Lazar Kogan

Lazar Iosifovich Kogan (Russian: Ла́зарь Ио́сифович Ко́ган) (1899—March 3, 1939) was a Soviet secret police (Cheka, OGPU, NKVD) high functionary. He was the son of a wealthy Jewish merchant. His major positions include chief of the GULAG (1930-1932), deputy chief of the GULAG (1932-1936), deputy Narkom of Forest Industry (1936-1937). He was arrested on 31 January 1938. While imprisoned, he wrote several repentance letters to Yezhov, then to Beria. He was nonetheless sentenced to death and shot on 3 March 1939. He was rehabilitated in 1956.