Victims of the Great Terror

Ksenia Polyakova, née. Peck, a bookkeeper of the Young Waterman workshops, born in 1893 in the family of hereditary honourable citizens of Saint Petersburg, German by nationality, lived in Leningrad, arrested on March 17, 1938, sentenced to the death penalty for espionage on October 14, 1938, executed by firing on October 22, 1938, at age about 45 in Leningrad.

Pavel Saženis, a sanitary inspector of the canteens of Sverdlovsky district in Leningrad and an urologist of the Venereal Hospital No 1, born in 1897 in Saint Petersburg, Lithuanian by nationality, lived in Leningrad, arrested on February 17, 1938, sentenced to the death penalty for treason on May 10, 1938, executed by firing on June 2, 1938, at age about 41 in Leningrad.

Dmitry Suvorov, a collective farm employer, born in 1872 in the village of Polovnoye in Saint Petersburg Governorate, Russian by nationality, a veteran of the First World War, lived in the village of Kondratovo in Dregelsky district in Leningrad Region, arrested on October 16, 1937, sentenced to the death penalty for anti-Soviet agitation and propaganda on November 20, 1937, executed by firing on November 24, 1937, at age about 65 in Leningrad.

The forest in the area of the Pargolovskaya dacha near Levashovo railway station was fenced by the Soviet secret police in summer 1937. According to the FSB Directorate for Saint Petersburg, remains of 19,450 people were buried here from September 1937 to December 1954, including about 8,000 people who were executed during the Great Purge. Some researchers believe, about 45,000 victims of the Bolshevik political repressions could be buried here in fact. The mass burial place was discovered in spring 1989 by the search group of the Memorial society led by Valentin Muravsky. Now the site is known as the Levashovo Memorial Cemetery.

Photographs of the victims of the Bolshevik political repressions installed by their relatives at the Levashovo Memorial Cemetery in the forest near Levashovo railway station near Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Pyotr Belousov, a collective farmer, born in 1876, Vepsian by nationality, lived in his native village of Noydola in Kapshinsky district in Leningrad Region, arrested on March 5, 1938, sentenced to the death penalty for anti-Soviet agitation and propaganda on April 17, 1938, executed by firing on April 26, 1938, at age about 62 in Leningrad.

Vladimir Yevstafiev, a cashier and storekeeper of Ust-Luga Dock, born in 1883, Izhorian by nationality, lived in his native village of Bolshoye Kuzemkino in Kingisepp district in Leningrad Region, arrested on August 31, 1937, sentenced to the death penalty for treason on November 13, 1937, executed by firing on November 18, 1937, at age about 54 in Leningrad.

Vladimir Sionek, a foreman of the field brigade of the Gomontovo State Farm, born in 1884 in the village of Kawa in Radom Governorate, Polish by nationality, lived in the village of Gomontovo in Volosovo district in Leningrad Region, arrested on August 6, 1937, sentenced to the death penalty for espionage on October 15, 1938, executed by firing on October 22, 1938, at age about 54 in Leningrad.

Veronika Viktorova, a controller in the Leningrad port customs, born on January 9, 1901, in Saint Petersburg, Polish by nationality, lived in Leningrad, arrested on September 29, 1937, sentenced to the death penalty for espionage on November 22, 1937, executed by firing on November 27, 1937, at age 36 in Leningrad.

Photographs of two unidentified victims of the Bolshevik political repressions installed by their relatives at the Levashovo Memorial Cemetery in the forest near Levashovo railway station near Saint Petersburg.

Anton Boron, a commander of the electromechanical section of the Stremitelny Destroyer of the Soviet Navy, born in 1904 in the town of Sandomierz in Radom Governorate, Polish by nationality, lived in Kronstadt, arrested on October 15, 1937, sentenced to the death penalty for treason and anti-Soviet agitation on November 22, 1937, executed by firing on November 27, 1937, at age about 33 in Leningrad.

