Eyewitness to the 1991 Soviet Coup with Brett Elliott (214)

12/25/21 • 50 min

Today’s episode is different. Brett Elliott died earlier this year and I was contacted by his ex-wife Polly who offered me a cassette tape.

Polly and Brett had met in college and got to know each other in Russian Club at Oklahoma State. In the summer of 1991, they went to Moscow to pursue Polly’s goal of being a reporter in Russia and Brett’s goal of further studying Russia.

They both worked together covering the Bush Gorbachev summit, with Polly as a reporter and Brett as an interpreter. Polly left Russia early, but Brett stayed a few weeks more and witnessed the collapse of the Soviet Union, August 19-21, 1991. During a rare phone call, Polly begged him to be careful, and he famously said she was worse than the coup leaders if she wanted to deny him getting out to witness history...

Polly's book is available on the links below

US Listeners https://amzn.to/3mEuPMa

UK listeners https://amzn.to/3CLuHjy

We have photos here https://coldwarconversations.com/episode214/

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This episode is the audio from the cassette of Brett describing his experiences just two weeks after the coup. Being on cassette the sound quality is not great, but I am delighted and honoured to welcome Brett Elliott to our Cold War conversation...

0:00 Introduction and appeal for donations

1:47 Brett and Polly's experience in Russia

5:55 Brett's account before and during the coup

14:09 Brett's analysis of the coup leaders' strategy

16:03 Reaction to the arrival of armored vehicles in Moscow

21:23 Protestors' response to the show of military force

28:45 The march towards the Russian Federation building

31:01 Day 2: Speeches and continued protests

35:07 Brett's journey back home through Yugoslavia

44:22 Brett's reflection on the changes since the uprising

46:00 Ian Sanders: Closing remarks and thanks to patrons

47:13 Ian Sanders: Postscript and store promotion