Pyotr Smirnov

Pyotr Alexandrovich Smirnov (Russian: Пётр Александрович Смирнов; 29 May 1897 – 23 February 1939) was a Soviet commissar, deputy minister of defence, and commander of the Soviet Navy.[1]

Pyotr Smirnov
Smirnov in 1938
Birth namePyotr Alexandrovich Smirnov
Born(1897-05-29)29 May 1897
Vyatka, Russian Empire
Died23 February 1939(1939-02-23) (aged 41)
Soviet Union
Allegiance Soviet Union
Service/branchRed Army, Soviet Navy
Years of service1917–1938
RankArmy Commissar of 1st rank
Commands heldSoviet Navy
Battles/warsRussian Civil War
AwardsOrder of Lenin
Order of the Red Banner

Biography

Smirnov was born in a workers family in a village near Vyatka in 1897. He finished school and worked as a smith in a timber mill from 1913. He joined the Bolsheviks in March 1917 and was a member of the Red Guards. He fought in the Civil War ending as a brigade commander and a political officer of an army. In 1921 he took part in the suppression of the Kronstadt rebellion.

In the 1920s he was a political commissar of the Volga and North Caucasus military districts. From 1926 he joined the political directorate of the armed forces and was political commissar of the Baltic Fleet and Military districts.

In 1937 he was involved in the purge of military leaders including Yakov Gamarnik. In October 1937 he became deputy minister of defence, and was commander of the Soviet Navy from December 1937.

Repression

He was arrested in June 1938 and executed by firing squad in February 1939. He was rehabilitated in 1956.[2]

Awards
  • The order of Lenin;
  • Order of the Red Banner (1921).

References
  1. "Biography of Pyotr Alexandrovich Smirnov. Russian".
  2. Repression in the Red Army (30s). Collection of documents from the funds of the Russian State Military Archive / Compiled by Kristiani A., Mikhaleva V. M .. – Napoli, 1996.
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