Nikolai Bryukhanov
Encyclopedia
Nikolai Pavlovich Bryukhanov (December 28, 1878 (New Style) - September 1, 1938) was a Soviet statesman and political figure who served as People's Commissar of Finance between 1926 and 1930. Until recently, his date of death was believed to have been June 30, 1943.
and Kazan universities in the late 1890s, but left without a degree. He became involved in revolutionary activities and joined the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party in 1902, becoming a member of its regional committee in Kazan in 1903. In August 1903, when the party split into two mostly independent factions, Vladimir Lenin
's Bolsheviks and Julius Martov
's Mensheviks, Bryukhanov sided with the Bolsheviks. In 1907 Bryukhanov moved to Ufa
, where he edited the party's local newspaper Ufimsky Rabochiy (The Ufa Worker).
During the Russian Revolution of 1917
, Bryukhanov was the head of the Bolshevik committee in Ufa and, after the Bolshevik seizure of power in October 1917, became a member of the regional revolutionary committee and its Commissar of Supplies. In February 1918 he was made a member of the collegium (governing body) of the Peoples' Commissariat of Supplies and in June 1918, he became Deputy People's Commissar with responsibilities for food supplies in the Moscow region. From August 1919, Bryukhanov simultaneously served as Chairman of the Special Supplies Commission of the Eastern Front and then, from January 1920 until September 1922, as head of the Main Supplies Directorate of the Red Army
.
Bryukhanov was put in charge of the People's Commissariat of Supplies in December 1921. With the creation of the USSR in December 1922, Bryukhanov became the first head of the People's Commissariat of Supplies of the new federation on July 6, 1923. On May 14, 1924, the Commissariat was abolished and Bryukhanov was made deputy People's Commissar of Finance. When the head of the Commissariat, Grigory Sokolnikov, supported Grigory Zinoviev
and Lev Kamenev
in their unsuccessful opposition to the Soviet leader Joseph Stalin
in late 1925, Stalin replaced Sokolnikov with the less influential and apolitical Bryukhanov on January 18, 1926. At the 15th Party Congress in December 1927, Bryukhanov was elected candidate (non-voting) member of the Central Committee of the Soviet Communist Party
, a position which he kept until the 17th Party Congress in January 1934.
In early August 1930, Stalin ordered a purge of Bryukhanov's Commissariat in a letter to Vyacheslav Molotov
:
On October 18, 1930, Bryukhanov and the chairman of the State Bank, Georgy Pyatakov
, were held responsible for surging inflation
and fired from their posts. Bryukhanov was replaced with Grigori Fyodorovich Grinko
and appointed Deputy Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Moscow Oblast Soviet. In April 1931, he was made Deputy People's Commissar of Supplies of the USSR. He also served as Deputy Chairman of the Sovnarkom's Central Commission on grain yields in 1933-1937.
Bryukhanov was arrested by the NKVD
secret police on February 3, 1938, during the Great Purge
. He was sentenced to death and executed on September 1, 1938. The Soviet government cleared him of all charges in 1956 as part of the first wave of destalinization. However, the date of his death was given as June 30, 1943 as part of the government's policy to downplay the extent of the Great Purge by falsifying the dates of its victims' deaths
Biography
Born at Simbirsk, Bryukhanov studied at the MoscowMoscow State University
Lomonosov Moscow State University , previously known as Lomonosov University or MSU , is the largest university in Russia. Founded in 1755, it also claims to be one of the oldest university in Russia and to have the tallest educational building in the world. Its current rector is Viktor Sadovnichiy...
and Kazan universities in the late 1890s, but left without a degree. He became involved in revolutionary activities and joined the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party in 1902, becoming a member of its regional committee in Kazan in 1903. In August 1903, when the party split into two mostly independent factions, Vladimir Lenin
Vladimir Lenin
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and communist politician who led the October Revolution of 1917. As leader of the Bolsheviks, he headed the Soviet state during its initial years , as it fought to establish control of Russia in the Russian Civil War and worked to create a...
's Bolsheviks and Julius Martov
Julius Martov
Julius Martov or L. Martov was born in Constantinople in 1873...
's Mensheviks, Bryukhanov sided with the Bolsheviks. In 1907 Bryukhanov moved to Ufa
Ufa
-Demographics:Nationally, dominated by Russian , Bashkirs and Tatars . In addition, numerous are Ukrainians , Chuvash , Mari , Belarusians , Mordovians , Armenian , Germans , Jews , Azeris .-Government and administration:Local...
