He began his career in the factories of St Petersburg, before working in Kharkov.
He took part in the labour movement and became a member of the RSDLP in 1909, repeatedly being arrested and tried by the Tsarist authorities.
After the February Revolution of 1917 he worked for the party in the provinces of Bryansk and Kharkov.
In October 1922 he became a member of the "Pivdenmashtrestu" government in Kharkov and a member of the Organizing Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine.
From June 1933 to 28 July 1935 he was People's Commissar of Utilities of the Ukrainian SSR and from 4 August 1935 to September 1937 the Permanent Representative of the RNA in the Communist Party of Ukraine.