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Fyodor Fyodorovich Raskolnikov (; 28 January 1892 – 12 September 1939),Zalessky K.A. ''Stalin Imperia'' Moscow, ''Veche'', 2002 citing by real name Fyodor Ilyin (), was an Old Bolshevik, politician, participant in the
October Revolution The October Revolution, also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution (in Historiography in the Soviet Union, Soviet historiography), October coup, Bolshevik coup, or Bolshevik revolution, was the second of Russian Revolution, two r ...
, writer, journalist, commander of Red fleets on the Caspian and the Baltic during the
Russian Civil War The Russian Civil War () was a multi-party civil war in the former Russian Empire sparked by the 1917 overthrowing of the Russian Provisional Government in the October Revolution, as many factions vied to determine Russia's political future. I ...
, and later a Soviet diplomat.


Career


Early life

Fyodor Raskolnikov was born to a general's daughter, A. V. Ilyina, and an Orthodox priest F.A. PetrovOnline biography
based on Zaytsev V.S. ''Voprosy Istorii KPSS'' N12 1963, etc.
(according to other sources,
archpriest The ecclesiastical title of archpriest or archpresbyter belongs to certain priests with supervisory duties over a number of parishes. The term is most often used in Eastern Orthodoxy and the Eastern Catholic Churches and may be somewhat analogo ...
Sergushenkov). Alternatively, "... his father was Fedor Ilyin, a progressive St. Petersburg churchman, a widower who could not legally remarry and whose sons were therefore technically illegitimate. The Ilyin family life was fairly normal ..." He graduated from Prince Oldenburgsky Orphanage, studied at Saint Petersburg Polytechnical Institute, and then at the
Midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest Military rank#Subordinate/student officer, rank in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Royal Cana ...
(''gardemarin'') School in Saint Petersburg. In December 1910 he joined the
Bolshevik The Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, were a radical Faction (political), faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP) which split with the Mensheviks at the 2nd Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party, ...
faction 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 ...
, and he was attracted to ''Zvezda'' and went on to work for the Bolshevik newspaper, ''
Pravda ''Pravda'' ( rus, Правда, p=ˈpravdə, a=Ru-правда.ogg, 'Truth') is a Russian broadsheet newspaper, and was the official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, when it was one of the most in ...
''. He was arrested, and allowed to emigrate, but after running into trouble with the German police, he returned illegally to Russia, and was again arrested and exiled to
Arkhangelsk Arkhangelsk (, ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. It lies on both banks of the Northern Dvina near its mouth into the White Sea. The city spreads for over along the ...
, but released in 1913 under the amnesty called to mark the 300th anniversary of the
Romanov The House of Romanov (also transliterated as Romanoff; , ) was the reigning dynasty, imperial house of Russia from 1613 to 1917. They achieved prominence after Anastasia Romanovna married Ivan the Terrible, the first crowned tsar of all Russi ...
dynasty. He enlisted in the navy on the outbreak of war, and in 1917 he received the Naval rank of
Midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest Military rank#Subordinate/student officer, rank in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Royal Cana ...
(''michman''), but he did not participate in
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
.


Revolution and Civil War

In March 1917 he was sent to the sea fortress of
Kronstadt Kronstadt (, ) is a Russian administrative divisions of Saint Petersburg, port city in Kronshtadtsky District of the federal cities of Russia, federal city of Saint Petersburg, located on Kotlin Island, west of Saint Petersburg, near the head ...
, where he edited the newspaper ''Golos Pravdy'' (Voice of Truth): an incarnation of the forbidden-at-that-time
Pravda ''Pravda'' ( rus, Правда, p=ˈpravdə, a=Ru-правда.ogg, 'Truth') is a Russian broadsheet newspaper, and was the official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, when it was one of the most in ...
newspaper. He was one of the organizers of the Kronstadt Mutiny in July 1917. He was arrested by troops loyal to the
Russian Provisional Government The Russian Provisional Government was a provisional government of the Russian Empire and Russian Republic, announced two days before and established immediately after the abdication of Nicholas II on 2 March, O.S. New_Style.html" ;"title="5 ...
but released on October 11, 1917, a few weeks before the
October Revolution The October Revolution, also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution (in Historiography in the Soviet Union, Soviet historiography), October coup, Bolshevik coup, or Bolshevik revolution, was the second of Russian Revolution, two r ...
.


