Lazar Moiseyevich Kaganovich, a trusted deputy of Joseph Stalin, played a crucial role in Stalin’s rise to power in the Soviet Union. Known for his brutal treatment of those seen as threats to Stalin’s regime, Kaganovich also oversaw the design and construction of the Moscow Metro. Born into a Jewish family in the Kiev Governorate, he quickly rose through the ranks of the Bolshevik Party and became a key figure in the communist movement. During the Second World War, Kaganovich served as a Commissar and held significant posts in the Soviet government. He was the last surviving Old Bolshevik at the time of his death in 1991, just months before the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Quick Facts
- Also Known As: Lazar Moiseyevich Kaganovich
- Died At Age: 97
- Family:
- Spouse/Ex-: Maria Kaganovich (m. ?–1961)
- Father: Moisey Kaganovich
- Mother: Genya Dubinskaya
- Siblings: Mikhail Kaganovich, Roza Kaganovich
- Children: Maya Kaganovich, Yuriy Kaganovich
- Born Country: Ukraine
- Political Leaders
- Russian Men
- Died on: July 25, 1991
- Place of Death: Moscow, Russia
- Cause of Death: Infarction
Childhood & Early Life
Lazar Kaganovich was born on November 22, 1893, in Kabany, Kiev Governorate, Russian Empire (present-day Dibrova, Poliske Raion, Kiev Oblast, Ukraine). He was the son of Moisey Kaganovich and Genya Dubinskaya and had at least two siblings, a brother Mikhail and a sister Roza. He became part of the Bolshevik Party around 1911 and was appointed as a Communist organizer at a shoe factory in 1915. However, he was apprehended by the authorities and taken to Kabany.
Involvement in the Revolution & Civil War
Between March and April 1917, Lazar Kaganovich served as the chairman of the Tanners Union and the vice-chairman of the Yuzovka Soviet. He later became the leader of the military organization of Bolsheviks in Saratov and the leader of the Polessky Committee of the Bolshevik Party in Belarus. After the October Revolution of 1917, he led the insurgency in Gomel. He also held various positions in the Red Army and served as the governor of the Voronezh gubernia. In Turkmenistan, he fought against local Muslim rebels and led disciplinary expeditions against local oppositions.
A Member of the Communist Party
After Stalin became the general secretary of the Communist Party, Lazar Kaganovich joined his political apparatus as the leader of the Organizational Bureau. He played a crucial role in placing Stalin’s allies in significant positions within the Communist Party bureaucracy. In 1924, he joined the Central Committee and served as the first secretary of the Communist Party of the Ukrainian SSR. He was responsible for “ukrainizatsiya” and the policy of economic suppression of the kulaks. He later returned to Moscow and served as the secretary of the Central Committee and a member of the Soviet Politburo.
MetropolitenImeni L.M. Kaganovicha
Lazar Kaganovich co-supervised the creation of the Moscow Metro, which was named Metropolitenimeni L. M. Kaganovicha. He was also involved in the introduction of collectivization policies that led to the disastrous 1932-33 famine in Ukraine and other regions. He earned the nickname “Iron Lazar” for his absolute loyalty to Stalin and his merciless implementation of orders. During World War II, he served as Commissar of the North Caucasian and Transcaucasian Fronts and later became the first secretary of the Ukrainian Communist Party.
Later Years
After Stalin’s death, Lazar Kaganovich lost much of his influence within the politburo and the government. He participated in an unsuccessful coup against Khrushchev in 1957 and was forced to resign from the Presidium and the Central Committee. He was fully ousted from the party in 1961 and retired from politics. In his later years, he focused on his family life and playing dominoes with fellow pensioners. He passed away on July 25, 1991, in Moscow at the age of 97.
Family & Personal Life
Lazar Kaganovich was married to Maria Privorotskaya and had two children, a daughter named Maya and a son named Yuriy. He is buried at the Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow.
Trivia
In 1987, American journalist Stuart Kahan published a controversial biography of Kaganovich titled “The Wolf of the Kremlin.”