Register of the N. A. (Nestor Apollonovich) Lakoba papers

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Title: N. A. (Nestor Apollonovich) Lakoba papers
Date (inclusive): 1915-1939
Collection Number: 2003C73
Contributing Institution: Hoover Institution Library and Archives
Language of Material: English
Physical Description: 3 manuscript boxes, 1 oversize box (1.6 Linear Feet)
Abstract: Nestor Apollonovich Lakoba (1893-1936) papers document life and activities of the politician, revolutionary, party and government official, and victim of the purges.
Creator: Stalin, Joseph, 1878-1953
Creator: Lakoba, N. A. (Nestor Apollonovich), 1893-1936
Physical Location: Hoover Institution Library & Archives

Access

The collection is open for research; materials must be requested in advance via our reservation system. If there are audiovisual or digital media material in the collection, they must be reformatted before providing access.

Use

For copyright status, please contact the Hoover Institution Library & Archives

Acquisition Information

Acquired by the Hoover Institution Library & Archives in 2003

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], N. A. (Nestor Apollonovich) Lakoba papers, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives

Biographical Note

1893 May 1 Born, Village of Lykhny, Abkhaziia
1910-1911 Studied at the seminary in Tiflis, Georgia
1912 Became a member of the Russian Social Democratic party
1912-1918 Worked for the Russian Social Democratic party in Abkhaziia and Groznyi
1918 Deputy chairman of the Sukhumi Military Revolutionary Committee (Georgia); organized detachments of partisan forces for combat during the Russian Civil War
  Led the uprising against the Menshevik-dominated government of Abkhaziia
Late 1918 Arrested and imprisoned in Sukhumi, Georgia
1919 Banished from Georgia
1920 Took control of the underground Bolshevik organization in the city of Batumi (Georgia)
1921 Assistant chairman of the Revolutionary Committee in Abkhaziia
1922 Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the Abkhaziian ASSR
1930-1936 Chairman of the Central Executive Committee of Abkhaziia; served on the Central Executive Committee of the Georgian SSR, the Central Executive Committee of the Transcaucasian SFSR, the Central Executive Committee of the USSR and the Bureau of the Party Central Committee in Georgia. He was personally acquainted with his fellow Caucasians Joseph Stalin and Lavrentii Beriia
1936 December 28 Died unexpectedly. Lakoba had an honorable burial, but was later declared an "enemy of the people"

Scope and Content of Collection

Nestor Apollonovich Lakoba (1893-1936) papers document life and activities of the politician, revolutionary, party and government official, and victim of the purges.
A Caucasian revolutionary before 1917, Nestor Lakoba was appointed chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the Abkhaziian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, and from 1930 to 1936 was chairman of the Central Executive Committee of that republic. He served on the Central Executive Committee of the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic, the Central Executive Committee of the Transcaucasian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, the Central Executive Committee of the USSR and the Bureau of the Party Central Committee in Georgia. Since 1917 he was personally acquainted with his fellow Caucasians Joseph Stalin and Lavrentii Beriia. Both later considered him their personal enemy. Majority of people believe he was poisoned by Beriia's agents. He was given a state funeral, but posthumously declared an enemy of the people.
The bulk of the collection is hand written letters between Nestor Lakoba and the leaders of the Russian revolution and high ranking Soviet government officials such as Joseph Stalin, Feliks Dzerzhinskii, Lavrentii Beriia, Sergo Ordzhonikidze, and many others. Correspondence includes letters of both a business and personal nature arranged chronologically.
Photographic series contains a huge bulk of very unique and unknown prints of Soviet leaders, such as Joseph Stalin, Feliks Dzerzhinskii, Lavrentii Beriia, Sergo Orgdzhonikidze, Mikhail Kalinin, Semen Budennyi, as well as Stalin's children Svetlana and Vasilii.
Documentation in the Speeches and Writings includes drafts, notes, sayings, verses, theses, speeches, and final published articles as well as other materials relating to his public life.
Of particular interest is the Biographical file with different versions of autobiographies and curriculum vitae, as well as other materials reflecting his early years in Georgia in general and in Abkhaziia in particular.

