Politruk
Russian abbreviation of the word политический руководитель – political leader
When the Russian army (from 1918 the Red Army) was taken over by the Bolsheviks, they established the post of commissar in their military units in 1917. Their task was political supervision and propaganda. The commissars were also entitled to have their say in military matters. Politruks were the commissars of smaller military units (up to company level). In 1925–37 only those units where the commanding officer was not a member of the Communist Party had commissars. In 1937 the commissars’ jurisdiction was extended and they now had ranks. Second politruk, politruk and first politruk corresponded to lieutenant, first lieutenant and captain. In 1942 the institution of commissars and their special ranks were abolished. Commissars and politruks were replaced by a post called ‘deputy head of politics’ (Russian заместитель командира по политической части, abbr. zampolit). Unlike commissars and politruks, the deputies had no competence in military issues, their sole task was political instruction. In Estonian the word politruk was used from 1940 as a general (derogatory) name for all Red Army political instructors, and sometimes also for the political instructors of civilian institutions.
