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 Glazkov railway men. Semenov retreated to 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 31 hostages from prison with him. 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 a 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 out on the deck one by one; the Cossack Lukin from behind hit the victim on the head with a wooden beater, which served to ice the ice. After which the victim was dumped 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, the commander of foreign troops in Siberia, about the fate of the arrested, the chief of staff Semenov replied that none of them had been shot. He was right: no one was shot - they were thrown alive under the ice ...