Agranov Yakov Saulovich (real name - Yankel Shmaevich Sorenson)

History knows hundreds of examples when the executioner became a victim. Especially many such cases occurred during the years of Stalinist repression, when on any denunciation it was possible to lose not only freedom, but also life.

Among those who had time to visit both roles are Agranov (Granov) Yakov Saulovich (Yankel Shmaevich Sorenson). Having made a dizzying career and deserved the title of executioner of the Russian intelligentsia, he ended his life at the shooting range and was never rehabilitated.

Yakov Saulovich Agranov: biography (young years)

The future ruthless Chekist was born in 1893 in Chechersk, located on the territory of the former Mogilev province, in a fairly well-to-do family of Jewish merchants named Sorenson, although in the documents he indicated that he was of proletarian origin. He graduated from the 4th class of the city school.

At the age of 19, Yakov Sorenson joined the AKP and, working as a clerk in Levin's warehouse in Gomel, led revolutionary activity.

He took the pseudonym Agranov, according to some versions in memory of the 17-year-old Jewish youth from Gomel, who died during revolutionary performances in 1905.

He did not get to the front, because he was declared unfit for reasons of epilepsy.

Active revolutionary activity

In 1915 Agranov Yakov Saulovich was arrested. He was exiled to the Yenisei province, where he became acquainted with his future victim - LB Kamenev and IV Stalin. As a result, in the political views of the future Chekist, a coup took place, and he became a member of the RSDLP.

After the revolution of 1917, Agranov was appointed Secretary of the Polesie Regional Committee of the Bolshevik Party, and a little later - Secretary of the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR.

Work in the Cheka

In the spring of 1919 Agranov Ya. S. was sent by the party to work in the Cheka. There he was waiting for a really dizzying career. Thus, at first he was appointed special commissioner of the Special Department, and three years later - by a special secret police and secretary of the Small Council of People's Commissars. In these positions, Yakov Agranov was charged with directing the investigation into the case of the organizers of the Kronstadt, peasant uprising of Antonov and several others. In addition, personally V. Lenin and F. Dzerzhinsky he was ordered to make lists of persons who were subject to expulsion from the country.

The Tagantsev case

In 1921, under the leadership of Agranov, materials were fabricated that were used during a loud trial of members of the Petrograd Combat Organization. Later it became known as the Tagantsev case, after the name of the "leader" of the conspirators. This courageous man, a professor of geography, sold out his personal belongings to help run away to those intellectuals who had been swept over by the "sword of justice". Information about the behavior of the professor fell into the Cheka.

The arrested Tagantsev stubbornly remained silent for 45 days, until Agranov intervened. He promised and even gave the scientist a receipt (!) That no one will be shot. The unhappy Tagantsev signed all the papers that the "good" investigator gave him.

Among them was a document where it was stated that the poet Lev Gumilev is the leader of a group of intellectuals who "agrees to go out into the street" in case of an uprising.

As a result, the poet, as well as more than 60 people were arrested and sentenced to be shot.

At the same Agranov Yakov Saulovich told that he allegedly interceded for Gumilyov, but could not convince the authorities.

Further career

In 1923 Agranov Yakov Saulovich was appointed to the post of deputy head, and in 6 years - to the post of head of the secret department of the OGPU. In this post, he was engaged in "supervision" of the intelligentsia and was in friendly relations with L. Averbakh, V. Mayakovsky and B. Pilnyak.

In September 1931, Agranova was appointed political representative of the USSR OGPU for the capital region, and in early 1933 - as deputy chairman of this department.

Work in the NKVD

In 1934, through the merger of several departments, the People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs of the USSR was organized. Agranov Yakov Saulovich was appointed to the post of the first deputy commissar of internal affairs of the USSR. Thus, he became a direct subordinate of G. Yagoda. In fact, it was he who supervised the operation of all operational departments of the State Security Administration of the NKVD of the Soviet Union.

Dangerous games

State Security Commissioner Yakov Saulovich Agranov in late 1934 led the investigation into the murder of S. Kirov. In addition, he was appointed Acting Head of the NKVD Office of the Leningrad Region. During this period, together with N. Yezhov and G. Yagoda, he was organizing the trial of his former comrade by reference to L. Kamenev and G. Zinoviev.

At the same time, Agranov actively participated in a conspiracy against his boss. In particular, according to historians, he, along with Yezhov, tried to displace Yagoda, who did not see any connection in the killing of Kirov with the activities of the oppositionists.

End of career

At the end of 1936 Agranov Yakov Saulovich was appointed head of the GUGB of the NKVD of the Soviet Union. In this capacity he took part in the preparation of the trial in the case of M. Ryutin and other members of his group.

However, in the spring of 1937 Agranova was demoted to the head of the fourth department of the GUGB, and on May 17 of the same year they were removed from these posts and appointed head of the NKVD Office in Saratov.

Far from the capital, he wrote a letter to Stalin suggesting the arrest of N. Krupskaya and Malenkov, who at that time were the heads of the departments of the CPSU Central Committee.

His bold step had the opposite effect. The leader of all the peoples did not like Agranov's excessive initiative. In July 1937, he was expelled from the party, and then arrested. The execution took place 11 months after the verdict of the Supreme Court. Almost simultaneously with him was convicted and executed his wife VA Agranova.

Question of rehabilitation

After the death of Stalin in the USSR, many cases of "firing" articles were reviewed. However, when in 1955 the daughter of Yakov Agranova appealed to the authorities with a request for the rehabilitation of her father, she was refused. It was noted that although he was unjustly convicted of involvement in the anti-Soviet organization, his crimes on the issue of violating socialist legality have been fully proved.

Attempts to rehabilitate Agranov were made in the following years. Although in 2013 the Main Military Prosecutor's Office passed a positive decision on this issue, the Supreme Court overturned it.

Now you know who Agranov Yakov Saulovich was. The story of his life is a story about a man who did not shun anything for the sake of achieving his goals, but he himself was convicted and convicted of a crime he did not commit. On the other hand, it is possible that he sincerely believed that he was fighting enemies and that all means were good for this.