Great Soviet survivor

Press, 7 November 1978, Page 18

Great Soviet survivor

From the “Economist,” London

It was a unique and revealing event. The Soviet Communist Party and Government announced “with deepest sorrow” the death on October 21 of Anastas Mikoyan, at the age of 82. Alone among the Soviet leaders, he had completed a long career without being purged, murdered, disgraced or expunged from the records as an “unperson,” and retired with dignity into private life. As the great exception, he vividly illustrates the rule about the revolution devouring its own. The art of survival is one in which Armenians have had to become expert during many centuries of suffering. Mikoyan always knew when to switch. He served Stalin faithfully, but after the dictator’s death he was the first to disparage him.

He abandoned Malenkov just in time, he backed Khrushchev against his rivals in 1957, but played a key role in his overthrow in 1964: and he was quick to perceive

the stagnant nature of the Brezhnev regime. He resigned in 1965 as head of State, and in 1966 from the politburo. He was then 70. In many countries, his explanation that he felt old and tired would have seemed quite normal. But Soviet norms

are different. The average age of the present ruling team is higher than that at which Mikoyan so wisely retired. Mr Brezhnev is 71, Mr Kosygin 73, Mr Suslov 75, Marshal Ustinov 70. Mr Kirilenko 72. At a mere 69. Mr Gromyko is also showing signs of decrepitude. Only if you assume, as some do, not unreasonably, that the country is really ■ being run nowadays by the i K.G.B. boss, Mr Yuri i Andropov (who is a positively | juvenile 63), can you avoid the conclusion that the Soviet Union is in the hands of a bunch of old-age pen- J sioners who dare not let go.

Last year, when Mr , Brezhnev kicked out Mr Podgorny and made himself President, there were hopes that he was planning to retire at 70 and permit the first peaceful transfer of power in Soviet history. Those hopes soon waned. As far as concerns the present leadership in Moscow, Mikoyan’s secret of successful timing seems to I have died with him.