Bukharin's Final Note Questioned Stalin

Once a top Bolshevik leader and Stalin's chief ally, Russian revolutionary Nikolai Bukharin reportedly sent Soviet leader Joseph Stalin one final note asking, "Koba, why do you need me to die?" Authorities executed Bukharin by firing squad at the Kommunarka shooting ground in 1938, after convicting him in a show trial. Koba was Stalin's old nom de guerre, and Bukharin's use of it reflected their former closeness. Stalin allegedly kept the note in his desk, where it remained until its discovery after his death in 1953.

Previous Fact Next Fact