Mikhail Koltsov
Encyclopedia
Mikhail Efimovich Koltsov ' onMouseout='HidePop("69463")' href="/topics/Kiev">Kiev
– February 2, 1940 or June 4, 1942, Moscow), born Mikhail Efimovich Fridlyand (Friedland) (Михаил Ефимович Фридлянд), was a Soviet journalist.
. Koltsov participated in the Russian Revolution of 1917
, became a member of the Bolshevik party in 1918, and took part in the civil war
. A convinced communist, he soon became a key figure of the Soviet intellectual elite and arguably the most famous journalist in the USSR, chiefly due to his well-written satirical essays and articles, where he criticised bureaucracy
and other negative phenomena in the Soviet Union. Koltsov founded popular journals such as Krokodil
, Chudak and Ogonyok
and was a member of the editorial board of Pravda
. As a correspondent of Pravda, he travelled to Spain to cover the Spanish Civil War
, while at the same time working for the NKVD
. He also acted as military adivsor to Loyalist forces on occasion. Koltsov is widely regarded as having been Stalin's chief reporter in the Spanish war, with speculation suggesting he had a direct line from his hotel to the Kremlin
. Koltsov described his experiences in The Spanish diary, which was published in 1938. In the same year, Koltsov was summoned from Spain and arrested on charges of anti-Soviet and terrorist activities as part of the Great Purge
. He was sentenced to death and shot in 1940 or 1942, according to different sources.
Koltsov was rehabilitated following Stalin's death in 1953.
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
– February 2, 1940 or June 4, 1942, Moscow), born Mikhail Efimovich Fridlyand (Friedland) (Михаил Ефимович Фридлянд), was a Soviet journalist.
Biography
Koltsov was the son of a Jewish shoemaker and the brother of Boris EfimovBoris Efimov
Boris Yefimovich Yefimov was a Soviet political cartoonist best known for his critical political caricatures of Adolf Hitler and other Nazis produced before and during the Second World War, and was the chief illustrator of the newspaper Izvestia...
. Koltsov participated in the Russian Revolution of 1917
Russian Revolution of 1917
The Russian Revolution is the collective term for a series of revolutions in Russia in 1917, which destroyed the Tsarist autocracy and led to the creation of the Soviet Union. The Tsar was deposed and replaced by a provisional government in the first revolution of February 1917...
, became a member of the Bolshevik party in 1918, and took part in the civil war
Russian Civil War
The Russian Civil War was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed to the Soviets, under the domination of the Bolshevik party. Soviet forces first assumed power in Petrograd The Russian Civil War (1917–1923) was a...
. A convinced communist, he soon became a key figure of the Soviet intellectual elite and arguably the most famous journalist in the USSR, chiefly due to his well-written satirical essays and articles, where he criticised bureaucracy
Bureaucracy
A bureaucracy is an organization of non-elected officials of a governmental or organization who implement the rules, laws, and functions of their institution, and are occasionally characterized by officialism and red tape.-Weberian bureaucracy:...
and other negative phenomena in the Soviet Union. Koltsov founded popular journals such as Krokodil
Krokodil
Krokodil was a satirical magazine published in the Soviet Union. It was founded in 1922. At that time, a large number of satirical magazines existed, such as Zanoza and Prozhektor...
, Chudak and Ogonyok
Ogonyok
Ogoniok is one of the oldest weekly illustrated magazines in Russia, issued since . It was re-established in the Soviet Union in 1923 by Mikhail Koltsov....
and was a member of the editorial board of Pravda
Pravda
Pravda was a leading newspaper of the Soviet Union and an official organ of the Central Committee of the Communist Party between 1912 and 1991....
. As a correspondent of Pravda, he travelled to Spain to cover the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
, while at the same time working for the NKVD
NKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs was the public and secret police organization of the Soviet Union that directly executed the rule of power of the Soviets, including political repression, during the era of Joseph Stalin....
. He also acted as military adivsor to Loyalist forces on occasion. Koltsov is widely regarded as having been Stalin's chief reporter in the Spanish war, with speculation suggesting he had a direct line from his hotel to the Kremlin
Kremlin
A kremlin , same root as in kremen is a major fortified central complex found in historic Russian cities. This word is often used to refer to the best-known one, the Moscow Kremlin, or metonymically to the government that is based there...
. Koltsov described his experiences in The Spanish diary, which was published in 1938. In the same year, Koltsov was summoned from Spain and arrested on charges of anti-Soviet and terrorist activities as part of the Great Purge
Great Purge
The Great Purge was a series of campaigns of political repression and persecution in the Soviet Union orchestrated by Joseph Stalin from 1936 to 1938...
. He was sentenced to death and shot in 1940 or 1942, according to different sources.
Koltsov was rehabilitated following Stalin's death in 1953.
External references
- A bibliographical article from HRONOS/ХРОНОС (Russian), based on Stalin's Empire. A Biographical Encyclopedic Dictionary by K.A.Zalessky (2000)]
- An article from the Krugosvet encyclopedia (Russian)
- Humorous magazine Chudak (Russian)