Civil War

In November 1917 Raskolnikov with a group of Kronstadt seamen was sent to fight anti-Bolshevik insurgents in
Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
. He was elected to the
Russian Constituent Assembly The All Russian Constituent Assembly () was a constituent assembly convened in Russia after the February Revolution of 1917. It met for 13 hours, from 4 p.m. to 5 a.m., , whereupon it was dissolved by the Bolshevik-led All-Russian Central Ex ...
. On 29 January 1918 he became the deputy
Narkom A People's Commissariat (; Narkomat) was a structure in the Soviet state (in the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, in other union and autonomous republics, in the Soviet Union) from 1917–1946 which functioned as the central executive ...
of "Naval Affairs". In summer 1918, he married Larisa Reisner. In July 1918, he was sent to
Kazan Kazan; , IPA: Help:IPA/Tatar, ɑzanis the largest city and capital city, capital of Tatarstan, Russia. The city lies at the confluence of the Volga and the Kazanka (river), Kazanka Rivers, covering an area of , with a population of over 1. ...
as the
Commissar Commissar (or sometimes ''Kommissar'') is an English transliteration of the Russian (''komissar''), which means ' commissary'. In English, the transliteration ''commissar'' often refers specifically to the political commissars of Soviet and ...
(member of Revvoeyensovet) of the Eastern Front. On the Eastern Front, he commanded, starting in August 1918, the Red Volga Flotilla, which participated in the Kazan Operation. Raskolnikov was promoted to membership of the Revvoeyensovet of the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic on September 2, 1918. At the end of 1918, he became the deputy commander of the 7th Army and the Commissar of the
Baltic Fleet The Baltic Fleet () is the Naval fleet, fleet of the Russian Navy in the Baltic Sea. Established 18 May 1703, under Tsar Peter the Great as part of the Imperial Russian Navy, the Baltic Fleet is the oldest Russian fleet. In 1918, the fleet w ...
. While commanding a fleet consisting of a
battleship A battleship is a large, heavily naval armour, armored warship with a main battery consisting of large naval gun, guns, designed to serve as a capital ship. From their advent in the late 1880s, battleships were among the largest and most form ...
,
cruiser A cruiser is a type of warship. Modern cruisers are generally the largest ships in a fleet after aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, and can usually perform several operational roles from search-and-destroy to ocean escort to sea ...
and two
destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy, or carrier battle group and defend them against a wide range of general threats. They were conceived i ...
s that were supposed to counter the British fleet, he became a prisoner of war when his destroyer ''Spartak'' was captured by the
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
off the coast of Estonia in December 1918, and held in Brixton prison until May 27, 1919, when he was exchanged for 17 British prisoners of war. Appointed commander of the
Caspian Flotilla The Caspian Flotilla () is the flotilla of the Russian Navy in the Caspian Sea. Established in November 1722 by the order of Tsar Peter the Great as part of the Imperial Russian Navy, the Caspian Flotilla is the oldest flotilla in the Russian ...
he led the assault on the British base at Enzeli, on May 18, 1920 which captured what remained of the White Russian navy and British garrison stationed there, and established the short-lived Iranian Socialist Soviet Republic, in northern Iran.


Soviet service

In August 1920, Raskolnikov wrote a report warning that the shipbuilding facilities in Petrograd had been so sorely depleted of technical specialists during the civil war that they were not capable even of repairing damaged ships. He called for a recruitment drive, a wage system based on piece work, and an end to 'interference' by the Metal Workers' Union. During the trade-union debate from 1920 to 1921, Raskolnikov supported
Leon Trotsky Lev Davidovich Bronstein ( – 21 August 1940), better known as Leon Trotsky,; ; also transliterated ''Lyev'', ''Trotski'', ''Trockij'' and ''Trotzky'' was a Russian revolutionary, Soviet politician, and political theorist. He was a key figure ...
's position of taking a hard line about state control of unions. From June 1920 to January 1921, Raskolnikov commanded the
Baltic Fleet The Baltic Fleet () is the Naval fleet, fleet of the Russian Navy in the Baltic Sea. Established 18 May 1703, under Tsar Peter the Great as part of the Imperial Russian Navy, the Baltic Fleet is the oldest Russian fleet. In 1918, the fleet w ...
. During his tenure, relations between the commanding officers and seamen deteriorated, and tensions would culminate a few weeks later with the
Kronstadt rebellion The Kronstadt rebellion () was a 1921 insurrection of Soviet sailors, Marines, naval infantry, and civilians against the Bolsheviks, Bolshevik government in the Russian port city of Kronstadt. Located on Kotlin Island in the Gulf of Finland, ...
of March 1921. In 1921, Raskolnikov became the ambassador to
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...
, the first country that established diplomatic relations with the Soviet state. Raskolnikov's actions caused a diplomatic rift with
Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...
, and the
British government His Majesty's Government, abbreviated to HM Government or otherwise UK Government, is the central government, central executive authority of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
insisted on his removal. In 1923, he was replaced. In January 1924, shortly after their return from Afghanistan, Larissa Reissner and Raskolnikov divorced.


