Friend in Moscow sent me this photo from a book he's reading. That's Stalin's daughter Svetlana sitting on Lavrenti Beria's lap, while Pop works in the background.pic.twitter.com/ctWgIf0LbK
You can add location information to your Tweets, such as your city or precise location, from the web and via third-party applications. You always have the option to delete your Tweet location history. Learn more
I knew about the NKVD but not at all about the serial rapist part.
That’s disturbing
I understand that, after Stalin died in 1953, Beria tried to flee the country, knowing that his life wasn't worth 5 cents without Stalin having his back any longer. But he was caught before he could cross the border, and later tried and executed (if memory serves).
My Russian history teacher in grad school said there were rumors Khrushchev strangled him. He also said that everyone but Beria agreed to let the losers retire after the coming power struggle. In any case, Russia has a long history of very bad rulers.
He also directly ordered the Katyn massacre
Twitter may be over capacity or experiencing a momentary hiccup. Try again or visit Twitter Status for more information.