Nikolai Krestinsky 1883 – 1938

Biography

Nikolai Krestinsky was born on October 25, 1883, in Mahilyow, a city in what is now Belarus. Over the course of his life, he rose to prominence as a Soviet diplomat, serving his nation during a formative period in Soviet history. His career placed him at the intersection of international relations and the developing Soviet state during the early twentieth century.

Krestinsky’s life came to a tragic end on March 15, 1938, in Moscow, when he died from a gunshot wound. He was fifty-four years old. His death occurred during one of the most turbulent periods in Soviet history, a time marked by significant political upheaval and uncertainty. Following his death, he was interred at the Kommunarka shooting ground near Sosenskoye in the Soviet Union, a location that would become historically significant as a burial site from this era.

Though details of his diplomatic work remain limited in the historical record available, Krestinsky’s life represents an important chapter in early Soviet diplomatic history. His career and the circumstances of his death reflect the complex and often tragic experiences of those who served the Soviet state during its formative decades.