Lev Sedov

Lev Lvovich Sedov (also known as Leon Sedov; Russian: Лев Львович Седов; 24 February 1906 – 16 February 1938) was the elder son of Leon Trotsky and Natalia Sedova, and a Trotskyist activist. He was born in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Sedov became involved in politics from a young age, participating in the Russian Civil War and later becoming a dedicated follower of his father's political views. He was a key figure in the Left Opposition to Joseph Stalin within the Soviet Union.

In 1931, he followed Trotsky into exile, relocating to Berlin and later to Paris. He played a significant role in the publication of Trotsky's writings, especially his major work, The History of the Russian Revolution. He also edited the Bulletin of the Russian Opposition, which provided a platform for Trotskyist ideas and critiques of Stalinism.

Sedov was responsible for the practical organisation and security of Trotsky's archives and correspondence during his exile, making him a target of the Soviet secret police, the NKVD. He actively countered Stalinist propaganda and defended his father’s reputation against accusations leveled during the Moscow Trials.

He died in Paris on February 16, 1938, in a private clinic. The circumstances surrounding his death remain controversial. Officially, he died following an appendectomy, but Trotsky and many of his followers suspected that he was murdered by the NKVD. While no definitive proof has ever been produced, the political context and the numerous assassinations of Trotsky's associates by the NKVD lend credence to this suspicion.

His death was a significant blow to the Trotskyist movement. His contributions to the dissemination and defense of Trotskyist ideas were considerable, and his loss deeply affected Trotsky personally and politically.