Alexander Svanidze
Encyclopedia
Alexander Semyonovich "Alyosha" Svanidze (1886 – August 20, 1941) was a Georgian
Old Bolshevik
and historian. He was a personal friend of Joseph Stalin
and a brother of Stalin’s first wife Kato
. Nevertheless, Stalin had him arrested during a purge
in 1937. He was shot in prison in 1941.
Born of a petty noble
family in a small village of Baji in western Georgia, then part of the Russian Empire
, Svanidze was educated at Tiflis and later at Jena
where he learned German
and English
and engaged in historical research of ancient civilizations. He joined the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party
in 1901 and worked in the Bolshevik underground until being forced to leave independent Georgia
in 1919. He worked for the Russian foreign office in the years 1920-1921 and then served as a People's Commissar for Finances of the Georgian SSR and Transcaucasian SFSR
in the years 1921-1922. In 1924, he was appointed a Soviet trade envoy to Germany
and, upon his return to the Soviet Union
, became Deputy Chairman of the Soviet State Bank
in 1935. At the same time, Svanidze continued his scholarship; he founded and the Journal of Ancient History
, studied the Alarodian languages
, and translated in Russian the medieval Georgian poet Shota Rustaveli
.
At the height of the Great Purge, Stalin ordered Svanidze’s arrest in 1937. He refused defiantly to confess to being a German spy in return for his life as the NKVD
demanded. "Such aristocratic pride," Stalin is quoted to have said. Svanidze, his wife Maria (née Korona; 1889-1942) — a singer for the Tbilisi Opera House
and his sister Mariko were executed in 1941 as the Germans advanced.
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
Old Bolshevik
Old Bolshevik
Old Bolshevik , also Old Bolshevik Guard or Old Party Guard, was an unofficial designation for those who were members of the Bolshevik party before the Russian Revolution of 1917, many of whom were either tried and executed by the NKVD during Stalin era purges or died under suspicious...
and historian. He was a personal friend of Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
and a brother of Stalin’s first wife Kato
Ekaterina Svanidze
Ekaterina "Kato" Svanidze was the Georgian first wife of Joseph Stalin. They were married in 1906.She was a daughter of Semon Svanadze and Sephora...
. Nevertheless, Stalin had him arrested during a purge
Great Purge
The Great Purge was a series of campaigns of political repression and persecution in the Soviet Union orchestrated by Joseph Stalin from 1936 to 1938...
in 1937. He was shot in prison in 1941.
Born of a petty noble
Aznauri
Aznauri was a class of Georgian nobility; the term that was first applied to all nobles, but in the later Middle Ages narrowed to designate the petty nobles....
family in a small village of Baji in western Georgia, then part of the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
, Svanidze was educated at Tiflis and later at Jena
Jena
Jena is a university city in central Germany on the river Saale. It has a population of approx. 103,000 and is the second largest city in the federal state of Thuringia, after Erfurt.-History:Jena was first mentioned in an 1182 document...
where he learned German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and engaged in historical research of ancient civilizations. He joined the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party
Russian Social Democratic Labour Party
The Russian Social Democratic Labour Party , also known as Russian Social Democratic Workers' Party or Russian Social Democratic Party, was a revolutionary socialist Russian political party formed in 1898 in Minsk to unite the various revolutionary organizations into one party...
in 1901 and worked in the Bolshevik underground until being forced to leave independent Georgia
Democratic Republic of Georgia
The Democratic Republic of Georgia , 1918–1921, was the first modern establishment of a Republic of Georgia.The DRG was created after the collapse of the Russian Empire that began with the Russian Revolution of 1917...
in 1919. He worked for the Russian foreign office in the years 1920-1921 and then served as a People's Commissar for Finances of the Georgian SSR and Transcaucasian SFSR
Transcaucasian SFSR
The Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic , also known as the Transcaucasian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, the Transcaucasian SFSR and the TSFSR for short, was a short-lived republic of the Soviet Union, lasting from 1922 to 1936...
in the years 1921-1922. In 1924, he was appointed a Soviet trade envoy to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and, upon his return to the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, became Deputy Chairman of the Soviet State Bank
Gosbank
Gosbank was the central bank of the Soviet Union and the only bank whatsoever in the entire Union from the 1930s until the year 1987. Gosbank was one of the three Soviet economic authorities, the other two being "Gosplan" and "Gossnab"...
in 1935. At the same time, Svanidze continued his scholarship; he founded and the Journal of Ancient History
Journal of Ancient History
The Journal of Ancient History is a Russian bulletin founded in 1937. It publishes articles mainly on Ancient Orient, Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, and recent archeological digs. It comes out four times a year. Circulation: over 3,000 copies...
, studied the Alarodian languages
Alarodian languages
The Alarodian languages are a proposed language family that encompasses the Northeast Caucasian languages and the extinct Hurro-Urartian languages.- History of the concept :...
, and translated in Russian the medieval Georgian poet Shota Rustaveli
Shota Rustaveli
Shota Rustaveli was a Georgian poet of the 12th century, and one of the greatest contributors to Georgian literature. He is author of "The Knight in the Panther's Skin" , the Georgian national epic poem....
.
At the height of the Great Purge, Stalin ordered Svanidze’s arrest in 1937. He refused defiantly to confess to being a German spy in return for his life as the NKVD
NKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs was the public and secret police organization of the Soviet Union that directly executed the rule of power of the Soviets, including political repression, during the era of Joseph Stalin....
demanded. "Such aristocratic pride," Stalin is quoted to have said. Svanidze, his wife Maria (née Korona; 1889-1942) — a singer for the Tbilisi Opera House
Tbilisi Opera and Ballet Theatre
Tbilisi State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre is situated on Rustaveli Avenue, in the center of Tbilisi, Georgia. It is the oldest opera house in Georgia...
and his sister Mariko were executed in 1941 as the Germans advanced.