Arrangement

The collection is organized into five series: Biographical file, Correspondence, Speeches and Writings, Subject file, and Photographs

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Soviet Union -- Politics and government -- 1917-1936
Georgia (Republic) -- Politics and government -- 1917-1991
Abkhazia (Georgia) -- Politics and government

 

Biographical File 1915-1939

Scope and Contents note

Includes autobiography, curriculum vitae, certificates of graduation, jail documents, medical records, and notebook pages with addresses, phone numbers, notes, and sayings. Arranged by form.
box 1, folder 1

Notebook pages

Scope and Contents note

Includes addresses, phone numbers, notes, and sayings.
box 1, folder 2

Autobiography 1936 February 12

box 1, folder 3

Curriculum vitae 1936 October 14

box 1, folder 4

Certificate of graduation, Tiflis seminary 1915 May 6

box 1, folder 5

Certificate, honorary leader of children communist movement of Abkhaziia, Georgia 1924 August 22

box 1, folder 6

Lakoba case, Sukhumi jail 1918 November-December

box 1, folder 7

Medical records, X-Ray results 1926, 1935

 

Correspondence 1922-1939

Scope and Contents note

Contains correspondence of both business and personal nature. Arranged chronologically.
 

General

 

Undated, unidentified

box 1, folder 8

General

box 1, folder 9

Letter from Kostia regarding pursuit of bandits Chkhopeliia and Sichinava

box 1, folder 10

Unfinished letter in purple ink regarding upcoming visit of L. Beriia to Sukhumi

box 1, folder 11

Note from Dzhemal

box 1, folder 12

1925-1932, unidentified

box 1, folder 13

Cables, mostly undated

Scope and Contents

Includes cables from 1927.
box 1, folder 14

Adamii and Chitai, official letter undated

box 1, folder 15

Kuchuloriia, D. I., People's Commissar of Provision, Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic undated

box 1, folder 16

Pirunov, comrade undated

box 1, folder 17

Meskhishvili 1922 June 15

 

Ordzhonikidze, Sergo (chairman of the Central Control Commission) 1922-1928

box 1, folder 18

Letter to N. Lakoba with a request to send 16.5 million Deutschmarks to Mr. Schreiber, who lives in Berlin undated

Note

Most likely, this is regarding party money earmarked for the support of the German Communist Party.
box 1, folder 19

Note to N. Lakoba asking to accommodate his old friend Sergei Anishchev arriving in Sukhumi on vacation undated

box 1, folder 20

Letter to Atarbekov regarding the visit of Feliks Dzerzhinskii, Genrikh IAgoda, and others to Sukhumi in mid-October 1922 April 17

box 1, folder 21

Letter regarding a visit of Feliks Dzerzhinskii, Genrikh IAgoda, and other people to Sukhumi 1922 May 15

box 1, folder 22

Letter to N. Lakoba regarding Sergo Ordzhonikidze 1923 August 22

box 1, folder 23

Letter to N. Lakoba regarding medical leave of Leon Trotsky to Sukhumi 1924 January 18

box 1, folder 24

Note to N. Lakoba regarding Abkhazian situation 1925 September 27

box 1, folder 25

Draft letter from N. Lakoba to Sergo Ordzhonikize 1926 January 7

box 1, folder 26

Letter regarding Molotov's trip to Sukhumi 1926 November 29

box 1, folder 27

Letter to N. Lakoba asking to arrange a stay in Sukhumi for a military attach Vitalii Primakov 1928 October 18

box 1, folder 28

Belen'kii, A., letter to N. Lakoba regarding doctor's advice to Leon Trotsky to immediately take a trip to the south 1924 January 6

box 1, folder 29

Dzerzhinskii, Feliks (organized the first Soviet institutions of police coercion and terror) 1924 January 18

box 1, folder 30

Official confidential letter from Sofronov, signed as head of the Black Sea fleet 1924 February 13

box 1, folder 31

Official letter from the State Black Sea-Azov steam-ship line 1924 March 21

box 1, folder 32

Prosecutor General of Abkhaziia (Georgia), office memo regarding death sentence to Zholkver, A. 1924 September 25

 

