Execution of Nikolai Yezhov - Sadistic Head of Soviet Secret Police & Mass Murderer

Nikolai Yezhov was born on 1 May 1895 in St. Petersburg, then part of the Russian Empire. Yezhov started climbing the Soviet bureaucracy ranks and by 1930, he was attending Politburo meetings, the executive committee of the Communist Party. Between 1919 and 1930 Yezhov was married to a minor Communist Party clerk Antonia Titova. In late 1930 he married his second wife Yevgenia Feigenburg, who was Jewish and 9 years his junior. She was a glamorous woman and they had an adopted daughter, Natasha, an orphan from a children's home. By the early 1930s Yezhov was a rising star within the Communist Party, and Stalin welcomed him into his inner circle. In 1934, Yezhov was elected to the Central Committee of the Communist Party, and the following year he became a secretary of the Central Committee. Yezhov was known for his loyalty to Stalin and his administrative skills. Stalin admired Yezhov’s hard work, once writing to him in August 1935, “When you say something, you always do it!” As a sign of affection, Stalin gave Yezhov a nickname: "my little blackberry."
There were no tears shed for Nikolai Yezhov.
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[@user-gj5gb7fd6n]

This is what happens when the inmates takeover the asylum.

[@freemason4979]

It's called socialism/communism/the left

[@patriciamurphy2085]

as is now

[@suecharnock9369]

trouble is - Russian history repeats itself.

[@user-pc9kk9ip4s]

There is an old saying: "The revolution eats its children! ".

[@BrianHayter-zl2uc]

So true, trust no one brother.

[@colingoldberg782]

What goes around comes around and the wheel turns

[@fresatx]

Like Saturn

[@lamalama9717]

There were actual cannibals in those days. So "eating their own children" was literal sometimes.

[@johnking7008]

@@lamalama9717 ..That was said about French Revolution first. Stalin ate all his friends and comrades.

[@Nicokash392]

He got exactly what he deserves

[@roaropgard8575]

What a sadistic police he was😰😰 I shed tears for the victims 😢😢

[@helmuthuber766]

Just read Solschenizyn „Archipelago GULAG „……

[@user-tf4ho2uo1e]

stop using AI voices!

[@touchofgrey5372]

I was just criticizing his voice! It's horrible!

[@ForageGardener]

No

[@Dmarie547]

I don't like the AI voices.

[@AlcibiadesMD]

@@Dmarie547I share those same sentiments, ai voice feel empty.

[@MikeWinkyObama]

When I first heard the nasal voice, I thought it was some sort of Monty Pythonesque spoof!

[@duartesimoes508]

And after Yezhov went Beria...

[@Kaumov1989m]

After Stalin's death, Beria carried out a mass liberation, freeing about 1-2 million prisoners of the USSR camps. They were rehabilitated, but criminal incidents grew up, which were suppressed by him promptly.

[@DTogo3774]

And before yezhov went yagoda

[@lacivmvominj]

​@@DTogo3774Yagoda is a Jewish 🤫

[@hollingsworth_hound]

Just like Beria, this monster was exposed in the end as a completely spineless little coward who cried and begged for his life rather than face his death with a modicum of courage.

[@davidtwliew616]

When you work with the devil, you became the devil himself.😮

[@vpa0]

what a sadistic voice over

[@stevielegrand]

This is an excellent, detailed summary of Yezhov, someone about whom I knew nothing until coming across this documentary about him. Thank you!

[@B_Ruphe]

This is spoilt by the ridiculous fake chatbot voice thing. A proper human narrator, with the correct prinunciations, intonation and other prosody aspects, would surely not have been beyond the realm of the producer's ability to recruit?

[@thegreat_I_am]

The guy with the huge mustache is Semyon Budyonny. When Stalin sent the executioners for him, Budyonny held them off at gun point. Afterwards he never mentioned it to Stalin, nor visa versa. Semyon Budyonny was one of the two pre-war Marshals of the Soviet Union to survive Stalin.

[@thunderK5]

Budyonny was tough and brave but he was a poor general, being defeated by the Poles in 1920 and the Germans in 1941.

[@shelto1961]

Which guy was that please. They all had big moustaches 😅

[@thegreat_I_am]

@@shelto1961 He’s the guy applauding to Stalin’s right. There are a few big mustaches, but none bigger than Budyonny’s.

