İsmail Kerim oğlu Kerimcanov ( – 27 October 1937), better known under the adopted pseudonym of Firdevs, was a Crimean Tatar Bolshevik revolutionary and compatriot of

Mirsaid Sultan-Galiev Mirsaid Khaydargalievich Sultan-Galiev (, ; ; 13 July 1892 – 28 January 1940), also known as Mirza Sultan-Galiev, was a Tatar Bolshevik revolutionary who rose to prominence in the Russian Communist Party in the early 1920s. He was the architec ...

Early life and career

İsmail Kerim oğlu Kerimcanov was born in the city of

Simferopol Simferopol ( ), also known as Aqmescit, is the second-largest city on the Crimea, Crimean Peninsula. The city, along with the rest of Crimea, is internationally recognised as part of Ukraine, but controlled by Russia. It is considered the cap ...

, in Crimea, into a family of merchants. At the age of 7, he became an orphan. He graduated with honours from the Simferopol Tatar Teaching Academy in 1906, and became an educator, working in Simferopol,

Alushta Alushta (Ukrainian language, Ukrainian and Russian language, Russian: ; ; ) is a city of regional significance on the southern coast of the Crimean peninsula which is within the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, a region internationally recognised as ...

, and . In his status as an educator, he became a popular tutor for aristocrats' children. Firdevs was self-taught in

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

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, and

Turkish Turkish may refer to: * Something related to Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities in the former Ottoman Empire * The w ...

, and additionally understood some

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

and

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

. He adopted the pseudonym 'Firdevs' () from the Arabic word for paradise, in reference to what was regarded by those he tutored as his peaceful, paradise-like demeanor. In 1913, Firdevs was deprived of his right to teach after he was charged with criticising the Tsars. In 1917, he became a member of the

Russian Social Democratic Labour Party The Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP), also known as the Russian Social Democratic Workers' Party (RSDWP) or the Russian Social Democratic Party (RSDP), was a socialist political party founded in 1898 in Minsk, Russian Empire. The ...

, becoming the party's first Crimean Tatar member.

Russian Civil War

Beginning in January 1918, Firdevs took an active part in the takeover of the Crimean peninsula by communist forces. In this endeavour, he was one of the foremost opponents of the

Crimean People's Republic The Crimean People's Republic ( Crimean Tatar: ; ; ) or Crimean Democratic Republic was a self-declared state that existed from December 1917 to January 1918 in the Crimean Peninsula. The Republic was one of many short-lived states that declare ...

. Firdevs served as People's Commissar for Foreign and National Affairs within the

Taurida Soviet Socialist Republic The Taurida Soviet Socialist Republic () was an unsuccessful attempt to establish a Soviet republic situated in the Crimean Peninsula part of Soviet Russia. The republic was established by Bolsheviks Jan Miller and Anton Slutsky who previously ...

, and became Secretary of the

Muskom Muskom was the ''Central Commissariat of Muslim affairs in Inner Russia and Siberia'' set up by the Bolsheviks in January 1918 as part of Narkomnats. Mullanur Waxitov was appointed as chair, although he was not a member of the Communist Party of the ...

in 1918. He held the latter position until 1920. As Secretary of the Muskom, he came into contact with

and

Mullanur Waxitov Mullanur Mullacan ulı Waxitov Mullanur Waxitov ( Tatar Cyrillic and , ), also spelled Vakhitov (10 August 1885 – August 1918) was a Tatar revolutionary active in the Russian Revolution. Early life Born in Kazan, he entered secondary school ...

. Both men had a significant impact on Firdevs, and he soon became an ardent supporter of Sultan-Galiev's ideology of

national communism National communism is a term describing various forms in which Marxism–Leninism and socialism has been adopted and/or implemented by leaders in different countries using aspects of nationalism or national identity to form a policy independent ...

. In 1919, he became a member of the Kazan Regional Committee of the

Russian Communist Party Communist Party of Russia might refer to: * Russian Social Democratic Labour Party, founded in 1898 – the forerunner of the Russian Communist Party (Bolsheviks) * Communist Party of the Soviet Union, formally established in 1912 and known origina ...

. From 1920 to 1921, he served as People's Commissar of Public Education in the

Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic Several different governments controlled the Crimean Peninsula during the period of the Soviet Union, from the 1920s to 1991. The government of Crimea from 1921 to 1936 was the Crimean Autonomous Socialist Soviet Republic, which was an Autonomo ...

, before next becoming People's Commissar of Justice. He served in that post until 1924.

Downfall

In 1924, Firdevs was removed from his leading positions. His removal followed a heated debate over the arrest of Sultan-Galiev, when Firdevs came to his defence in contrast with other Bolsheviks, who supported Sultan-Galiev's arrest. Following the debate,

Joseph Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Dzhugashvili; 5 March 1953) was a Soviet politician and revolutionary who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until Death and state funeral of Joseph Stalin, his death in 1953. He held power as General Secret ...

condemned both, saying, "Ideologically, Firdevs is more likely to lead to Sultan-Galiev than vice versa." From 1926 to 1929, Firdevs worked as an inspector to the North Caucasian Department of People's Education, based in

Rostov-on-Don Rostov-on-Don is a port city and the administrative centre of Rostov Oblast and the Southern Federal District of Russia. It lies in the southeastern part of the East European Plain on the Don River, from the Sea of Azov, directly north of t ...

. In 1929, Firdevs was arrested and charged with involvement in a nationalist, pan-Turkic, and pan-Islamic organisation. He was removed from the All-Union Communist Party and sent to

Solovki prison camp The Solovki special camp (later the Solovki special prison), was set up in 1923 on the Solovetsky Islands in the White Sea as a remote and inaccessible place of detention, primarily intended for socialist opponents of Soviet Russia's new Bolshev ...

, where he shared a cell with Sultan-Galiev and , another disgraced Crimean Tatar Bolshevik and supporter of Crimean Tatar expression. Deren-Ayırlı condemned national communism and his two cellmates. In 1930, Firdevs was sentenced to death, but his sentence was changed to ten years of hard labour on 8 January 1931.

Death

After prolonged time at Solovki, Firdevs, Sultan-Galiev, and Deren-Ayırlı all condemned their previous political activities. Sultan-Galiev was released in 1934, and Deren-Ayırlı in 1935. Firdevs, however, was refused release, as Stalin viewed him as a more serious threat to his rule than both of his cellmates. According to Soviet authorities, Firdevs was additionally involved in spreading propaganda amongst Solovki prisoners. As a result, on 9 October 1937, Firdevs was again sentenced to death by a

NKVD troika NKVD troika or Special troika (), in Soviet history, were the People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs (NKVD which would later be the beginning of the KGB) made up of three officials who issued sentences to people after simplified, speedy inve ...

. On 27 October 1937, he was executed. On 14 March 1989, Firdevs' case was reviewed by the

Presidium of the Supreme Soviet The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet () was the standing body of the highest organ of state power, highest body of state authority in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).The Presidium of the Soviet Union is, in short, the legislativ ...

, and he was rehabilitated. On 12 May 1990, the Tatarstan Regional Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union conducted its own review of the case, and rehabilitated him within the party.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Firdevs, İsmail 1888 births 1937 deaths Crimean Tatar activists Crimean Tatar people executed by the Soviet Union Crimean Tatar politicians Inmates of Solovki prison camp National communism in the Soviet Union People from Simferopol