The key figure of the third Moscow process was Henry Yagoda. According to the testimony of his secretary Bulanov, Yagoda, a former pharmacist, had a special wardrobe of poisons, from where he extracted precious bottles as necessary, and passed them on to his agents, along with appropriate instructions.

Vladimir Fromer

Notebook in oilcloth cover

[250x]Gorky died painfully at the dacha given to him by Stalin in Gorki. The agony lasted several days. On the morning of June 18, Stalin, Voroshilov and Molotov arrived. Stalin entered the master's gait. He was detained in the dining room. It was crowded here. He did not like it.Riley asked Kryuchkov: "Why so many people? Who is responsible for this? Do you even know what we can do with you? "And he was completely pissed when he saw the lean face of the Chief of the NKVD, Henry Yagoda:" And why is this here hanging out? Remove! " 
After cleaning up, he went into the bedroom. Gorky lay with his eyes closed. Grimacing, strained breathing. The face, ears and hands of his hands are already blue. Stalin silently looked at him with dark eyes. Suddenly, something unexpected happened. Gorky woke up and recognized the visitor. Even tried to raise his head from the pillow. Stalin stopped him with a gesture. Said: "What are you hurting, Alexey Maksimovich. Get better soon. And maybe in the house there is wine, - we would drink a glass for your health. "

Gorky with difficulty said: "Thank you, Joseph Vissarionovich." The wine was brought. Everyone drank and even Gorky sipped a glass. Leaving, already in the doorway, Stalin waved Gorky's hand.

At night, a thunderstorm broke out. The trees in the garden swayed and rumbled noisily. 
In the morning, when the storm was over and there was a dawning silence, Gorky died. 
The autopsy was made immediately on the spot, at the still warm bed, right on the table. 
Experienced doctors acted quickly - no emotion.

The famous patient became just a corpse for them. Have opened a body. Have washed the insides. Sew a cut with a simple twine. The brain was put in a bucket. Kryuchkov personally took him into a car and took him to the Brain Institute.

The medical report stated that Gorky's death came as a result of paralysis of the heart and respiration. In other words, the patient died because he died.

This document was signed by such medical luminaries as professors Lang, Levin, Pletnev, Konchalovsky and Speransky. There was no reason to doubt their competence.

Gorky was treated by seventeen of the country's best doctors, but only two came under the ax of the pharaoh: Levin and Pletnev.

However, in the dock was another doctor, I.N. Kazakov, but his role in the process was reduced to helping the prosecutor Vyshinsky expose the real killers of the writer: Professors Levin and Pletnev.

Why did they become the main defendants? Do not judge the same professor George Lang, under the careful medical supervision of which for many years was Gorky. By the way, the names of Lang and Levin stand in the newspaper Pravda on June 6, 1936, under the first report of his illness. Speransky, a famous pathophysiologist, was not sacrificed to moloch, while the equally famous professors Pletnev and Levin got into his slow jaws.

Pletnev Dmitry Dmitrievich : came from an old noble family. He was rightly considered a classic of Soviet cardiology. Since 1932, he headed the Institute of Functional Diagnostics and Experimental Medicine. He was not only an excellent doctor, but also a prominent scientist. His works on infectious diseases have not lost their significance even today. He served as chairman of the Moscow Society of Physicians, was the editor-in-chief of the journal Clinical Medicine. In the circle of his patients were many of the major dignitaries of the Kremlin.Some of them owe him a living. In addition, he delivered brilliant lectures at scientific congresses and symposiums not only in Russia, but also abroad. It seemed that someone, and Pletnev certainly have nothing to fear.