Padraic Breslin

Padraic Breslin (14 June 1907 – 21 June 1942) was an Irish communist and translator. After moving to the Soviet Union and renouncing his Irish citizenship, he became disenchanted with the Soviet Union, was convicted of "counter-revolutionary agitation", and died in a gulag.

Early life Padraic Breslin was born in London, England on 14 June 1907. His parents were both Irish, with his father from Glenties, County Donegal.

Life in Russia He was one of eight young members sent to study at the International Lenin School, Moscow by the IWL in March 1928, with James Larkin Jnr and Sean Murray. By this time he was fluent in Russian and was employed by the school as a translator. He also worked on the English language newspaper, Moscow Daily News, as a journalist, as well as translating poetry. Breslin worked as a freelance translator, translating Russian songs, folk tales, and children's stories into English. He also wrote English lyrics to the song "", later sung by Paul Robeson.

He was imprisoned in Moscow's Butyrka prison for six months before being moved to Chistopol prison in Chistopol, Tatar ASSR. The official cause of death was given as heart failure caused by tuberculosis,