[@rnp497]

actually 2 survived the Purge the other being Voroshilov

[@admiralbenbow5083]

Budyonny was pro cavalry and anti tank. At least these days it seems like he had a point There is still a town named after him to the East of Krasnodar. Budyonnovsk

[@renee1961]

Good late evening, World History. Thank You as ALWAYS for your videos.

[@TheBorgrR]

What a horrible voice over to listen to.

[@cv507]

´ale inn pässtärtz. sync itz Fvnnie xD

[@duartesimoes508]

The voice off is absolutely unbearable. Arrogant and intolerable.

[@wongiemanda3827]

Thru can't pronounce some words that's why

[@davidsigalow7349]

Hangmen also die.

[@drm9979]

currently reading the book “Stalin” and encountered this creep. it is frightening how evil completely took over the Russian Empire(USSR). at the same time, like with Hitler and his lieutenants, crazy how these people acted and socialized with each other in a manner like other humans. And they never once relented in their claim to be doing what they did for the good of the people. “The good of the people is always the alibi of tyrants.”. Albert Camus.. amazing footage and video commentary.

[@eamonwright7488]

Stephen Kotkin’s bio on Stalin? Amazing books, can’t wait for volume 3 next year!

[@drm9979]

@@eamonwright7488 the one I am reading is by Simon Montefiore.

[@admiralbenbow5083]

Which book "Stalin" ? There are 100s

[@drm9979]

@@admiralbenbow5083 by Simon Montefiore. highly recommend it.

[@paulalexander2740]

My car mechanic has hair like Stalin a is a prick!

[@daveblan9789]

Starlin was no better than Hitler

[@johnducan2487]

He was worse, he went after his own people.

[@siegfriedbartel7122]

On the personal scale of evil, correct....

[@gerryhouska2859]

For four years, he was Hitler's best ally.

[@dand7763]

​@@johnducan2487 even Stalin was inspired by Hitler , he copied Hitler in everything ! so big was the admiration that he accepted glad that pact ,an alliance between Nazy Germany and USSR (The Ribbentrop - Molotov pact , 23 august 1939) ,a hidden pact ,they wanted to split Europe in 2 parts (Eastern Europe for Stalin , Western Europe for Hitler) ...so technical speaking , Nazis and Soviets were ALLIES between 23 august 1939 - 22 June 1941) ...and when Hitler attacked USSR , Stalin was so stunned and shocked that 7 days stood isolated , alone, and he don't wanted to speak with anyone !

[@MaheshMahesh-gz9fv]

Why Talk Of Past History, Done Is Done. At Present US & Its Cronies The So Called Leaders Are 10 Times Worst, Responsible For Death & Destruction Of Nations & Its People's. Past Should Be Lesson But The US & West Repeating Even Worst.

[@darkknight1340]

Stalin's Soviet union made Nazi Germany look like a Sunday school picnic.

[@mkshannon3]

The narrator sounds like Alexander Armstrong's ww2 pilot comedy voice hard to take seriously

[@davidsigalow7349]

The evil and cunning of Stalun knew no boundaries.

[@JZsBFF]

*Stalin

[@johnking7008]

@@JZsBFF ..Stalin was a very smart man, but a beast at heart. He was terminally paranoid.

[@JZsBFF]

@@johnking7008 Okay, could be but what's your point beyond sticking the usual adjectives to the man?

[@johnking7008]

@@JZsBFF ...Are you a fan of Stalin?

[@DarkMatterBurrito]

@@JZsBFF It was a typo. Did you know that those two letters are next to each other? Indeed.

[@dirkmolen9392]

As usual, a good video, but the guy at <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="401">6:41</a> is Mikhail Kalinin, not Lev Kamenev.

[@bunnytoor3454]

Thank u for this video and spreading awareness

[@hrvojebartulovic7870]

"It's not a small thing to be brought to the police for questioning; that's where you meet the state!"

[@borisgorski7574]

My God, what freaks there were in the Russian heights... This is unbelievable...

[@dropway9108]

Yezhov and Putin played in the same Russian Midget Basketball League.

[@OnlyHikesDber]

This guys voice sounds like someone put a clamp on his nether region

[@brianjones7660]

No tears were shed when I heard this awful voice.....

