Nick Heath
British anarchist-communist and thorough documenter of the international anarchist movement.
Mendez Guerra, Esteban 1896-1979
A short biography of Mexican anarchist Esteban Mendez Guerra who fought with Pancho Villa and was a close associate of the outstanding anarchist Librado Rivera
Esteban Mendez Guerra was born on the 3rd August 1896 in Concepcion del Oro, in the northern Mexican state of Zacetecas state. He started working in the mines from a very young age. In 1914 he joined Pancho Villa’s militias and the following year fought at the battle of Ebano. In his early 20s he moved to Villa Cecilia (now Ciudad Madero) in the state of Tamaulipas.
Kaplan, Iacov aka Jacob Caplan (anglicised) 18??-1933
A short biography of Jacob Caplan, stirring anarchist orator, active in Leeds and London.
“But the best speaker among the Jewish anarchists at that time was Kaplan. After Yanovsky went back to America Kaplan was the finest speaker the Jewish movement had in England”.
1893: The Manchester Anarchists and the Fight for Free Speech
Police repression against British anarchism is not a new happening. In 1893 anarchists in Manchester put up a fierce fight against police attempts to silence them
“In Manchester there is a handful of persons who delight in regarding themselves as Anarchists. They are chiefly tailors, and some of them allow their hair to grow long. There is nothing they dislike more than the laws and regulations provided for the
Bolten, Virginia 1870-1960? aka “La Luisa Michel Rosarino” (The Louise Michel of Rosario)
A short biography of Virginia Bolten, fearless fighter for anarchism and women's liberation
Virginia Bolten was the daughter of a German street vendor. She was born in Uruguay, either in San Luis, according to some, or in San Juan, according to the researcher Placido Grela. Rosario was known as the “Barcelona of Argentina” at this point in time because of its concentration of industries, the radical ferment there and the political influence it had over the rest of the country.
Sacha Piotr (Sascha Pjotr) aka Alexander Shapiro aka Sergei 1889/1890-1942(?)
A short biography of the obscure figure of Ukrainian anarchist Sacha Piotr-real name Alexander Schapiro, active in the Ukraine, Russia, Belgium, France and Germany. He fought with the anarchists in Spain and was murdered by the Nazis in Auschwitz. Father of the gifted mathematican Alexander Grothendieck.
Alexander Schapiro was born into a Jewish family with a Hasidic background in Novozybkov in the Ukraine on October 11th 1889 or 6th August 1890. This is the date given by his son Alexander, but it is not clear whether this was by the Julian or Gregorian calendar! In addition the Red Cross report of 1957 on him give two different birth dates, one of 10/11/1889 and one of 11/10/1889!
Borisov, Sergei Makarovich, aka Sasha Ciorniyi, Makar Sliahovsky, Piotr, Seeii, 1884-1910
A short biography of Sergei Borisov, organiser of anarchist combat groups in south Russia and the Ukraine
Sergei Makarovich Borisov was born in Kharkov on 4th of October 1884 into a family of workers. At the age of 16 he started working as a turner and then as a fitter in a Kharkov factory. In 1901 he joined a social-democratic circle. In summer 1904 he left the Social Democrats to join the Odessa Group of Anarchist Communists and soon became a leading member.
Dubovsky, Rosa (18?-1972) nee Chanovsky
A short biography of Rosa Dubovsky, active in the anarchist movements in Russia and Argentina
Rosa Chanovsky came from a Jewish family in Tsarist Russia, and entered the anarchist movement there. Her husband Adolf Dubovsky(later known in Argentina as Adolfo) was conscripted into the Russian Army and during the 1905 Revolution turned over an arms arsenal to the revolutionaries. Together with her husband Rosa fled to Turkey. From there Rosa moved to France and her husband to Buenos Aires.
Engelson, Boris Jakovlevich (Yiddish name Berko Jankelev Engelson) 1881 –1908)
A short biography of Boris Engelson, indefatigable publisher of Russian underground anarchist literature
Berko Engelson was born around 1881 in Minsk into a family of Jewish merchant-peddlers. In 1900 he became politically active and joined the Bund, the Jewish Social-Democratic organisation. He soon had to emigrate to Paris for fear of reprisals from the authorities where in January 1902 he joined the anarchist-communists and the Group of Russian Anarchists Abroad.
Taratuta, Olga Ilyinichna 1876 (?)-1938 (real name Elka Golda Elievna Ruvinskaia, aka Babushka ,Valia, Tania, D.Basist
A short biography of Olga Taratuta the “grandmother” of the Russian anarchist movement and a founder of the Anarchist Black Cross
“The Kharkov comrades, with the heroic personality of Olga Taratuta at their head, had all served the Revolution, fought on its fronts, endured punishment from the Whites, persecution and imprisonment by the Bolsheviki. Nothing had daunted their revolutionary ardour and anarchist faith.” Living My Life, Emma Goldman
Zhuk, Iustin Petrovich 1887-1919
A short biography of Iustin Zhuk, an heroic figure of Russian anarchism
“giant Zhuk, a man with the physique of a bogatyr”. Zinoviev in article on Pravda front page. (Bogatyr- a hero from Russian folk epics)
" Deeds, not words" Zhuk