Yevgeny Korolev, a secret police officer, a detective of the 5th Department of the NKVD Directorate for Leningrad Region, a secretary of the Special Branch of the 19th Rifle Corps of the Red Army, born on May 11, 1902, in Saint Petersburg, Russian by nationality, a member of the Communist Party, lived in Leningrad, arrested on May 19, 1937, sentenced to the death penalty for preparing terrorist acts against representatives of the Soviet government on September 9, 1937, executed by firing on September 9, 1937, at age 35 in Leningrad.

Vasily Nechaev, a head of a construction department of the Karelles state company, born in 1907 in Arkhangelsk, Russian by nationality, a member of the Communist Party, lived in Petrozavodsk, arrested on July 23, 1937, sentenced to the death penalty for sabotage on December 3, 1937, executed by firing on December 3, 1937, at age about 30 in Leningrad.

Georgy Sorokin, a boiler worker in the Kronstadt Marine Plant, born in 1888 in the village of Demoshenko in Sychevsky district in Smolensk Governorate, Russian by nationality, lived in Kronstadt, arrested on March 11, 1938, sentenced to the death penalty for sabotage and anti-Soviet agitation on April 17, 1938, executed by firing on April 26, 1938, at age about 50 in Leningrad.

Alexander Ryazhkin, a worker in the working artel of the United Garment Worker, born on August 18, 1887, in the village of Kozlovka in Vologda Governorate, Russian by nationality, lived in the town of Sestroretsk in Leningrad Region, arrested on August 19, 1937, sentenced to the death penalty for anti-Soviet agitation and propaganda on September 3, 1937, executed by firing on September 6, 1937, at age 50 in Leningrad.

Kanon Krasovsky, a senior accountant of the Druzhnogorsk Selpo (rural consumer association), born in 1899 in the village of Buteshty in Beletsky district in Bessarabia Governorate, Moldavian by nationality, received the Soviet citizenship in 1932, lived in the settlement of Kommunar in Krasnogvardeysky district in Leningrad Region, arrested on February 17, 1938, sentenced to the death penalty for espionage on October 11, 1938, executed by firing on October 17, 1938, at age about 39 in Leningrad.

Trofim Yevstafiev, a collective farmer, born in 1886, Russian by nationality, lived in his native village of Voronovo in Kingisepp district in Leningrad Region, arrested on August 6, 1937, sentenced to the death penalty for anti-Soviet agitation and propaganda on September 8, 1937, executed by firing on September 9, 1937, at age about 51 in Leningrad.

Yevgenia Stankiewicz, a technical employer of the Predportovaya railway station of the October Railway, born in 1901 in the town of Choroszcz in Białystok district in Grodno Governorate, Polish by nationality, lived in Leningrad, arrested on September 17, 1937, sentenced to the death penalty for anti-Soviet propaganda on December 28, 1937, executed by firing on January 5, 1938, at age about 37 in Leningrad.

Veniamin Baraden, a legal adviser of the Ilyich Factory, born in 1890 in Saint Petersburg, Russian by nationality, lived in Leningrad, arrested on October 26, 1937, sentenced to the death penalty for anti-Soviet agitation and propaganda on November 25, 1937, executed by firing on December 3, 1937, at age about 47 in Leningrad.

Alexander Dalmatov, a colonel of the Russian Imperial Army, a head of the Officer Cavalry School, an editor of the Army and Navy magazine, born on November 19, 1873, in Vyatka, Russian by nationality, lived in Leningrad, worked before the arrest as a consultant of a photography department in the Passage Department Store, arrested on November 4, 1937, sentenced to the death penalty for espionage and preparing terrorist acts against representatives of the Soviet government on August 28, 1938, executed by firing on September 6, 1938, at age 64 in Leningrad.

Russian Orthodox priest Pavel Florensky, an outstanding Russian religious philosopher and theologian, born on January 21, 1882, in the town of Yevlakh in Elisabethpol Governorate, lived in Moscow, arrested on February 26, 1933, sentenced to ten years in prison camps for anti-Soviet propaganda, served his term in the Bamlag and in the Solovki special camp, sentenced to the death penalty for the same charge on November 25, 1937, executed by firing on December 8, 1937, at age 55 in the Lodeynopolsky camp site near Leningrad, where he was most likely buried. According to another version, the remains of Pavel Florensky were buried in Levashovo.

