11 March 1917. Alfred Knox

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11 March

Today:

"The first red banner has appeared, a vile rag"

Guardsmen are shooting their commanders, and not the striking workers

"The palace is deadly quiet"

Non-fiction

Project 1917 is a series of events that took place a hundred years ago as described by those involved. It is composed only of diaries, letters, memoirs, newspapers and other documents

Petrograd, Russian Empire

After lunch I went to see General Khabalov,the Commander-in-Chief of the District, and passed on the way the still loyal part of the Preobrajenski and the Keksgolmski Regiments, which were marching in good order under their officers into the Winter Palace. I found General Khabalov at the Prefecture, a building which has since become notorious as the seat of the Bolshevik Extraordinary Commission. On the street out side a party of Cossacks stood dismounted beside their horses. I climbed the stairs to the first floor. In the centre room of the long group of apartments a few Guards officers were seated, silent and depressed. Young officers of Cossacks were coming and going with reports. From the centre room, where I waited, through the folding doors officers and officials could be seen in the further rooms walking to and fro in earnest conversation. The Grand Duke Kiril was said to be there amongst others, but I did not see him. General Byelyaev passed and shook hands with his usual courtly smile. I never saw him again. General Zankevich, the General Quartermaster, talked bravely. He said: «These are only depot troops that have mutinied, and not regulars. Regular troops will very soon put the movement down». At last General Khabalov came, and I told him that the Ambassador had sent me to ascertain the situation. He said that the position was “ very serious,” as a part of the Depot Battalion of the Preobrajenskis, the whole of the Volinski, Pavlovski and Litovski Battalions and the Sappers of the Guard had mutinied, and the movement might spread. He thought he could trust the Cossacks, and he said he had telegraphed to the front for troops.

I left the Prefecture with the conviction that the old regime was doomed.

From the Embassy, later, I walked with another British officer to the Liteini Prospekt. On the way we passed a very drunken soldier with rifle and fixed bayonet. The great District Court, nearly opposite the Artillery Department, was blazing. It had been set on fire early in the day, partly perhaps in imitation of the storming of the Bastille, but more, no doubt, with the practical idea of destroying all criminal records. We found a barricade across the street with three guns and some soldiers. I asked if I could go to No. 9 to see some friends, and the sentry said that I might go anywhere if I only gave up my sword. Another man immediately interrupted him with the remark: «These are Enlishmen! You must not insult them!»

However, the guard decided that it was better not to pass the barricade. One of the soldiers grasped my hand and said : “We have only one wish—to beat the Germans to the end, and we will begin with the Germans here and with a family that you know of called Romanov.” The crowds on the Nevski on the previous day had been shouting : “ Down with Alexandra ! ” ( Doloi Sashe!

, and others

✍ Also today

Alexandra Feodorovna with Grigori Rasputin

Alexander Palace, Tsarskoye Selo, Russian Empire

The sun shines so brightly and I felt such peace and tranquility next to his precious grave! He died to save us.

, and others

Tsarskoye Selo, Russian Empire

The first red banner has appeared, a vile rag.

, and others

23, Kronversky ave., Petrograd, Russian Empire

There are no pleasures, only profanity.

, and others

Petrograd, Russian Empire

At around ten o’clock, reports came from the outskirts of the city that the troops had begun to fire on the crowds.

A company of the Pavlov regiment refused to put down the disturbances, they shot at the mounted police patrol (a policeman and two horses were killed). The battalion commander, Colonel Eksten, was badly wounded in the head.

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Alexander Spiridovich

333 ap., 54, Fontanka embarkment, Petrograd, Russian Empire

The palace is deadly quiet. It is unsettling. And most importantly- his Majesty is not here. It is necessary for his Majesty to return immediately from Stavka.

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Alexandra Feodorovna

Alexander Palace, Tsarskoye Selo, Russian Empire

Told much about the disorders in town (I think over 200,000 people) -- find that one does not keep good order. But I wrote all this yesterday, forgive me, I am foolish. But one ought to arrange card system for bread (as in every country now) as one has it for sugar some time and all are quiet and got enough. Our people are idiots. See more

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Alexander Kolchak

Trabzon

On the third day I left Sevastopol in the morning for Trabzon and, with my usual bad luck, we ran into rather blustery weather, with brisk winds from the NW at times reaching storm levels. With the boat pitching violently on enormous overtaking waves there was only one thing I could do: sleep.

