It is another example of how the series distorted the reality of what happened in favor of the show. In the end I can even accept the KGB plot because audiences need their conflict and it must be simplistic enough and honestly I liked the sow overall, but this particular episode actually kinda shitted upon a real person. The dude who met with coal miners was a minister of coal industry of the Soviet Union Mikhail Invanovich Schadov, this is how he looked like at about that time:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...Щадов.jpg
He wasn't young, he wasn't one of the generation of bureaucrats in fancy suits. He was born in 1936, he lived through Stalin times. He was working in the fucking mines since he was like 15. So there was no way for the miners to treat him anything like was demonstrated in the show. He really was one of them first. But the show who was rather accurate in terms of portraying all other characters decided to shit upon this particular one for comic relief. I really do not understand that creative decision.
And no, guys, Soviet leaders weren't going around under escort of rifle-armed soldiers. It was probably the most egregious example of bullshit.