Playground for firewood

Virtual tour: Icebreaker "Angara". By the end of 1919, the "wild division" of ataman Semyonov approached Irkutsk to help the Kolchakians retain power in the city. But at Kuzmihi and Titovo, the Semenovts offensive was stopped by the Glazkowski railway men. Semenov retreated to Lake Baikal, followed by Kolchak supporters who had fled from Irkutsk.      These days a bloody atrocity committed by the punishers took place. General Sychev, fleeing Irkutsk, took with him 31 hostages from prison. It was believed that they were all supporters of the Political Center, that is, opponents of the Kolchak regime. In fact, only a part of those arrested belonged to this political body. The hostages were placed on the Angara icebreaker in the 3rd class room. On the evening of January 6, the icebreaker departed from Baikal pier in the direction of Listvenichny. The detainees, stripped to their underwear, were taken to the deck one at a time; the Cossack Lukin from behind struck the victim on the head with a wooden beater, which serves to ice ice. After which the victim was thrown overboard. This massacre lasted about an hour. According to the testimony of one of the executioners of the captain Cherepanov, the noise and shout were rarely heard as the steamer sailed, breaking the ice 3–4 inches thick. At the request of General Janek, commander of foreign troops in Siberia, about the fate of the arrested, the chief of staff Semenov said that none of them had been shot. He was right: no one was shot - they were thrown alive under the ice ...