Lado Ketskhoveli was one of the most important members of the RSDLP in Transcaucasia. He was engaged in printing activities and propaganda among workers. Joseph Stalin worked with him in his youth. Ketskhoveli died during another imprisonment. For the Bolsheviks, he became an exemplary hero and role model.
early years
The future revolutionary Lado Ketskhoveli was born on January 14, 1877 in the small Georgian village of Tkviavi in the province of Tiflis. His father was a priest. Lado is a party nickname. The real name of the revolutionary was Vladimir. Father sent the boy to study at the Tiflis Orthodox Theological Seminary. Within its walls, Lado Ketskhoveli was carried away by revolutionary ideas that were popular among young people.
In 1893, the young man was expelled from the seminary. Repressions ensued after he organized a student strike. After this episode, Lado Ketskhoveli could not live in Tiflis. The young man moved to Kiev, where he was going to continue his incomplete education. There, the revolutionary again entered the theological seminary. Despite the troubles in Tiflis, Ketskhoveli did not abandon his interest in the revolution. He became an active member of the Kiev circles of the Social Democrats. In 1896, followed by arrest and another expulsion from the seminary.
Member of Mesame Dashi
According to the court, Lado Ketskhoveli was sent to his native Georgia. However, he fell under the supervision of law enforcement agencies. But this did not stop the revolutionary from joining Mesame-dasi, the first social-democratic organization in Transcaucasia. In it, Ketskhoveli received the post of manager of the printing house. It was Lado who launched the clandestine release of campaign materials that made it possible to carry out propaganda in the working environment of Tiflis more effectively.
The revolutionary became a connoisseur of publishing. In September 1901, he, together with Joseph Dzhugashvili (future Stalin), founded the new newspaper "Brdzola" (translated from Georgian - "Struggle"). The publication was printed in Baku. This newspaper represented the point of view of the Marxist minority in Mesame-dasi, who believed that revolutionary methods must be used for the onset of socialism (most relied on democratic instruments and dialogue with the authorities).
In Baku
With the advent of the RSDLP, the fearless revolutionary Lado Ketskhoveli and his closest associates joined this new party. In 1901, on behalf of his organization, the Social Democrat created its branch in Baku, which immediately attracted the attention of the tsarist secret police. In an important city from the point of view of industry, the party unleashed active agitation among oilmen and railway workers. Responsible for this important matter was Lado Ketskhoveli. The revolutionary continued to create new printing houses (including the famous Nina) and print newspapers.
While in Baku, Ketskhoveli established contacts with Lenin, who lived in exile. The revolutionaries found a common language. The result of their collaboration was the publication of the Bolshevik Iskra in Lado's printing houses. The issues of this newspaper were distributed in many cities of Transcaucasia. At the same time, Ketskhoveli arranged the transportation of prohibited materials from abroad across the Persian border.
The secret life of a revolutionary
Like all Russian revolutionaries, Ketskhoveli lived in compliance with numerous conspiratorial rules. In Baku, he had a passport in the name of Nikolai Melikov. After the revolutionary escaped from police surveillance, he began to hunt. Tiflis gendarmes knew that he was hiding in Baku, but could not find his exact location. For a relatively long time, the illegal managed to go unnoticed.
Ketskhoveli's printing house lived on party money. The Baku cell supplied it with all the necessary materials. In the state, the revolutionary had two proletarians who performed the function of typesetters. In order to systematically buy paint, paper and other important supplies, according to the law, it was necessary to obtain permission from the governor. Ketskhoveli forged this document and freely acquired everything that was needed. At the same time, a false paper was signed on behalf of Elizavetpol, and not the Baku governor.
Arrest and death
In the fall of 1902, the Social Democrat was arrested. The Tiflis gendarmes received an anonymous denunciation, which helped them to open a conspiracy network and catch Ketskhoveli. The prisoner was sent to Metekh Castle. While in prison, the prisoner refused to cooperate with the investigation. Moreover, in the chamber, Ketskhoveli continued indefatigable revolutionary activity. He initiated a strike in which the prisoners of the castle took part.
On August 30, 1903, one of the jailers shot the revolutionary at the camera window. The bullet hit right in Lado Ketskhoveli. The biography of the Social Democrat who died in custody during the Soviet era became one of the examples of the principle and courage of fighters against the tsarist government.