Architect of NEP industrialization who championed trusts against Glavkist centralization
“We can manage well only by decentralizing industrial management, bringing the management body closer to the factory, while centralizing leadership of industry as a whole.” — defending trusts against Glavkist centralizers.
A Bolshevik engineer and economic manager from a Moscow merchant family, Bogdanov chaired the Supreme Council of the National Economy (VSNKh) of the RSFSR from 1921 to 1925, designing the institutional architecture of industry under the New Economic Policy. He oversaw the production of the first Soviet tank at the Sormovo plant and, as chairman of the Council of Military Industry, introduced planned production cooperation among military factories during the Civil War. A committed defender of the trust form of industrial organization with broad enterprise autonomy, he opposed the centralized 'Glavkist' model and chaired the Main Concession Committee to attract foreign capital. As head of Amtorg in the United States from 1930 to 1934, he helped pave the way for Soviet-US diplomatic relations, but was arrested in 1937 during the Great Purge and executed in 1938.
Career Timeline
- 1905Joined Bolsheviks; headed military organization of Voronezh Party Committee
- 1906–1908Member of Moscow Party Committee; led Social Democratic student organizations
- 1909–1914Engineer at Moscow Public Works Department; head of Moscow city gas network
- 1917Chairman of military section of Gomel Soviet, chairman of City Duma, chairman of Revolutionary Committee (Nov.)
- 1918–1921Board member of VSNKh Chemical Industry Dept.; authorized rep. for nationalization of chemical industry in Urals and the North
- 1919–1925Chairman of the Council (Main Administration) of Military Industry of VSNKh
- 1921–1925Chairman of VSNKh and member of RSFSR Council of People's Commissars; Chairman of Main Concession Committee
- 1926–1929Chairman of North Caucasus Regional Executive Committee
- 1930–1934Head of Amtorg, the Soviet trade organization in the United States
- 1935–1937First Deputy People's Commissar of Local Industry of the RSFSR
Related historical events
- 1905–1907The Revolution of 1905joined Bolsheviks
- 1918–1922The Civil War and Foreign Interventionmilitary production organizer
- 1921–1928The New Economic Policy (NEP)Designer of NEP industrialization
- 1937–1938The Great PurgeEconomic official targetedA former head of the Supreme Economic Council and Amtorg, he was arrested in 1937 and executed in 1938.