The Lena Goldfield Massacre

The Lena Goldfield Massacre 1912

The gold miners who worked along the bank of the Lena river in northern Siberia worked long hours for low pay in an inhospitable climate. They had long-standing grievances over their accommodation and treatment but the spark which inflamed the 1912 rebellion was the quality of horsemeat given to one group.  When the management took no notice, the miners went on strike and presented a long series of demands. The Bolsheviks helped co-ordinate the spread of the strike to other groups of miners. The management took no notice, the miners went on strike and presented a long series of demands. The Bolsheviks helped co-ordinate the spread of the strike to other groups of miners. The management, having gained the support of local police, arresated some ring-leaders and ordered the miners to return to work. Several thousand converged on on mine to present individual petitions, possibly encouraged by the authorities which were pleased to have the rebels together en masse. The order was given to open fire as they approached and about 500 workers were killed. This set off a wave a sympathetic strikes through Siberia and beyond.

The Romanov Tercentenary 1913

1913 was the tercenentenary year of the Romanov dynasty and Nicholas and Alexandra revelled in the jubilee rituals organised to celebrate the permanency of the Romanovs. In St. Petersburg, the Emperor and his family…