Vyacheslav Ivanovich Zof
Encyclopedia
Vyacheslav Ivanovich Zof (Вячеслав Иванович Зоф in Russian
) (December 1889, Dubno
- June 20, 1937) was a Soviet military figure and a statesman
of Czech
ethnicity.
movement in 1910. Three years later he became a member of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party
(RSDLP). During World War I
, Zof worked as a fitter at an arms factory in Sestroretsk
, where he was in charge of the Bolshevist underground
. After the February Revolution
in 1917, Zof led the Bolsheviks' organization in Sestroretsk and was a deputy of the Petrograd Soviet
.
In July 1917, he prepared fake identity papers for Vladimir Lenin
and organized his move from Petrograd to Razliv at the request of the RSDLP Central Committee
. Zof would then establish contact between Lenin and the Central Committee.
In 1918-1919, he was appointed brigade and division commissar
and supplies manager for the 3rd Army of the Eastern Front. In 1919-1920, Zof was a member of the Revolutionary Military Council
of the Baltic Fleet
and a member of the Petrograd defense committee. In 1921-1924, he held a post of a commissar at the office of the commander-in-chief
of the naval forces of the Republic. Between December 1924 and 1926, Zof was the commander
of the naval forces and member of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR. In 1927-1929, he headed the Sovtorgflot
(Soviet Commercial Fleet) office. In 1930-1931, Zof was a deputy People's Commissar of Railroad Transportation. In 1931, he was appointed first deputy People's Commissar of Water Transportation.
Later Zof fell into disgrace and was appointed director of the "Kompresor" factory in Moscow
. In 1937, he was arrested, sentenced to death on June 19 and executed the next day.
He was posthumously rehabilitated in 1956.
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
) (December 1889, Dubno
Dubno
Dubno is a city located on the Ikva River in the Rivne Oblast of western Ukraine. Serving as the administrative center of Dubno Raion , the city itself is also designated as a separate raion within the oblast...
- June 20, 1937) was a Soviet military figure and a statesman
Statesman
A statesman is usually a politician or other notable public figure who has had a long and respected career in politics or government at the national and international level. As a term of respect, it is usually left to supporters or commentators to use the term...
of Czech
Czech people
Czechs, or Czech people are a western Slavic people of Central Europe, living predominantly in the Czech Republic. Small populations of Czechs also live in Slovakia, Austria, the United States, the United Kingdom, Chile, Argentina, Canada, Germany, Russia and other countries...
ethnicity.
Biography
Zof joined the revolutionaryRevolutionary
A revolutionary is a person who either actively participates in, or advocates revolution. Also, when used as an adjective, the term revolutionary refers to something that has a major, sudden impact on society or on some aspect of human endeavor.-Definition:...
movement in 1910. Three years later he became a member of 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...
(RSDLP). During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Zof worked as a fitter at an arms factory in Sestroretsk
Sestroretsk
Sestroretsk is a municipal town in Kurortny District of the federal city of St. Petersburg, Russia, located on the shores of the Gulf of Finland, the Sestra River and the Sestroretskiy Lake northwest of St. Petersburg...
, where he was in charge of the Bolshevist underground
Underground resistance
Underground resistance may refer to*Underground Resistance , a musical collective from Detroit, Michigan*Underground resistance during World War II, the inhabitants of various locales resisting the rule of the Nazis, the Empire of Japan, and Mussolini...
. After the February Revolution
February Revolution
The February Revolution of 1917 was the first of two revolutions in Russia in 1917. Centered around the then capital Petrograd in March . Its immediate result was the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II, the end of the Romanov dynasty, and the end of the Russian Empire...
in 1917, Zof led the Bolsheviks' organization in Sestroretsk and was a deputy of the Petrograd Soviet
Petrograd Soviet
The Petrograd Soviet of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies , usually called the Petrograd Soviet , was the soviet in Petrograd , Russia, established in March 1917 after the February Revolution as the representative body of the city's workers.The Petrograd Soviet became important during the Russian...
.
In July 1917, he prepared fake identity papers for 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...
and organized his move from Petrograd to Razliv at the request of the RSDLP Central Committee
Central Committee
Central Committee was the common designation of a standing administrative body of communist parties, analogous to a board of directors, whether ruling or non-ruling in the twentieth century and of the surviving, mostly Trotskyist, states in the early twenty first. In such party organizations the...
. Zof would then establish contact between Lenin and the Central Committee.
In 1918-1919, he was appointed brigade and division commissar
Commissar
Commissar is the English transliteration of an official title used in Russia from the time of Peter the Great.The title was used during the Provisional Government for regional heads of administration, but it is mostly associated with a number of Cheka and military functions in Bolshevik and Soviet...
and supplies manager for the 3rd Army of the Eastern Front. In 1919-1920, Zof was a member of the Revolutionary Military Council
Revolutionary Military Council
Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic or Revvoyensoviet Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic or Revvoyensoviet Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic or Revvoyensoviet (Революционный Военный Совет, Revolyutsionny Voyenny Sovyet; Реввоенсовет, Revvoyensovyet; also...
of the Baltic Fleet
Baltic Fleet
The Twice Red Banner Baltic Fleet - is the Russian Navy's presence in the Baltic Sea. In previous historical periods, it has been part of the navy of Imperial Russia and later the Soviet Union. The Fleet gained the 'Twice Red Banner' appellation during the Soviet period, indicating two awards of...
and a member of the Petrograd defense committee. In 1921-1924, he held a post of a commissar at the office of the commander-in-chief
Commander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
of the naval forces of the Republic. Between December 1924 and 1926, Zof was the commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
of the naval forces and member of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR. In 1927-1929, he headed the Sovtorgflot
Sovtorgflot
Sovtorgflot was a shipping company in the Soviet Union. It was established as a joint-stock company on July 18, 1924. It united ships which belonged different narkomats and companies, includung the ones with foreign capital....
(Soviet Commercial Fleet) office. In 1930-1931, Zof was a deputy People's Commissar of Railroad Transportation. In 1931, he was appointed first deputy People's Commissar of Water Transportation.
Later Zof fell into disgrace and was appointed director of the "Kompresor" factory in 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...
. In 1937, he was arrested, sentenced to death on June 19 and executed the next day.
He was posthumously rehabilitated in 1956.