How to Pronounce Vladimir Antonov-Ovseenko

Meaning and Context

Vladimir Antonov-Ovseenko, born in 1883, was a pivotal Bolshevik revolutionary, military strategist, and Soviet diplomat whose actions were instrumental in the success of the October Revolution of 1917. As a key member of the Petrograd Military Revolutionary Committee, he masterminded and personally led the storming of the Winter Palace, the symbolic seizure of power that toppled the Provisional Government and cemented Bolshevik control. His expertise extended beyond the revolution; he was a senior political commissar in the nascent Red Army during the ensuing Russian Civil War, helping to secure the survival of the Soviet state. Antonov-Ovseenko's later career saw him serve as a Soviet diplomat, but his fate mirrored that of many Old Bolsheviks when he fell victim to Joseph Stalin's Great Purge. He was arrested in 1937, convicted on fabricated charges, and executed in 1938, only to be posthumously rehabilitated during the Khrushchev Thaw, restoring his legacy as a crucial architect of the Bolshevik Revolution.

Common Mistakes and Alternative Spellings

The standard and correct transliteration from the Russian Cyrillic (Владимир Антонов-Овсеенко) is Vladimir Antonov-Ovseenko. A common alternative spelling, particularly in older historical texts, is Antonov-Ovseyenko, which represents a different interpretation of the final vowel sound. The hyphen is a critical component of the surname and should never be omitted or replaced with a space, as "Antonov Ovseenko" is incorrect. Frequent misspellings and typos include: "Antonov-Ovseencko" (substituting 'c' for the second 'e'), "Antonov-Ovseyenko" (adding a 'y'), or "Antonov-Ovsyenko". Another error is conflating his name with the unrelated Soviet aircraft designer Oleg Antonov, leading to mistaken references like "Vladimir Antonov" without the crucial hyphenated second part "Ovseenko."

Example Sentences

As the operational commander of the Petrograd insurrection, Vladimir Antonov-Ovseenko coordinated the revolutionary forces that captured key government buildings with minimal bloodshed.

Historians often note that Antonov-Ovseenko's detailed plan for the storming of the Winter Palace was a masterpiece of tactical precision against a demoralized adversary.

Following the revolution, Lenin appointed Antonov-Ovseenko as the People's Commissar for Military Affairs, tasked with organizing the defense of the new regime.

Despite his later diplomatic postings, Antonov-Ovseenko remained a staunch critic of the growing bureaucratic terror, which ultimately led to his arrest and execution during the purges.

Modern scholarship on the October Revolution is incomplete without a thorough analysis of Vladimir Antonov-Ovseenko's pivotal role.

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