1. THE KIROV MURDER, 1934

2. Introduction: The Kirov Murder
Sergei Kirov, a member of the Politburo, was shot dead on 1st December 1934, by Leonid Nikolayev, a member of the communist party. This had led to a series of purges led by Stalin in attempt to eliminate all opposition.

3. Who was Kirov? Sergei Kirov was: a member of Politburo
the secretary of the important Leningrad branch of the communist party
-Kirov became a Marxist and joined the social Democratic Party in 1904
Kirov was considered to be one of the most moderate member of the Politburo. He was also Russian, unlike Stalin, and he was also popular, a good speaker and charismatic to the public.
What does that make him?
A POSSIBLE THREAT TO STALIN’S POSITION AS THE LEADER OF USSR!

4. Who was Kirov?
Sergei Kirov was born in Urzhum, Russia on the 15th of March, 1886.
Both his parents died when he was young, and he was brought up by his grandmother until he was sent to an orphanage at the age of 7.
At the Kazan Technical School he became a Marxist, and join the Social Democratic Party in He took part in the 1905 Revolution in St. Petersburg and was imprisoned for 3 months before he was released.
Kirov then joined the Bolshevik faction of the Social Democratic Party. He lived in Tomsk where he was involved in the printing of revolutionary literature. He also helped to organize a successful strike of railway workers.
After the October Revolution Kirov was sent to fight the anti-Bolshevik forces in the Caucasus. He fought in the Red Army until the defeat of General Anton Denikin in 1920.
Kirov loyally supported Joseph Stalin and in 1926 he was rewarded by being appointed head of the Leningrad party organization. He joined the Politburo in 1930 and now one of the leading figures in the party, and many felt that he was being groomed for the future leadership of the party by Stalin.

5. What does the evidence suggest was the real motive for his death?

6. Kirov was an influential member in the Politburo and was becoming more popular. -> Stalin’s Paranoia
Kirov disagreed with some of Stalin’s policies. (Doubt of loyalty)
Kirov’s policy of reconciliation
Kirov was a potential candidate/rival (Party agreed with Kirov and opposed Stalin.)
Chance to attack Trotsky and Left Opposition. (Conspiracy behind Kirov’s death)
Generate fear -> acquire complete control.

7. Kirov: Why DID Stalin kill him?
Kirov loyally supported Stalin in 1926 and was appointed as the head of the Leningrad party organization. He joined the Politburo in 1930 and quickly became one of the leading figures in the party.
In the summer of 1932, Stalin became increasingly aware of the opposition to his policies and demanded that critics should be arrested and executed. Kirov, who up to this time had been a staunch Stalinist, argued against this policy. When a vote was cast, the majority of the Politburo supported Kirov instead of Stalin.
Stalin began to wonder if Kirov was willing to wait for him to die before becoming the leader of the party. He was particularly concerned by Kirov’s willingness to argue with him in public. He feared that this would undermine his authority in the party.
When Kirov turned down Stalin’s offer on moving to Moscow to join him, Stalin knew that he had finally lost control over his protégé.
And he did what he had to do. Maybe!?

8. Why was his murder mysterious?
There are 2 reasons why his murder was mysterious:
(1)- His murderer, Nikolayev, was stopped several days before the murder, and was found to have a revolver and a plan of Kirov’s actions. Not only was he not arrested, he was actually released with his gun returned to him.
(2)- Kirov had a bodyguard, Borisov, who usually followed him everywhere. However, at the time of the murder, he was not with him. The day after the murder, Borisov was killed in a car accident and was the only casualty in a car carrying several people. (He had supposedly fallen out of a moving truck while riding with a group of NKVD agents)

9. Why was his murder mysterious?
Nikolayev had actually failed his first attempt to murder Kirov. On October 15th, 1934, he entered the building where Kirov worked with a Nagant 1895 Revolver hidden in his briefcase, but was stopped by a security guard who asked to examine his briefcase. Several hours later, his revolver and briefcase were returned to him and he was allowed to leave despite having clearly broken some soviet laws.

10. Why was his murder mysterious?
On December the 1st, Kirov arrived at his office in Leningrad at approx. 4:30 in the afternoon and was accompanied to his office by 4 NKVD body guards and his bodyguard Borisov. The 4 guards left when they reached the 3rd floor as they knew there would be another guard posted outside his door. Borisov remained with him, but had somehow dallied quite far behind Kirov as he turned the corner to Kirov’s office. (Some sources also say that Borisov had parted with Kirov to prepare his lunch.)
On that day, however, the door outside Kirov’s office was unguarded, despite that it was one of the chief offices of the Leningrad party and the local government.

11. Why was his murder mysterious?
Nikolayev entered the building in the afternoon, and waited in the toilet until Kirov appeared. As Kirov turned the corner and passed him, Nikolayev shot Kirov in the back of his neck.
Nikolayev then attempted to shoot himself, but was apparently stopped by an electrician, S. A Platych, who threw his screwdriver with such forces that is somehow managed to pin Nikolayev’s wrist to the wall. (In some other versions, however, Platych claims never to have seen a revolver.)
At this point, officials and Borisov arrive at the scene. Reports state the assassin was unconscious on the floor with his revolver in hand and had to be carried away.

12. Why was his murder mysterious?
The NKVD agents who were supposed to be protecting Kirov were sentenced for 10 years to labour camps for their negligence, but interestingly, none of then were executed or actually became prisoners. Instead, they were transferred to executive posts in the labour camps for a period of time (in effect, a demotion). However, according to Nikita Khruschev, the same NKVD agents were shot in 1937 during Stalin’s purges.

13. CONSEQUENCES OF HIS DEATH
Kirov’s murder marked the beginning of Stalin’s great purges, and Kirov was probably the first to be purged.
Stalin claimed that Nikolayev was part of a larger conspiracy led by Leon Trotsky against the Soviet government. This resulted in the arrest and execution of Genrikh Yagoda, Lev Kamenev, Gregory Zinoviev, and fourteen other party members who had been critical of Stalin (Trial of 16).
Nikolayev and his wife were also killed. He was sentenced to death on the 29th of December, 1934, and was killed by firing squad that same night.

14. CONSEQUENCES Execution of Nikolayev Execution of Milda Draule
NKVD arrested members of also the Old Bolshevik Party
Zinoviev and Kamenev (Left Opposition Party) were arrested
NKVD officers were demoted to labour camps
Beginning of show trials
Some NKVD officers were sentenced to prison
CONSEQUENCES
Stalin now had a reason to eliminate all the remaining opposition.
Secret trials of former Bolshevik members
Beginning of The Great Purge
Trotsky’s supporters were arrested (conspiracy)
Stalin’s tolerance of opposition ended with Kirov’s death
Stalin was able to affirm his power
Promotion of Kirov’s cult of personality