Meltha Magazine Online

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1996, Volume2, No2(6) page4-5

OUR INTELLECTUALS

MIKHAIL SERGEYEVICH BADALOV

As we have noted more than once that Assyrians who happened to be in Russia after the First World War took no time to activate their national and political policies. By 1924 they had founded the All Russian Assyrian Union. Its provisional presidium put on a congress in Moscow in 1925. Later in 1927 Samson Pirayev from the village of Koilasar (Armenia) was at the head of the Assyrian union "Khoyad Attur" before he was elected to be a member of the presidium for the most authoritative organization, "International" society with the House of Nationalities in Moscow. This society comprised over 30 nationalities of the USSR at the time.

The political activity of Assyrians was largely influenced by the then ruling communist ideology. And it was .the Communist University of Working People of the East (CUWPE) named after Joseph Stalin, which played the most important role in the political organization of Assyrians. Many of them were admitted to this school. Among its students were Samson and Mikhail Badalov, Sargis Bet-Juhan, Abraham Pirayev, Ivan Urmuzov, Pyotr Ushanov et al. Some Assyrians were on the faculty of this university as well. Among them was Professor Konstantin Alaverdov. As a result, the communist party activists headed the Assyrian national organization.

Tiflis, Ealry 1930

From left to right: Editor-in-chief for "Kokhva d'Madynkha" Shlimaun Invia Bet Lazar (executed in 1938), Assyrian school principal Abraham Ivanovich Semeyonov (died in 1943), chairman of the Georgian branch of "khoyad" Society Mikhail Sergeyevich Badalov (executed in 1938)

M. Badalov (second on the right among CUWPE students

Mikhail S. Badalov was born in Tiflis in 1902. His father was a craftsman from Ardishai, Urmia. It is noteworthy that his strive for his elder brother Shinu Bet Babkash, one of the best-educated man who made a considerable Sh.Ghandja, Lazar Yakubov and others, mainly supported education. But it would be just fair to mention his dubious role in the tragedy of Dr Freidoon Atturaya. In 1923 Mikhail S. Badalov went to Moscow in his educational pursuit. Simultaneously .he j took part III creation of the All Russian Assyrian Union which then was headed by 1 Dr. F. Atturaya's fellow worker A. M. Bet Alkhaz (Atturi) who was also known as Kasha j Sandu. In April 1925 the National Security Council (OGPU) dismissed A. Atturi from his post. His only fault was that he was a priest. Therefore it was M. Badalov who had to take over the organization of the Union and of its first national congress. As a matter of fact he was assisted by Sh. Bet Lazar, V .Bet Varda and. V. Koclioev. They were challenged to work towards the formation of Assyrian congress on all Union scale, encouraging Assyrians of Northern Caucasus, Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan to come and join in.

The period was full of dramatic episodes still to be analyzed and highlighted. It is a pity that some of the truth will never be discovered, but it is clear that there were clashes of different personalities and political groups.

Eventually all Assyrian national leaders were arrested and executed in 1938.

In 1926 M. Badalov became a CUWPE student. The local communist party leaders appraised his best grades in studies and the talent of a young public activist. In this way he was first sent to do some trade Union job in Tbilisi in 1930 and then assigned to work in Tran Caucasian Sovnarkom (government). At the same time he continued to run the local branch of 'Khojad Attur' society in Georgia. From 1934 M. Badalov was " an active member of "Kokhva d'Madynkha" editorial board headed by Shlimun Bet Lazar. Then both personalities worked in 'Khoyad- Attur' where Sh. Bet Lazar was a temporary, deputy chairman for the Assyrian Union.

In 1935 M. Badalov returned to Moscow where he ran the All Union organization 'Khoyad Attur' till he was arrested. Mikhail Badalov was executed in 1938. After the death of Joseph Stalin the Assyrian public demanded that he should be fully rehabilitated.

The numerous essays he published in 'Kokhva d'Madynkha' just manifest his full intellectual power and a high degree of responsibility over the destiny of his own people

Tiflis. Early 1930s. From left to right: editor-in-chief for " Kokhva ) d'Madynkha" Shlimun lnvia Bet Lazar (executed I in 1938), Assyrian school principal Abraham lva- h novich Semeyonov ( died in 1943 ), chairman of the Georgian branch of 'Khoyad' Society Mikhail f Sergeyevich Badalov (executed in 1938).