New Books in Russian and Eurasian Studies
Matthew Lenoe, “The Kirov Murder and Soviet Historyâ€
On 1 December 1934, Leonid Nikolaev, a disgruntled Bolshevik Party member, shot Sergei Kirov in the back of the head as the Leningrad Party boss approached his office in Smolny. The murder sent shockwaves throughout the Soviet leadership, which with Stali