meat. What was not reported to cutlets was transferred to barbecue houses - this was one of the profitable types of earnings of that time. Burnt sugar was added to tea and coffee to enhance the color. The real products were sent for resale or employees took them home.

But the most effective way for illegal profit, of course, was alcohol. Underfilling and dilution were the favorite methods of waiters, bartenders, as well as anyone who had access to strong drinks. A slight dilution of strong alcohol was almost imperceptible to visitors, so no one was outraged. Fraudsters took advantage of the fact that people who came to rest in the south walked to the fullest. The tipsy could no longer remember exactly how much and what they ate and drank, and paid for everything that they were “drawn”.

The favorite victims of the scammers were shift workers from the Arctic and Siberia - they came from the frosty north to the hospitable and warm Gelendzhik to bask in the sun, carrying large sums of money, and always walked in a big way. Their calculation often exceeded the required amount by 5-10 times!

Scheme of Berta Borodkina

More than 10 million people a year passed through the Bella Borodkina network. She came up with a very effective scheme, following which, all the workers subordinate to her and included in this network, very tangibly increased their well-being. And of course, Bella herself. True, in the resort town, the private sector was widely involved in the service sector, and it created significant competition for Borodkina's cause. He took away, so to speak, her daily bread.

But Bella found a way to deal with competitors - her people, under the guise of vacationers, settled in the private sector, and then made scandals about poor service, wrote to all authorities negative feedback up to articles in local newspapers. This was very effective in driving customers away from local canteens and caterers.

Informed tourists, of course, went to dine in canteens and restaurants, which were led by Borodkina. She was not afraid of checks and inspectors of the OBKhSS - the first secretary provided her with reliable cover.

Bella's favorite clients were high-ranking party and government officials who often came to Gelendzhik. From her bins she got the most delicious food, expensive alcohol. In addition, Bella invited local girls of easy virtue, that is, she tried to do everything in order to enter into the trust of officials
and later get their location.

By the way, one of her patrons was the head of the Krasnodar Territory, Sergei Medunov. Even members of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR went to the powerful patrons of Borodkina. But especially Bella was friends with the Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU Fyodor Kulakov, she was a member of his family.

Thanks to these connections, Bella could cook her affairs with complete impunity. The people even called her Iron Bella. Therefore, the arrest was a big surprise for Borodkina, so big that at first she did not take it seriously and even tried to threaten the police officers.

Exposing Berta Borodkina

It is curious that Iron Bella was exposed by accident. Here is how it was. An ordinary client of one of the cafes managed by Borodkina somehow found out that adult films were being shown to some, so to speak, chosen ones, and reported this to the police. Organizers illegal activities caught red-handed and charged under Article 228 of the Criminal Code of the RSFSR, which implied a term of up to three years in prison - for distributing pornography. During interrogations, the employees of the cafe confessed to everything and said,
that the authorities were aware of what was happening and in general they share profits with him.

Borodkina was charged with taking a bribe and complicity in a crime. Of course, powerful patrons could easily brush off Iron Bella. But this case turned out to be under the control of the powerful head of the KGB, Yuri Andropov, and the patrons fled like rats from a ship. During the search, Bella found huge sums of money - they were stuffed into jars of pickles, under carpets, behind wallpaper, in radiators and other hiding places. The total amount found in Borodkina's house was more than half a million rubles! In addition, jewelry, furs, paintings, crystal and other shortages were found.

During interrogations, Bella refused to testify, still tried to put pressure on the investigation, saying that she would be released soon. But then, realizing the seriousness of her situation, she began to cooperate with the investigation - she just wanted to live.

Case of Berta Borodkina

The Iron Bella case ran for more than 20 volumes. The investigation revealed many facts of crimes, on which several more criminal cases were opened against her and other defendants. It was possible to establish the involvement in the corruption network of more than 70 people, whom the investigation did not even suspect. After the arrest of Borodkina, the head of the Central Committee of the party of the city of Gelendzhik, Nikolai Pogodin, fled. He told his wife that he was leaving on business, and she never saw him again. There were rumors that he could leave the country on a ship. Amazingly, to this day future fate nothing is known about the former party leader of Gelendzhik.

The Sochi-Krasnodar case caused a big stir. The investigation was obstructed, but still it was not stopped thanks to the chairman of the KGB, Yuri Andropov. He was Medunov's main enemy. In November 1982, thanks to the election of Andropov as General Secretary of the USSR, the investigation launched its actions even more actively. More than 5,000 party and Soviet leaders were removed from high posts, they were released from their positions and expelled from the ranks of the CPSU.

