Podvoysky N.I. (1880-1948), a revolutionist, statesman and military leader

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PODVOYSKY Nikolay Ilyich (1880-1948), Soviet party worker and statesman. Graduated from the Demidov School of Law in Yaroslavl (1905). From 1907, he was in St Petersburg; in 1908, he was one of the leaders of the Zerno Bolshevik Publishing House. In 1911-14, he was a member of the editorial board of the newspapers Zvezda and Pravda; in 1915-16, he was an editor of the journal Voprosy Strakhovaniya, and a member of the Financial Commission of the Russian Bureau of the Central Committee of the Russian Social-Democratic Workers' Party. In November 1916, he was arrested and exiled. After the February Revolution of 1917, he returned to Petersburg and was chosen as a member of Petrograd Soviet Executive Committee, heading the military organisation of the Central Committee of the Russian Social-Democratic Workers' Bolshevik Party; he was also an the editorial staff member of the newspapers Soldatskaya Pravda (April - July), Rabochy i Soldat (August), and Soldat (August-October). He took part in the creation of the Petrograd Military Revolutionary Committee, and was a member of its bureau. During the October 1917 Revolution, he was Chairman of the Military Revolutionary Committee, overseeing the capture of the Winter Palace. On 28-30 October 1917, he was Commander of the Petrograd Military District, heading the city's defence against A. F. Kerensky - P. N. Krasnov's troops. In November 1917 - March 1918, he was also the Peoples' Commissar for Military and Naval Affairs. From January 1918, he was Chairman of the All-Russian Collegium for Establishing and Forming the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army. In March 1918, he moved to Moscow. He took part in the Civil War, and later on was engaged in military and Party work. In 1935, he went into retirement. In 1911-13, he lived at 5 Galernaya Street (memorial plaque installed).

References: Тарасов Е. П. Николай Ильич Подвойский: (Очерк воен. деятельности). М., 1964; Степанов Н. Т. Подвойский. М., 1989.

V. E. Bagdasarian. Kerensky Alexander Fedorovich
Krasnov Peter Nikolaevich
Podvoysky Nikolay Ilyich
Galernaya St./Saint Petersburg, city, house 5
Тарасов Е. П. Николай Ильич Подвойский: (Очерк воен. деятельности). М., 1964 Pravda (The Truth), newspaper
February Revolution of 1917