We started putting on our outdoor clothes, and it turned out that Kishkin's coat had already disappeared. They gave him a soldier's watch-coat.
As we exited the palace, the arrested ministers were immediately surrounded by insurrectionists, shouting threats at them. Many were noticeably drunk. They were asking for Kerensky. The crowd was pushing, they wanted revenge.
We finally reached the fortress. A gloating crowd was waiting for us there. In the fortress, we were searched again. Antonov-Ovseenko drew up a protocol on the arrest and escort of the ministers to the fortress and suggested that we sign it. Someone did.
They escorted us to individual cells of the Trubetskoy fort. I've been placed in the cell №39, Kartashev - in the nearby cell. It's damp and cold.
I am afraid that once again we start having conversations when one needs to act swiftly and resolutely. I propose we immediately replace Polkovnikov, temporarily give control to Bagratuni and occupy the headquarters with a strong army.
Semyon Maslov, Minister of Agriculture, phones the City Duma.
We here in the Winter Palace have been utterly abandoned and left to fend for ourselves. Democracy sent us into the Provisional Government; we didn’t want the appointments, but we went. Yet now that tragedy has struck and we’re being shot, no support is forthcoming from anyone. Of course we’re going to die here, but in my final words I will revile and damn the democracy that appointed us but failed to protect us!