[@nickfanthorpe8500]

Whats with the voice?

[@kashmirha]

Honestly, was there any worst politicsl system than the soviet? The sadistic, brutal face of it is disgusting. Maybe north korea, or kambodia in communist times…

[@dand7763]

Remember the french revolution in 1789 and the aftermath > ? ALMOST everyone were guillotined ,even the inventor of guillotine !

[@HowlinWilf13]

Terrible AI voice - a fake 1920s British accent???

[@Pancasilaist8752]

I was so early that yagoda is still the head of NKVD.

[@ruturajshiralkar5566]

Soo early

[@user-kt2on3zc1t]

I always enjoy your videos. The old clips, the interesting and fascinating tidbits of information, are top-drawer. And I love the narrator’s voice and unique accent.

[@ketmaniac]

"By the arly Nineteen Tharties..." This guy's voice is excruciating.

[@davidgaine4697]

What an evil fellow. A bit like Goebels was also a poisonous little dwarf. No offense to people of restricted growth. X

[@bold810]

Dherzinski, Yagoda, Yezov, Beria, Abukimov... Let's not Gulag behind.

[@dorfmanjones]

There was a long line of intelligence chiefs, Felix Dzerzhinsky, Menzhinsky, Yagoda, Yezhov, and Beria. The first two were highly educated Poles. Felix served Lenin, the rest Stalin. Between Yezhov and Beria, it's hard to know which was worse. And they, as well as Yagoda, died by execution. All in all they administered the deaths of over 800,000 victims. But the executions were signed off by Stalin. What he did to Marshall Tuchachevsky, hero of the revolution, the general staff and Soviet officer corp - leaving the military with very little experienced leadership - set the stage for the nazi onslaught and the death of 20,000,000 Soviet citizens at the hands of the Reich.

[@gtakilla01]

I've watched these videos years before and till now to the point of depression. To this day I live alone. I don't trust anyone. I take care of animals people leave alone. I'm glad, but disgusted, when I see videos where I see Hitler, Stalin, and many, many more being tortured in hell. I'm So Sorry cruelty is usual amongst "Humans".

[@pagodebregaeforro2803]

Dude I know we can barely trust anyone, like no one. But still socializing is important for most. Lack of socializing and things relates are the main cause of my depression aggravation. It sux to have like 0 friends.

[@MykolasGilbert]

Maximilien Robespierre used to like to use the "National Razor", until eventually he was forced to get a very close shaved himself!! Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely!!

[@hobartw9770]

Stalin towered over him prefering to look down.

[@anthonyeaton5153]

Stalin was 5ft5.

[@PeterMaXXHorvath]

We can see the same behavior on many "self-governed" internet forums.

[@colder5465]

There is one more point that you should understand. Usually one refers to Russian Revolution as an ordinary communist "workers" revolution, so to speak. But it wasn't so. Because right before the revolution Russia was a very backward country as far as social structure is concerned. There were two huge problems: 1. The long overdue land reform problem (which was solved in any European country decades if not hundreds of years ago) 2. An agrarian character of the country. Russia lacked dozens of branches of modern industries. The first problem was solved during the Civil War - brutally, of course, but in which country it was otherwise? As if the nobles joyfully gave their land to peasants in any other country. The second problem may not be urgent in the other circumstances but not after WW1. It was crystal clear that WW1 didn't solve any problems and another big war was looming ahead. Remaining an agrarian country without modern industries would be fatal. So Stalin's leadership decided on forced industrialisation of the country. But it demanded truly huge costs. In all spheres of life. One aspect was, the peasants supporting Bolsheviks in the Civil War didn't envisage that absolutely. Everybody then considered that the land reform would decide all rural problems and the peasants would live as always - in their rural environment. But very soon it was discovered that nothing was solved - agrarian overpopulation (hello, Ruanda!) and a very low level of agriculture. When someone prefers to blame collectivisation policy, the answer is simple: of course, it's better to be rich and healthy than arm and ill. Without collectivisation any industrialisation of the agriculture in Russia was impossible. The peasants were too arm and weak to allow tractors, mineral fertilizers and so on. And then the forced industrialisation which transformed millions of people from peasants into workers. But did they want this? Undoubtedly, many didn't. They wanted to preserve their ordinary way of life, but who asked them? And of course, this led to great social tensions and uprisings. Which were by the way hushed-hushed in the Soviet era. All this was very cruel, especially because there aren't angel people at hand to do this justly and benignly. But if that wasn't so, the USSR couldn't produce tens of thousands of T-34s and thousands of airplanes which saved the country. And in this case, the USA would very likely prefer not to meddle in the war in Europe and simply divide the world with Hitler.

