In pre-revolutionary times in Russian history, it often happened that a person born into the family of a farm laborer became the rector of the university. The time was like this: capable people could prove themselves in any area.
Such was the fate of Aleksandr Yakovlevich Shumsky, a Russian revolutionary who began his journey as a factory worker and later contributed to the development of two St. Petersburg higher educational institutions.
Shumsky's childhood
The future revolutionary was born in 1980 in the Volyn province, in the village of Borovaya. His father worked for a landowner, his mother was engaged in the economy. The life of a laborer, according to all the laws of that time, was waiting for Alexander. However, he managed to finish two classes of a rural school, where he learned to read, write and count. School came easily to him, as did later work at a sawmill.
The clever young man was noticed, and after a few years he was already a technician-meliorator in his province, and then he worked in the same specialty in different parts of the country. This was the case until the February Revolution of 1917.
The beginning of revolutionary activity
Shumsky began his protest activity when he was 29 years old - in 1909. Then he took an active part in the strike at his sawmill. The workers were outraged by the slave working conditions and decided to go on strike. The young man was fired up with revolutionary ideas, became close to socialist-minded comrades from Zhitomir and joined their circle. He was an active participant in discussions and real affairs, despite his primary education.
Later, his circle mates introduced Alexander to the revolutionary-minded workers in Moscow, and in 1911 he moved to Moscow.
He really lacked education, and he studied on his own, absorbing all the books and textbooks in a row. Therefore, I decided to take exams for secondary school as an external student. At the same time he worked in his specialty. Fortunately, the training was not in vain, and Shumsky received a certificate of maturity - a document on secondary education.
And immediately he submits an application to the Moscow Free University, which was presented to the city by the gold miner Shanyavsky. This philanthropist donated land and a building in Moscow, where the university was opened for everyone, regardless of their preparation. It was, however, a reputable educational institution. It was in it that Alexander Yakovlevich studied at the Faculty of History and received a higher education.
As historians write, in reality the Shumsky were not one of the poor farm laborers, and they even had their own coat of arms, which depicts a hawk. This "hawkish" character helped Alexander rush through life, not agreeing to compromises and not bowing to anyone. What he wanted - he achieved, that's the whole philosophy.
However, Alexander hid his origin for unknown reasons. But his revolutionary activity was absolutely sincere - all his comrades affirm this.
Aggravation of the situation
The First World War began, during this period Shumsky was actively involved in Ukrainian socialist organizations. The security service began persecuting him, he was threatened with arrest and prison, and Alexander was forced to leave for the Trans-Caspian region, where he worked as a hydraulic engineer.
Then the February revolution broke out, and Shumsky became a member of the Committee of Soldiers' Deputies. Then land committees began to form in Ukraine, and he became a member of such a committee in Kiev, then in Volyn.
He was a member of a circle of so-called "Borotbists" - Ukrainian revolutionaries who did not agree with the Bolsheviks in everything. And after the establishment of Soviet power in his homeland, Alexander had to make a difficult decision: to bow to the Bolsheviks or to confront them. They had the strength, but it was decided to join the CP (b) U. However, nothing good came of this: soon most of them were expelled from the party.
To understand the twists and turns and nuances of that time, you need to carefully study history, work in archives, what scientists do. The time was very difficult, life was in full swing - a whole era was leaving the past, and one had to have a lot of strength to live and work at such a time, especially in leadership positions. Therefore, it is now difficult to explain the events taking place in those difficult times.
Life after the first world war
In 1924, Oleksandr Shumsky accepted the post of People's Commissar of Education of Ukraine, where he worked for three years. Also at this time he edits several scientific and socio-political publications, publishes his works on history and journalism. At the same time, Shumsky is a researcher at the Kharkov Institute of Marxism.
He was constantly worried about the national issue, he constantly discussed this topic. Party comrades condemned him for this, so he was sent to Leningrad, to the post of rector of the Institute of National Economy. Engels, where he worked for less than a year. In 1929 he was transferred to the Polytechnic Institute, also to the post of rector.
At that time, many reorganizations were carried out in the field of education: universities were merged, disciplines were abolished. In addition, they carried out "cleansing of hostile elements": they fired unwanted teachers and expelled students. Shumsky was an active opponent of such reforms, considered them harmful, openly opposed them.
In 1930, Shumsky fell ill and never returned to the institute after sick leave, he was diagnosed with articular rheumatism. Three years later, he was arrested on false charges that he was allegedly a member of the Ukrainian Military Organization. Alexander Yakovlevich does not accept this accusation - he writes to various authorities, calls and demands rehabilitation. However, he is sentenced to 10 years in the notorious Solovki.
In 1946 he was killed by NKVD officers in Saratov, on the way from Krasnoyarsk to Kiev. Fully rehabilitated in 1958.
Personal life
The life of a revolutionary, especially one as purposeful as Shumsky, cannot be called romantic. However, when Alexander was already over thirty, he met Evdokia Goncharenko, a companion and like-minded person. She made a personal revolution in his life: they got married, and soon a son, Yaroslav, appeared in the Shumsky family.
When the repressions began, his wife strongly supported Alexander Yakovlevich, but she was also under surveillance - she was suspected of having contacts with former Socialist-Revolutionaries. She was shot after the usual review of the novel by the writer Kataev - she allegedly discredited Soviet literature. This was in 1937.
The Shumsky's son Yaroslav died near Moscow in 1942.
