Investor Presentaiton
career to a mere indicator of the nature of Stalinism robs us of the ability to attempt to
understand his life as he himself describes it. The connection between Kaganovich and the
Jewish community is a primary example, and it is only referenced briefly by Rees in regard to
Kaganovich's background and ethnicity. Additionally, throughout Kaganovich's memoir it is
clear that he was a true, genuine believer of Communism and a Stalinist until he died. Rees
shows this, but his overall use of Kaganovich as a case study robs Kaganovich of some of his
agency by focusing the analysis of his actions on their relation to Stalin and not on where they
came from or how they may have developed.
In the end, Kaganovich survived longer than any of his contemporaries. It was not until
July 1991, just months before the Soviet Union collapsed, that Kaganovich passed away. He
requested that his tombstone say 'Bolshevik-Leninist,' but his request was denied. 239
239
Rees, Iron Lazar, 269
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