Background
Smidovich, Petr was born on May 19, 1874 in Rogachev, now Gomel’ Oblast’ into a noble family.
Smidovich, Petr was born on May 19, 1874 in Rogachev, now Gomel’ Oblast’ into a noble family.
Studied at Moscow University. Studied at Moscow University. Graduated from the Paris Higher Electrotechnical School.
In 1894, expelled for revolutionary activity. Exiled to Tula. In 1895, went abroad. Worked as an engineer in Belgium.
Member of the Belgian Labour Party. In 1898, returned to Russia. Revolutionary in Petersburg.
In 1900, arrested and deported. From 1902, an agent of Lenin’s Iskra. Secretly returned to Russia, 1903.
One of the organizers of Iskra’s distribution and printing in Uman’. Member of the SredneUralsk (1903), Severnyi (1904), and Baku and Tula (1905) RSDRPCttees. From 1908, member of the Moscow RSDRP Committee Arrested and exiled to Vologda province, 1908.
Party worker in Kaluga, then in Moscow, 1910. Senior party posts during the October Revolution 1917. 1918-1919, member of MOSSOVET, then Sovnarkhoz (Council of the National Economy).
In 1920, member of the Soviet delegation during peace negotiations with Poland. Took part in the suppression of the Antonov and Kronstadt anti-Bolshevik revolts. Member of the VTSIK, 1921.
Various party posts.
