Nikolai Stepulov (20 March 1913 – 2 January 1968) was an Estonian lightweight boxer, military officer and criminal. As a boxer he won silver medals at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin and 1937 European Championships, and fought professionally in 1938–39. During World War II, after the Soviet invasion of Estonia in 1940, Stepulov, an ethnic Russian, became a collaborant in the so-called people's self-defence (RO). Later after returning to Soviet-controlled Estonia he was arrested a few times for burglary and died in a Soviet prison hospital.[2]
Boxing career
Stepulov took up boxing in 1927 and in 1933–37 won six consecutive Estonian titles. At the 1936 Olympics he won his first four bouts and dominated the first round of the final against Imre Harangi of Hungary. Yet Harangi performed better in the last two rounds, despite having both eyebrows swollen and cut open, and won by a close decision.[3] Next year Stepulov narrowly lost the European final against Herbert Nürnberg. In 1938 he turned professional and fought in Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Germany with a record of 5 wins (4 by knockout), 5 losses and 1 draw.[4] His career was cut short by World War II. He attempted to return to boxing in 1945, but retired after placing second at the Estonian championships.[2][5]
World War II and after
During his boxing career Stepulov served in the Estonian Army as a private, and was promoted to corporal for his Olympic success. In 1937 he worked as a messenger at the Ministry of Economic Affairs. In 1940, when Soviet troops entered Estonia, he became Soviet collaborant participated in disarming the Signal Battalion. In 1945 he returned to Estonia, claiming to been meanwhile a Soviet spy, and took odd jobs as a factory worker, turf cutter, lumberjack and boxing coach and referee. He eventually became a heavy drinker and got involved with criminals. In 1955, he was arrested for burglary and sentenced to seven years. He was released after four years, but was later arrested a few more times for similar offenses. In the 1960s he developed the Parkinson's disease and died in the hospital of the Tallinn central prison.[2]
References
- ^ Nikolai Stepulov. Estonian Olympic Committee
- ^ a b c Nikolai Stepulov. sports-reference.com
- ^ Boxing at the 1936 Berlin Summer Games: Men's Lightweight. sports-reference.com
- ^ Nikolai Stepulov. boxrec
- ^ Stepulov, Nikolai. Eesti spordi biograafiline leksikon
External links
- Nikolai Stepulov at Olympedia
- Nikolai Stepulov at Olympics.com
- Nikolai Stepulov at ESBL (in Estonian)
- Nikolai Stepulov at the Estonian Olympic Committee (archived)
