Get a closer look at some of Hollywood's perfect pairs.

Hollywood Power Couples

Get a closer look at some of Hollywood&#39;s perfect pairs.

See which big screen releases you can watch from the comfort of your couch.

Theatrical Releases Coming to Streaming

Get a closer look at these actors from their many TV and streaming series roles.

Streaming Stars, Then and Now

Vasili Iosifovich Stalin (b. Dzhugashvili) was born on March 21, 1921, in Moscow, Russia. His father, named Joseph Stalin, was the Secretary General of the Communist Party. After the death of Lenin in January of 1924, his father became the benevolent dictator of Russia, then called the Soviet Union. Vasili grew up in Kremlin, where he had private governess, toys, and servants. His mother, named Nadezhda Allilueva, suffered from the cruelty of his father, who bullied her into submission, until her mysterious death in 1932. Vasili inherited many of his father's traits, becoming manipulative, secretive, and brutal to people. Vasili's sister, named Svetlana Allilueva, was born in 1926.

As a teenager at school Vasili was a mediocre student and graduated with poor grades. He was 17 and wanted to go to the best pilot school in Kacinsk, where Russian Aces were raised. His grades were too low, but with the insistence of Lavrenti Beria Vasili was admitted. He initially was given a special treatment; he had a private room and privileged meals. Stalin ordered to cancel all of his privileges. A student of 19 years old Vasili married Galina Burdonskaya of the same age. He was rapidly promoted in the ranks, became a pilot and served in the Soviet Air Force, rising to a General during the Second World War. He made 27 fights and downed one Nazi airplane. He was decorated three times with the Order of the Red Banner and received other highest decorations. He became one of the youngest Generals in the entire Soviet Army. At the end of the war he loaded his plane with valuable goods, gold, and jewelery, which was looted from German homes and flown back to Moscow.

Vasili Stalin had a half brother, named Yakov Dzhugashvili (Svanidze), who was the son of Stalin's first wife, named Ekaterina Svanidze. During the Second World War his brother Yakov was captured in the battle by the Nazi special forces and was held in a concentration camp. The Nazi leadership offered to return brother Yakov to Moscow in exchange for the POW Field Marshal Friedrich Paulus, who was captured by the Soviet Red Army in the Battle of Stalingrad. Vasili Stalin was anticipating his brother back home. But Joseph Stalin refused the offer to have his son returned, saying, "I do not exchange a General for a soldier." Stalin doomed his son Jakov to death in the Nazi camp. Vasili lost his brother. Joseph Stalin showed his cruelty and strengthened his power.

Vasili was made the Air Force Commander of the Moscow Military District at age 26. However, Stalin's nepotism was mixed with paranoia and suspiciousness about the people around him and his son. Vasili's brother Jakob (Stalin's other son) died in a Nazi camp. Stalin surrounded his surviving son with special agents, but they were fearful of Stalin's son, whom they were supposed to control. With his position Vasili received a football team (soccer club), named VVS, or Military Airforce Club. Vasili became obsessed with the game. His position allowed him to get any sportsman in the nation for his team. He employed many famous athletes and organized several winning teams. Vasili also organized construction and financing of a major sports arena in Moscow; but his uncontrolled use of the government money became a huge problem. General Vasili got drunk during and after each game played by his "toy" sport-star Bobrov. Drinking parties were massive and wild, with women dancing on their dining table among bottles of vodka. Also, some people around Stalin's son were disappearing without a trace.

Stalin died on March 5, 1953, and General Vasili was arrested on April 28, 1953, after his lavish dinner party with British guests. Vasili was charged with "anti-Soviet activity, embezzlement, beating of subordinates, manipulations that caused death of people, and other serious crimes. Many of those charges were supported by factual evidence. His prosecutor, Lev Vladzimirskii and his boss Lavrenti Beria were arrested in December 1953, and executed. Vasili Stalin asked Nikita Khrushchev for clemency, but he was considered a threat to them. Vasili was judged in a behind-closed-doors trial and imprisoned under a fictitious name - Vasili Pavlovich Vasilyev. He was held in the special penitentiary, the famously rough "Vladimirsky Central" in the city of Vladimir. In January 1960 he was released and sent for a treatment from alcohol dependency for three months. Back in Moscow Vasili received a pension and a three room flat from the state. He was allowed to wear his General's uniform, but was denied of service by Kliment Voroshilov. Humiliated by the denial, Vasili went to the Chinese Consulate and applied for a medical visa on April 15, 1960. He was arrested on April 16, 1960, and exiled to the city of Kazan, where he was kept under the house arrest until he died of alcoholism on Mach 19, 1962, at age 41. Vasili Stalin was partially rehabilitated in 1999, when the political charges of Anti-Soviet activity in 1953 were lifted. His body was moved from Kazan to Moscow and re-buried there.

His sister Svetlana Allilueva defected in 1967, and later became a naturalized citizen of the United States. She published memoirs there in 1967, then returned to Soviet Union in 1984, but in 1986 she left again for good.

Publicity listings

Vasili Stalin

Film Biography

Portrayal

Contribute to this page

More from this person

More to explore

Recently viewed