Nikolay Gumilyov, an outstanding Russian poet, a husband of Anna Akhmatova, born on April 15, 1886, in Kronstadt, an officer of the Russian Imperial Army, a veteran of the First World War, lived in Petrograd, arrested on August 3, 1921, on suspicion of participation in the conspiracy of the Petrograd Military Organization also known as the Tagantsev conspiracy, sentenced to the death penalty on August 24, 1921, executed by firing on August 26, 1921, at age 35 near Petrograd. The place of execution and burial site is unknown. Most likely, he was buried in the area of the Rzhevsky firing range.

Witold Rajkiewicz, an engineer and economist at the Leningrad Regional Directorate of Local Industry, born in 1887 in the town of Nowogródek in Minsk Governorate, Polish by nationality, lived in Leningrad, arrested on September 10, 1937, sentenced to the death penalty for anti-Soviet agitation and propaganda on September 23, 1937, executed by firing on September 28, 1937, at age about 50 in Leningrad.

His elder brother Henryk Rajkiewicz, an economist in the Lenobleplan Regional Planning Committee, born in 1886 in the village of Kamenka in Nowogródek district in Minsk Governorate, Polish by nationality, lived in Leningrad, arrested on September 10, 1937, sentenced to the death penalty for anti-Soviet agitation and propaganda on September 23, 1937, executed by firing on September 28, 1937, at age about 51 in Leningrad, on the same day as his brother.

Vasily Minin, a commissioner of the Government Committee for Novgorod District of Leningrad Region, born on February 25, 1896 in the village of Malye Dorki in Novgorod Governorate, Russian by nationality, a member of the Communist Party, lived in Novgorod, arrested on December 24, 1937, sentenced to the death penalty for sabotage on December 30, 1937, executed by firing on January 2, 1938, at age 41 in Leningrad.

Vladimir Denks, a collective farmer, born in 1885 in Pskov, German by nationality, lived in the village of Bekleshevka in Prokhorovsky district in Leningrad Region, arrested on August 15, 1937, sentenced to the death penalty for anti-Soviet agitation and propaganda on September 23, 1937, executed by firing on September 28, 1937, at age about 52 in Leningrad. Photograph of an unidentified victim of the Bolshevik political repressions installed by his relatives at the Levashovo Memorial Cemetery seen at the right.

Ivan Suvorov, a deacon of the Russian Orthodox Church, born in 1905 in Rybinsk, Russian by nationality, arrested for the first time on September 8, 1929, in Rybinsk, sentenced to five years in prison camps for anti-Soviet propaganda, escaped from the camp, arrested for the second time on September 22, 1932, in Leningrad, sentenced to ten years in the prison camps and escaped again, arrested for the third time on December 25, 1937, in Kazan, sentenced to the death penalty on January 6, 1938, executed by firing on January 14, 1938, at age about 33 in Kazan, where he was buried.

Friedrich Hesse, an associate professor of the Institute of Spinning Cultures, a head of the Department of Foreign Languages of the Agricultural Institute, born in 1894 in Saint Petersburg, German by nationality, lived in Leningrad, arrested on February 26, 1938, sentenced to the death penalty for espionage on August 28, 1938, executed by firing on September 6, 1938, at age about 44 in Leningrad.

His older brother Herbert Hesse, an assistant in the Leningrad branch of the Communications Research Institute, born in 1888 in Saint Petersburg, German by nationality, lived in Leningrad, arrested on February 25, 1938, sentenced to the death penalty for espionage on June 13, 1938, executed by firing on June 28, 1938, at age about 50 in Leningrad.

