Morozov, Pavel (Pavlik) Trofimovich

(19??–1932)

   Perhaps the most famous informant in Soviet history, Pavlik (Little Paul) Morozov denounced his father to the OGPU for hiding grain during collectivization and was in turn murdered by members of his own family. The trial of the Morozov family resulted in the execution of several relatives, including a 90-year-old grandfather. Morozov’s father, who was in a labor camp, was also shot. Pavlik Morozov became the poster child for informants in the 1930s. Hundreds of children’s books and articles were written about him, and statues of the young hero appeared in most major towns. His “martyrdom” was used by the regime and the security service in their drive to recruit informants. The recruitment of informants led to a number of intrafamily murders: according to a study of the Morozov case, more than 50 “informant-children” were murdered in 1932.