Yevno Azef (Russian: Евгений Филиппович (Евно Фишелевич) Азеф,
1869-1918, also transliterated as Evno Azef), was a Russian socialist
revolutionary who was also a double agent working both as an organizer
of assassinations for the Socialist-Revolutionary Party (also known as
SRs or Esers) and a police spy for the Okhrana, the Imperial secret
police. He was an agent provocateur, carrying out acts of terrorism,
which justified the police's arresting his accomplices.
Born Evno Fishelevich Azef in the Lyskovo village near Hrodna in 1869 to
a poor Jewish family. After basic schooling, he worked as a journalist
and then a traveling salesman. He also became a revolutionary. In 1892,
when he was about to be arrested, he embezzled 800 rubles and fled to
Germany, first to Karlsruhe and then Darmstadt. There he studied to
become an electrical engineer. In those years Sergei Vasilyevich Zubatov
of the Okhrana also recruited him as a police informer.[1]
In Germany he also joined a group of exiled members of the Russian
Social Democratic Party and traveled all over Europe to meet other
revolutionaries. In 1899 he returned to Russia and joined the
Socialist-Revolutionary Party. He rose in status to become a member of
the party's central committee, in 1903 Azef supplied the Okhrana with
information which led to the arrest of Grigory Gershuni, head of the
party's Fighting Organization, its terrorist branch and finally succeeded
him. In that position he organized assassinations including those of
Vyacheslav Plehve in 1904 and the Tsar's uncle Grand Duke Sergius
Alexandrovich in 1905.
By 1908, Azef was playing a double role of a revolutionary assassin and
police spy who received 1000 rubles a month from the police.
Sympathizers in the ranks of the police leaked information to the party
that refused to believe it by taking it as malicious propaganda.
Eventually, a defector from the police convinced revolutionary Vladimir
Burtsev, who began a long investigation. Eventually Burtsev spoke to
Lopuhin, a former director of the police department, who verified that
Azef had been working for them.
Burtsev exposed Azef in February 1909. A Court of Honor was held in
Paris to verify Azef's guilt. The SRs decided to let Azef go home after
he promised to provide convincing proof of his innocence the following
day. Instead, Azef escaped retaliation and fled again to Germany. His
wife, Ljuba Mankin, who had been unaware of his double-dealing, divorced
him and moved to the United States.
In Germany, Azef lived with a singer and worked as a corset salesman
and stock speculator. During the First World War, he was interned as an
enemy alien. In prison he suffered from a kidney disease but was
released in December 1917.
Yevno Azef died in Berlin in April 24, 1918. He was buried in an unmarked
grave in Wilmersdorf cemetery.
1869-1918, also transliterated as Evno Azef), was a Russian socialist
revolutionary who was also a double agent working both as an organizer
of assassinations for the Socialist-Revolutionary Party (also known as
SRs or Esers) and a police spy for the Okhrana, the Imperial secret
police. He was an agent provocateur, carrying out acts of terrorism,
which justified the police's arresting his accomplices.
Born Evno Fishelevich Azef in the Lyskovo village near Hrodna in 1869 to
a poor Jewish family. After basic schooling, he worked as a journalist
and then a traveling salesman. He also became a revolutionary. In 1892,
when he was about to be arrested, he embezzled 800 rubles and fled to
Germany, first to Karlsruhe and then Darmstadt. There he studied to
become an electrical engineer. In those years Sergei Vasilyevich Zubatov
of the Okhrana also recruited him as a police informer.[1]
In Germany he also joined a group of exiled members of the Russian
Social Democratic Party and traveled all over Europe to meet other
revolutionaries. In 1899 he returned to Russia and joined the
Socialist-Revolutionary Party. He rose in status to become a member of
the party's central committee, in 1903 Azef supplied the Okhrana with
information which led to the arrest of Grigory Gershuni, head of the
party's Fighting Organization, its terrorist branch and finally succeeded
him. In that position he organized assassinations including those of
Vyacheslav Plehve in 1904 and the Tsar's uncle Grand Duke Sergius
Alexandrovich in 1905.
By 1908, Azef was playing a double role of a revolutionary assassin and
police spy who received 1000 rubles a month from the police.
Sympathizers in the ranks of the police leaked information to the party
that refused to believe it by taking it as malicious propaganda.
Eventually, a defector from the police convinced revolutionary Vladimir
Burtsev, who began a long investigation. Eventually Burtsev spoke to
Lopuhin, a former director of the police department, who verified that
Azef had been working for them.
Burtsev exposed Azef in February 1909. A Court of Honor was held in
Paris to verify Azef's guilt. The SRs decided to let Azef go home after
he promised to provide convincing proof of his innocence the following
day. Instead, Azef escaped retaliation and fled again to Germany. His
wife, Ljuba Mankin, who had been unaware of his double-dealing, divorced
him and moved to the United States.
In Germany, Azef lived with a singer and worked as a corset salesman
and stock speculator. During the First World War, he was interned as an
enemy alien. In prison he suffered from a kidney disease but was
released in December 1917.
Yevno Azef died in Berlin in April 24, 1918. He was buried in an unmarked
grave in Wilmersdorf cemetery.
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