Beriia, Lavrentii, head of the People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (NKVD) 1924-1932

box 1, folder 33

Copy of the letter from N. Lakoba regarding Stalin's request to find a candidate to fill the position of Secretary of the Transcaucasian Regional Communist Committee undated

box 1, folder 34

Defending a famous secret service officer undated

box 1, folder 35

Confirming appointment of comrade Dzhavakhov to a senior position in the Sukhumi CheKa (secret police) 1924 November 12

box 1, folder 36

Letter to N. Lakoba asking him to familiarize himself with the case of Comrades Sadzhaia and TSaralov 1924 November 19

Scope and Contents

Includes L. Beriia's signature on the letterhead of the Tanscaucasian CheKa (secret police).
box 1, folder 37

Secret service travel identification card for protection of comrade Leon Trotsky 1925 January 27

box 1, folder 38

Letter to N. Lakoba concerning two sick workers 1928 September 14

box 1, folder 39

1929 October 29

box 1, folder 40

Copy of the letter which describes a conversation between N. Lakoba and Stalin regarding Secretary of the Transcaucasian Regional Communist Party Committee Mamiia Orakhelashvili 1932 June 21

box 1, folder 41

Letter "the copy of our report note" 1932 July 26

box 1, folder 42

Draft letter to L. Beriia (with copies to Stalin, Kaganovich, Molotov, and Rudzutak) regarding pronouncement received by N. Lakoba on December 21, 1932 1932 December

box 1, folder 43

Georg (possibly Georgii Sturua) 1925 January 26

box 1, folder 44

TSanava, Sergei 1925 August 7

box 1, folder 45

Orakhelashvili. M., secretary of the Transcaucasian Regional Communist Party Committee 1926 January 4

 

Lakoba, Mikhail (N. Lakoba's step brother) 1926

box 1, folder 46

Strictly confidential undated

box 1, folder 47

He was assigned to Leon Trotsky as head of the secret police guard during Trotsky's stay in Abkhaziia 1926 May 23

box 1, folder 48

V. Pantsulai, famous Georgian Menshevik. He is expressing concern about Russian policy in Georgia in general and in Abkhaziia in particular 1926 June 10

box 1, folder 49

Tuskiia, S. 1927 June 16

box 1, folder 50

Inal-Ip, N. 1927 October 4

box 1, folder 51

Gugushvili. V. 1927 November 1

box 1, folder 52

Birvava, P. 1927 November 8

box 1, folder 53

Bzhalava, Manuchar 1929 April 19

 

Stalin, Joseph 1929-1934

box 1, folder 54

Letter to Stalin in which N. Lakoba talks about his (N. Lakoba's) upcoming trip to America "for purchasing of planting material of citrus trees" undated

Scope and Contents

Includes draft and final version.
box 1, folder 55

Expressing disagreement with the decision of the Georgian Bolshevik Party's Central Committee (TSetlin's commission) regarding the Abkhaziian case, which recommended removing N. Lakoba from the position of president of the Central Executive Committee of Abhaziia 1929 October 19

box 1, folder 56

Response to Stalin's letter of October 19 1929 late October

box 1, folder 57

Short evaluation of N. Lakoba's essay "Stalin i Khashim," which was published in October of the same year as an illustrative brochure by the Abhazian party press (20,000 copies) 1934 August 12

box 1, folder 58

Chichinadzhe letter 1931 March 10

box 1, folder 59

Fedorov, Professor, letter regarding N. Lakoba's health 1931 July 20

box 1, folder 60

Eliava, SHalva, Deputy People's Commissar of the Foreign Commerce of the USSR 1931 August-November

box 1, folder 61

SHaginian, Marietta, poet 1932 October 16

box 1, folder 62

Letter on stationery of the "Chairman of the All Union State Association Sovmongtuvtorg" 1932 May 18

box 1, folder 63

Karpov, L. 1932 November 23

box 1, folder 64

Leideker, S. 1933 February 9

box 1, folder 65

Note from the Director of the Kholodnorechensk construction project (Stalin's "dacha" - summer vacation residence) 1933 February 20

box 1, folder 66

CHakvetadze, head of "Traktotsentr" 1933 November 15

box 1, folder 67

Kalandiia, Markoz 1933 November 29

box 1, folder 68

Ivashchenko, Mikhail 1934 January 11

box 1, folder 69

Office memo on the stationery of the Chairman of the State Political Administration 1934 February 26

box 1, folder 70

Agrba, Z. 1934 October 15

box 1, folder 71

Petiaev, S. People's Commissar of Agriculture of Abkhaziia 1934 December 28

box 1, folder 72

Borisova, A. 1936 February

box 1, folder 73

Letter to N. Lakoba from General Vlasik, head of Stalin's secret police guards 1936 May 31

box 1, folder 74

Musabekov, G., secretary of the Transcaucasian Regional Communist Party Committee 1936 November

box 1, folder 75

Letter from Mardaleishvili 1939 September 12

 

