Pavel A. Sudoplatov (1907-1996) - Soviet intelligence officer, saboteur, employee of the OGPU (later the NKVD - NKGB), before his arrest in 1953 - Lieutenant General of the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs. Eliminated the head of the OUN Yevgeny Konovalets, organized the assassination of Leon Trotsky. After his arrest, he served 15 years in prison and was rehabilitated only in 1992.
There are many interesting facts in the biography of Sudoplatov, which we will talk about in this article.
So, before you is a short biography of Pavel Sudoplatov.
Biography of Sudoplatov
Pavel Sudoplatov was born on July 7 (20), 1907 in the city of Melitopol. He grew up and was brought up in the family of the miller Anatoly Sudoplatov.
His father was Ukrainian by nationality, and his mother was Russian.
Childhood and youth
When Pavel was 7 years old, he began studying at a local school. After 5 years, his parents passed away, as a result of which he became an orphan.
Soon the 12-boy joined one of the regiments of the Red Army, as a result of which he repeatedly took part in a number of battles.
Later Sudoplatov was captured, but was able to make a successful escape. After that, he fled to Odessa, where he became a street child and a beggar, periodically earning money in the port.
When the "Reds" liberated Odessa from the "Whites", Pavel again joined the Red Army. At the age of 14, he began serving in the Special Section of the Infantry Division, taking special training courses.
At that time in his biography, Pavel Sudoplatov mastered the skills of a telephone operator and cipher clerk.
Then the young man began working as a junior detective in the GPU. He oversaw the work of agents infiltrated into German, Greek and Bulgarian settlements.
Career and service
In 1933 Sudoplatov worked in the Foreign Department of the OGPU. Since he knew the Ukrainian language perfectly, he was assigned to fight against Ukrainian nationalists.
Pavel was repeatedly sent on foreign business trips, where he tried to infiltrate the circle of nationalists.
As a result, after a couple of years Sudoplatov managed to get surrounded by the leaders of the OUN, whose leader was Yevgeny Konovalets.
It is worth noting that the latter wanted to take control of the Ukrainian lands, and then form a separate state on them under the supervision of Nazi Germany.
In 1938, Pavel personally reported to Joseph Stalin on the state of affairs. The leader of the peoples instructed him to lead the operation to eliminate the leader of the Ukrainian nationalists.
In May of the same year, Sudoplatov met with Kovalets at the Atlanta Hotel in Rotterdam. There he handed him a bomb disguised as a box of chocolates.
After the successful liquidation of his victim, Pavel fled to Spain, where, under the guise of a Pole, he was at the location of the NKVD.
Upon returning to his homeland, Sudoplatov was entrusted with heading the Foreign Department of the NKVD of the USSR, but was soon demoted to the post of head of the Spanish department.
At that moment, the biographies of Paul were suspected of having links with "enemies of the people", for which they could be sent into exile or shot. It was only thanks to the intercession of the NKVD leadership that he managed to stay in the agencies.
At a regular meeting with Stalin, Pavel received an order to lead the Duck operation to eliminate Leon Trotsky. As a result, on August 21, 1940, after a carefully planned operation, he, together with his associates, managed to organize the assassination of Trotsky in Mexico.
On the eve of World War II (1941-1945) Sudoplatov became deputy head of the first intelligence department of the NKGB. With considerable experience in intelligence, he taught for some time at the NKVD Special Purpose School.
Pavel Anatolyevich took part in the annexation of Western Ukraine to the USSR. He was also instructed to conduct reconnaissance activities to receive the first news of attacks from the Nazis.
At the height of the war, Sudoplatov was entrusted with leading a special group to combat the German landing. He was still engaged in reconnaissance, and also organized sabotage behind enemy lines.
The man took part in special operations to probe the possibility of peace negotiations with the leadership of the Third Reich. Thus, he tried to gain time to mobilize Soviet resources. Later, many of his actions will be imputed to him.
During the biography of 1941-1945. Pavel Sudoplatov directed the so-called radio games with German intelligence officers. By that time, he made a personal request to Lavrenty Beria to release a number of valuable workers from prisons, for which he received permission.
At the end of the war, Sudoplatov and his collaborators obtained valuable information related to the development of the atomic bomb by Nazi physicists.
In addition, Pavel, together with Viktor Ilyin, developed an operation to assassinate Adolf Hitler.
For services to the Fatherland, the scout was awarded the rank of lieutenant general. It should be noted that 28 employees working under the leadership of Sudoplatov received the title of Hero of the USSR.
During the war years, Pavel Anatolyevich successfully implemented many special operations. However, after Stalin's death, a black streak came in his biography.
Sudoplatov was accused of planning a seizure of power, as a result of which in August 1953 he was arrested. He was also suspected of organizing terrorist attacks against the country's top leadership.
The humiliating court proceedings brought Pavel Sudoplatov a lot of physical and mental suffering.
By that time, the former general became disabled and was sentenced to 15 years in prison. After serving his sentence in full, he was released from prison in 1968.
After his release, Sudoplatov settled in Moscow, where he took up writing. He published a lot of books, of which the most popular were "Intelligence and the Kremlin" and "Special Operations. Lubyanka and the Kremlin. 1930-1950 ".
Personal life
Pavel was married to a Jewess named Emma Kaganova. An interesting fact is that the girl knew 5 languages, and was also fond of literature and art.
Emma was the coordinator of the GPU agents in the circle of the Ukrainian intelligentsia. She introduced Sudoplatov to her interests and guided him in his work.
It is curious that although the couple began to live as husband and wife back in 1928, the spouses managed to legalize their relationship only after 23 years.
In the early 30s, Emma and Pavel moved to Moscow. In the capital, the girl headed a secret political department, still working with the intelligentsia.
In turn, Pavel specialized in Ukrainian nationalists. In a family of scouts, two boys were born.
Death
The years spent in prison had a deplorable effect on Sudoplatov's health. He survived 3 heart attacks and became blind in one eye, becoming disabled of the 2nd group.
In 1992, a significant event took place in the biography of Pavel Sudoplatov. He was fully rehabilitated and reinstated.
4 years later, on September 24, 1996, Pavel Anatolyevich Sudoplatov died at the age of 89.
Sudoplatov Photos
