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Nadezhda Alliluyeva-Stalin

Nadezhda Alliluyeva (1901 - November 9, 1932) was the second wife of Joseph Stalin.

Nadezhda Sergievna Alliluyeva was the daughter of revolutionary Sergie Alliluyev and his wife Olga. She first met Stalin as a child when her Sergei Alliluyev offered him shelter upon his escape from prison in 1908. After the revolution, Nadezhda worked as a confidential code clerk in Lenin's office.

The couple married in 1919, when Stalin was already 39 years old. According to her close friend, Polina Molotov, the marriage was strained, and the two constantly fought. Fourteen years after their marriage, Nadezhda was found in her bedroom, a revolver by her side, dead by apparent suicide. She remains much loved by the Russian people today; her grave at Novodevichy Cemetery is almost invariably covered in flowers.

Theories of her death: The first official statement was death by natural causes. Popular theories are that she committed suicide, or was murdered by Stalin.

Her daughter Svetlana Alliluyeva later became a noted author.

07-10-2008 09:35:13
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