Alexander Pavlovich Helfgot ( Russian: Александр Павлович Гельфгот, 1887 – 25 April 1938) was a Russian Socialist-Revolutionary politician and economist. [1] He was a prominent Socialist-Revolutionary figure from 1917 to 1922. Arrested in 1922, he spent 17 years in prisons or internal exile before being executed in 1938.
Alexander Helfgot was born in 1887. [2] [3] His father was Pavel Grigorevich Helfgot, born around 1861 in a Jewish family from Tiflis, who had been arrested in 1885 by the Warsaw Governorate Gendarmerie in connection with the Second Proletariat case. [4] [5] Alexander Helfgot grew up in Rostov-on-Don. [3] He joined the Party of Socialist-Revolutionaries in 1904. [6]
In 1915-1916, he was a member of the Executive Committee of the All-Russian Labour Bureau, which was set up under the section for placement of refugees of the All-Russian Union of Cities. [2]
As of 1917, he was one of the editors of the newspaper Trud ('Labour'), the organ of the Moscow Committee of the Party of Socialist-Revolutionaries. [2] [1] He was elected to the Moscow City Duma in 1917. [7] As of 1919, he was a member of the Yekaterinodar Governorate Committee of the Party of Socialist-Revolutionaries. [2] [1] [8] In 1920, he was inducted into the Central Bureau of the Party of Socialist-Revolutionaries. [2] The Central Bureau was a party leadership body formed after the entire Central Committee had been arrested, albeit the Central Bureau members were soon also arrested. [9]
On 23 March, 1921, Helfgot was arrested on Nikolsky Lane in Moscow. [2] [1] [6] He was detained at Butyrka prison. [2] Whilst in prison, Helfgot wrote an essay about the Cheka titled Korabl smerti ('Ship of Death'). [1] The text was smuggled out of Russia and published by the exiled Central Committee of the Party of Socialist-Revolutionaries in Berlin in 1922. [3] [8]
On 24 February 1922, the Presidium of the GPU included him in the list of Socialist-Revolutionaries who, in connection with the Trial of the Socialist Revolutionaries, were charged with anti-Soviet activities. [2] He was a witness for the defense at the trial. [6] On 18 December 1922, an NKVD commission sentenced him to three years imprisonment for anti-Soviet actions and he was sent to a prison camp in Arkhangelsk. [6]
As of 1930, he was serving his " minus six" period of exile in Kokand. He was arrested and charged with organization of Socialist-Revolutionary activities and foreign connections. [6] On 3 January 1931, the Special Department of the OGPU Collegium decreed that he be exiled to Ust-Sysolsk. In 1933, his site of exile was shifted to Vologda. [6] In February of that year, a two-year extension of his exile was issued. [6]
Helfgot was arrested by the NKVD in Vologda on 8 February 1937. The indictment was signed off by Major Sergei Zhupakhin , Head of the NKVD Department in Vologda. Helfgot was accused of having tried to reorganize the Socialist-Revolutionary movement after arriving in Vologda. The NKVD investigation lasted for over one year. [6] Helfgot was sentenced and executed on 25 April 1938. [1] [6]
Alexander Pavlovich Helfgot ( Russian: Александр Павлович Гельфгот, 1887 – 25 April 1938) was a Russian Socialist-Revolutionary politician and economist. [1] He was a prominent Socialist-Revolutionary figure from 1917 to 1922. Arrested in 1922, he spent 17 years in prisons or internal exile before being executed in 1938.
Alexander Helfgot was born in 1887. [2] [3] His father was Pavel Grigorevich Helfgot, born around 1861 in a Jewish family from Tiflis, who had been arrested in 1885 by the Warsaw Governorate Gendarmerie in connection with the Second Proletariat case. [4] [5] Alexander Helfgot grew up in Rostov-on-Don. [3] He joined the Party of Socialist-Revolutionaries in 1904. [6]
In 1915-1916, he was a member of the Executive Committee of the All-Russian Labour Bureau, which was set up under the section for placement of refugees of the All-Russian Union of Cities. [2]
As of 1917, he was one of the editors of the newspaper Trud ('Labour'), the organ of the Moscow Committee of the Party of Socialist-Revolutionaries. [2] [1] He was elected to the Moscow City Duma in 1917. [7] As of 1919, he was a member of the Yekaterinodar Governorate Committee of the Party of Socialist-Revolutionaries. [2] [1] [8] In 1920, he was inducted into the Central Bureau of the Party of Socialist-Revolutionaries. [2] The Central Bureau was a party leadership body formed after the entire Central Committee had been arrested, albeit the Central Bureau members were soon also arrested. [9]
On 23 March, 1921, Helfgot was arrested on Nikolsky Lane in Moscow. [2] [1] [6] He was detained at Butyrka prison. [2] Whilst in prison, Helfgot wrote an essay about the Cheka titled Korabl smerti ('Ship of Death'). [1] The text was smuggled out of Russia and published by the exiled Central Committee of the Party of Socialist-Revolutionaries in Berlin in 1922. [3] [8]
On 24 February 1922, the Presidium of the GPU included him in the list of Socialist-Revolutionaries who, in connection with the Trial of the Socialist Revolutionaries, were charged with anti-Soviet activities. [2] He was a witness for the defense at the trial. [6] On 18 December 1922, an NKVD commission sentenced him to three years imprisonment for anti-Soviet actions and he was sent to a prison camp in Arkhangelsk. [6]
As of 1930, he was serving his " minus six" period of exile in Kokand. He was arrested and charged with organization of Socialist-Revolutionary activities and foreign connections. [6] On 3 January 1931, the Special Department of the OGPU Collegium decreed that he be exiled to Ust-Sysolsk. In 1933, his site of exile was shifted to Vologda. [6] In February of that year, a two-year extension of his exile was issued. [6]
Helfgot was arrested by the NKVD in Vologda on 8 February 1937. The indictment was signed off by Major Sergei Zhupakhin , Head of the NKVD Department in Vologda. Helfgot was accused of having tried to reorganize the Socialist-Revolutionary movement after arriving in Vologda. The NKVD investigation lasted for over one year. [6] Helfgot was sentenced and executed on 25 April 1938. [1] [6]