Kang Sheng in Moscow (1933–1937)

Abstract

The head of all secret services of the Chinese Communist Party, Kang Sheng (1898–1975), served as the deputy head of the CCP delegation to the Comintern and as a member of the Presidium of the Comintern Executive Committee (ECCI) from 1933 to 1937. However, until recently, little was known about his life in the Soviet Union, as his personal file, held at the Russian State Archive of Recent History (RGANI), was not accessible to researchers. Only now has it become possible to introduce readers to documents from this file, shedding light on Kang Sheng’s political and organizational activities during that period. The presented information is complemented by materials from the personal file of Kang Sheng’s wife, Cao Yi’ou, also housed at RGANI, as well as from a range of lesser-known collections at the Russian State Archive of Social and Political History (RGASPI), including the personal files of the CCP delegation head to the Comintern Wang Ming, his wife Meng Qingshu, and many other Chinese communists. All these documents indicate that Kang Sheng was not an independent figure in organizing repressions against Chinese communists working in the USSR. The leading role in such activities was undoubtedly played by Wang Ming, while Kang mostly served as his subordinate.

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