More than 1,500 people were sentenced to various terms of imprisonment. Medunov escaped with a slight fright - he was only removed from his post as first secretary of the regional committee of the CPSU and removed from the Central Committee.

While in a prison cell, 57-year-old Bella Borodkina tried to feign insanity, but this number did not work. She was charged with repeatedly taking bribes totaling 561,843 rubles 89 kopecks. She was also accused of embezzlement of state property on an especially large scale, however, the investigation failed to fully prove her involvement. Nevertheless, this was enough for the court to sentence her to highest measure punishment. Supreme Court The RSFSR left the verdict unchanged. Bella Borodkina did not file a petition for pardon ...

Berta Borodkina, known in certain circles as "Iron Bella", was one of 3 women executed in the late USSR. The first two were hardened criminals. They were convicted of numerous murders committed with particular cynicism. The figure of "Iron Bella" against the background of these bloodthirsty ladies looks surprisingly modest. At the same time, Borodkina, an honored trade worker, was unambiguously and without the right to appeal sentenced to death. There are many versions of why the punitive authorities of the Land of the Soviets treated her so cruelly.
Speculator or resourceful business woman?

The article on which Berta Naumovna was convicted is speculation on an especially large scale. During a search in her apartment, whole deposits of scarce goods were found, about which simple Soviet citizens could only dream of: chic crystal tableware, jewelry, furs. Berta Naumovna had money in literally the words are rolled up in jars in the basement and hidden in the mountains of bricks in the courtyard of the house. Keep such amounts in a passbook in Soviet time was tantamount to suicide. total cost in total seized during the search of Borodkina's apartment - about 500 thousand rubles. And the woman began her skyrocketing in the trade with the job of a waitress. She was then promoted to barmaid. For a couple of years, the resourceful lady managed to become the director of a chain of restaurants in the resort of Gelendzhik and move to the rank of special respected people cities. How very useful person, she was invited to the homes of the most senior officials in the state (the same secretary of the district party committee Sergei Medunov)

Borodkin was useful to many

Like many trade workers of her rank, Berta Naumovna gave and took huge bribes. In the conditions of the most acute shortage in the country, she was able to receive distinguished guests of the health resort with royal scope. For this, Borodkin was especially appreciated by senior party officials. All employees of her restaurants and canteens were systematically trained to steal. Sour cream and milk were generously diluted with water. In soups and the second, meat and other products were not reported. All catering establishments sinned with this in Soviet times, but Borodkina, due to the management of a huge network of canteens and restaurants, managed to steal huge sums. They went both for their own enrichment and for bribes to those who turned a blind eye to her machinations. Everyone knew (or guessed) about them. Many officials willingly used the services of a cunning businesswoman.

Andropov purges

Additional income Borodkina was brought by an underground demonstration of porn films in the basements of some Gelendzhik cafes. It was in such an institution that they first raided law enforcement, followed by a long string of "achievements" by Berta Borodkina. Facts of speculation, underweight in cafes and restaurants, as well as bribery to many officials (including the first secretary of the city party committee Nikolai Pogodin) were discovered. It was established that the amount received as bribes and looted by Borodkina was more than 1 million rubles. For this they shot, but men. Women were treated with leniency by the judiciary. "Iron Bella" could worst case"shine" a life sentence in the camp. But she was shot. The verdict for Bella herself and for her friends was a real shock. According to one version, Berta Naumovna became a victim of the Andropov purges that were rampant at that time. The scope of her “business” turned out to be so huge that the authorities could not turn a blind eye to it. In addition, major party leaders (about 20 people in total) were involved in the case, which was already a real scandal. The execution of Borodkina became a demonstrative execution, a lesson for those who “settled too well” in the Land of the Proletarians. Andropov was eager for power, and no "Iron Bella" could count on indulgence.

Many knowledge - a lot of sadness

Berta Naumovna was sure that they would help her, "put in a good word" to whoever needed it and pull her out of the noose. No wonder she made such a huge circle of acquaintances with the most senior comrades of the country. But this, on the contrary, played against Borodkina. The one who could help her preferred not to “shine”, so as not to fall under the knives of the ruthless Andropov machine himself. Acquaintance with the defendant could lead to disastrous consequences. In the Iron Bella case, 20 volumes of inquests and witness testimony. It dragged along another 3 dozen other investigations, in which more than 70 people were convicted. officials. Sergei Medunov, who actively "protected" Borodkin for many years, disappeared without a trace. There are suggestions that he fled abroad. The high-profile case of Berta Borodkina became another stepping stone that helped Yuri Andropov climb to the very peak of his political career.