Literary career

In 1924–30, Raskolnikov worked in literature as editor-in-chief of the literary magazine '' Molodaya Gvardiya'' (''Young Guard''), that was an organ of the Komsomol, and head of the publishing house publishing house ''Moskovsky Rabochy''. He arrived at a time of an angry controversy within the communist party over whether Soviet journals should be publishing by writers from comfortable family backgrounds who sympathised with the revolution – the so-called 'fellow travelers' – or concentrating exclusively on developing 'proletarian literature'. When the press department of the Central Committee organised a debate between the two sides, in May 1924, Raskolnikov gave a speech which
Leon Trotsky Lev Davidovich Bronstein ( – 21 August 1940), better known as Leon Trotsky,; ; also transliterated ''Lyev'', ''Trotski'', ''Trockij'' and ''Trotzky'' was a Russian revolutionary, Soviet politician, and political theorist. He was a key figure ...
praised as "the most distinctive expression" of the 'proletarian' side of the argument, which Trotsky opposed. In June 1924, the Central Committee appointed him an editor of '' Krasnaya Nov'', which had specialised in publishing the works of fellow travelers, under its incumbent chief editor, Aleksandr Voronsky. He delayed taking up the appointment because he had contracted tuberculosis, and went to Italy for a sun cure. After his return, ''Krasnaya Nov'' was filled with articles by advocates of proletarian literature, such Ilya Vardin, whom Voronsky had refused to publish. But Raskolnikov was ousted from the magazine early in 1925, possibly because
Maxim Gorky Alexei Maximovich Peshkov (;  â€“ 18 June 1936), popularly known as Maxim Gorky (; ), was a Russian and Soviet writer and proponent of socialism. He was nominated five times for the Nobel Prize in Literature. Before his success as an aut ...
had angrily refused to contribute while he was in charge. He was reinstated in May 1927. In 1928 he was the chairman of the Repertory Committee, the de facto main censor of theatre and cinematography. He also wrote his own play ''
Robespierre Maximilien François Marie Isidore de Robespierre (; ; 6 May 1758 â€“ 28 July 1794) was a French lawyer and statesman, widely recognised as one of the most influential and controversial figures of the French Revolution. Robespierre fer ...
'' which even servile critics labelled "dry and boring".


Later diplomatic career

From 1930 Raskolnikov was the plenipotentiary representative to
Estonia Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and to the east by Ru ...
1930–33, and
Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
1933–34. When diplomatic relations with Bulgaria were re-established in August 1934, after they had been severed since the Russian Revolution, Raskolnikov was appointed head of the diplomatic mission in Sofia.


Defection

In March 1938 he was recalled from Sofia to the
USSR The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
, but on April 1 refused to return. He moved with his family to France. In 1939 he published his famous ''Open Letter to Stalin'' in which he criticized
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 ...
's repressions during the Great Terror and the emerging German-Soviet alliance. Not long after the signing of the
Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact The Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, officially the Treaty of Non-Aggression between Germany and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and also known as the Hitler–Stalin Pact and the Nazi–Soviet Pact, was a non-aggression pact between Nazi Ge ...
, Raskolnikov was admitted to a mental hospital because the signing of the pact was a severe shock to him. He promptly died from " falling out of a window" while staying in the hospital. According to the writer Nina Berberova, Raskolnikov committed suicide. This account was contested by Raskolnikov's wife at the time, who claimed her husband died of pneumonia. According to the historian Roy Medvedev, Raskolnikov might have been assassinated by
NKVD The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (, ), abbreviated as NKVD (; ), was the interior ministry and secret police of the Soviet Union from 1934 to 1946. The agency was formed to succeed the Joint State Political Directorate (OGPU) se ...
agents. There are theories that the assassin might have been Sergei Efron, the husband of the poet Marina Tsvetayeva. Raskolnikov was posthumously rehabilitated in 1963. However, "Around the end of the decade his photographs disappeared from reference books, and editors mentioning him favourably were reprimanded or dismissed. Finally, in February 1969 the Party organ, ''Kommunist'', categorised him as 'a deserter to the side of the enemy and a slanderer of the Party and the Soviet state'." His reputation would be restored during the
Glasnost ''Glasnost'' ( ; , ) is a concept relating to openness and transparency. It has several general and specific meanings, including a policy of maximum openness in the activities of state institutions and freedom of information and the inadmissi ...
period, with the publication of his Open Letter to Stalin in the Soviet press. Roy Medvedev. ''Let History Judge: The Origins and Consequences of Stalinism''. New York: Columbia University Press. 1989. p. 484.


See also

* Kazan Operation * Death barge


References


External links


Tales of Sub-Lieutenant Ilyin
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Raskolnikov, Fyodor 1892 births 1939 deaths Diplomats from Saint Petersburg People from Sankt-Peterburgsky Uyezd Old Bolsheviks Russian Constituent Assembly members People of the Russian Revolution Soviet admirals Ambassadors of the Soviet Union to Afghanistan Ambassadors of the Soviet Union to Denmark Ambassadors of the Soviet Union to Bulgaria Ambassadors of the Soviet Union to Estonia Baltic Fleet Soviet expatriates in Iran Soviet rehabilitations Russian revolutionaries Soviet literary critics Politicians from Saint Petersburg Molodaya Gvardiya (magazine) editors Unsolved deaths in France Inmates of Kresty Prison