Berman, Boris Davydovich

Born into a Jewish family (the head of the family was the owner of a brick factory). He graduated from the 4-class Chita City College. Since May 1918 , a volunteer in the Red Army . After the arrival of the White Guards, he moved to Manchuria at the Qiqihar railway station, where he worked for hire.

In 1919 he was mobilized by the White Guards into the guard forces. Since 1919 - in the organs of the Cheka , as part of one of the partisan detachments created by the Chekists, which was operatively subordinate to V.K. Blucher , took part in an attempt to organize a revolution in Manchuria, where he was in illegal work.

In December 1920 he returned to Chita, then moved to Semipalatinsk . In 1921 - technical secretary of the propaganda of the Semipalatinsk provincial committee of the RCP (b). Since February 1921 - an employee of the Irkutsk Provincial Cheka, chaired by his brother Matvey Davidovich Berman . In 1922 - 1923 he served in the Red Army: private, political instructor, instructor of the political department of the army.

Member of the RCP (b) since August 1923 .

Since the beginning of 1923 - again in the organs of the OGPU.

• 1923-1924 - Commissioner of the first branch of the Economic Department of the OGPU in Moscow,
• 1924 - at the disposal of the MK RCP (b). Then he worked in the Sergiev district committee of the RCP (b),
• 1925-1926 - in the Economic Department of the OGPU - Assistant to the Head of the 1st Division,
• 1926-1927 - Head of the 8th branch of the Economic Administration of the OGPU,
• 1927-1928 - Head of the 6th Division of the Economic Administration of the OGPU,
• 1928-1929 - in the authorized representative of the OGPU in Central Asia - and. about. Head of Counterintelligence Division,
• 1929-1930 - Head of the Counterintelligence Division and at the same time the Head of the Special Division,
• 1930-1931 - Assistant to the Head of the Secret Operations Directorate (JMA) of the Plenipotentiary Representation of the OGPU and at the same time Deputy Head of the Special Department of the JMA of the OGPU. He took part in military operations against the Basmachi.

In January 1931 he was transferred to the Foreign Department of the Secret Operational Directorate (INO) of the OGPU, sent by a resident to Berlin , where he acted under the guise of an employee of the plenipotentiary mission of the USSR in Germany. In the summer of 1931, Berman's residency announced the possibility of Adolf Hitler coming to power. In 1932, he was given information about secret negotiations of Reich Chancellor F. von Papen with the governments of the Western powers, aimed at curtailing relations with the Soviet Union and the unification of European states for aggression against the USSR.

In 1933 he was sent by an illegal resident to Rome . Since 1934, in leadership positions in the central office of the INO OGPU: assistant to the head of the Foreign Department of the Main Directorate of State Security of the NKVD of the USSR, second deputy head of the Foreign Department of the Main Department of State Security of the NKVD of the USSR.

Since May 21, 1935 - First Deputy Head of the Foreign Department of the Main Directorate of State Security (GUGB) of the NKVD of the USSR Abram Slutsky .

In 1936 - 1937 - Deputy Head of the Secret Political (4th) Division of the GUGB of the NKVD of the USSR.

Since March 1937 - People's Commissar of Internal Affairs of the Belarusian SSR and head of the Special Department of the Belarusian Military District. He was a member of the Belarusian Republican Special NKVD Troika . This period was marked by the inclusion of a special troika created by order of the NKVD of the USSR dated July 30, 1937 No. 00447 ^[1] and active participation in the Stalinist repressions ^[2] . Almost all of the party and Soviet leadership of Belarus was repressed on his initiative, including the first secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Belarus N.K. Gey , the chairman of the Central Executive Committee of the Byelorussian SSR A.G. Chervyakov , the writer D. Zhilunovich , and on the night of October 30, 31 On October 1937, several dozens of the most prominent Belarusian poets, writers and scientists were shot. He began an investigation against G.K. Zhukov , but he “escaped” with only a severe reprimand - the intercession of S.K. Timoshenko saved.

In May 1938 he was recalled to Moscow and approved by the head of the 3rd Directorate (transport and communications) of the NKVD of the USSR.

Member of the Supreme Council of the USSR of the 1st convocation.

He was arrested on September 24, 1938. He was sentenced by the HCAB to the death penalty, shot at the Kommunarka firing range . In addition to espionage charges in favor of Germany, Italy and China, he was charged with other charges - of making unjustified mass arrests, authorizing torture and abuse of power.

The military collegium of the Supreme Court of the USSR in 1956 recognized him not subject to rehabilitation.

Brother M. D. Berman . Wife Maria Arkadyevna Bak, an employee of the NKVD , sister of B. A. Bak .

He was awarded the Order of Lenin (12/19/1937), two badges "Honorary Worker of the Cheka-GPU", registered weapons.

• Berman B.D. // Petrov N.V., Skorkin K.V. Who led the NKVD, 1934-1941: reference book / Ed. N. G. Okhotin and A. B. Roginsky. - M .: Links, 1999 .-- 502 p. - 3000 copies. - ISBN 5-7870-0032-3 .
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• Berman, Boris Davydovich at the Rodovod . Tree of ancestors and descendants
• Boris Davydovich Berman // Website Hrono.info
• Berman Boris Davydovich // Website Alexanderyakovlev.org