Ivan Razukhin, a captain of the Orel Steamship of the North-Western River Shipping Company, born in 1898 in the village of Gorlovshchina in Saint Petersburg Governorate, Russian by nationality, lived in the village of Aleksandrovshchina in Pashsky district in Leningrad Region, arrested on July 16, 1938, sentenced to the death penalty for espionage on October 7, 1938, executed by firing October 10, 1938, at age of about 40 in Leningrad.

His younger brother Mikhail Razukhin, a captain of a tow steamboat of the North-Western River Shipping Company, born in 1902 in the village of Gorlovshchina in Saint Petersburg Governorate, Russian by nationality, lived in the village of Sviritsa in Pashsky district in Leningrad Region, arrested on October 31, 1937, sentenced to the death penalty for espionage on December 1, 1937, executed by firing on January 2, 1938, at the age about 36 in Leningrad.

Józef Janczewski, a student of the Hydrographic Institute, born in 1904 in the town of Dvinsk in Vitebsk Governorate, Polish by nationality, a member of the Communist Party, lived in Leningrad, arrested on December 29, 1937, sentenced to the death penalty for espionage on January 17, 1938, executed by firing on January 25, 1938, at age about 34 in Leningrad.

Nikolai Przesmycki, a military head of the Leningrad Institute of Civil Aviation Engineers, born on August 15, 1893, in Saint Petersburg, Polish by nationality, a member of the Communist Party, lived in Leningrad, sentenced to the death penalty for espionage and preparing an armed revolt on January 17, 1938, executed by firing on January 25, 1938, at age 44 in Leningrad.

Pavel Kalinin, a collective farmer, born on January 15, 1887, in the village of Bolshoye Nikulino in Saint Petersburg Governorate, Russian by nationality, lived in the Perno farm in Dregelsky district in Leningrad Region, arrested on August 5, 1937, sentenced to the death penalty for anti-Soviet agitation and propaganda on September 17, 1937, executed by firing on September 21, 1937, at age 50 in Leningrad.

Petr Zakharkov, a accountant in the Prodtorgpit state food company, born in 1900 in the village of Zalesye in Saint Petersburg Governorate, Russian by nationality, lived in the village of Bereg in Podporozhsky district in Leningrad Region, arrested on December 16, 1937, sentenced to the death penalty for preparing terrorist acts against representatives of the Soviet government on December 30, 1937, executed by firing on January 2, 1938, at age about 38 in Leningrad.

Russian Orthodox priest Pavel Romansky, a prior of the Assumption Church in the village of Lositsy, born in 1886 in the village of Staropolye in Saint Petersburg Governorate, Russian by nationality, lived in the village of Lositsy in Lyadsky district in Leningrad Region, arrested on October 11, 1937, sentenced to the death penalty for anti-Soviet agitation and propaganda on November 15, 1937, executed by firing on November 19, 1937, at age about 51 in Leningrad.

Ilya Nikolaev (Zolotnikov), a collective farmer, born in 1891, Russian by nationality, lived in his native village of Khudykino in Gdovsky district in Leningrad Region, arrested on March 7, 1938, sentenced to the death penalty for espionage on April 22, 1938, executed by firing on May 5 1938, at age about 47 in Leningrad.

Filipp Krestyankin, a collective farmer, born in 1882, Russian by nationality, lived in his native village of Pokrovskoye in Sholsky district in Leningrad Region, arrested on September 20, 1937, sentenced to the death penalty for anti-Soviet agitation and propaganda on October 9, 1937, executed by firing on October 11, 1937, at age about 55 in Leningrad. His younger brother Vasily Krestyankin, also a collective farmer, born in 1899, Russian by nationality, lived in his native village of Pokrovskoye in Sholsky district in Leningrad Region, arrested on September 20, 1937, sentenced to the death penalty for anti-Soviet agitation and propaganda on October 9, 1937, executed by firing on October 11, 1937, at age about 38 in Leningrad on the same day as his brother.

