Mullanur Waxitov

Who was Mullanur Waxitov?

Mullanur Mullacan ulı Waxitov AKA Mullanur Waxitov, also spelled Vakhitov was a Tatar revolutionary active in the Russian Revolution.

Born in Kazan, he entered secondary school run by Social Democrats there in 1899. He participated in the 1905 revolutionary events and in 1906 he joined a Marxist study circle. In 1907 he entered economical department of St Petersburg Polytechnic Institute, moving onto the law department of St Petersburg Psychoneurological Institute in 1912. Here he met Vladimir Bekhterev, Mikhail Frunze, Yakov Gamarnik, Larisa Reisner. At this time he organised a study circle for Muslim students. By April 1917 he was back in Kazan where got involved in the Muslim Socialist Committee, which was influenced by the Communist Party in Kazan. He was an editor Qızıl Bayraq.

In October 1917 Waxitov became a member of Kazan VRK. In January 1918, he was appointed commissar of Central Muslim Commissariat of Narkomnats and a chairman of Central Military collegium attached to People's Commissariat of Military and Navy affairs. In August 1918 he fought in the defence Kazan from attack by Czechoslovak Legion forces. However he was captured and hanged.