Olga Taratuta

Life & Legacy

Olha Illivna Taratuta (Ukrainian: О́льга Іллівна Тарату́та; 1876–1938) was a Ukrainian Jewish anarchist and a founder of the Anarchist Black Cross (ABC).
Taratuta joined the Social Democratic Labour Party (SDLP) during its founding in 1898, but within a few years moved towards more radical anarchist positions. She became a leading figure in the Odesa anarchist communist movement, organising a terrorist campaign against Russian imperial officials. After a number of years she was finally caught and imprisoned by the Tsarist authorities.
She was released from prison during the February Revolution and immediately dedicated herself to prisoner support work, first through the Political Red Cross and then later establishing the Anarchist Black Cross. For her activities, she was arrested and imprisoned by the Bolshevik government. She continued to organise international campaigns for Soviet political prisoners even after her release. During the Great Purge, Taratuta was charged with anti-Soviet agitation, sentenced to death, and executed by shooting.