Yakov Zevin Revolutionary Date of Birth: 21.06.1888

1. Early Life and Revolutionary Activity
2. Exiles and Education
3. Role in the Baku Revolution
4. Commissar and Martyr

Early Life and Revolutionary Activity

Born on June 9 (21), 1888, in Krasnopolye (present-day Belarus), Grigori Shaumyan joined the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP) in 1904. He played an active role in the revolutionary movement in southern Russia and the Caucasus, conducting clandestine work in cities like Yekaterinoslav and Baku.

Exiles and Education

Repeatedly arrested and exiled to Siberia and northern Russia, Shaumyan's resolve only grew stronger. In 1911, he attended Lenin's party school in Longjumeau, France. As a delegate to the 6th Party Conference in Prague, he initially represented the Menshevik faction but later embraced Bolshevism.

Role in the Baku Revolution

In 1915, Shaumyan became a member of the Baku Bolshevik Committee. After the February Revolution, he worked in the Moscow Soviet and carried out assignments for the RSDLP(b) district committee. From August 1917, he resided in Baku and led the struggle for Soviet power in Azerbaijan.

Commissar and Martyr

As Labour Commissar in the Baku Soviet of People's Commissars (SNK), Shaumyan implemented crucial social policies. Following the temporary fall of Soviet power in Baku, he was arrested and executed on September 20, 1918, as one of the infamous 26 Baku Commissars.