Nikolai Vasilyevich Krylenko

Krylenko or Krilenko, Nikolai Vasilyevich (both: nyĭkəlī' vəsē'lyəvĭch krĭlyĕn'kō), 1885-1938, Russian revolutionary and Soviet jurist. In Nov., 1917, Trotsky promoted him from ensign to commander in chief of the Russian forces for the purpose of opening peace negotiations with the Central Powers. Krylenko resigned in 1918 and later became public prosecutor and commissar of justice. He was tried (1938) in the party purge trials instituted by Stalin and was executed.