章 69: Working on it (October-December, 1879
Narodnaya Volya vs the Okhrana]
From the members of the Narodnaya Volya, the Okhrana and its elements (Holy Druzhina) captured Alexander Konstantinovich Solovyov, Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Kvyatkovsky and Aaron Isaakovich Zundelevich thanks to the efforts of G. D. Goldenberg to reveal information from the Narodnaya Volya to the government of Tsar Alexander III.
An example of this was an attempt by Narodnaya Volya to blow up the train in which Emperor Alexander III was traveling from southern Russia to Saint Petersburg.
The Narodnaya Volya had a much more centralized and 'focused' structure than its predecessors (Going to People and Land and Freedom), while for example Land and Freedom had seven sections, and was dedicated to 'peaceful' political actions (protests, propaganda , attempts to organize the movement), the Narodnaya Volya devoted itself exclusively to terrorism after the organization began to be seriously hunted by the Okhrana.
The Okhrana had more than 1000 operatives, while the Narodnaya Volya had fewer than 500 and descending, the IK (main leadership body now led by Nikolai Konstantinovich Bukh, Mikhail Fedorovich Grachevsky, VV Zege von Laurenberg, Savely Solomonovich Zlatopolsky, Sofia Andreevna Ivanova, Grigory Prokofievich Isaev, Tatiana Ivanovna Lebedeva, Olga Spiridonovna Lyubatovich, Sophia Lvovna Perovskaya, Vera Nicolayevna Figner Filippova and Anna Vasilievna Yakimova) doubted even being able to maintain the existence of the Narodnaya Volya for too long.
Propaganda attempts and the assassinations of officers were often unsuccessful for various reasons.
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* Perspective of Alexander III.
"We cannot risk having a diplomatic incident." Emperor Alexander III exclaims, a simple and obvious fact to Okhrana authorities, military units and Interior Minister Alexander Yegorovich Timashev.
"We are awaiting orders." Timashev responds promptly.
"I want us to secure the main railways, security guards for the chief administrators of the empire, and regular examinations for security in St. Petersburg, Moscow, and other cities." Emperor Alexander III explains. "We can never be cautious enough."
Commander Mikhail Loris-Melikov was placed as deputy minister of the Ministry of the Interior and governor of the province of Saint Petersburg.
Loris-Melikov then began to work extensively with the St. Petersburg police to carry out protocols regarding the security of the St. Petersburg Universal Exhibition, visitors (other than specific guests such as diplomats, foreign authorities, etc.) would be screened to avoid carry weapons or other dangerous materials (bombs).
The Okhrana under Timashev on the other hand began to monitor key points of the city that could be the target of terrorist attacks, also some recent members of the Okhrana would try to infiltrate the Narodnaya Volya but in 1879 there was not much luck.
They also began to review the file of all the workers involved in the Gatchina Palace, the Universal Exhibition, certain minor spheres of government, etc.
Fortunately, members of the old Land and Freedom were found who could offer information, or go to jail.
*******
The former would-be terrorist was being watched by Okhrana members in his apartment, his sentence was not abolished but while he co-operated there was an opportunity to live a somewhat more 'normal' life.
A few times he was interrogated in his own home, mainly by agents asking about suspects or personnel from the recently captured Narodnaya Volya.
"So the Narodnaya Volya only wants to assassinate the tsar." One of the agents asked him in one of his meetings.
"It's not their only goal, but they think that will help." Goldenberg explains.
"When was the decision made?"
"In the disintegration of Land and Freedom, when the organizing and terrorist factions broke up. There are still people willing to volunteer to assassinate the Tsar." Goldenberg claims.
The IK was asking for volunteers for an attack on Tsar Alexander III in fact, they were increasingly on the ropes. From one group emerged: Andrei Zhelyabov, Sophia Perovskaya, Nikolai Rysakov, Ignacy Hryniewiecki, Ivan Yemelyanov, Nikolai Kibalchich, Timofey Mikhailov, Hesya Helfman, Nikolai Sablin and Vera Figner.
The Narodnaya Volya considered a total of three plans:
* A murder in the Gatchina Palace.
* A murder in the Universal Exhibition of Saint Petersburg.
* A murder in the streets of Saint Petersburg.
*******
[A Zemsky Sobor in the 19th century?]
Russia was growing in many ways, not only economically but socially, some believed that this would create some imbalance in Russian society. A thriving middle class of bourgeois and ordinary citizens, working classes, new trade-oriented farms, rising Jewish businesses, increased mechanization, etc., grew in the cities.
