The trial of Kamenev, Zinoviev and 14 others in August 1936, known as the Trial of the Sixteen, was a show trial staged by Stalin to consolidate his power. The defendants, accused of assassinating Kirov and plotting against Stalin with Trotsky, admitted to the absurd charges against them and were all found guilty of treason and executed, despite one being already imprisoned. The trial further cemented Stalin's control and turned public opinion against perceived enemies of the state.

1. The First Show Trial: The trial of the Sixteen
• Kamenev, Zinoviev and 14 others are put on trial for
killing Kirov and attempting to put Trotsky in charge of
the party
• They were accused of organising a terrorist group called
the “United Trotskyite-Zinovievite centre” that was
plotting against Stalin
• The trial lasts between 19-24 August 1936 and is stage
managed with spectators being members of the NKVD
and the media reporting that the accused were
traitors/terrorists
• Defendants were dressed in old clothes and there was
3 judges overseeing the case

2. • Defendants freely admitted to the charges against them
• One even admitted killing Kirov even though he was already in
prison!
• Kamenev even admitted “For 10 years I waged a struggle
against the party and Stalin personally”
• Vyshinsky demanded the death penalty for defendants and got
his wish as all were executed for treason
• The newspapers applauded the executions and public opinion
largely supported the trial.
• Some demanded further trials of counter-revolutionaries.
The First Show Trial: The trial of the Sixteen