Yakov Sverdlov (1885-1919) was a key figure in the Russian Revolution of 1917, playing a crucial role in the Bolshevik seizure of power and holding leadership positions in the early Soviet government. As the chairman of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, he contributed to the formation of the Red Army and the establishment of the Cheka. Sverdlov died in 1919 at the age of 33, likely due to influenza. The city of Yekaterinburg was named Sverdlovsk in his honor from 1924 to 1991. Despite his short life, Sverdlov’s organizational skills had a lasting impact on the early Soviet state.

Yakov Sverdlov Quotes

1. “We decided it here. Ilyich [Lenin] believed that we shouldn’t leave the Whites a live banner to rally around, especially under the present difficult circumstances.”
— Yakov Sverdlov