He was talking about Szternberg

Pawiał Karłowicz Szternberg (Russian: Pállo Карлович Штернберг, born April 2, 1865 in Orle, died February 1, 1920 in Moscow) - Russian astronomer and revolutionary. Curriculum vitae

In 1887 he graduated from the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics of the Moscow State University, became an astronomer of the observatory of this university, and in 1916 became the director of this observatory, in 1914 he received the title of professor. From 1904 he was associated with the communist movement, in 1905 he joined the SDPRR, in which he had the pseudonym "Łunnyj", in 1906-1908 he was a member of the Military and Technical Bureau of the Moscow Committee SDPRR. In April 1917 he took part in the First All-Russian Astronomical Congress in Petrograd, where he became a member of the All-Russian Astronomical Union Council, he also appeared at the SDPRR party conference (b), later participated in forming the Red Guards and became the head of its Central Staff, and in July 1917 he was co-organizer of the Operational Staff at the Central Staff of the Red Guard. He was preparing a plan for the Bolshevik armed uprising. During the October Revolution, he participated in the organization of protection of the Moscow Workers' Council and the Moscow Committee of the SDPRR (b) and became a member of the Moscow Military and Revolutionary Committee, he participated in fighting against juniors on the streets of Moscow. After the Bolshevik takeover, he became a member of the Presidium of the Moscow Municipal Executive Committee and the chairman of the Moscow Governorate of the Revolutionary Tribunal, later in 1918 a member of the Governorate of Red Army troops formation and the education commissioner of the Moscow Governorate and a member of the Presidium of the Moscow Governing Committee. In September 1918, he became a member of the Military-Revolutionary Council of the 2nd Army, later the Military-Revolutionary Council of the Eastern Front. He died of pneumonia. Bibliography

wiki