Zinovy Peshkov

Born Yeshua Zolomon Movshev Sverdlov, russified name Zinovy Mikhailovich Sverdlov (Зиновий Михайлович Свердлов) to a family of Jewish engraver in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, he was an older brother of Yakov Sverdlov (subsequently a Bolshevik party leader and a high Soviet official).

In 1896, Maxim Gorky met the Sverdlov family at an exhibition and soon became a close friend. During Gorky's exile to Arzamas in 1902, Zinovy worked as his secretary.
To evade the Tsarist Russia restrictions for Jews to live in big cities, Zinovy Sverdlov was baptized and officially changed his name. Gorky (real name Alexey Peshkov) became his Godfather.

In 1904, Zinovy Peshkov emigrated to Canada but after two years he joined Gorky in Capri. After the outbreak of World War I in 1914, Zinovy volunteered for French Army. In May 1915 he was wounded and his right arm was amputated. In 1916, as a successful officer, he was sent to the USA to agitate for America's entry into the War. After being decorated with the Order of Légion d'honneur in 1917, Peshkov worked in French diplomatic missions in Russia and Romania. In the periods 1921-1926 and 1937-1940 he served in the French Foreign Legion in Morocco and wrote a book about his experiences there, and in 1926-1937 he served in the Foreign Ministry in France and in French Mandate of Lebanon.

During World War II, Zinovy Peshkov fought the Nazi forces in Morocco and in Syria. In 1940 he joined De Gaulle's French government in London exile and soon was sent as a French ambassador to South Africa where he organized arms shipments for the Allies. After his 1943 promotion to the title of Brigade general, Peshkov served as French ambassador to China and after 1946 to Japan. In 1964 he participated in negotiations with Chiang Kai-shek regarding Taiwan.

Zinovy Peshkov died in 1966 in Paris.