Nikolai Ilyich Podvoisky (1880-1948) was a Soviet revolutionary and statesman. A member of the Bolshevik Party since 1901, his career peaked during the October Revolution of 1917 when, as head of the Military Revolutionary Committee, he was one of the main organizers of the armed insurrection in Petrograd and led the assault on the Winter Palace. After the Bolshevik victory, he became the first People's Commissar for Military and Naval Affairs, contributing significantly to the creation of the Red Army. In subsequent years, his political influence declined, and he focused primarily on organizing physical education and sports in the Soviet Union, directing the Vsevobuch (Universal Military Training). His main contributions therefore include organizational reforms in the military and sports fields. For his services to the revolution and the Soviet state, he was awarded important honors, including the Order of the Red Banner. Having survived the Stalinist purges, he died of natural causes in 1948.