Rosalia Zemlyachka facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rosalia Zemlyachka
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| Розалия Землячка | |
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| Born |
Rosalia Zalkind
20 March 1876 Kiev, Russian Empire
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| Died | 21 January 1947 (aged 70) Moscow, Soviet Union
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| Nationality | Russian |
| Alma mater | University of Lyon |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Known for | Marxist revolutionary |
| Office | Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers |
Rosalia Samoilovna Zemlyachka (born Zalkind) was an important Russian revolutionary and politician in the Soviet Union. She was born on March 20, 1876, and passed away on January 21, 1947. She was best known by her revolutionary name, Zemlyachka. She also used other secret names like 'Demon' and 'Osipov'. Her married name was Samoilova.
Contents
Early Life and Revolutionary Beginnings
Rosalia Zalkind was born in Kyiv, which was then part of the Russian Empire. Her father was a wealthy merchant. She went to a girls' school in Kyiv. Later, she studied medicine at the University of Lyon in France.
From the age of 17, Rosalia became involved in revolutionary activities. She joined the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party in 1898. This was a political party that wanted to change society. Zemlyachka worked for the Iskra newspaper in cities like Odessa and Yekaterinoslav. This newspaper was started by Vladimir Lenin, a very famous revolutionary leader.
Joining the Bolsheviks
In July 1903, Zemlyachka attended a big meeting of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party in Brussels. However, she was arrested by the Belgian police and sent away. When the party split into two main groups, she joined the Bolsheviks. This group was led by Vladimir Lenin. She continued to support Lenin strongly.
In 1904, she went to Geneva for a meeting of strict Bolsheviks. Here, she was chosen to be part of the 'Bureau of Majority Committees'. This group later became the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, which was a very powerful body. Lenin himself suggested her for this role.
Underground Work in Russia
After the meeting, Rosalia returned to Russia. She helped build the Bolshevik organization in different cities. She visited St. Petersburg, Georgia, and Baku. In December 1905, she was in Moscow during an uprising. After the uprising failed, she pushed for the Moscow Bolshevik group to be reorganized.
She was arrested several times for her revolutionary work. In 1906, she was arrested but managed to escape from a police station. In 1907, she was put in prison in St. Petersburg. After being released in 1909, she worked for a short time in Baku before leaving Russia. She came back to Russia secretly in 1914. She helped with illegal transport across the Finnish border. From 1915 to 1916, she was the secretary of the Moscow party organization.
Role in the Revolutions
After the February Revolution in 1917, Zemlyachka became the secretary of the Moscow party committee. During the Bolshevik Revolution, she led the armed uprising in a part of Moscow.
In 1918, she supported a group called the 'Left Communists'. This group was against signing the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, which ended Russia's involvement in World War I. During the Russian Civil War, she worked as a military commissar on the southern front. She supported the 'military opposition', who disagreed with using former officers from the old Russian Imperial Army.
Events in Crimea
In November 1920, Zemlyachka was made secretary of the party committee in Crimea. This was when the last group of the White Army, led by Baron Wrangel, was leaving the area. Leaflets were dropped from planes over Sevastopol, promising safety to those who surrendered to the Red Army. However, a decision was made locally to kill those who had surrendered. This order was signed by several leaders, including Zemlyachka. The number of people killed is estimated to have been very high.
Later Political Career
From 1921 to 1924, Zemlyachka was the secretary of a district committee in Moscow. In 1924, she was sent to work in South East Russia. From 1925 to 1926, she was the secretary of a party committee in Perm.
Between 1924 and 1934, she was a member of the Central Control Commission of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. This group checked how well the party was working. In 1926, she joined a group called Rabkrin and led its complaints office. She was known for fighting against bureaucracy and red tape. People even sent letters to her with just the address 'Moscow, Comrade Zemlyachka'. In 1934, she became the head of the Transport Commission.
High-Level Promotion
Rosalia Zemlyachka was one of the few older Bolsheviks who survived the difficult period known as the Great Purge. Because of this, she received a big promotion in May 1939. She was made Chairman of the Soviet Control Commission. She also became a Deputy Chairman of the USSR Council of Ministers. She was the only woman to reach such a high position during this time. She was also the first woman to receive the Order of the Red Banner, a very important award.
