Boris Shimeliovich

Medical and public figure. From 1931 onward, he served as Chief Physician of the Central Clinical Botkin Hospital. From 1942, he was a member of the Presidium of the Jewish Anti-Fascist Committee (JAC), established in 1942 to raise support for the Soviet Union from ‘Jewish brothers throughout the world’. The Committee's activities helped facilitate the opening of the Second Front.

He was arrested in January 1949 and charged with Jewish nationalism, creating an anti-Soviet underground organization, maintaining ties with American intelligence, and treason. The testimony against him was fabricated, and he was subjected to beatings and torture. He was the only defendant who withstood torture and did not confess during the investigation. The trial was held behind closed doors–without the public, the prosecution, or the defense present. In July 1952, he was sentenced to death by firing squad with confiscation of property. He was executed on 12 August 1952. His ashes were buried in Common Grave No. 3 for unclaimed remains at the New Donskoy Cemetery in Moscow. He was rehabilitated in 1955.

1950s

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The Final Statement

‘I want to emphasize once again that, in the course of the trial, nothing has remained of the indictment. Everything that was ‘obtained’ during the preliminary investigation was dictated by the investigators themselves…’

I have already had the opportunity to tell the court everything during the judicial proceedings. I would only like to emphasize a few points. Throughout the entire preliminary investigation, I never once had to think about what I should tell the investigator. I said only what I knew.

During the trial, the issue of replacing eighteen editors of medical journals was discussed. I must say that even at the time I believed they should be replaced, but that it had to be done very carefully.

During the trial, I submitted to the presiding judge nine copies of the statements I had addressed to the government while under investigation, and I am now confident that they will reach the Central Committee of the Party.

A few words about Crimea. It has been established here that I had nothing to do with sending the memorandum concerning Crimea. Epstein told me that it had been done on instructions ‘from above’. The case file contains a memorandum on Crimea allegedly written by me in February 1944, which is untrue, as is evident from the inconsistency between the stated date and its contents.

In addition to everything I have said, I ask the court to petition the appropriate authorities to prohibit corporal punishment in prisons. I also ask that certain officials of the Ministry of State Security be disabused of the notion that the investigative department is ‘the holiest of holies’, and be made to understand that the holiest institution we have is the Party.

I ask that the prison administration be made independent of the investigative department.

I would also ask that certain investigators be prohibited from studying the works of the classics of Marxism-Leninism during interrogations.

Based on what I have said before the court, I ask that certain officials of the Ministry of State Security be held strictly accountable.

I never considered myself guilty during the preliminary investigation. Not once did my thoughts cast a shadow upon the Party or even upon the Ministry of State Security as a whole. But that shadow has fallen upon certain individuals within the Ministry, including Abakumov, and I ask that the strictest measures be taken against them.

My conscience is clear, and it has always been guided by unwavering loyalty to the Party’s principles, and those people from the Ministry of State Security failed to break me.

I want to emphasize once again that, in the course of the trial, nothing has remained of the indictment. Everything that was ‘obtained’ during the preliminary investigation was dictated by the investigators themselves, including Ryumin.

The last thirty years of my life were very good because I never relied on individual people, but only on the Party, which constantly guided me forward.

When people speak of my alleged connection with Goldberg and Novik, it is enough to say in refutation that during my eighteen years of work at the hospital there were many employees of foreign embassies and other foreigners there, and I never received a single remark from the Ministry of State Security.

I loved my hospital very much, and I doubt that anyone else will ever love it as I did.

Moreover, I carried out certain assignments for the Ministry of State Security better than others did.

On the basis of everything I have said, I ask the court to dismiss the case against me because the charges are false and unproven, to release me from custody, and to give me the opportunity to return to the Soviet Party family and resume my work at Botkin Hospital.

11 July 1952,
Military Collegium of the Supreme Court, Moscow, USSR.
Source: Unjust Trial. The Last Stalin-Era Execution.
Further reading: Wikipedia.
Photo: Wikipedia.