Prokofy "Alyosha" Aprasionovich Dzhaparidze or Japaridze, ( ka, პროკოფი აფრასიონის ძე ჯაფარიძე, ; 15 January 1880 – 20 September 1918), was a

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, ...

revolutionary of Georgian origin. He was one of the leaders of the

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...

and the

Bolshevik Party The Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU),. Abbreviated in Russian as КПСС, ''KPSS''. at some points known as the Russian Communist Party (RCP), All-Union Communist Party and Bolshevik Party, and sometimes referred to as the Soviet ...

Azerbaijan Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by ...

during the

Russian Revolution The Russian Revolution was a period of Political revolution (Trotskyism), political and social revolution, social change in Russian Empire, Russia, starting in 1917. This period saw Russia Dissolution of the Russian Empire, abolish its mona ...

. Dzhaparidze joined

s in 1898 where he earned the nickname Alyosha, then moved to

Baku Baku (, ; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Azerbaijan, largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and in the Caucasus region. Baku is below sea level, which makes it the List of capital ci ...

. Helping the founding of the Azerbaijani socialist party

Hummet The Muslim Social Democratic Party, usually referred to as Hummet (), was a political party in South Caucasus. In 1920, it merged with the Baku communist group Adalat ( 'Justice') to form the first Communist Party of Azerbaijan. "Old" Hummet (1 ...

, he became Delegate of the Caucasian Union of the RSDLP at the 3rd Congress of the RSDLP in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

. He was arrested or exiled many times for his anti-tsarist activities in

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

. After the

February Revolution The February Revolution (), known in Soviet historiography as the February Bourgeois Democratic Revolution and sometimes as the March Revolution or February Coup was the first of Russian Revolution, two revolutions which took place in Russia ...

, he became a member of the Caucasian Regional Committee, and became one of the 26 leaders or commissars of the joined the Baku Commune. He took several different positions in the commune. Dzhaparidze, along with

Stepan Shaumian Stepan Georgevich Shaumian (; ; 1 October 1878 – 20 September 1918) was an Armenian Bolshevik revolutionary and politician active throughout the Caucasus. His role as a leader of the Russian Revolution in the Caucasus earned him the nicknam ...

, Mashadi Azizbekov, Ivan Fioletov and other commissars tried to spread the

communist Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, di ...

ideology throughout the whole

Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region spanning Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is situated between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, comprising parts of Southern Russia, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. The Caucasus Mountains, i ...

. Soon after the fall of the commune, on the night of September 20, he was executed by firing squad in a remote location between the stations of Pereval and Akhcha-Kuyma on the

Trans-Caspian railway The Trans-Caspian Railway (also called the Central Asian Railway, ) is a railway that follows the path of the Silk Road through much of western Central Asia. It was built by the Russian Empire during its expansion into Central Asia in the 19t ...

along with other Commissars. Dzhaparidze was one of the main four commissars who gained a notable status in

Soviet Union 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 ...

as a fallen hero of

. A street in

Sochi Sochi ( rus, Сочи, p=ˈsotɕɪ, a=Ru-Сочи.ogg, from – ''seaside'') is the largest Resort town, resort city in Russia. The city is situated on the Sochi (river), Sochi River, along the Black Sea in the North Caucasus of Souther ...

(Russia) is still named after him and he has a small bust 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 ...

. His monument in

, capital of the

Republic of Azerbaijan Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russi ...

was demolished in 2009.

Biography

Early life and ancestry

Prokofy Dzhaparidze was born in Schardometi village of

Racha Racha (also Račha, , ''Račʼa'') is a highland area in western Georgia, located in the upper Rioni river valley and hemmed in by the Greater Caucasus mountains. Under Georgia's current subdivision, Racha is included in the Racha-Lechkhumi and ...

Kutais Governorate The Kutaisi or Kutais Governorate was a province (''guberniya'') of the Caucasus Viceroyalty (1801–1917), Caucasus Viceroyalty of the Russian Empire. It roughly corresponded to most of western Georgia (country), Georgia throughout most of its ...

in the

(present-day

Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti ( ka, რაჭა-ლეჩხუმი და ქვემო სვანეთი, ''Rach’a-Lechkhumi da Kvemo Svaneti'' ) is a region (mkhare) in northwestern Georgia (country), Georgia with a population o ...

Republic of Georgia A republic, based on the Latin phrase ''res publica'' ('public affair' or 'people's affair'), is a state in which political power rests with the public (people), typically through their representatives—in contrast to a monarchy. Although a ...

) into the untitled petite branch of the House of Japaridze, then part of the

Georgian nobility Nobility Georgia Georgia Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional charac ...

. He was the son of Aprasion Dzhaparidze, a landowner, dvoryanin of

Kutaisi Kutaisi ( ; ka, ქუთაისი ) is a city in the Imereti region of the Georgia (country), Republic of Georgia. One of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, it is the List o ...

and his wife, Anna Gotsiridze. As his father died very early, the family soon became impoverished. Prokofy had to go to a village school and learnt the profession of a

bootmaker Shoemaking is the process of making footwear. Originally, shoes were made one at a time by hand, often by groups of shoemakers, or ''cordwainers'' (sometimes misidentified as cobblers, who repair shoes rather than make them). In the 18th cent ...

. He was educated at the Alexandrovsk Teachers Institute in

Tbilisi Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი, ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), ( ka, ტფილისი, tr ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Georgia (country), largest city of Georgia ( ...