Speeches and Writings 1921-1937

Scope and Contents note

Contains of Nestor Lakoba's writings, speeches, reports, coded messages, and orders. Arranged chronologically.
box 2, folder 1-2

N. Lakoba sayings undated

box 2, folder 3-4

Notes undated

box 2, folder 5-7

Theses for speeches undated

 

Speech drafts

box 2, folder 8-10

Undated

box 2, folder 11-13

1930s

box 2, folder 14

Request draft for a battalion of GPU from Tiflis for peasant suppression undated

box 2, folder 15

Report to the "Council of propaganda and action of the people's of the East about the political situation in Sultan (old) Turkey" 1921

box 2, folder 16

Coded messages compiled by N. Lakoba 1922

box 2, folder 17

Article, Iskry Oktiabr'skoi revoliutsii, Sukhumi, printed copy 1922

box 2, folder 18

Speech at a meeting of senior workers 1922 November 18

box 2, folder 19

General thoughts regarding an exhibit of the achievements of the Caucasus economy 1925-1926

box 2, folder 20

Explanation regarding accusations laid down in the office memo of Prosecutor General of the USSR Akulov to Comrade Stalin 1934 January

 

Stalin i KHashim: 1901-1902 gogy, (nekotorye epizody iz Batumskogo podpol'ia), Sukhumi 1934

box 2, folder 21

Theses of the manuscript undated

box 2, folder 22

Holograph and typescript undated

box 2, folder 23

Printed copy 1934

box 2, folder 24

Ot VI k VII S'iezdu Sovetov ASSR Abkhazii, Sukhumi, printed copy 1935

box 2, folder 25

Speech praising the project of the new Soviet Constitution 1936

box 2, folder 26

Speech at the celebratory meeting of the Sukhumi city council devoted to the opening of the railroad Ochamchire-Kelasuri 1936 January 1

box 2, folder 27

Speech, "Progress report on the question of storage of tobacco supplies in Abkhaziia" 1936 January 4

box 2, folder 28

Order, directions and requests ("strictly confidential") for building a two room cottage 1936 October

box 2, folder 29

Strictly confidential letter from investigator Pertsov 1937 February 17

 

Subject File 1914-1936

Scope and Contents note

Arranged chronologically.
box 2, folder 30

Evaluation of work methods of Comrade TSeitlin in the city of Gudauta undated

Scope and Contents note

Typescript. Includes handwritten notes.
box 2, folder 31

Letter to Anton Ivanovich from unidentified correspondent undated

box 2, folder 32

Survey, "Agriculture of Abkhaziia - base of the Soviet food industry" (pp. 8-24 are missing) undated

box 2, folder 33

Questionnaire for "The history of the civil war in Abkhaziia" undated

box 2, folder 34

Letter (21 pages) from the people of the Abkhaziian Autonomous Republic to Comrade Stalin undated

box 2, folder 35

Complaint regarding false accusations to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Georgia, unidentified undated

box 2, folder 36

Reference material about geranium planting undated

box 2, folder 37

Bank document and check 1914 October 14

box 2, folder 38

Appreciation letter to Doctor Sil'chenko 1921

box 2, folder 39

Miriantsev, Georgii, promissory note 1923

box 2, folder 40

Case of bandits CHkhopeliia and Sichinava. Includes list of crimes committed 1924

box 2, folder 41

Minutes of meetings, Caucasian Regional Control Commission, Russian Communist Bolshevik Party 1924-1925

box 2, folder 42

Kadyrov, Seid, report ("strictly confidential") on the national question in Georgia 1929 May

box 3, folder 1

Kolokolkin, V., note early 1930s

box 3, folder 2

Danchin, Valerian Dmitrievich, curriculum vitae 1930 August 7

box 3, folder 3

Council of the Tkvarchel'skii collective farm, progress report 1931 January-August

box 3, folder 4

Rubtsov, L. I., description of the local tree "prutniak" or "Avraamovo derevo" (Vitex Agnus Castus) 1934 December 31

box 3, folder 5-6

Excerpts from the newspaper Pravda 1935 April 5, 19

box 3, folder 7

KHatuntsev, letter to his doctor 1936 October 14

 

Photographs undated

Scope and Contents note

Mostly undated, including many images from the 1930s. Arranged by topic.
 

