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

12/25/21 • 50 min

2 Listeners

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/

This podcast relies on listener support to enable me to continue to capture these incredible stories and make them available for free. You can support my work and help to preserve Cold War history via one-off or monthly donations

Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/ for more details.

Do join our Facebook discussion group where the cold war conversation continues between episodes. Just search Cold War Conversations on Facebook.

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

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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'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/

Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/ for more details.

Do join our Facebook discussion group where the cold war conversation continues between episodes. Just search Cold War Conversations on Facebook.

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

Table of contents powered by PodcastAI✨

Support the project! https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/coldwarpod/

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/coldwarconversations/

Youtube https://youtube.com/@ColdWarConversations

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Previous Episode

Working in the nuclear missile compartment of a Cold War Royal Navy Polaris submarine (213)

John Andrews joined the Royal Navy in 1981 and went on to serve aboard the HMS Repulse, one of the UK’s Polaris nuclear missile submarines from 1982.

His role was Missile Compartment Control Patrol which included security of the nuclear missile compartment as well as assisting in the maintenance of the missile tubes and the nuclear missiles themselves.

John shares details of life aboard the ship including missile launch tests, alcohol, practical jokes, escape procedures from a submerged submarine and many more.

Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/ for more details.

Do join our Facebook discussion group where the cold war conversation continues between episodes. Just search Cold War Conversations on Facebook.

Now, this episode was recorded at the Hack Green Nuclear Bunker Soviet Threat event so you will hear some background noise, but I am delighted to welcome John Andrews to our Cold War conversation...

There’s further information on this episode in our show notes which can also be found as a link in your podcast app here.

0:00 Introduction and guest John Andrews' role in the Royal Navy

3:05 Detailed background of John's service

6:13 Discussion on John's claustrophobia and PTSD diagnosis

9:02 Recollection of a missile launch test

15:32 Understanding of ship-wide activities

20:38 Role of detonators in missile launch

24:28 Monitoring radiation exposure and experiences with PTSD

28:17 Relationships and interactions with officers

31:40 Family communication on the submarine

37:52 Running quiet on the submarine when being followed

42:22 Rivalry between submarines and crews

44:30 Closing remarks by Ian Sanders

43:55 Acknowledging patrons and call for donations

44:45 Cold War Conversations store advertisement

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Next Episode

Helping the Refuseniks (215)

Refusenik was an unofficial term for individuals—typically, but not exclusively, Soviet Jews—who were denied permission to emigrate, primarily to Israel, by the authorities of the Soviet Union and other countries of the Eastern bloc. The term refusenik is derived from the "refusal" handed down to a prospective emigrant from the Soviet authorities.

Eric Hochstein was a staff member for Senator Carl Levin of Michigan working on human rights. Human rights were a big issue for Senator Levin.

Eric went as part of a standard commercial tour of the SU for two weeks from Sep 28th,1980, where he visited Moscow, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Odessa, and Leningrad. Eric and his colleagues used this trip to peel off and visit various Refusenik families to bring them news, messages and supplies.

Only protected by a US passport and a tourist visa Eric travelled by public transport under surveillance from the KGB carrying supplies for the families included Levi jeans which were better than money in the Soviet Union of the 1980s.

0:00 Introduction

2:50 Guest Introduction: Eric Hochstein

6:51 Lead-up to Eric Hochstein's trip to the USSR

13:41 Arrival and first impressions of the Soviet Union

23:39 Interaction with Refusenik families and their conditions

29:42 Anecdotes about being followed by the KGB

36:04 Soviet people's awareness about the United States and the West

40:12 Impressions of Leningrad and merchandise scarcity in Soviet Union

45:12 Acknowledgement and thanks to patrons

46:41 Cold War Conversations store promotion

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I could really use your support to help me to capture and preserve these amazing stories of the Cold War.

If you could make either a one-off or better still sign up to monthly donations to help me to find the time to produce and finance the project.

If you’d like to know more just go to cwc.com/donate

If you can’t wait for next week’s episode do visit our Facebook discussion group where guests and listeners continue the Cold War Conversation. Just search Cold War Conversations in Facebook.

Peter Ryan is your host today and I am delighted to welcome Eric Hochstein to our Cold War conversation...

There’s further information here. https://coldwarconversations.com/episode215

Thank you very much for listening. It is really appreciated – goodbye.

Support the project! https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/coldwarpod/

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