Nikolay Gorbunov Soviet statesman and public figure, scientist-chemist Date of Birth: 21.06.1892

1. Early Life and Revolution
2. Lenin's Secretary and Civil War Service
3. Military Service
4. Government and Scientific Work
5. Mountain Climbing and Peak Communism Expedition
6. Academy of Sciences Secretary
7. Arrest, Death, and Rehabilitation
8. Family and Legacy

Nikolai Petrovich Gorbunov: A Soviet Politician, Scientist, and Mountaineer

Early Life and Revolution

Nikolai Gorbunov was born into an engineering family and graduated from the Petrograd Technological Institute in 1917. He joined the Bolshevik Party in August 1917. During the October Revolution, Gorbunov played a key role in the Central Committee of the Inter-District Group, a group that bridged the Mensheviks and Bolsheviks.

Lenin's Secretary and Civil War Service

From November 1917 to December 1920, Gorbunov served as Secretary of the Council of People's Commissars of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR), acting as Lenin's personal secretary. Concurrently, he chaired the Scientific and Technical Department of the Supreme Economic Council.

Military Service

During the Russian Civil War, Gorbunov played an active role in the Red Army. He served as a political commissar in the 14th Army and a member of the Revolutionary War Councils of several armies.

Government and Scientific Work

After the war, Gorbunov returned to government and scientific work. From 1920 to 1930, he managed the affairs of the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR and later the USSR. He served as rector of the Moscow Higher Technical School (Bauman University) from 1923 to 1929 and deputy president of the All-Union Academy of Agricultural Sciences from 1929 to 1930.

Mountain Climbing and Peak Communism Expedition

Gorbunov was an avid mountaineer and participated in the 1932 Tanjiko-Pamir Expedition. He played a key role in the conquest of Peak Communism, the highest point in the USSR, but narrowly missed reaching the summit.

Academy of Sciences Secretary

In 1935, Gorbunov became a full member of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR. From October 1935 onwards, he served as Secretary of the Academy.

Arrest, Death, and Rehabilitation

Gorbunov was arrested in 1938 as part of the "Alpinists' Case." He was convicted and executed on September 7, 1938. Gorbunov was rehabilitated in 1954 and a memorial plaque was erected in his honor at the Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow in 2001.

Family and Legacy

Gorbunov was survived by his son, Andrei, a physicist who worked in the field of cosmic rays, and his second wife, Margarita Smolyninova. Gorbunov's legacy includes his contributions to Soviet government, science, and mountaineering. He is remembered as a close associate of Lenin and a dedicated scientist who risked his life to conquer the highest peak in the Soviet Union.