Yevgeny Baskin, a pensioner and a disabled person, born in 1897 in Rostov-on-Don, Russian by nationality, lived in Leningrad, sentenced to the death penalty for espionage on January 17, 1938, executed by firing on January 25, 1938 at age about 41 in Leningrad. His elder brother Alexei Baskin, a senior accountant in the Suburban Passenger Shipping Company, born in 1893 in Barnaul, Russian by nationality, served in the Russian Imperial Army and in the White Army, lived in Leningrad, did not work due to illness, arrested on March 7, 1938, sentenced to the death penalty for espionage on October 14, 1938, executed by firing on October 21, 1938, at age about 45 in Leningrad.

Mitrofan Loboda, a head of an alumina workshop of the Volkhov Aluminium Plant, born in 1900 in the settlement of Alekseyevka in Userdsky district in Voronezh Governorate, Russian by nationality, or probably Ukrainian according to other sources, lived in the town of Volkhovstroy in Leningrad Region, arrested on May 19, 1937, sentenced to the death penalty for sabotage on August 25, 1937, executed by firing on August 25, 1937, at age about 37 in Leningrad.

Russian Orthodox priest Aleksey Lyubynsky, born in 1878 in the village of Kshentitsy in Novgorod Governorate, Russian by nationality, lived in the village of Borki in Lychkovsky district in Leningrad Region, arrested on November 24, 1937, sentenced to the death penalty for anti-Soviet agitation and propaganda on December 10, 1937 for, executed by firing on December 28, 1937, at age about 59 in Leningrad.

His son Vasily Lyubynsky, also a Russian Orthodox priest, born in 1906, lived in the village of Borki in Lychkovsky district in Leningrad Region, arrested on November 21, 1937, sentenced to the death penalty for anti-Soviet agitation and propaganda on December 10, 1937, on the same day as his father, executed by firing on December 18, 1937, at age about 31 in Leningrad.

One of the largest burial places of the victims of the Bolshevik terror in Moscow is located at the Donskoye Cemetery. Since 1934, the bodies of those who were executed in the NKVD headquarter on Lubyanka square or in the Lefortovo Prison were transported here for cremation. Although no documentary evidence has been found, it is believed that the ashes were buried in the communal graves right at the cemetery. It is generally accepted that 4,259 executed persons are buried in the communal grave of unclaimed ashes number one, including theatre director Vsevolod Meyerhold, writer Isaac Babel and Soviet military commanders Mikhail Tukhachevsky and Vasily Blyukher. The war time victims were buried in the communal grave number two, while the communal grave number three contains the ashes of the persons executed from 1945 to 1953, including the members of the Jewish Anti-Fascist Committee, Cossack ataman Pyotr Krasnov and Soviet general Andrey Vlasov. The remains of the notorious chief of the Soviet secret police Lavrentiy Beria who was executed in summer 1953 are probably also buried here.

Plaques devoted to the victims of the Bolshevik political repressions installed by their relatives on the communal grave of unclaimed ashes number one at the Donskoye Cemetery in Moscow, Russia.

Communal grave of unclaimed ashes number one, where people executed by the NKVD were secretly buried from 1930 to 1942, at the Donskoye Cemetery in Moscow, Russia.

Communal grave of unclaimed ashes number two (left), where people executed by the NKVD were secretly buried from 1943 to 1944, and the communal grave of unclaimed ashes number three, where people were secretly buried from 1945 to 1953, at the Donskoye Cemetery in Moscow, Russia.

Plaques devoted to the victims of the Bolshevik political repressions installed by their relatives on the communal grave of unclaimed ashes number one at the Donskoye Cemetery in Moscow, Russia.

Plaques devoted to the victims of the Bolshevik political repressions installed by their relatives on the communal grave of unclaimed ashes number one at the Donskoye Cemetery in Moscow, Russia.

The photographs were taken in June 2018 at the Levashovo Memorial Cemetery next to the village of Levashovo near Saint Petersburg, Russia. The photographs of the communal graves of unclaimed ashes at the Donskoye Cemetery in Moscow, Russia, were taken in June 2018 and July 2019. All the biographies of the victims of the Bolshevik political repression are listed according to the Leningrad Martyrology Book published by the Returned Names Centre at the Russian National Library.