Nikolai Yezhov
1895 – 1940 Russian Head of the NKVD during the Great Purge
The NKVD chief of the bloodiest purge year, later shot in his turn.
- Religion
- Russian Orthodox background; a militant atheist.
- Affiliations
- Bolshevik Party and NKVD; ran the worst phase of the Great Purge, known as the Yezhovshchina, then was executed.
Yezhov led the NKVD during 1937 and 1938, the peak of the terror that bears his name, when hundreds of thousands were shot. When Stalin needed a scapegoat for the slaughter he replaced him with Beria. Yezhov was arrested, tried in secret, and executed in 1940.
Connections
- successor of Genrikh Yagoda — Succeeded Yagoda and had him executed.
- successor of Genrikh Yagoda — Yezhov replaced him and then had him tried and shot.
- associate of Joseph Stalin — Ran the height of the terror for Stalin, then was blamed and shot.