[@yahyamurat7307]

Teşekkürler. Gerçeklere dayalı bir analiz.

[@user-fx3yf3vu8n]

WTF is up with this guy's voice?

[@DT-wp4hk]

British. Stick up the arse accent. The man can't help that.

[@blaisebloomer7006]

AI af

[@rosemarymurlis-hellings8138]

​@DT-wp4hk No, it isn't. It's a bad attempt at an English accent.

[@JohnDoe-420]

@@rosemarymurlis-hellings8138 no it probably is AI, there are weird breaks in the cadence and "rise and fall" of tone that aren't human. That, or it was recorded on different days and edited together haphazardly, like a ransom note.

[@paulminter6693]

An interesting biography of Yezhov and the purges of the 1930s. It's always good to see some newsreel of the characters involved in the story and that was particularly good. I don't know if the narrator of the story was parodying a Pathe Newsreel but I found it rather irritating.

[@MillicentSquirrelHole]

Apparently polonium cocktails weren't a 'thing' for Comrade Yezhov, eh?

[@yolandabrinkman2653]

And these people got rid of the Tsar and replaced it with worse. Makes total sense?

[@TexasNationalist1836]

There’s a great documentary on The NKVD called monster a portrait of Stalin in blood: NKVD

[@SeanGelarden]

Stalin invented photo shop

[@GoofballVidProductions]

Downvote for AI voice.

[@xoppa09]

the narrators voice or accent is cringy

[@huwhitecavebeast1972]

WTF is up with the narrators voice?

[@ilganis]

living with stalins means living with a cobra in same cage

[@jamesmiller4184]

Iron Felix (Dzerzhinsky) architect of the CHEKA, survived by dying early of natural causes. But Stalin seemed to have had actual affection of the old comrade. He was one of his pallbearers at his funeral.

[@controlfreak1963]

Not much has changed in Russia.

[@clayton7220]

They had so many purges it s a wonder they could together the military

[@ruturajshiralkar5566]

Genrikh Yagoda Nikolai Yezhov Lav Beria Ivan Serov

[@reneverstraeten]

A bit stupid to mix movie pictures of NSDAP Germany of the 30's with the Russian pictures with commentary about Russia at that moment.

[@hmao4466]

His father was certainly a renaissance man...

[@MrSirlulzalot]

AI voices are bad enough if pleasant, but an odd sounding, off-putting one? Yikes. ❤

[@peterbiesbroek]

Almost NONE of your pics have anything to do with the story you are telling

[@trisbaker363]

They were all swej.

[@markmower1746]

Sort of like America.

[@DS-ud6ys]

OMG! That AI voice sounds like an NKVD interrogator.

[@zetristan4525]

Yezhov course he drank a lot

[@urbanpulsewalks]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="16">0:16</a> - Who is the fella in the middle with the big tache?

[@ionciobanu1811]

That is Budionii..cavalery general...

[@urbanpulsewalks]

@@ionciobanu1811 Thanks!

[@peetsnort]

I wish people would stop calling the leaders this or that. The atrocities get done by underlings. If they remain faceless then kier starmer will prevail

[@lsd8497]

A nazi beast, soviet version.

[@medassistph]

Stalin's Heinrich Müller

[@killthereds2.043]

That’s Beria

[@gustavnilsson2795]

Heinrich Himmler you mean?

[@fortunatomartino8549]

Ww2 Germany were novices compared to almost 200 years of genocide by the communists and it's close friend zionism

[@medassistph]

@@gustavnilsson2795 No. That would be "Lewd Lavrentiy" Beria.

[@TS-1267]

... The Narrator is Absolutely Top's... Splendiferous Indeed Old Fruity ✌️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🥂 <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="133">2:13</a>

[@renee1961]

You also give the names and faces of Those that Fought for Them.

