Soviet general (1894–1937)

Yan Gamarnik (birth name Jakov Tzudikovich Gamarnik (Russian: Я́ков Цу́дикович Гама́рник), sometimes known as Yakov Gamarnik (Russian: Я́ков Гама́рник; 14 June::1894 – 31 May 1937), was the Chief of the Political Department of the Red Army from 1930—1937, Deputy Commissar of Defense 1930—1934 and First Secretary of the Communist Party of Byelorussia 1928—1930.

Contents

• 1 Biography
• 2 Honours and awards
• 3 References
• 4 Sources

Biography

Gamarnik speaking to sailors on parade, 1933

Gamarnik was born in Zhytomyr in a Jewish family as Jakov Tzudikovich Gamarnik. He attended the St Petersburg Psychoneurological Ins*ute and the Law School of Kyiv University. In 1917 he became a member and the secretary of the Kyiv Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. From 1921 to 1923 Gamarnik was a chairman of the Kyiv city council (see Mayor of Kyiv). During his administration, Kyiv 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.

He was instrumental in preparing the 10-year development plan for the Far-Eastern region of the USSR. He was a member of the Central Committee elected by the 17th Congress of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks). He attended the Plenum of 23 February 1937.

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

• Order of Lenin (22 February 1933)
• Order of the Red Banner (20 February 1928)
• The town Suchan was named Gamarnik in his honour (1932–1937)

References

Sources

• Robert Conquest, The Great Terror: A Re*essment, Oxford University Press, May 1990, hardcover, ISBN:0-19-505580-2 pp 201–202;
• Several versions of Gamarnik biography
• Gamarnik in the Fleet, with photo
• Trotsky about Gamarnik and others
• Profile at Handbook on the history of the Communist Party and the Soviet Union 1898 – 1991

• Belarus portal

/ * acting † contested