' s ▁place ▁of ▁birth ▁was ▁Mah ala ▁village , ▁on ▁the ▁eastern , ▁non - B ess arab ian , ▁shore ▁of ▁the ▁D ni ester . ▁After ▁comple ting ▁his ▁primary ▁education ▁in ▁Dub ă s ari ▁( D ub oss ary ), ▁he ▁went ▁to ▁a ▁Russian ▁Cad et ▁school ▁and , ▁reported ly , ▁worked ▁as ▁a ▁cl erk ▁for ▁Dub ă s ari ▁Trib unal . ▁He ▁was ▁interested ▁in ▁phil ology ▁and , ▁with ▁time , ▁became ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁few ▁Roman ian ▁exper ts ▁in ▁the ▁study ▁of ▁Old ▁Church ▁S lav onic . ▁When ▁World ▁War ▁I ▁er upt ed , ▁he ▁was ▁serving ▁in ▁the ▁Imperial ▁Russian ▁Army . ▁His ▁services ▁were ▁reward ed ▁with ▁the ▁Order ▁of ▁St . ▁George ▁and ▁thus ▁joined ▁the ▁ranks ▁of ▁Russian ▁nob ility . ▁ ▁The ▁February ▁Revolution ▁caught ▁Sm och in ă ▁behind ▁the ▁C au cas ian ▁Front . ▁He ▁was ▁appointed ▁military ▁delegate ▁by ▁a ▁Congress ▁of ▁Pe op les ▁in ▁T bil isi , ▁sent ▁over ▁to ▁Pet ro grad ▁for ▁negoti ations ▁with ▁the ▁Soviet ▁of ▁Work ers ' ▁and ▁Sold iers ' ▁Deput ies ▁( sum mer ▁ 1 9 1 7 ). ▁As ▁he ▁later ▁noted , ▁he ▁happened ▁to ▁hear ▁a ▁speech ▁given ▁by ▁Vladimir ▁Len in , ▁leader ▁of ▁the ▁ult ra - re volution ary ▁B ols he vik ▁fa ction , ▁who ▁was ▁working ▁to ▁to pp le ▁the ▁Russian ▁Pro vis ional ▁Government . ▁Sm