Soviet Marshal Georgy Zhukov did not speak German. Nevertheless, he took many rare books out of Germany, which were just sitting at his dacha.
In January 1948, the “trophy case” investigation began on Stalin’s order. Zhukov was searched and the list of items found includes “more than 4,000 meters of silk, brocade, velvet and other fabrics; 323 sable, monkey, fox, cat and astrakhan skins; 44 ancient carpets and large tapestries, exported from Potsdam and other German palaces; 55 valuable classical paintings in artistic frames, 7 large boxes with porcelain and crystal dishes; 2 boxes with silver dinnerware and tea sets,” as reported by the Minister of State Security of the USSR Viktor Abakumov.Abakumov was impressed with Zhukov’s summer house: “In all rooms of the summer house, on windows, shelves, tables and bedside tables, there are many bronze and porcelain vases, statuettes, as well as various ornaments of foreign origin. The entire interior is foreign, mainly German, starting with furniture, carpets, dishes, and decorations and ending with window curtains. In the summer house, there is literally not a single thing of Soviet origin except for the doormats that lie at the entrance to the house. There is not a single Soviet book there, but there are many volumes in the cabinets, beautiful bindings with gold embossing, all in German.”