Sergei Kirov metal alloy small bust USSR production

Description

Sergei Kirov bust, USSR production.
Silumin (aluminum-silicon alloy) metal casting. Height approximately 6" (15cm) and weight 1 pound (470gr). Excellent condition.
Sergei Mironovich Kirov (aka Kostrikov) 1886–1934) was a murder victim in the first Soviet "Great Purge". A Bolshevik revolutionary and intimate friend to Joseph Stalin, Kirov became Communist party head in Leningrad and a member of the Politburo. Kirov's assassination was used as a pretext for Stalin's escalation of political repression and fear of a political rival. It has always been suggested that Stalin and the NKVD were personally involved.
To show Kirov's tremendous influence, many cities bore his name - most famously Vyatka. Also, streets and factories, and even islands, a speedskating prize, navy cruisers, the Kirov ballet (Mariinsky), a town square, a metro station, a forestry academy were all named after him. After 1991, many were restored to their original names.
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Note: standard paperback shown as size reference.