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Lev ZalinA high-ranking official of the Soviet special services Cheka-OGPU-NKVD
Date of Birth: 01.01.1897
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Content:
- Zahar Zalina: A Key Figure in the Soviet Secret Service
- Revolutionary Activities
- Career in the Cheka
- Soviet-Polish War
- In the NKVD and OGPU
- Diplomatic Service and Positions of Influence
- Role in Stalin's Repressions
- Arrest and Execution
- Legacy
Zahar Zalina: A Key Figure in the Soviet Secret Service
Early Life and Political ActivismZahar Zalina was born in the town of Smorgon, Vilna Governorate, in a family of a clerk. As a young man, he was involved in Jewish youth organizations and joined the Poalei Zion party. He worked as a teacher and joined the Russian Communist Party (Bolsheviks) in 1917.
Revolutionary Activities
Zalina played a prominent role in the Russian Revolution. He served as secretary of the Kursk Commissariat for Jewish Affairs in 1918 and organized partisan detachments in Lithuania in late 1918 and early 1919. He was arrested by German authorities but released or exchanged.
Career in the Cheka
Zalina joined the Cheka (predecessor to the NKVD) in 1918. He was a member of the Cheka collegium and held various positions in Lithuania, including Chairman of the Panevezys Cheka.
Soviet-Polish War
During the Soviet-Polish War, Zalina served in the Red Army as head of the International Department of the Political Department of the 16th and 3rd armies. He participated in the capture of Minsk and the march on Warsaw.
In the NKVD and OGPU
After the war, Zalina worked in army Special Departments and then in the Economic Department of the Cheka. He served in various capacities in the Foreign Department of the Cheka-GPU, including assistant chief and head of the Intelligence Section. He also worked in the Special Department as head of a special detachment.
Diplomatic Service and Positions of Influence
In 1927-1929, Zalina was assistant head of the Special Department of the OGPU. He then held senior positions in the Belarusian Military District and the OGPU of the Belorussian SSR. From 1929 to 1931, he was the plenipotentiary of the OGPU for the Western Region and later became deputy head of the Special Department of the OGPU USSR.
Role in Stalin's Repressions
From 1935 to 1938, Zalina served as head of the NKVD of the Kazakh ASSR and later the Kazakh SSR. He became a member of a special troika established by the NKVD and was actively involved in Stalin's purges.
Arrest and Execution
In June 1938, Zalina was dismissed from the NKVD and expelled from the party. He was arrested and charged with conspiracy, espionage, and planning terrorist attacks. The Military Collegium of the Supreme Court of the USSR sentenced him to death on January 21, 1940. Zalina was executed the following day.
Legacy
Zalina was posthumously rehabilitated in 2012 but was later declared ineligible for rehabilitation in 2013. His role in the Soviet secret service and his involvement in Stalin's repressions remain controversial.
