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NKVD Mug Shot of Béla Kun, 1937

NKVD · 1937

An official NKVD mug shot of Béla Kun taken after his arrest during Stalin's Great Purge, shortly before his execution.

Documents Kun's arrest and fate during Stalin's Great Purge, shortly before his execution.

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Black-and-white mug shot of an older man with disheveled dark hair, facing the camera with a neutral, somber expression. He wears a dark jacket over a light collared shirt against a plain grey background.
Official NKVD mug shot of Béla Kun after his arrest, 1937.

About this source

What it is

This is an official mug shot taken by the Soviet secret police (NKVD) of Béla Kun after his arrest in 1937. It shows an older man with disheveled hair and a somber expression against a plain background.

Why it matters

Béla Kun had been the leader of the Hungarian Soviet Republic in 1919 and later worked for the Communist International in the Soviet Union. During the Great Purge, Stalin's government arrested, interrogated, tried, and executed many Communists, including foreign revolutionaries like Kun. This photograph marks the end of his political life and shows how even loyal Communists could become victims of Soviet repression.

Look closer

  • How does this photograph differ in tone from earlier images of Kun as a public speaker?
  • Why would the Soviet state have kept an official photographic record of someone it was about to execute?
  • What does this image tell you about the risks faced by foreign Communists living in the Soviet Union in the 1930s?

This photograph is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Béla Kun on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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