The Tsar was still the 'Little Father' of all Russia, but the nobles were obviously trying to adapt or die, their traditional economic roles were being taken over by people of lower position, there were still terrorist groups, etc.
Faced with this prospect, some pan-Slavists and nationalists had an idea.
These were Pavel Dmitrievich Golokhvastov (writer, historian, publicist and philologist) and Ivan Sergeevich Aksakov (poet, publicist, owner, editor and writer of the Moskva newspaper) presented an Imperial Manifesto in December, calling for the formation of a Zemsky Sobor for the Russian Empire .
A Zemsky Sobor was a representative institution in the Tsardom of Russia that existed until 1683-1684, where almost all the states of the population met (nobles, members of the church and the administration, servants were excluded) to discuss economic questions -administrative.
Golokhvastov were concerned about the chaos that the recent changes in Russia could generate, the presence of terrorist organizations and other problems that still existed in the Russian state.
Tsar Alexander III would read Golokhvastov and Aksakov's proposal with curiosity and attention.
*******
"The blood runs cold in the veins of a Russian just thinking about what would happen since the implementation of the project of Golokhvastov and his friends. It is a fantasy under the guise of the deceptive form of the Zemsky Cathedral."
Konstantin Petrovich Pobedonostsev, one of St. Petersburg's most notable conservative jurists, wrote before Golokhvastov's manifesto.
"You know, Loris-Melikov, when I became a czar I promised to preserve the autocracy." Tsar Alexander III argues with the new deputy minister of the interior, Mikhail Loris-Melikov.
"Do you agree with Pobodonostsev?" Loris-Melikov questions, with an apparently neutral position.
"No, but I don't totally agree with Golokhvastov and Aksakov either. However, their concerns are sincere, I think that to some extent, Russia needs reforms." Alexander III explains.
This catches Loris-Melikov's curiosity. "What kind of reform?"
"Not a Zemsky Sobor, but we can expand the Zemstvos system to counties and provinces that still lack one, improve city administration and allow for a greater consultative presence within the government. I will discuss it with you and Timashev in depth later."
*******
[Alcoholism in Russia]
'Drinking is the joy of all Rus', are supposed words of Vladimir the Great, attributed as one of his reasons for choosing the Orthodox Christian Church over other religions at the moment of abandoning paganism.
Of course in Russia there is a huge amount of alcoholic beverages, from strong to mild. Partly because in winter it is quite useful, partly because of a kind of pseudo-'tradition' (to call it that somehow) and another variety of reasons.
With diversification in the Russian economy, such as Iberian-French wine production and Caucasian tea production on the rise, it was found that the level of alcoholism or very usual consumption of strong alcoholic beverages decreased.
Of course it did not mean that heavy alcohol consumption will evaporate (the country would not benefit from that either), but it did mean that the population drank strong drinks less often.
Which can be good for the health and productivity of a region.
Under Alexander III, in essence little heed was paid to temperance movements (which were already heavily curtailed by criminal activities in 1859).
But there was a problem with the strong alcohol consumption, the price, the innkeepers and some producers were overvaluing the price of Russian vodka (another reason to explain the reason for the decline in vodka consumption among some young people).
Given this, Alexander III's Ministry of Finance established a state monopoly on the production and sale of Vodka (there was a previous monopoly on other alcoholic beverages but in the time of Ivan III and obviously it was no longer used for Alexander III's time).
This supposed something, vodka stopped being overvalued (in price), and the state gained new sources of income, obviously other private companies were allowed in beer, wine, champagne, etc.
But the joy of All Russia remained a matter of the state.
*******
[Russia and bamboo?]
In the Russian Empire, Japanese and Chinese immigration (mainly for labor purposes) and Ainu (related to Russian-Japanese treaties) led to the bringing of some bamboo specimens to the Eurasian country.
Normally bamboo grows in areas of Asia, some need particular characteristics but in reality there are certain specimens that can survive colder conditions and higher ground.
For example, in the Kuril Islands (Ketoy for example) and Sakhalin under Russia grows the Saz Kuril, Kuril bamboo or also called Bambuchnik (scientific name: Sasa kurilensis). Although it is not a bamboo that is too big or useful (aside from some bamboo gardens).
There is also the Pseudosasa japonica, arrow bamboo or metake of Japanese origin (tolerant to 0 ° F / −17.7 ° C) can also grow in Russia, more specifically in regions of the Caucasus such as Dagestan, Krasnodar and Karachay-Cherkessia.
With this possibility, the production of bamboo also increased in these regions for various uses, especially in handicrafts and decorative elements, since access to traditional construction materials was stable and positive (unlike Novaya Gvineya).
