Analysis of information sources in references of the Wikipedia article "Vladimir Vysotsky" in English language version.
In those days most famous performers received a very small salary but attracted huge crowds which filled stadiums. To attract "stars" administrators promised to pay by agreement and in cash. How was this done? Nikolai Tamrazov tells us: "They stole money. Say ten thousand tickets were sold, a part of this was used for entry, and the rest was burned. (That is part of the audience belonged to organizations, which paid directly). Some of the money went to pay for the stadium, some was paid to the government, and the rest they kept themselves"
A. Fedotov: "There were times when Vysotsky could no longer control himself. No matter how much we obtained for him, whether by truth or lies, he could use it all in one go ... he could inject a colossal dose."
S. Shcherbakov: "Then we started to think what to do? Admitting him to our Sklifosovsky Hospital was out of the question because Vysotsky was held in low regard there now. Moreover, very recently we had this whole 'narcotics saga', and several of our people were behind bars"
Valery Zolotukhin: "There was Vysotsky tearing to and fro in a stupor, 24 hours a day shouting wildly, he could be heard a block away. Those who saw it say it was terrifying."
S. Shcherbakov: "So the main issue was one of duration ... We saw what state he was in: a deep narcosis plus asphyxia ... It was obvious that he should be admitted. If this concerned anyone else, even the most diehard drunkard on the street, he would have been admitted without question! But here everyone had their reservations: I think they wanted to preserve their reputation. Fedotov behaved for some reason very aggressively, he was utterly against hospitalization. Initially on the basis that we did not have the parents' permission, and then saying that he will manage himself. ... For everything we were doing was basically on the border of legality. At Sklifasovsky we always treated him under some other diagnosis."
O. Fedotov: I went to the hospital ... We carried it all out ingeneously ... I said that I saw the death ... I had a PhD ... and she signed it [the death certificate] immediately. In the death certificate, we wrote ... "Death occurred during sleep ... due to an abstinence syndrome and acute cardial failure ... What to do with the autopsy? ... If there was an autopsy they would have seen traces from the injections ..". S. Shcherbakov: "This diagnosis, supposedly a heart attack, suited everyone. Everyone greeted it with glee. But this is all done very easily: a single cardiogram is taken ... I can show you dozens of heart attack cardiograms. The whole essence lies in removing previous cardiograms, so there is nothing to compare it with. That the cardiogram was faked I was told by Godyaev, Sul'povar, and some others". V. Yankelovich: "Suddenly the duty constable sent people and demanded an autopsy. Here one must give credit to Semen Vladimirovich [Vysotsky's father], he categorically forbade an autopsy. If there was an autospy, they might have discovered the side effects, learned of the 'illness', the diagnosis would have been deferred."
S. Shcherbakov: We enter, and see Vysotsky in a state of asphyxiation. Fedotov pumped him with large doses of all sorts of sedatives. He is lying practically without reflexes... He is starting to swallow his tongue!... I do not know how to call this, it is not just negligence, it is incompetence."
A. Vysotsky: I saw that he is worse than before. I was enraged that they all abandoned him before, and tried to enter. It also enraged me that Tumanov said they did not want him admitted... I tried to enter but felt that Yankelovich quite firmly, but without being rude of course was trying to push me out of the flat. He closed the door and said that they will now drive him to the hospital... I understand that they all were treating the situation quite differently. One thing they had in common, they all grew deadly tired of him. But some continued coldly to pull money out of him."
... his father, Semen Vladimirovich, a Russian Jew, was a lawyer by education and an army officer by profession—a veteran of World War II who ended his military career as a colonel.
... his father, Semen Vladimirovich, a Russian Jew, was a lawyer by education and an army officer by profession—a veteran of World War II who ended his military career as a colonel.