, Dzhaparidze joined 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 ...

in 1898. He participated in the preparation of the May Day demonstration in 1900. He was arrested and held in jail 11 months, and then was sent home. In 1901, he led a strike of tobacco workers in Kutaisi. In 1904 he moved to Baku, became one of the founders of '' Gummet'' organization, set up to do political work amongst

Muslims Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

, which grew into a mass organisation, drawing large masses of Muslim people behind the Bolsheviks. Some of its most known members included

Meshadi Azizbekov Mashadi Azizbey oghlu Azizbeyov, also spelled Azizbekov (; ; January 6, 1876 - September 20, 1918) was a Soviet Union, Soviet revolutionary of Azerbaijani people, Azerbaijani origin, leader of the revolutionary movement in Azerbaijan, one of the ...

Nariman Narimanov Nariman Karbalayi Najaf oghlu Narimanov (, ; – 19 March 1925) was an Azerbaijanis, Azerbaijani Bolsheviks, Bolshevik revolutionary, writer, publicist, politician and statesman. For just over one year, beginning in May 1920, Narimanov headed th ...

and

Sultan Majid Afandiyev Sultan Majid Afandiyev (; ), also spelled Efendiyev (May 26, 1887 – April 21, 1938) was an Azerbaijani revolutionary and statesman, one of the founders of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan. He was repressed during the Great Terror. Early yea ...

. He led delegate of the Caucasian Union of the RSDLP at the 3rd Congress of the RSDLP in London. He was one of the leaders of the December strike of the workers in Baku, also actively participated in the publishment of the Bolshevik journals and magazines ''Bakisnkie Rabochi'', ''Gudok'' and ''Bakinski prolitari''.Гражданская война и военная интервенция в СССР: Энциклопедия/ Гл. ред. С.С. Хромов. — М.: Soviet Encyclopedia, 1983. — 704 p. In 1909 he was arrested and exiled to the

North Caucasus The North Caucasus, or Ciscaucasia, is a subregion in Eastern Europe governed by Russia. It constitutes the northern part of the wider Caucasus region, which separates Europe and Asia. The North Caucasus is bordered by the Sea of Azov and the B ...

for five years. He lived 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 1913 he returned to

, present-day capital of Georgia. In preparation for the 1915 May Day demonstration was exiled to Vologda Province, where in 1916 he fled to

Petrograd Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city had a population of 5,601, ...

, and then to Tbilisi.

Baku Commune

After the

of 1917, Dzhaparidze was a member of the

Committee of the Bolshevik Party (''see Baku Commune''); as a delegate to the 6th congress of the Bolshevik Party, he was selected as a candidate member of its Central Committee, and became a member of Caucasian Border Committee. From December 1917 Deputy Chairman, during January–July 1918 the chairman of the executive committee of the Baku

Soviet 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 ...

. During March, Dzhaparidze was the member of the Committee of Revolutionary Defense in Baku; from April, he was 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 ...

for Internal Affairs in Baku, and, from June, he also served as Commissar for Food. During this time, he was actively involved in

March Events The March Days or March Events () was a period of inter-ethnic strife and clashes which took place between 30 March – 2 April 1918 in the city of Baku and adjacent areas of the Baku Governorate of the Transcaucasian Commissariat. Facilitat ...

, as he tried to spread the communist ideology to

and the whole

South Caucasus The South Caucasus, also known as Transcaucasia or the Transcaucasus, is a geographical region on the border of Eastern Europe and West Asia, straddling the southern Caucasus Mountains. The South Caucasus roughly corresponds to modern Armenia, ...

in general. After the fall of Baku to the Azerbaijani-Turkish Army of Islam in the

Battle of Baku The Battle of Baku (, , ) took place in August and September 1918 between the Ottoman– Azerbaijani coalition forces led by Nuri Pasha and Bolshevik– ARF Baku Soviet forces, later succeeded by the British–Armenian– White Russian forces ...

, he fled to Krasnovodsk. On September 20, 1918, he was one of the

26 Baku Commissars The 26 Baku Commissars were Bolshevik and Left SR, Left Socialist Revolutionary (SR) members of the Baku Commune. The commune was established in the city of Baku, which was then the capital of the briefly independent Azerbaijan Democratic Repub ...

shot by the local government of the

Socialist Revolutionary Party The Socialist Revolutionary Party (SR; ,, ) was a major socialist political party in the late Russian Empire, during both phases of the Russian Revolution, and in early Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Soviet Russia. The party memb ...

. His legacy was appreciated highly across the

. However, in post-Soviet Azerbaijan, the places named after Dzhaparidze were renamed and his monument was demolished. His grave was also relocated along with the other commissars in Baku, which was strongly opposed by the

Azerbaijan Communist Party The Azerbaijan Communist Party (; ) was the ruling political party in the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic, Azerbaijan SSR, making it effectively a branch of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. It was formed on 20 February 1920, when ...

and other local left-wing politicians. In his native Georgia, the name of Dzhaparidze was also removed almost everywhere.

References

External links

Monument to Prokopius Dzhaparidze in Baku
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dzhaparidze, Prokofy 1880 births 1918 deaths Candidates of the Central Committee of the 6th Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (Bolsheviks) 20th-century executions Articles containing video clips Azerbaijani communists Communists from Georgia (country) Executed people from Georgia (country) Executed politicians Revolutionaries from Georgia (country) Old Bolsheviks People from Kutais Governorate People from Racha Russian Social Democratic Labour Party members

Biography

Early life and ancestry

Baku Commune

See also

References

External links