There are also members of the genus Bambusa that are native to Novaya Gvineya.
In the Novaya Gvineya colony, bamboo began to be bred more professionally, and with this came innovations with respect to the 'traditional' architecture of Russia (which of course had its influence on the colony).
Bamboo began to be used for the construction of infrastructure, scaffolding or buildings and real estate, something that was obviously accepted by the authorities of Saint Petersburg.
It lowered the costs of shipping building materials (in wood) and real state towards Novaya Gvineya, and it increased the incentive for local bamboo cultivation and use, and other local economic sectors (handicrafts).
Above all it was useful because it allowed the formation of the first native architects and builders of Novaya Gvineya in a serious and professional way, the bamboo was simple, rigid to some extent and also known to the natives.
Obviously in the early architectural designs of Novaya Gvineya, the Russian styles of the time had a notable influence due to the previous sailors, merchants and architects present in the colony.
Economically speaking towards international relations, Russian New Guinea also began to export bamboo products to Russia and abroad, they did not become too popular right in the moment but there were some foreigners willing to buy from Hawai'i, Europe and India.
*******
[Persian Cossacks]
It is November 1879 when the Caucasian administration of the Russian Empire received a request from the leader of Persia, Naser al-Din Shah Qajar, for the formation of a Persian Cossack Brigade, after the Russian-Turkish war the Shah visited Europe and seems interested in uniforms and in general the Cossacks of the Terek.
The Russian government accepted with some conditions and sent Alexei Ivanovich Domontovich as commander and first main instructor of the first Persian Cossack Brigade.
According to the contract, the Russian military mission would be permanent in the north of Persia, and only Russian military could be instructors of the Cossack brigade.
The English could not like this idea, but it was the Shah's designs (and obviously supported by the Russian diplomats in Tehran).
In addition, the Russians had the explanation that the Persian Cossack Brigade would serve for the defense of the Russian concessions in Persia obtained at the beginning of the 19th century.
In total, the first members of the brigade were about 900 troops, who thanks to Russian-Persian funding would also have an artillery battery and some musicians.
The beginnings of the Persian Cossack Brigade would be relatively humble but would increase considerably from the 1890s to the 1920s.
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[Sports culture: The last 4]
The last four teams for the third edition of the Russian Soccer League are chosen:
* Anadyr: The Chukotka team, and the most recent (in the third edition) of the Siberian teams to join the event.
* Riga.
* Grozny: The Muslim-Chechen team is back after the Second Edition.
* Baku: First Azerbaijani team to reach the Russian Soccer League, supported by the growing city of Baku.
*******
[International]
October 7, just as Russia sends a permanent military mission to Persia with Russian instructors, the German Empire sends a military mission to the Kingdom of Italy with German instructors for the modernization of the Italian army.
This obviously alerts Austria-Hungary and France, and certain sections of the UK concerned about the European balance of power. It is clear that the two axes (Austria-France and Germany-Italy) are preparing for an eventual conflict at the industrial and military level.
On October 8, the Chilean navy defeats the Peruvian naval forces during the War of the Pacific.
November 4, Thomas Edison applies for a patent on an incandescent electric light bulb, unfortunately he cannot prove that his design is particularly different from Alexander Lodygin's incandescent light bulbs (who got the patent thanks to money from Tsar Alexander III).
November 10 in the Kurdish territories of the Ottoman Empire, Sheikh Ubeydullah has unified the support of various leaders and population of the Kurds under his leadership in the principalities that lost their autonomy and privileges decades ago at the hands of the Ottomans.
Sheikh Ubeydullah was the first person to fight for an ethno-culturally Kurdish state, not the first to lead the Kurds but the first to fight for the independence of a Kurdish state, independence from the Ottomans and the Persians.
With the Kurds united under this leadership, obviously the Ottomans began to have problems in their eastern possessions, where Kurdish cavalry began to represent a serious problem for the Ottoman fortresses and economic outposts in their peripheral areas (bordering Persia).
This means that at its two extremes (Western European and Eastern Asia) the Ottoman Empire faces rebellions, on the one hand the Albanian rebellion (which started with the request for broad autonomy) and now the Kurdish rebellion (which wants independence).
Speaking of the Albanian rebellion, despite some defeats the movement has been able to take a breather now that the Ottoman administration has other business to attend to (and therefore its finances, logistics and military aspects are deteriorating slightly).
Don Juan Pedro Aladro y Kastriota gains the rank of lieutenant within the 'Albanian army'. He is subordinate to the Prizren League but is willing to liberate the Albanian people.
The Tay rail bridge collapses in Scotland on December 28.
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