The engineer who ran Leningrad's industry as second city secretary, shot as a lead defendant in the Leningrad Affair
In late 1937 the Kirov plant party committee expelled Kapustin for 'professional incompetence.' Workers submitted a written appeal to the shop chief demanding a review, and the decision was reversed.
Born to a peasant family in Tver Governorate, Kapustin worked as a labourer, served in the Red Army, and graduated with honours from the Leningrad Industrial Institute, following the classic worker-to-engineer trajectory of the first Five-Year Plan generation. As Leningrad City Committee secretary for industry from 1940, he bore personal responsibility for KV tank, regimental gun, and mortar output throughout the blockade, earning the Order of the Red Star; in 1945 he became second secretary and ran the city's postwar economic reconstruction. Arrested in July 1949 as the Leningrad Affair unfolded, he was charged with spying for Britain (a fabricated accusation) and shot at Levashovo on 1 October 1950 alongside Voznesensky, Kuznetsov, Popkov, Rodionov, and Lazutin. He was judicially rehabilitated in 1954 and restored to the Party in 1988.
Career Timeline
- 1923–1928Navvy at Volkhovstroy and riveter at Krasny Putilovets plant; Red Army service, asst. platoon commander
- 1928–1934Fitter and foreman at Voroshilov copper plant; graduated Leningrad Industrial Institute with honours (mechanical engineering)
- 1935–1938Internship at Metropolitan-Vickers, Manchester; deputy head of turbine shop, Kirov plant (briefly expelled from Party, reinstated on workers' appeal)
- 1938–1940Secretary of Kirov plant party committee → secretary of Kirov District Party Committee
- 1940–1945Secretary for industry, Leningrad City Committee; GKO commissioner and 'Big Five' Defence Commission member during the siege
- 1945–1949Second Secretary of Leningrad City Party Committee
- 1949–1950Leningrad Affair: arrested, tried, and executed (judicially rehabilitated 1954, party reinstatement 1988)