, where he edited the party's local newspaper Ufimsky Rabochiy (The Ufa Worker).
During the Russian Revolution of 1917
Russian Revolution of 1917
The Russian Revolution is the collective term for a series of revolutions in Russia in 1917, which destroyed the Tsarist autocracy and led to the creation of the Soviet Union. The Tsar was deposed and replaced by a provisional government in the first revolution of February 1917...
, Bryukhanov was the head of the Bolshevik committee in Ufa and, after the Bolshevik seizure of power in October 1917, became a member of the regional revolutionary committee and its Commissar of Supplies. In February 1918 he was made a member of the collegium (governing body) of the Peoples' Commissariat of Supplies and in June 1918, he became Deputy People's Commissar with responsibilities for food supplies in the Moscow region. From August 1919, Bryukhanov simultaneously served as Chairman of the Special Supplies Commission of the Eastern Front and then, from January 1920 until September 1922, as head of the Main Supplies Directorate of the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
.
Bryukhanov was put in charge of the People's Commissariat of Supplies in December 1921. With the creation of the USSR in December 1922, Bryukhanov became the first head of the People's Commissariat of Supplies of the new federation on July 6, 1923. On May 14, 1924, the Commissariat was abolished and Bryukhanov was made deputy People's Commissar of Finance. When the head of the Commissariat, Grigory Sokolnikov, supported Grigory Zinoviev
Grigory Zinoviev
Grigory Yevseevich Zinoviev , born Ovsei-Gershon Aronovich Radomyslsky Apfelbaum , was a Bolshevik revolutionary and a Soviet Communist politician...
and Lev Kamenev
Lev Kamenev
Lev Borisovich Kamenev , born Rozenfeld , was a Bolshevik revolutionary and a prominent Soviet politician. He was briefly head of state of the new republic in 1917, and from 1923-24 the acting Premier in the last year of Lenin's life....
in their unsuccessful opposition to the Soviet leader 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...
in late 1925, Stalin replaced Sokolnikov with the less influential and apolitical Bryukhanov on January 18, 1926. At the 15th Party Congress in December 1927, Bryukhanov was elected candidate (non-voting) member of the Central Committee of the Soviet Communist Party
Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
The Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union , abbreviated in Russian as ЦК, "Tse-ka", earlier was also called as the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party ...
, a position which he kept until the 17th Party Congress in January 1934.
In early August 1930, Stalin ordered a purge of Bryukhanov's Commissariat in a letter to Vyacheslav Molotov
Vyacheslav Molotov
Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov was a Soviet politician and diplomat, an Old Bolshevik and a leading figure in the Soviet government from the 1920s, when he rose to power as a protégé of Joseph Stalin, to 1957, when he was dismissed from the Presidium of the Central Committee by Nikita Khrushchev...
:
On October 18, 1930, Bryukhanov and the chairman of the State Bank, Georgy Pyatakov
Georgy Pyatakov
Georgy Leonidovich Pyatakov was a Bolshevik revolutionary leader during the Russian Revolution, and member of the Left Opposition.Pyatakov was born August 6, 1890 in the settlement of the Mariinsky sugar factory which was owned by his father, an ethnic Russian, Leonid Timofeyevich Pyatakov.He...
, were held responsible for surging inflation
Inflation
In economics, inflation is a rise in the general level of prices of goods and services in an economy over a period of time.When the general price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services. Consequently, inflation also reflects an erosion in the purchasing power of money – a...
and fired from their posts. Bryukhanov was replaced with Grigori Fyodorovich Grinko
Grigori Fyodorovich Grinko
Hryhoriy Fedorovych Hrynko was a Soviet Ukrainian statesman who held high office in the government of the Soviet Union....
and appointed Deputy Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Moscow Oblast Soviet. In April 1931, he was made Deputy People's Commissar of Supplies of the USSR. He also served as Deputy Chairman of the Sovnarkom's Central Commission on grain yields in 1933-1937.
Bryukhanov was arrested by 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....
secret police on February 3, 1938, during the Great 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...
. He was sentenced to death and executed on September 1, 1938. The Soviet government cleared him of all charges in 1956 as part of the first wave of destalinization. However, the date of his death was given as June 30, 1943 as part of the government's policy to downplay the extent of the Great Purge by falsifying the dates of its victims' deaths