Yan Gamarnik

Yan Gamarnik
Ян Гамарник
First Secretary of the Communist Party of Byelorussia
In office
4 December 1928 – 3 January 1930
Preceded by Vilgelm Knorinsh
Succeeded by Konstantin Gey
First Secretary of the Kiev Regional Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine (Bolsheviks)
In office
25 April 1921 – July 1923
Preceded by Post established
Succeeded by Hryhoriy Hrynko
Head of the Political Directorate of the Red Workers' and Peasants' Army
In office
1 October 1929 – 31 May 1937
President Kliment Voroshilov
Preceded by Andrei Bubnov
Succeeded by Pyotr Smirnov
Full member of the 15th, 16th Orgburo
In office
17 November 1929 – 10 February 1934
Personal details
Born Jakov Borysovych Pudykovich
June 2 [O.S. May 21] 1894
Zhytomyr, Volhynian Governorate, Russian Empire
Died May 31, 1937 (aged 42)
Moscow, Soviet Union
Nationality Soviet
Political party AUCP(B) (1916–)
CPU(B) (1918–)
Children Viktoria Kochneva
Alma mater St Petersburg Psychoneurological Institute
Religion None
Awards Order of the Red Banner (1928)
Order of Lenin (1933)
Military service
Allegiance Soviet Union
Service/branch Army
Years of service 1919-1937
Rank Army Commissar of 1st rank
Unit 58th Rifle Division
Commands Army Political Administration (1929-37)

Yan Gamarnik (birth name Jakiv Borysovych Pudykovych (Ukrainian: Я́кiв Бори́сович Пудико́вич), sometimes known as Yakov Gamarnik (Russian: Яков Гамарник) (June 2 [O.S. May 21] 1894 – May 31, 1937) was a Soviet military commander and politician of Jewish ethnicity.

Biography

Gamarnik was born in Zhytomyr in a Jewish family as Jakiv Borysovych Pudykovych. He attended the St Petersburg Psychoneurological Institute and the Law School of Kiev University. In 1917 he became a member and the secretary of the Kiev committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. From 1921 to 1923 Gamarnik was a chairman of the Kiev city council (see Mayor of Kiev). During his administration Kiev was divided into five districts. He went through many Communist Party positions, both civil and military, e.g. a First Secretary of the Belarusian Communist Party of Belorussia from December 1928 to October 1929.[1]

He was instrumental in preparing the 10-year development plan for the Far-Eastern region of the USSR.

An idealist, Gamarnik was a staunch supporter of Marshal Tukhachevsky's drive to make USSR a military superpower. In 1937 Gamarnik was accused of participating in an anti-Soviet conspiracy after the Case of Trotskyist Anti-Soviet Military Organization; however, shortly before the trial he had actually been called upon by the Soviet government to be one of the judges for the accused. He insisted on Tukhachevsky's innocence and later committed suicide before he could be punished for his actions. Only after this was he added to the list of conspirators. He was rehabilitated posthumously by the CC CPSU and Nikita Khrushchev in 1955.

Honours and awards

Political offices
Preceded by
Ipolit Dyakov		 Mayor of Kiev
1921–1923 		Succeeded by
Hryhoriy Hrynko

References

  1. ↑ Belarus

Sources