The Political Portrait of Vladimir Markovich Putnin and the Role of Boris Petrovich Sheboldaev in his Nomenclature Promotion

The article is devoted to the political biography of Vladimir Markovich Putnin (Voldemar Putniš), a Soviet politician of Latvian origin from the pre-war period, who belonged to the Stalinist «middle-level» nomenclature. Until now, Putnin’s identity has remained in the shadows and, apart from brief information in some reference books, has not been covered in historical literature, including in studies by North Caucasian historians. Meanwhile, Putnin held senior positions in the North Caucasus region from January 1931 to August 1935. The article pays special attention to the role of the well-known Soviet party figure Boris Petrovich Sheboldaev in promoting Putnin’s career. Indeed, the close relationship between the two politicians and Sheboldaev’s patronage prior to 1934 facilitated Putnin’s career advancement. However, after the 17th Congress of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks), during which Sheboldaev attempted to initiate the appointment of S.M. Kirov as General Secretary, their connection not only created certain obstacles to Putnin’s nomenklatura advancement but ultimately led to his arrest and execution on trumped-up charges.

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