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Alexandre Benois

38, 1st line of Vasilyevsky Island, Petrograd, Russian Empire

Everyone is extremely worked up and no one has any illusions concerning the success of the revolutionary movement. It seems more likely to imagine that the insurrection will be supressed by the usual combination of police and bayonets. The insurrection itself, at the very least, can already be spoken of as a done deal.

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Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich

Gatchina, Russian Empire

The rioting in Petrograd has intensified — about 200 people have been killed on Suvorov Avenue and on Znamensky.

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Alexey Vasilyev

Petrograd, Russian Empire

It was almost three in the morning by the time I got home from the cabinet meeting at Prince Golytsin’s house. The ministers were in a state of great aggravation, and at the same time, clearly suffering from their awareness of the heavy responsibility which they bore for the current situation, seemed despondent, which I found rather dispiriting.

, and others

Marlborough House, London, United Kingdom

Had a talk with Mother about Russian and Nicky. She is very much upset about it all.

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Mathilde Kschessinska

Kshessinska mansion, Petrograd, Russian Empire

On the 26th, a Sunday, General Halle telephoned me once more to warn me that the situation in the city was very serious, and that I should save what I could from my house before it was too late. He telephoned repeatedly all through the day. Although he still considered the situation very serious, he hoped it might improve "if the abscess burst". His advice to save what could still be saved placed me in a real dilemma. Although I never kept my large diamond jewellery at home, but left it with Faberge, I still had at home a great number of small jewels, not to mention the silver and other precious objects with which my rooms were decorated. What was I to choose? What was I to take away, and where?

, and others

Petrograd, Russian Empire

I spent the morning with Markozov, whom I interrupted at breakfast at 10 a.m. There is no lack of rye flour in Petrograd. It is true that from the 1st till the 9th only 210 wagon-loads of flour came in, but 100 wagons came in yesterday, and there are now 459,000 puds in store, in addition to quantities estimated at 20,000 puds with the bakers and perhaps 100,000 puds with private consumers. See more

The Food Controller issues 35,000 puds a day to such bakeries as promise to bake, and if this quantity was really baked it would be sufficient for the population. However, there is practically no wheat flour, and there are no oats or hay. We have 60,000 horses. The market price of oats is Rs.9 per pud and of rye flour only Rs.2.80. With fuel at its present price (Rs.40 per sagene instead of Rs.5), the baker’s trade has ceased to be profitable, and the baker prefers to sell the rye flour issued to him. The horseowners buy it and feed their animals on it in lieu of oats. Hence a shortage of baked bread. Owing to the defective system of bread cards, individuals have been able to collect several rations by joining several queues in the day. Hence a still further shortage of baked bread, and workmen who have been at work all day have to go to bed hungry. Hence natural discontent. Markozov thinks that an error was made in fixing the price of grain too low. Hence the peasants have been holding for a rise. Efforts have been made to increase the reward to the agriculturist, but the real desideratum is confidence in the Government and a patriotic sense of duty. It is impossible for the Government to requisition as the grain is scattered in small peasants’farms. It requisitioned from the merchants in 1914, and the latter have since then avoided the accumulation of large stocks. The Government had hitherto refused to hand over the arrangements for the distribution of food to the Municipality, because the latter insisted on nominating representatives of all classes to the distribution committees, and this, the Government maintained, required the passing of a new law ! The Municipality also insisted on buying grain themselves. These two points have now been conceded, and the “ new law ” will be passed as quickly as possible. The question is whether the Municipality, now that everything is in a mess, will be able to restore order from chaos.

When I left Markozov’s house the chauffeur pointed to a huge crowd coming down the street a few hundred yards off—the workmen from one of the outlying factories coming in to demonstrate. We were stopped by troops from returning through the Nevski, but made a wide detour and got home to lunch.

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Pierre Gilliard

Alexander Palace, Tsarskoye Selo, Russian Empire

On the 11th the situation suddenly became very critical and the most alarming news arrived without warning. The mob made its way into the centre of the town, and the troops, who had been called in the previous evening, were offering but slight resistance. See more

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Maurice Paleologue

10, Kutuzov embankment, Petrograd, Russian Empire

General Khabalov, Military Governor of Petrograd, has had the city placarded with the following warning this morning:

"All meetings or gatherings are forbidden. I notify the civil population that I have given the troops fresh authority to use their arms and stop at nothing to maintain order."

, and others

Nightmare before Christmas

Death of Rasputin. Murder conspiracy and its consequences

-10

in Petrograd

-7

in Moscow