Nikolai Yezhov (1895-1940) was, in his prime, the head of the infamous Soviet secret police, the NKVD, and a confidant of Stalin himself. He was a key perpetrator and the namesake of the Yezhovshchina, the Great Terror of 1936-1938, earning him the nickname “The Bloody Dwarf” in reference to his small stature. As an individual, Yezhov was hardly a simple person. He could be charming when he wanted to, but was also sadistic and unstable. He could be both callous and, at times, more or less fair.