Vadim Birstein - The Perversion of Knowledge

Dobzhansky, Theodosius(1900–1975), Soviet-American geneticist and evolutionist. Started his career at the Genetics Department of Leningrad State University. In 1927 left the Soviet Union to work in the laboratory of Thomas H. Morgan in the United States. Did not return to the Soviet Union in 1931 and became a “defector.” Wrote a series of fundamental monographs on genetics, evolution, and human behavior ( Genetics and Origin of Species (1937), Mankind Evolving: The Evolution of the Human Species (1962), etc.).

Dukes, Paul(1889–1967), British musician and spy. Came to Russia in 1909 and became assistant conductor at the Mariinsky (now Kirov) Theater in St. Petersburg. In 1918 was recruited by British Intelligence (SIS) and returned to Russia under the code name ST 25. In Petrograd from November 1918 to September 1919. Knighted for his service in Soviet Russia. See Dukes, Paul, Red Dusk and the Morrow: Adventures and Investigations in Red Russia (Garden City: Doubleday, Page, 1922), pp. 1–224, and Dukes, Paul, The Story of “ST 25”: Adventures and Romance in the Secret Intelligence Service in Red Russia (London: Cas-selland Co., 1938), pp. 37–44.

Dzerzhinsky, Felix(1877–1926), the first chairman of the VCheKa/OGPU. A Polish noble by origin. In 1895 joined a Social Democratic group, then the Social Democratic Party of Poland and Lithuania. Arrested in 1897, 1900, 1905, 1908, 1912. Sentenced to 3 years of hard labor and released after the February Revolution of 1917. On his suggestion, the Politburo (later Presidium) of the Central Committee of the Bolshevik Party was organized in October 1917. During the Bolshevik coup, a member of the Petrograd Military-Revolutionary Center of the Party. From December 20, 1917, and until his death in 1926, was VCheKa/OGPU chairman. Also commissar of Internal Affairs (1919–1923), commissar of Ways of Communication (1921–1924), chairman of the Supreme Council of the National Economy (VSNKh) (1924–1926).

Efroimson, Vladimir(1908–1989), geneticist, a pupil of Nikolai Koltsov and Sergei Chetverikov, and an outspoken fighter against Lysenko. Studied at Moscow University but was not allowed to graduate because of the arrest of his father. In the late 1920s, worked at the State Roentgen Institute. From 1930–1932, at the Trans-Caucasian Institute of Silkworm Breeding. Arrested in 1932 in Moscow, sentenced to three years’ imprisonment after refusing to testify against Nikolai Koltsov. Released in 1936, worked at the Central Asian Research Institute of Silkworm Breeding in the city of Tashkent (Uzbekistan). In 1938, his monograph on genetics of silkworms was destroyed on the order of local officials. From 1939, at the All-Ukrainian Station of Silkworm Breeding. In 1941, volunteered for the army; served as a medical and intelligence officer. From 1945, at the Darwinism and Genetics Department in the city of Kharkov. Fired in 1948. In 1949 arrested again after sending the analysis of Lysenko’s falsifications to the Party Central Committee. Released in 1955, rehabilitated in 1956. Restored his report on Lysenko’s falsifications and sent it to the General Prosecutor’s Office. While working as a bibliographer at the Library of Foreign Languages in Moscow, in 1964 published the monograph Introduction to Medical Genetics . Head of the Genetics Department at the Moscow Institute of Psychiatry under the Ministry of Health (1967–1976). Forced to retire after his protest against the incarceration of the dissident General Pyotr Grigorenko in a special MVD psychiatric prison hospital. At the Academy Institute of Developmental Biology (1976–1989). Two of his most important monographs were published after his death.

