In pre-revolutionary times in Russian history, it often happened that a person born in the family of a farm laborer became the rector of the university. The time was this: capable people could prove themselves in any field.
Such a fate was in the hands of Alexander Yakovlevich Shumsky, a Russian revolutionary who began his career with a workers' factory, and later contributed to the development of two St. Petersburg higher educational institutions.
Shumsky childhood
The future revolutionary was born in 1980 in the Volyn province, in the village of Borovaya. His father labored at the landowner, his mother was engaged in farming. According to all the laws of that time, the laborer was waiting for Alexander. However, he managed to graduate from two classes of a rural school, where he learned to read, write and count. School was easy for him, as well as later work at a sawmill.
A smart young man was noticed, and a few years later he was already a land reclamation technician in his province, and then he worked in the same specialty in different parts of the country. That was 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 labor conditions and decided to go on strike. The young man fired up with revolutionary ideas, became close to socialist-minded comrades from Zhytomyr and joined their circle. He was an active participant in discussions and real affairs, despite primary education.
Later, comrades in the circle introduced Alexander to the Moscow revolutionary workers, and in 1911 he moved to Moscow.
He really lacked education, and he studied independently, absorbing everything in a row books and textbooks. Therefore, I decided to take exams for secondary school externally. 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 they opened the university to all comers, regardless of their preparation. It was, nevertheless, an authoritative educational institution. It was in him that Alexander Yakovlevich studied at the Faculty of History and received higher education.
According to historians, in reality, the Shumskys were not from poor laborers, and they even had their own coat of arms, which depicts a hawk. This "hawkish" character helped Alexander to rush through life, not agreeing to compromises and not bending before anyone. What I wanted - achieved, that’s the whole philosophy.
However, Alexander hid his origin for unknown reasons. But his revolutionary activity was absolutely sincere - all his comrades confirm this.
Aggravation
The First World War began, during this period Shumsky conducted active work in the Ukrainian socialist organizations. The security guard began his persecution, 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 in Ukraine, land committees began to form, and he became a member of such a committee in Kiev, then in Volyn.
He was a member of the circle of the so-called "Borotbists" - Ukrainian revolutionaries who did not agree with the Bolsheviks on everything. And after the establishment of Soviet power in his homeland, Alexander had to make a difficult decision: to bow to the Bolsheviks or oppose them. They had forces, however, 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 vicissitudes and nuances of that time, you need to carefully study history, work in the archives, what scientists are doing. The time was very difficult, life was seething - a whole era was passing into the past, and it was necessary to have a lot of strength to live and work at such a time, especially in leadership positions. Therefore, it is difficult to explain the events taking place in those difficult times.
Life after the First World War
In 1924, Alexander Shumsky assumed 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 question, he constantly debated on this topic. He was convicted of this by party comrades, so he was sent to Leningrad, to the post of rector of the Institute of National Economy named after 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, there were many reorganizations in the field of education: universities merged, disciplines were abolished. In addition, they carried out "purges from hostile elements": dismissed unwanted teachers and expelled students. Shumsky was an active opponent of such reforms, considered them harmful, openly opposed.
In 1930, Shumsky fell ill and never returned to the institute after a sick leave, he was diagnosed with articular rheumatism. Three years later, he was arrested on false charges - allegedly he is a member of the Ukrainian Military Organization. Alexander Yakovlevich does not accept this accusation - he writes to various instances, calls and needs rehabilitation. However, he is sentenced to 10 years in the infamous Solovki.
In 1946, he was killed by the NKVD officers in Saratov, on the road from Krasnoyarsk to Kiev. Completely rehabilitated in 1958.
