Murom Rebellion

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Murom Rebellion
Part of Russian Civil War
Date evening 8 July – late night 9 July 1918 Location Murom and outskirts Result Rebellion defeat
Belligerents
Union for protection of Homeland and Liberty	Russian SFSR
Commanders and leaders
Nikolai Saharov D. Grigoryev	com. Yarlykin
Strength
40-50 people, several guntrucks	4th Murom sentinel company, joint unit of Red Guards and workers

The Murom Rebellion was a White Guard rebellion in Muromon, Russia 8 — 10 July 1918, during the Russian Civil War. It was organized by the anti-Bolsevik "Union for protection of Homeland and Liberty". The rebellion was not supported by locals, and pressure from the Ref forces forced the rebels to retriet through forests to Kazan, where they joined the People's Army of Komuch and continued fighting Bolsheviks.

Events preceding the Rebellion

May 1918 was marked by a crisis of Bolshevik power in Russia. The social base of the new government, industrial workers, had itself started protesting against the Bolsheviks, and organized into assemblies. The movement reached its peak in May-June 1918..

Striving to defeat its opponents before engaging in a repression campaign against the workers, the Bolsheviks started completing their military dominence, by disarmament of the Czechoslovak legion. This led to a revolt covering the Volga region, Ural, Siberia, and Far East, creating a situation that might have led to the fall of communist power in most of the country and replacement of it with ant-ibolshevik governments such as Committee of Members of the Constituent Assembly and Provisional Siberian Government. The revolt signaled the transformation of the Russian Revolution into the Russian Civil War with active involvement of White armies .

Preparation for Rebellion and its context

Following the October Revolution in Murom, dissatisfaction with transfer of power in Russia to Bolshevik government, widely spread among local bourgouise and servismen, mostly former army officers. These strata supported the idea of overthrow of bolshevik power in the country, and especially, in Murom. They called for overthrow of Soviet power, restoration of power of the Constituent Assembly, and punishment for red guards, communists and soviet officers. They also started preparation to armed uprising. For example, in February 1918 during search at future rebellion leader Saharov's apartment, investigators found 6 shashkas, 2 rapiers,5 bayonets, 8 hunting swords, 40 pairs of officer insignia of different ranks.

In spring 1918 Soviet law enforsment bodies identified assemblies of former army officers and bourgouise in Murom public club. In June 1918 soviet authorities started getting messages on White Guard organization operating in Murom and ongoing preparations to the rebellion.

Additional boost to the rebellion preparations was given by ongoing SR armed struggle against bolsheviks. Emergense on 8 June of Komuch government in Samara as first coordinating body of White forces gave start to numerous attempts to throw away Reds all over Russia. On 20 June right SR start their struggle with assassination of Commisar of publishing, propaganda and agitation of North Commune Volodarsky. Landing of British troops in Murmansk with further offensive also inspired Left SR, who previously supported bolsheviks, to active measures against pro-German bolsheviks. During V Panrussian Congress of Soviets aimed at adoption of the Constitution of Soviet Russia, Left SR combatants assassinated German embassador Mirbach and started skirmishes on the streets of Moscow.

In light of these events right SR "Union for protection of Homeland and Liberty" organized armed rebellions in several cities of Central Russia, namely Yelatma, Yaroslavl, Rybinsk and Murom. White uprising in Murom was initially pland on 6 — 7 June together with the major in the chain of rebellions - Yaroslavl Rebellion, but due to preventive measures the date was changed.

Rebellion

AN armed uprising, resulting in temporary seizure of power by White Guards, happened late at night in Murom on 8 July 1918. Colonel Saharov and medical officer Grigoryev were the leaders of the uprising.

On 3 July Okski Boulevard in Murom became a gathering point for White Guard forces, and it became the starting point of the uprising on 8 July. Late at night (10-11 PM) white guards suddenly attacked the sentinel company and took it by surprise. Clash resulted in 3 wounded red guards (1 deadly wounded) and capture of weapons by rebels. Simultaneously the Military Commissariat, Supreme Military Council and local Council were captured, and dy the end of the night the city of Murom was entirely captured by white guards.

On 9 July leaflets were spread over the city from the "Union for protection of Homeland and Liberty" proclaiming the overthrow of the Soviet power under the leadership of Nikolai Saharov, as a chief of Eastern Unit of Northern Volunteer Army,. The leaflets asked for officers to come and register as staff of White Army. Rebellion headquarters sent armed groups to different locations: the first group, under command of officer Goldberg, went to Selivanovo station; he first group, under command of officer Pestrakov, went to Klimove station (both were ordered to destroy the railway); and the third group went to Navashino station to fight the workers who stood up to protect Soviet power.

Popular perception

Apart from bourgeoisie, clerics and servicemen, no one took the white guard side. The ommon population resisted the rebellion, and local Bolshevik forces were spread over the city forces, workers of railway workshops and factories (in Navashino, Vyksa and Kovrov), as well as other local villages managed to organize the defence.

Defeat of Rebellion

In the morning of 10 July the White Army uprising was suppressed by local forces; the white guards fled from the town with 700,000 rubles from local Soviet, county Military Commissariat and some other bodies. Bolshevik rule was restored in Murom.

In the evening 10 July red guards and workers unit under command of Yerlykin, caught up with the whites up at Domiki station, defeated them and driven them off. In the morning 11 July remnants of white guards were caught up by red units once more at Novo-Dmitrievski, where they were titally defeated and had to flee through Vyksa to Ardatov.

Later, during interogation, Savinkov, the founder of Union for protection of Homeland and Liberty told the following on Murom Rebellion: "On Murom Rebellion I knew only what Grigoryev, who was killed in anti-Kolchak uprising, had reported to me.Grigoryev captured Murom with very small forces, maybe 40 or 50 people, and after holding city for one day retreated in Kazan direction."

Two weeks later, late at night 12 captured white guards were executed by Yerlykin and Kirillov in the cellar of Shvedovs-Karatagins trade house.[1] Leman and Sposobin were among the executed.

Subsequent events

The rebels of Murom managed to keep control over city longer than their comrades from Rybinsk. However, unlike the latter, the rebels after the defeat of their action did not join the Yaroslavl Rebellion and decided to retreat to the main frontline of the White forces on the Volga. SR party managed to organize additional two rebellions in the east of the country: Muravyov revolt in middle Volga (which was Left SR reaction to suppression of preceding uprising in Moscow) and Ashgabat rebellion in Central Asia. SR activities on Volga were suppressed within a couple of days, while Yaroslavl survived till the end of the months.

Even though n most of areas SR rebellions were suppressed, their intensity was among the reasons for taking decision on execution of the Romanov family

References

• A. S. Kruchinin. Murom anti-soviet rebellion (1918) context and prerequisites // Uvarov readings-V: Materials of scientific conference, commemorated to 1140th anniversary of Murom. Murom, 2003. pp. 283—286
• VChK red book (in 2 volumes). / scientific editor A. S. Velidov. Book 1. 2nd ed. Moscow, Politizdat, 1989.

Notes

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• Left-wing uprisings against the Bolsheviks

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