Andrei, the son of Viktor Chernomyrdin
Photo: Viktor GUSEYNOV
…- Andrei Viktorovich, on Thursday, August 17, there will be 25 years of default. So, I wanted to ask how Viktor Stepanovich Chernomyrdin, who at that time was no longer prime minister, survived this.
– How did you survive? Well, it wasn’t easy. It is clear that, apparently, my father also had some premonition of a default. And, of course, the government that he headed probably couldn’t have prevented a default in principle, from what I can now understand.
It’s just that if there had not been a change in the Cabinet of Ministers and the resignation of the prime minister, perhaps the breach would not have been as severe and not as big as it actually turned out to be.
– Did your father tell you?
– It wouldn’t be the same as what happened then. I think his words are…
– That is, it would be easier, not so catastrophic?
– Yes, it wouldn’t be that big, catastrophic, yes.
– For the country. And for your family?
– What happened on August 17, 1998, in principle, also took us by surprise. As, however (first) and the April resignation of his father. We did not expect this to happen on the eve of his birthday, his 60th birthday.
– I visited Viktor Stepanovich, and then just on the eve of the anniversary I came to the dacha and did a great interview.
– Okay, yes. Most likely, of course, it should not have been so. It is clear that, probably, everything went to this, I mean, default. But, the understanding being such then, naturally, it would probably not have been possible, on the eve of all this, to change the government. Illogical, to say the least.
But it was already done. And of course it was a shock to the family, it was not clear. That is to say, nobody listened to arguments in favor of the resignation, why and for what they did it. We were a bit confused, of course. Naturally, my father was worried, we were worried.
– Did the breach hit your family? Have you burned your money? Viktor Stepanovich, your mother – Valentina Fedorovna?
– Yes, there were some savings and, of course, they burned. They have changed, like everyone else.
– Did you burn a lot?
– No, maybe a little. I don’t remember I remember there was something.
– And why was the family more worried? Due to the fact that Viktor Stepanovich was fired in April or because the breach occurred in August?
– I don’t think it’s possible to put these events in such a sequence. Personally, I am more inclined to believe that our family had the greatest number of experiences due to the resignation of Viktor Stepanovich. And this is understandable. On the eve of my father, literally in ten days, there should be an anniversary. If it is necessary to put aside, then it is necessary to somehow drive it with dignity. The man worked…
– No, well, Viktor Stepanovich received the order then, on his 60th birthday …
– Yes, I understand, but they would have waited for the anniversary, they would have awarded – and then they could have been fired.
– But if Viktor Stepanovich had stayed, would there have been a default?
– There would be a default, of course, there would be, it would probably be impossible to avoid it. You see, the fact that there is a default also affects the change of government, yes. So far the new Cabinet of Ministers has been formed, and up to now it has begun to work…
Surely this also affected the economy, reflected in the ruble. The resignation of the prime minister and key ministers at such a difficult time is always inconvenient. This enforces the default value. But it doesn’t soften.
– Understood. Thank you.
