Nikolai Vlasik
Encyclopedia
Nikolai Vlasik (1896–1967) was a Soviet security official and General, best known as a head of Joseph Stalin
's personal security from 1931 to 1952.
He was born in the village of Bobynichi in the Slonim
district of Hrodna
province (in present-day Hrodna Voblast
, Belarus
) on May 22, 1896 and died on June 18, 1967 in Moscow. He had a rank of Lieutenant-General.
. In November 1917, he began serving in the Moscow
militia. In September 1919, he was transferred to Cheka
. By January 1926, he had made an impetuous career and became the senior representative of the Operative branch of OGPU. Furthermore, Vlasik held supervising posts in the operations section, which included the protection of the heads of the party and government.
For many years, Vlasik was chief of Stalin's personal protective service in Kremlin, beginning in 1931 (this service was subordinated directly to Stalin and independent on the secret police NKVD
). He also became, in essence, a member of the family. After the death of Stalin’s wife, Nadezhda Alliluyeva
, he was also the tutor of Stalin’s children, practically carried out the functions of a major-domo.
In the memoirs of Stalin’s daughter, Svetlana Allilueva, she characterizes Vlasik as an "illiterate, silly, rough and extremely impudent despot
". As she said he was so corrupted with authority, that "he began to dictate to art workers and arts, tastes of comrade Stalin", and "...figures listened and followed his councils. Any celebratory concert at the Big Theatre or Georgia’s Hall did not take place without the sanction of Vlasik".
. In accordiance with an earlier (March 27, 1953) amnesty
, Vlasik's sentence was reduced to five years. In 1956, Vlasik was pardoned but his rank was not reinstated. In 2000 his sentence was annulled and he was completely exonerated.
In his memoirs Vlasik wrote, "I have been severely offended by Stalin. For 25 years of doing an excellent job, not doing any collecting but only one encouragement and awards, I have been excluded from a party and it is flung in prison. For my boundless fidelity he has given me into the charge of my enemies. But never, for any minute of the condition I was in, to what to mockeries I was exposed while in prison, had I in my soul any harm against Stalin".
According to his wife, Vlasik was convinced that Lavrentiy Beria
"helped" Stalin die.
(three awards),
and other various medals.
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...
's personal security from 1931 to 1952.
He was born in the village of Bobynichi in the Slonim
Slonim
Slonim is a city in Hrodna Voblast, Belarus, capital of the Slonim District. It is located at the junction of the Shchara and Isa rivers, 143 km southeast of Hrodna. The population in 2008 was 50,800.-Etymology and historical names:...
district of Hrodna
Hrodna
Grodno or Hrodna , is a city in Belarus. It is located on the Neman River , close to the borders of Poland and Lithuania . It has 327,540 inhabitants...
province (in present-day Hrodna Voblast
Hrodna Voblast
Hrodna Voblast or Grodno Oblast is a voblast in northwestern Belarus.The capital - Grodno is the biggest city of the province. It lies on the Neman River. Grodno's existence is attested to from 1127. Two castles dating from the 14th - 18th centuries are located here on the steep right bank of...
, Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
) on May 22, 1896 and died on June 18, 1967 in Moscow. He had a rank of Lieutenant-General.
Military career
Vlasik's military career had an early beginning. In March 1915, he was called into the army, and by the triumph of the Great October Socialist Revolution, was already appointed to the rank of corporalCorporal
Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4....
. In November 1917, he began serving in the Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
militia. In September 1919, he was transferred to Cheka
Cheka
Cheka was the first of a succession of Soviet state security organizations. It was created by a decree issued on December 20, 1917, by Vladimir Lenin and subsequently led by aristocrat-turned-communist Felix Dzerzhinsky...
. By January 1926, he had made an impetuous career and became the senior representative of the Operative branch of OGPU. Furthermore, Vlasik held supervising posts in the operations section, which included the protection of the heads of the party and government.
For many years, Vlasik was chief of Stalin's personal protective service in Kremlin, beginning in 1931 (this service was subordinated directly to Stalin and independent on the secret police 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....
). He also became, in essence, a member of the family. After the death of Stalin’s wife, Nadezhda Alliluyeva
Nadezhda Alliluyeva-Stalina
Nadezhda Sergeevna Alliluyeva was the second wife of Joseph Stalin.Nadezhda was the youngest child of Russian revolutionary Sergei Alliluyev, a railway worker, and his wife Olga, a woman of German, Romani and Georgian ancestry who spoke Russian with a strong accent.Sergei Alliluyev, though...
, he was also the tutor of Stalin’s children, practically carried out the functions of a major-domo.
In the memoirs of Stalin’s daughter, Svetlana Allilueva, she characterizes Vlasik as an "illiterate, silly, rough and extremely impudent despot
Despotism
Despotism is a form of government in which a single entity rules with absolute power. That entity may be an individual, as in an autocracy, or it may be a group, as in an oligarchy...
". As she said he was so corrupted with authority, that "he began to dictate to art workers and arts, tastes of comrade Stalin", and "...figures listened and followed his councils. Any celebratory concert at the Big Theatre or Georgia’s Hall did not take place without the sanction of Vlasik".
Arrest
On December 15, 1952 Vlasik was removed from his position and soon arrested on false charges in connection with the Doctors plot. Immediately after Stalin's death, all of the accused doctors were released and charges against them dropped. However Vlasik wasn't released and charges against him changed to abuse of power and embezzlement. In 1955 he was stripped of his General rank and all medals, and exciled for ten years to KrasnoyarskKrasnoyarsk
Krasnoyarsk is a city and the administrative center of Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia, located on the Yenisei River. It is the third largest city in Siberia, with the population of 973,891. Krasnoyarsk is an important junction of the Trans-Siberian Railway and one of Russia's largest producers of...
. In accordiance with an earlier (March 27, 1953) amnesty
Amnesty
Amnesty is a legislative or executive act by which a state restores those who may have been guilty of an offense against it to the positions of innocent people, without changing the laws defining the offense. It includes more than pardon, in as much as it obliterates all legal remembrance of the...
, Vlasik's sentence was reduced to five years. In 1956, Vlasik was pardoned but his rank was not reinstated. In 2000 his sentence was annulled and he was completely exonerated.
In his memoirs Vlasik wrote, "I have been severely offended by Stalin. For 25 years of doing an excellent job, not doing any collecting but only one encouragement and awards, I have been excluded from a party and it is flung in prison. For my boundless fidelity he has given me into the charge of my enemies. But never, for any minute of the condition I was in, to what to mockeries I was exposed while in prison, had I in my soul any harm against Stalin".
According to his wife, Vlasik was convinced that Lavrentiy Beria
Lavrentiy Beria
Lavrentiy Pavlovich Beria was a Georgian Soviet politician and state security administrator, chief of the Soviet security and secret police apparatus under Joseph Stalin during World War II, and Deputy Premier in the postwar years ....
"helped" Stalin die.
Awards
Vlasik was conferred the Order of LeninOrder of Lenin
The Order of Lenin , named after the leader of the Russian October Revolution, was the highest decoration bestowed by the Soviet Union...
(three awards),
- Order of the Red BannerOrder of the Red BannerThe Soviet government of Russia established the Order of the Red Banner , a military decoration, on September 16, 1918 during the Russian Civil War...
(four awards), - Order of KutuzovOrder of KutuzovThe Order of Kutuzov is a Soviet and Russian military award, named after famous Russian Field Marshal Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov ....
1st class,
and other various medals.