The Gosbank chairman Stalin called 'our Red banker' and removed a week later
On 14 July 1936, in Stalin's office, Gosbank chairman Maryasin voiced fears for his fate. Stalin embraced him: 'You're no oppositionist. You're our Red banker. What are you afraid of?' A week later, his office was sealed with a lump of plasticine.
Born in Mogilyov, he joined the Bolsheviks in 1915 and rose through party organs: from the Ukrainian CP(B) to deputy head of the Organizational Distribution Department of the Central Committee in Moscow, where he became a close friend of Nikolai Yezhov. After graduating from the Institute of Red Professors in 1930 he entered Gosbank, serving as its chairman from April 1934 to July 1936 while simultaneously acting as Deputy People's Commissar of Finance and member of the Council of Labor and Defense. Arrested five months after his removal, he was shot in August 1938, tortured on the direct orders of Yezhov, whom he had once affectionately called 'Lyovushka.'
Career Timeline
- 1917–1918Commissar of educational institutions, Moscow Military District
- 1918–1920Head of Vsevobuch department, All-Russian General Staff
- 1920–1921Chairman of Voronezh City Committee, Executive Secretary of Oryol Gubernia Committee
- 1922–1923Chairman, Central Economic Council of the Turkestan ASSR
- 1923–1924Head of Trade & Financial Policy, Main Economic Administration, VSNKh
- 1925–1927Head of Information-Statistical Dept, member of CC CP(b) Ukraine
- 1927–1928Deputy Head, Organizational Distribution Dept, CC VKP(b)
- 1928–1930Studied at the Institute of Red Professors
- 1934–1936Gosbank Chairman, Deputy Narkomfin, member of Council of Labor and Defense