Yakov Gamarnik

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Yan Borisovich Gamarnik (Belarusian: Ян Гамарнік 1894-1937) born on 21st May (Gregorian calendar)/2nd June (Julian calendar) in Zhitomir in a Jewish family as Yakov Borisovich Puhdikovitch. Frequented the Institute of Psychology and neurology of St.Petersburg, University of Kiev. In 1917 he became the member and a secretary of the Kiev committee of the CP. Went through many Communist Party positions, both civil and military, e.g. a First Secretary of the Belarusian Communist Party from December 1928 to October 1929.^[1] Instrumental in preparing the 10-year development plan for the Far-Eastern region of the USSR. Deeply believing, chaste and pure Communist who true to his beliefs was often very ruthless in dealing with opposition inside and outside the Party, he was a staunch supporter of Marshal Tukhachevsky's drive to make USSR a military superpower. A bright and patriotic person, he was nevertheless accused of Trotskyite conspiracy after the Case of Trotskyist Anti-Soviet Military Organization in 1937; however, shortly before the trial he had actually been called upon by the Soviet government to be one of the judges for the accused. He inisisted on Tukhachevsky's (a prominent figure in the trial) innocence and later killed himself before he could be punished for his actions. Only after this was he added to the list of conspirators. He was rehabilitated posthumously by the CC CPSU and Nikita Khrushchev in 1955.