N. Lakoba

box 3, folder 8-9

Portrait

box 3, folder 10

On a tribune

box 3, folder 11

In a parade

box 3, folder 12

In automobile

box 3, folder 13

In the airplane named after him Looking through an open window

 

N. Lakoba with Soviet and party officials

box 3, folder 14

Joseph Stalin, Mikhail Kalinin, and others

box 3, folder 15

Sergo Ordzhinikidzhe, Semen Budennyi, and others

box 3, folder 16

L. Beriia, A Khandzhian, and others

box 3, folder 17

L. Beriia, N.A. Lakoba, and V.D. Lakoba on steps of Smetsky family dacha

Scope and Contents

L.P. Beria (middle row left, in peasant shirt and pince-nez) speaks with N.A. Lakoba (next to Beria, in white shirt and peaked cap). District militia head V.D. Lakoba (in military uniform with badges) sits on the lowest step on the bottom left. Abkhazian District Party Committee (Obkom) Chairman V.K. Ladariya is furthest to the right (in grey overcoat and tall boots). The photograph is from the early 1930s, most likely 1930-32, and was taken on the front steps of the former Smetsky family dacha, a prestigious guest house in the Soviet period and currently a residence of the President of Abkhazia.
box 3, folder 18

N. Lakoba, L. Beriia, Sarie Lakoba (N. Lakoba's wife), and others

box 3, folder 19

Group of delegates (including N. Lakoba) of the VIIth All-Union Congress of the Council of People Deputies

box 3, folder 20

Guests at home

box 3, folder 21-22

Guests in the Botanical garden

box 3, folder 23

Friends on a wooden bridge

box 3, folder 24

Lev Kamenev with hunting trophies

box 3, folder 25-26

In his native village Lykhny with Moscow guests

box 3, folder 27

Group of people in front of the Duke's home in Lykhny village

box 3, folder 28

Abkhaziian party

box 3, folder 29

Two other horsemen

box 3, folder 30

Horsemen in mountains

box 3, folder 31

Group of people sitting on a bench

box 3, folder 32

Bolsheviks in an automobile

box 3, folder 33

L. Beriia in N. Lakoba's car

box 3, folder 34-35

L. Beriia, Nina Gegechkori (his wife), Svetlana Stalina and others (on a ship)

box 3, folder 36

Series of photographs depicting L. Beriia flirting with a woman

box 3, folder 37

L. Beriia, Khandzhian, and Musabekov

box 3, folder 38

L. Beriia on a tribune

 

Friends and family

box 3, folder 39

Vasilii Stalin, Nina Gegechkori (L. Beriia's wife), and Sarie Lakoba (N. Lakoba's wife)

box 3, folder 40

Nina Gegechkori (L. Beriia's wife), Svetlana Stalina, Sarie Lakoba (N. Lakoba's wife), and Nazie Dzhikhashvili (N. Lakoba's relative)

box 3, folder 41

IAkov Dzhugashvili (Stalin's son), Svetlana Stalina, and Rauf Lakoba (N. Lakoba's son)

box 3, folder 42

Sergo Ordzhonikidzhe with Rauf (N. Lakoba's son), group picture

box 3, folder 43

Svetlana Stalina and L. Beriia

 

Funeral

box 3, folder 44-46

General

box 3, folder 47

Memorial service

box 3, folder 48

L. Beriia helping to carry N. Lakoba's coffin

box 3, folder 49

Funeral wreath from L. Beriia and his wife Nina Gegechkori

box 3, folder 50

3 strips of contact prints

box 4

Album with inscription "To Comrade Lakoba" 1933 September

Scope and Contents

Depicts vacation images of Joseph Stalin, L. Beriia, N. Lakoba, and many others.