No wonder Bagdasaryan had such a well-developed sense of political cynicism and was so willing to speak out. He especially despised the zampolits, the Kremlin’s political officers who were assigned to every submarine. Ostensibly, they were there to ensure that crews remained Communistically correct, but Bagdasaryan thought them drunks, pests, and inept nags and let them know it. He roared at one, “You have been as useful as a suitcase on my submarine for two months,” after the man accused Bagdasaryan of playing “outlaw’s music” when he put on a tape of a new popular singer to inspire his men.