[@anitapodsudek8041]

so, he was not a nice jew, was he? Stop hating him just for being a jew...

[@yahyamurat7307]

Konuyu yahudi olmaya basıl bağladın?

[@luluczs]

He wasn't afaik, his second wife was.

[@bigantplowright5711]

Sounds like the present British government.

[@TexasNationalist1836]

Snall nitpick it’s GULAG singular and not Gulags plural when referring to multiple camps

[@Indy_at_the_beach]

Sounds like he was a co-author of Project 2025

[@aligavary1160]

What was so brutal?

[@larslarsen7457]

It is known as a scientific fact that short men are mentally distorted due to their complex being short.

[@Burlak4]

nope. 2 min is already too much of this voice

[@duelenigma7732]

Insane butchers . Rot on .

[@JohnSmith-ct5jd]

Like Beria, this cruel man broke down and cried like a baby when his own miserable life was about to end. He could dish it out, but couldn't take it. Coward.

[@robertpoole2667]

Dear Simon. I listen with great interest to your podcast and save them up for Sunday mornings, a ritual which dates back to my childhood listening with my father to Alister Cook, where Mr Cook would deliver his observation in a sermon like manner with great oratory. It was also a quiet time of unspoken relationship between myself & my father. There is an observation I make which I would like your comments on when the term racist is used towards a religious group. There are different religions, consider the Jews, most people think of Israel as Jewish, but 20% of the Israeli population are Muslim. And as far as I Know there is no country called Jewdum, Muslam or Christlandic, where the imaginary populous have defined features, which would Identify them easily as a race of peoples. Religion is allegedly a choice not a defining physical characteristic. What say you ?

[@yolandabrinkman2653]

My mother used to ask "race or religion. Which of the two is correct when referring to a jew/jewess?"

[@renee1961]

Your voice, and manner of speaking are my Favorite on KZbin. This is also My Favorite World History Channel.

[@jamesmichael20910]

Um...I think it's not a human speaking but artificial intelligence - because it's cheaper than hiring a human speaker.

[@6140LIBRA]

Where's the Russia apologist Richard Wolf.

[@owenreed772]

Look there's Starmer.

[@4june9140]

Sounds like you are talking down your nose 🤣

[@JZsBFF]

And you're talking out of your @ss.

[@MaxPiper]

I've never seen so many non - good looking people in all my life!

[@bold810]

Huhh. The head of the secret police managed to open his heart, hearth and household to an Orphan he rescued from a Children's Home, did he? Well. Did name her Tamar, by any chance? Just askin'.

[@baraxor]

When Nicky Santoro becomes head of the NKVD.

[@juangarcia-kq8zp]

I don't even know who the crypto-Jew is.

[@RobWhittlestone]

In the thumbnail, his uniform is very stylish, like the Nazis'. Was his uniform also designed by Hugo Boss, like the Nazis'?

[@scottfay3553]

This is Communism

[@OK-id7le]

I just want to say how annoying the sound of the narrator is, if its AI please change it.

[@jonelson1983]

Get rid of the comedy AI voice and this would be much easier to sit through.

[@HumanBeanbag]

He was Stalin's lover.

[@drinpelushi2257]

Who has been arkaidi rozengolz

[@fordprefect4345]

What's the matter with this bloke's voice the affliction the pronunciations or as a medical problem 😮

[@user-oy5yz7ww5r]

What of malenkov maximillianovich?

[@pagodebregaeforro2803]

Sincerely, for what he did, he lived too much at 44. He said he didnt cared for the innocents caught on the purges, so yea he was a sadistic. On the video states that he was a bissexual, I dont know, ppl sometimes invented false rumors to demoralize their enemies, and as we know anyone can confess anything under torture. Good video tho

[@robsowka4985]

And Putin (a former KGB agent) is doing his best to imitate Stalin.

[@pauljefferies9087]

Be careful. Some people admire Uncle Joe too much.

[@g2whatbrodie283]

For the love of everything holy, PLEASE STOP WITH THE WORDS BESTIAL AND BRUTAL. it’s every thumbnail! We get it already. Unsubscribing for unoriginality and general lameness.

[@MordorsMadness]

Honestly. This is a really interesting topic. But the AI voice is unbearable.