Genrikh Yagoda 1891 – 1938

Biography

Genrikh Yagoda was born on November 7, 1891, in the Russian town of Rybinsk. He rose to prominence as a Soviet secret police official during a turbulent period in the Soviet Union’s history. His career placed him at the center of some of the most consequential events of early Soviet governance.

Yagoda’s life came to an end on March 15, 1938, when he was executed by gunshot wound at the Kommunarka shooting ground. He was laid to rest at the same location in Sosenskoye, Soviet Union, where his life had been taken. His death marked the conclusion of a significant chapter in Soviet institutional history, reflecting the volatile nature of power and politics during that era.

The circumstances of Yagoda’s final days remain part of the broader historical record of the Soviet period—a time of profound complexity and consequence for those who held positions of authority.