Zinovyev G.E., a chairman of Petrograd Soviet in 1918-26

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ZINOVIEV Grigory Evseevich (born Ovsey-Gershen Aronovich Radomyshelsky, or Radomyslsky) (1883-1936), statesman and party worker. A member of Russian Social-Democratic Workers' Party since 1901. In 1904-05 he studied at the departments of chemistry and law of the University of Bern (Switzerland), did not graduate. In 1905 he came to St. Petersburg, where he took part in the Revolution of 1905-07. In 1906 he was elected a member of Petersburg committee of Russian Social-Democratic Workers' Party. In 1908 he was arrested in St. Petersburg, and deported to Elisavetgrad under the police surveillance. In 1908-17 he lived abroad as an emigrant. Zinoviev came back to Petrograd in April of 1917. During the summer of 1917 he was in hiding in Razliv together with V.I. Lenin. In the fall of 1917 he spoke against the armed uprising preparation policy suggested by Lenin, and after October take-over he supported the idea of establishing of the united socialist government where Mensheviks and socialist-revolutionaries would also take part. In 1917-26 a chairman of Petrograd Soviet (Leningrad Soviet), in 1918-19 a chairman of Commissars Soviet of the Association of local authorities of the Northern region, a member of the Central Committee of All-Union Communist Party (bolshevist) (1912-27), candidate member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of All-Union Communist Party (bolshevist) (1919-21), a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of All-Union Communist Party (bolshevist) (1921-26), chairman of the Executive committee of Comintern (1919-26). In 1918-19 the organizer of the red terror campaign in Petrograd. After the death of Lenin, Zinoviev suggested that Petrograd should be renamed into Leningrad. He struggled for leadership in the party, seeking support from Leningrad party organization (see New Opposition). Zinoviev occupied the former mansion of V.E. Brandt on 4 First Derevenskoy Bednoty Street (currently, Kuybysheva Street). In January of 1926, he was transferred to work for the party to Moscow, where he continued to struggle for power by establishing "the joint left opposition" together with L.B. Kamenev and L.D. Trotsky (so-called bloc of Trotsky and Zinovyev), defeated at the 15th Congress of All-Union Communist party (bolshevist) (1927). Zinoviev was dismissed from All-Union Communist party (bolshevist) in 1927-28, 1932-33 and in 1934; in 1932-33 he was in exile in Kustanay; in December of 1934 he was arrested on false accusation of arranging the murder of S.M. Kirov and sentenced to 10 years of prison (January of 1935), after the repeated trial (August of 1936) he was executed by shooting.

References: Васецкий Н. А. Ликвидация: Сталин, Троцкий, Зиновьев: Фрагменты полит. судеб. М., 1989. С. 125-190.

A. Y. Chistyakov. Brant Vasily Emmanuilovich
Kamenev (Rozenfeld) Lev Borisovich
Kirov (real name Kostrikov) Sergey Mironovich
Lenin (real name Ulyanov) Vladimir Ilyich
Trotsky (real name Bronstein) Lev Davidovich
Zinovyev Grigory Evseevich
Kuibysheva St./Saint Petersburg, city, house 4
Васецкий Н. А. Ликвидация: Сталин, Троцкий, Зиновьев: Фрагм. полит. судеб. М., 1989 Revolution of 1905-07
Union of Communes of the Northern Region
New Opposition