Warning Shot

Death of a salesman

Gastronom No. 1, an imposing three-story building on Gorky Street, Moscow's busy shopping thoroughfare, is no ordinary supermarket. Its vaulted interior boasts crystal chandeliers, inlaid marble and huge, gold-trimmed mirrors. Regular shoppers know it simply as "Yeliseyev's," after a Russian merchant who built the store in the 18th century. It is popular among foreigners, who consider it as awesome as some of the palace museums that were once the Czars' homes. It is equally appreciated by Muscovites, because it stocks such hard-to-find items as fresh fruit, vegetables and meat. And for good friends with a taste for black caviar and French wines, Store Manager Yuri K. Sokolov was happy to oblige. But in April 1983, Sokolov was arrested on charges of corruption. Two weeks ago, he went before the firing squad.

Sokolov's execution shocked many people because he had influential friends, among them the family of the late Soviet President Leonid Brezhnev. For years, the flamboyant Sokolov provided high Soviet officials with gourmet foods that are rarely seen in Soviet stores. In exchange, he lived a privileged life: he was said to own several ZILS, the Soviet-made limousine reserved for high party officials, as well as country homes outside Moscow. But the government apparently decided to make an example of Sokolov as part of the Kremlin's campaign against corruption, and the store manager was found guilty of accepting bribes. After Yuri Andropov's death, there were doubtless those in the Soviet hierarchy who would have liked to see him spared.

They were apparently overruled, however, by the faction within the ruling Politburo that is staying true to Andropov's anticorruption efforts. It is not known if Soviet Leader Konstantin Chernenko is included in this group. Speculation has it that the chief watchdog is Mikhail Gorbachev, 53, who is thought to have been Chernenko's closest rival for the top party job. In recent weeks scores of other arrests have been reported. Among those apprehended were seven officials of Roskontsert, the government agency that arranges orchestral concerts. They have been sentenced to terms ranging from three to 13 years for taking bribes and kickbacks. In addition, hundreds of officials have been removed from their positions in the Communist Party, government, industry and agriculture in at least five of the Soviet Union's 15 republics.

Noted one Western diplomat in Moscow: "Recent events around the country point to a resurgence of efforts to wipe out corruption." Meanwhile, the doors to Gastronom No. 1 were locked and barred and an ironically appropriate sign went up in the window. It read: CLOSED FOR REMODELING.