The Kosior brother who died in Vorkuta as an oppositionist while his brother ruled Ukraine for Stalin
After signing the Declaration of 46 in 1923 he spent fifteen years as an oppositionist, through expulsion, exile, a political isolator, and a camp, until he was shot.
Born in Węgrów in Poland, he joined the RSDLP in 1906. He was the brother of Stanislav Kosior, and while his brother rose to the Politburo and the leadership of the Ukrainian party, he took the road of the oppositions. He was an instructor for the Moscow metalworkers union in 1919, a member of the Revolutionary Military Council of the 12th Army and deputy head of the political department of the 14th Army in 1920, chairman of the All-Ukrainian Council of Trade Unions from 1920 to 1922, and chief editor of the trade-union paper Trud from 1922 to 1924. He belonged to the Democratic Centralist group in 1921, signed the Declaration of 46 in 1923, and worked with the Left Opposition thereafter. Expelled in May 1928, he was exiled to Pokrovsk in the Volga German ASSR, and because he kept up the work in exile he was given three years in a political isolator and then five years of exile in Minusinsk. In July 1936 he was sentenced to five years in the camps and held at Ukhta-Pechlag, was arrested again in December 1937, and was shot at Vorkuta on 30 March 1938.
Career Timeline
- 1906Joined the RSDLP
- 1919Instructor, Moscow metalworkers union
- 1920Member, Revolutionary Military Council, 12th Army; deputy head of political department, 14th Army
- 1920–1922Chairman, All-Ukrainian Council of Trade Unions
- 1922–1924Chief editor, the trade-union paper Trud
- 1923Signed the Declaration of 46
- 1928Expelled from the party, exiled to Pokrovsk
- 1936Five years in the camps, held at Ukhta-Pechlag
- 1938Shot at Vorkuta