Muravev, Mikhail

Murav’ev, Mikhail Artem’evich 

Born Sept. 13 (25), 1880, in the village of Burdukovo, now in Vetluga Raion, Gorky Oblast; died July 11, 1918, in Simbirsk, now Ul’ianovsk. Left Socialist Revolutionary (SR); lieutenant colonel (1917). Son of a peasant of Kostroma Province.

Murav’ev graduated from a theological seminary and in 1899 from the Kazan Infantry Junkers School. He fought in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–05 and World War I (1914–18). After the February Revolution of 1917, he became chairman of the Central Executive Committee for the Formation of a Revolutionary Army of Volunteers From the Entire Country, whose purpose was to aid in the effort to continue the war with Germany. Murav’ev joined the Left SR’s before the October Revolution of 1917. After October he offered his services to the Soviet government. He was appointed chief of defense of Petrograd on October 28 (November 10) and commander in chief of the troops operating against the Kerensky-Krasnov forces on October 30 (November 12). Murav’ev was chief of staff under V. A. Antonov-Ovseenko during the struggle against the Kaledin Revolt. In early 1918, Murav’ev commanded a group of Red Guard detachments sent against the counterrevolutionary Ukrainian Central Rada and then against boyar Rumania. He was appointed commander in chief of the troops of the Eastern Front on June 13, 1918. After the Left SR Revolt of 1918 in Moscow, Murav’ev betrayed Soviet power and led a revolt in Simbirsk on July 10. He was killed while offering armed resistance to arrest.