.svg "Lavrentiy Beria"){kind=small}
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Nestor Lakoba, Nikita Khrushchev, Lavrentiy Beria and Aghasi Khanjian during the opening of the Moscow Metro in 1936, the same year that Lakoba and Khanjian were killed by Beria.
Lavrenty Beria (born March 29 [March 17, Old Style], 1899, Merkheuli, Russian Empire [now in Georgia]—died December 23, 1953, Moscow, Russia, U.S.S.R.) was the director of the Soviet secret police who played a major role in the purges of Joseph Stalin’s opponents.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
I am wondering if Beria truly was likely guilty of being the mass murderer, pedophile, and rapist he was accused of, or if after Stalin's death, he functioned as a convenient scapegoat for blame as the country went through De-Stalinization.
He died of a massive left middle cerebral artery hemorrhagic stroke that was confirmed on autopsy. Even with all the Cold War intrigue, that is the least suspicious story I've ever heard. Even with all the advances in modern medicine, stroke is still the second leading cause of death on Earth today.
- Stalin’s compatriot and right-hand. Just like his boss Joseph Stalin, Lavrentiy Beria (1899 – 1953) was born and bred in Georgia. An ethnic Mingrelian (a small nation closely-related to Georgians), during the Russian Civil War (1918-1921) he specialized in spying and undercover operations for the Bolsheviks in neighboring Azerbaijan.
- Reduced the extent of the Great Terror. In Russia, it is common to associate Beria, the longest-sitting head of the NKVD during Stalin’s era, with mass repressions.
- In charge of the atomic project. Stalin appreciated Beria’s organizational skills enough to put him in charge of the manufacture of armaments, aircraft and aircraft engines during World War II – which was in addition to his duties in state security that included both coordinating the work of spies and the infamous deportations of ethnic groups accused of collaborating with the Germans – Chechens, Crimean Tatars and so on.
- Rumored to be a rapist. “Stalin’s attitude towards Beria was special. He was the only one among the top members of the Communist Party not to have an apartment but a mansion in Moscow all to himself,” Lurie states.
The death of Joseph Stalin in 1953 marked a turning point in Lavrentiy Beria and his life. He attempted to consolidate power and even sought to initiate some reforms. However, his rivals within the Communist Party viewed him as a threat. In June 1953, Beria was arrested, accused of a litany of crimes, including abuse of power and sexual misconduct.
An in-depth look at the life of Lavrentiy Beria, Russia's "Himmler" who served under Stalin and nearly took power after Stalin's death.
