Andrey Bubnov

Andrey Bubnov was born in Ivanovo-Voznesensk on 23rd March 1883. He studied at the Moscow Agricultural Agricultural Institute and while a student joined the Social Democratic Labour Party. He supported the Bolshevik faction and over the next few years was arrested thirteen times.

In 1909 Bubnov was made an agent of the Central Committee in Moscow but the following year he was back in prison. On his release he was sent to organize workers in Nizhny Novgorod. He also contributed to Pravda.

On the outbreak of the First World War Bubnov became involved in the anti-war movement. He was arrested in October, 1916, and exiled to Siberia.

Bubnov returned to Moscow after the February Revolution. He joined the Moscow Soviet and was elected to the Politburo and as a member of the Military Revolutionary Committee and helped organize the October Revolution.

During the Civil War Bubnov joined the Red Army and fought on the Ukrainian Front. After the war he joined the Moscow Party Committee. A member of the Left Opposition he was in danger of losing his place in the hierarchy of the Communist Party.

In January, 1924, he switched to supporting the leadership and was rewarded by being appointed as Head of Political Control of the Red Army. Elected to Central Committee he was appointed People's Commissar for Education.

Joseph Stalin never trusted Bubnov and in 1934 he was removed from power. In 1937 Andrey Bubnov was arrested and imprisoned where he died in 1940.