Changes

'''Yakov Sverdlov''' was born in 1885 in Nizhny Novgorod to [[Jew]]ish parents.  He joined the [[Bolshevik]] party and took part in the Revolution of 1905 which was crushed by [[Tsar]]ist troops.  He was imprisoned for many years after this.  After the [[October Revolution]], he became an important [[Soviet]] government official.  In July,1918, Sverdlov ordered the murder of [[Tsar]] [[Nicholas II]] and his family.  The Tsar and his wife were shot and his children, including his seriously ill son were hacked to death by drunken [[communist]]s.  The Russian Royal family are now regarded as [[Martyr]]s by the [[Orthodox Church]].

'''Yakov Sverdlov''' was born in 1885 in Nizhny Novgorod to [[Jew]]ish parents.  He joined the [[Bolshevik]] party and took part in the Revolution of 1905 which was crushed by [[Tsar]]ist troops.  He was imprisoned or exiled until the [[February Revolution]] of 1917.  After the [[October Revolution]], he became an important [[Soviet]] government official.  In July, 1918, Sverdlov ordered the murder of [[Tsar]] [[Nicholas II]] and his family.  The Russian Royal family are now regarded as [[Martyr]]s by the [[Orthodox Church]].

Sverdlov died of [[influenza]] during the Spanish flu epidemic in March, 1919.

Sverdlov died of [[influenza]] during the Spanish flu epidemic in March, 1919. The city of [[Yekaterinburg]] was renamed to Sverdlovsk in his honor.

==References==

==References==