Eitingon, Naum(1899–1981) joined the CheKa in the town of Gomel (Belorussia) in 1920. From 1923, deputy head of the OGPU Eastern Department (Moscow). From 1925, in the Foreign (Intelligence) Department: in China, Turkey, France, and Belgium (1931–1933). Head of the Eighth Division of this department (1933). In China, then in Spain during the Spanish Civil War (under different alias). In 1939–1940, organized the successful assassination of Leon Trotsky in Mexico and a spy network in the United States. Deputy head of the First NKVD Directorate (1941), and from July 1941, deputy head of the NKGB Special Group. Deputy head of the Fourth NKVD/NKGB Directorate (1942–1946). In charge of the assassination attempt on German Ambassador Franz von Pappen in Turkey (1943). Organized the anti-German partisan movement on the Nazi-occupied territories (1942–1945). Also in charge of cleansing Poland, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, and Romania of anti-Soviet military groups. Unsuccessfully tried to organize the escape of Trotsky’s murderer Ramon Mercader from a prison in Mexico (1943–1944). After World War II, continued the NKGB/MGB cleansing in Poland and Lithuania. Major general (1945). Deputy head of the MGB Department DR (terrorism) (1946–1951). Together with Pavel Sudoplatov and Grigory Mairanovsky, took part in political assassinations. Arrested in 1951, released in 1953. In May 1953, appointed deputy head of the MVD Ninth Department. On August 20, 1953, arrested again, tried on March 6, 1957, and condemned to 12 years’ imprisonment. Kept in Vladimir Prison. Released in 1964. An editor at the Foreign Literature Publishing House. Rehabilitated in 1990.

Engelhardt, Vladimir(1894–1984), biochemist and one of the founders of molecular biology in the USSR. Academician (1953). In 1959, organized and directed the Academy Institute of Radiation and Physical-Chemical Biology (in 1964 renamed the Institute of Molecular Biology). Secretary academician of the Academy Biological Branch (1955–1959). Anti-Lysenkoist.

Fedotov, Pyotr(1900–1963) joined the CheKa in 1922 at the Northern Caucasus. From 1937, in Moscow. Head of the Second Directorate of the NKVD (1938–1941), then NKGB (February 1941–July 1941), then NKVD again (July 1941–April 1943), then NKGB/MGB (1943–1946). Head of the First MGB Directorate (Foreign Intelligence) and deputy MGB minister (1946–1947). Deputy chairman of the Committee of Information (KI) under the Council of Ministers (1947–1949), deputy chairman of the KI under the Foreign Ministry (1949–1952), head of the First MVD Main Directorate (counter-espionage) (1953–1954), head of the First MVD Directorate (1953–1954), head of the Second KGB Directorate (1954–1956), and at the High KGB School (1956–1959). Dismissed from the KGB in 1959 (Petrov and Skorkin, Kto rukovodil NKVD , pp. 418–419).

Fefer, Isaak(1900–1952), Jewish poet and writer. Joined the Bolshevik Party in 1919. Secretary of the Jewish Anti-Fascist Committee (JAC) (1942–1948). In 1943, together with JAC Chairman Solomon Mikhoels, visited the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Great Britain; they lectured about Nazi atrocities against the Jews and about JAC activity. Also a secret NKVD/MGB informer under the alias “Zorin” (1944–1948). Tried in 1952 together with the other JAC members, condemned to death and shot. Rehabilitated (Kostyrchenko, Out of the Red Shadows , pp. 39–43).

Figatner, Yurii(1889–1937), Party figure, member of the Control Commission of the Central Committee (1925–1934), head of the Main Inspection of the Council of People’s Commissars (Sovnarkom), and member of the Presidium of the Sovnarkom (1929–1937). Chairman of the State Commission on cleansing the staff of the Academy of Sciences of “class enemies” (1929). Arrested and shot in 1937.

Filimonov, Mikhail(1910–1958) joined the NKVD in December 1938. Head of the NKVD Fourth Special Department (1939–1941), and head of a department within the Fourth Directorate of the NKVD/NKGB/MGB (1942–1946). A supervisor of Mairanovsky’s experiments on prisoners. Discharged from the central MGB in Moscow in 1947 and sent to the Ukrainian MGB, from which he was fired in 1954 because of his drinking problem (Petrov and Skorkin, Kto rukovodil NKVD , pp. 421–422).