Nikolai Yezhov: The Rise and Fall of the NKVD Chief
The history of the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin is marked by cycles of absolute power and sudden, violent erasure. Few figures embody this volatility more than Nikolai Yezhov, the man who led the NKVD (the People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs) during the height of the Great Purge. Known for the period of terror that bears his name—the Yezhovshchina—Yezhov eventually became a victim of the very machinery of state terror he helped perfect.
The transition of power from Yezhov to his successor, Lavrenty Beria, serves as a case study in Stalinist bureaucracy, where loyalty was temporary and survival depended entirely on the whim of the General Secretary.
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The Ascent of Lavrenty Beria
The decline of Yezhov began on 22 August 1938, when Lavrenty Beria was appointed as his deputy. Beria’s path to power was precarious; he had nearly fallen victim to the purges himself. Earlier in 1938, Yezhov had ordered Beria's arrest while Beria served as the party chief in Georgia. However, Sergo Goglidze, the Georgian NKVD chief, warned Beria, allowing him to fly to Moscow and appeal directly to Stalin.
Beria successfully convinced Stalin to spare him by highlighting his efficiency in executing party orders across Georgia and Transcaucasia. As Yezhov lost favor, Beria began to systematically usurp his authority. By 8 September, Mikhail Frinovsky, Yezhov's first deputy, was removed from the NKVD and reassigned to the Navy, signaling a shift in the internal power balance.
The Spiral into Despair
Yezhov, well-versed in the precursors to a Stalinist purge, recognized that Beria's rising influence meant his own downfall was inevitable. This realization triggered a psychological collapse. Already a heavy drinker, Yezhov descended into severe alcoholism, becoming slovenly and frequently absent from work.
The bureaucratic groundwork for his removal was laid on 11 November, when Stalin and Vyacheslav Molotov issued a report sharply criticizing the NKVD's methods under Yezhov. The situation worsened on 14 November when Aleksandr Uspensky, the Ukrainian NKVD chief and a protégé of Yezhov, disappeared. Stalin suspected Yezhov's involvement and bypassed him entirely, ordering Beria to locate Uspensky (who was eventually arrested in April 1939).
Yezhov's personal life mirrored his professional collapse. He sought a divorce from his wife, Yevgenia, in September. Desperate and vulnerable due to her own social circles, Yevgenia wrote unanswered letters to Stalin before committing suicide via sleeping pill overdose on 19 November 1938.
Removal from Power and Arrest
On 25 November 1938, Yezhov was officially relieved of his post as People's Commissar for Internal Affairs, with Beria taking full control. Yezhov's final Politburo meeting took place on 29 January 1939. Stalin continued to sideline him for several months before ordering Beria to denounce him during the annual Presidium of the Supreme Soviet on 3 March 1939.
Though stripped of his Central Committee posts, Yezhov briefly remained the People's Commissar of Water Transportation. This ended on 9 April 1939, when the commissariat was abolished and split into two separate entities: the People's Commissariats of the River Fleet and the Sea Fleet.
The following day, 10 April, Yezhov was arrested and imprisoned at Sukhanovka prison. To avoid public unrest or scrutiny of the Great Terror, the arrest was kept secret from the public and most NKVD officers. Beria, Andreyev, and Malenkov justified the move in a letter to Stalin, accusing Yezhov of allowing "massive, unfounded arrests of completely innocent persons" and practicing "arbitrariness and extremism."
Interrogation and the Secret Trial
During his interrogation by Acting Chief Military Prosecutor Nikolai Afanasiev, Yezhov confessed to a standard list of state crimes to justify his label as an "enemy of the people." These included treasonous collaboration with German spies, "wrecking" (intentional sabotage), official incompetence, and theft of government funds. He was also accused of sexual promiscuity and homosexuality.
On 2 February 1940, Yezhov faced a closed-door trial presided over by judge Vasiliy Ulrikh. Unlike many victims of the purges, Yezhov vehemently denied being a spy or terrorist, claiming his previous confessions were obtained through torture. He admitted to purging 14,000 fellow Chekists (NKVD officers) but maintained his loyalty to Stalin.
Yezhov's Final Plea
In a defiant final statement, Yezhov defended his modesty and honesty, stating, "I do not deny that I drank heavily, but I worked like a horse." He refused to admit to being a Polish, English, or Japanese spy, calling such admissions "gifts" to foreign powers. He concluded by requesting a quiet execution and asking that his mother, daughter, and nephews be spared from punitive measures, ending with the declaration that he would die with Stalin's name on his lips.
Execution and Aftermath
Yezhov was sentenced to death and initially attempted to appeal for clemency, hoping Stalin would intervene. When the appeal was denied, he reportedly became hysterical. On 4 February 1940, he was executed in the basement of a small NKVD station on Varsonofevskii Lane in Moscow.
Ironically, the execution site featured a log wall and sloping floor designed for easy cleaning—specifications Yezhov himself had once implemented for NKVD facilities. He was likely executed by NKVD Commandant Vasili Blokhin, though some sources suggest Ivan Serov may have been involved. His body was cremated and his ashes placed in a common grave at Donskoye Cemetery. The execution remained so secret that as late as 1948, reports suggested he was still alive in an asylum.
Key Facts
- Succession: Lavrenty Beria replaced Nikolai Yezhov as head of the NKVD in November 1938.
- The Purge: Yezhov admitted to purging 14,000 of his own NKVD colleagues.
- The Charges: Official accusations included espionage for Germany, Poland, England, and Japan, as well as "wrecking" and corruption.
- Execution Date: Yezhov was shot on 4 February 1940.
- Irony of Death: He was executed in a facility built to his own specifications for killing prisoners.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 22 August 1938 | Lavrenty Beria named as Yezhov's deputy. |
| 19 November 1938 | Yezhov's wife, Yevgenia, commits suicide. |
| 25 November 1938 | Yezhov officially relieved as People's Commissar for Internal Affairs. |
| 10 April 1939 | Yezhov is arrested and imprisoned at Sukhanovka. |
| 2 February 1940 | Secret trial by the Military Collegium. |
| 4 February 1940 | Execution at Varsonofevskii Lane. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Stalin remove Nikolai Yezhov from power?
Stalin followed a pattern of replacing his primary lieutenants to maintain absolute control. He used the NKVD's "arbitrariness and extremism" under Yezhov as a bureaucratic pretext to shift power to Lavrenty Beria.
How did Lavrenty Beria avoid being purged by Yezhov?
Beria was alerted to an arrest order by Sergo Goglidze. He immediately flew to Moscow to meet Stalin personally, convincing him of his efficiency and loyalty in Georgia and Transcaucasia.
Did Yezhov admit to the charges during his trial?
While he had confessed to various crimes during interrogation under torture, Yezhov denied being a spy or terrorist during his actual trial, stating he preferred death to telling lies.
What happened to Yezhov's family?
His wife, Yevgenia, committed suicide in 1938. In his final statement, Yezhov pleaded with the court to provide for his mother and daughter and to ensure his nephews were not punished for his crimes.
Where was Nikolai Yezhov executed?
He was shot in the basement of an NKVD station on Varsonofevskii Lane in Moscow, a site chosen to maintain total secrecy away from the main Lubyanka execution chambers.