Uritsky M.S. (1873-1918), revolutionary, statesman

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URITSKY Moisey Solomonovich (1873-1918, Petrograd), statesman. He graduated from the faculty of law of Kiev University (1897). After the split of Russian Social-Democratic Workers' Party (1903) he joined Mensheviks. In 1905 he worked for the party in St. Petersburg. Was arrested more than once. In 1908-12 and 1913-17 was living abroad as an emigrant. After February revolution of 1917 he came back to Petrograd and entered the organization of Inter-regional committee, at the 6th congress of Russian Social-Democratic Workers' Party (bolshevist) together with other members of the organization he was admitted to the party and elected a member of the Central Committee. Uritsky was also in the staff of Petrograd party committee, in the editorial staff of Pravda newspaper, Gorod i zemstvo (City and country council) journal and other Bolshevist publications. The ostensible member of the Central Council. During October of 1917 he was a member of Petrograd Military Revolutionary committee and the armed uprising supervision party centre, a temporary commissar of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Since the end of November he had been appointed the commissar of the Constituent Assembly election commission, and he also organized the dispersal of the Assembly. In February of 1918 he was a member of Petrograd revolutionary defence committee where he spoke against the Brest treaty of peace. Since March of 1918 Uritsky had been holding the position of the chairman of Petrograd Cheka, since April - people's commissar of Home Affairs of the Northern Region. When holding these posts he allowed capital punishment as an exceptional measure only. On August 30, 1918 he was killed by socialist-revolutionary L.S. Kanegisser in the former building of the General Staff (6 Palace Square; there is a memorial plaque in the building). Bolshevist authorities used this act as the ground for beginning of the red terror campaign in Petrograd. Uritsky was buried on the Field of Mars. After his death Taurida Palace was renamed into Uritskogo palace (this name didn't settle down though); Palace square was called Uritskogo Square until 1944. The name of Uritsky was also given to the former city of Uritsk. Om the house where Uritsky had lived (9 Eighth Line of Vasilievsky Island,) there is a memorial plate nowadays.

References: Волков П. П., Гаврилов Л. Н. Первый председатель Петроградской ЧК: (Жизнь и деятельность М. С. Урицкого). Л., 1968; Бережков В. И. Питерские прокураторы: Руководители ВЧК - МГБ, 1918-1954. СПб., 1998. С. 12-28.

I. S. Rozental. Kanegisser Leonid Akimovich
Uritsky Moisey Solomonovich
8th Line of Vasilievsky Island/Saint Petersburg, city, house 9
Dvortsovaya Square/Saint Petersburg, city
Dvortsovaya Square/Saint Petersburg, city, house 6
The Field of Mars/Saint Petersburg, city
Волков П. П., Гаврилов Л. Н. Первый председатель Петроградской ЧК: (Жизнь и деятельность М. С. Урицкого). Л., 1968
Бережков В. И. Питерские прокураторы: Руководители ВЧК - МГБ, 1918-1954. СПб., 1998 February Revolution of 1917
Pravda (The Truth), newspaper
Central Duma
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Constituent Assembly, All-Russian
Main Headquarters
Field of Mars (Marsovo Pole), ensemble
Tauride Palace
1918