Stepan Maximovich Petrichenko (russian: link=no, Степа́н Макси́мович Петриче́нко; 1892 – June 2, 1947) was a Russian
revolutionary
A revolutionary is a person who either participates in, or advocates a revolution. The term ''revolutionary'' can also be used as an adjective, to refer to something that has a major, sudden impact on society or on some aspect of human endeavor.
...
, an
anarcho-syndicalist
Anarcho-syndicalism is a political philosophy and anarchist school of thought that views revolutionary industrial unionism or syndicalism as a method for workers in capitalist society to gain control of an economy and thus control influence in b ...
politician, the head of the
Soviet Republic of Soldiers and Fortress-Builders of Nargen and in 1921, ''de facto'' leader of the
Kronstadt Commune, and the leader of the revolutionary committee which led the
Kronstadt rebellion
The Kronstadt rebellion ( rus, Кронштадтское восстание, Kronshtadtskoye vosstaniye) was a 1921 insurrection of Soviet sailors and civilians against the Bolshevik government in the Russian SFSR port city of Kronstadt. Locat ...
of 1921.
Life
Early years
Stepan Maximovich Petrichenko was born in 1892 in the village of
Nikitenka in the
Zhizdrinsky Uyezd of
Kaluga Governorate
Kaluga Governorate (1796–1929) was a List of governorates of the Russian Empire, governorate of the Russian Empire and the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Russian SFSR. Its capital was Kaluga.
Administrative division
Kaluga Go ...
to a family of peasants. Two years after his birth, his family moved to
Alexandrovsk (
Yekaterinoslav Governorate
The Yekaterinoslav Governorate (russian: Екатеринославская губерния, Yekaterinoslavskaya guberniya; uk, Катеринославська губернія, translit=Katerynoslavska huberniia) or Government of Yekaterinos ...
), where Stepan graduated from city school and joined the local ironworks as a metalworker.
In 1913 Petrichenko was called up for military service with the Russian navy, where he was assigned to the Russian battleship
''Petropavlovsk'', part of the
Baltic Fleet
, image = Great emblem of the Baltic fleet.svg
, image_size = 150
, caption = Baltic Fleet Great ensign
, dates = 18 May 1703 – present
, country =
, allegiance = (1703–1721) (1721–1917) (1917–1922) (1922–1991)(1991–present)
...
.
Soviet republic of sailors and builders
During the
February Revolution
The February Revolution ( rus, Февра́льская револю́ция, r=Fevral'skaya revolyutsiya, p=fʲɪvˈralʲskəjə rʲɪvɐˈlʲutsɨjə), known in Soviet historiography as the February Bourgeois Democratic Revolution and somet ...
in Russia, he had been with the fleet at the Estonian island
Nargen (now ''Naissaar''). In December 1917, the
Soviet Republic of Soldiers and Fortress-Builders of Nargen was proclaimed. Eighty-two sailors and about two hundred indigenous islanders organized local government, which lasted until the capture of Tallinn by the forces of the
German Empire
The German Empire (),Herbert Tuttle wrote in September 1881 that the term "Reich" does not literally connote an empire as has been commonly assumed by English-speaking people. The term literally denotes an empire – particularly a hereditary ...
on February 26, 1918. The red and black flag of the
anarcho-communists
Anarcho-communism, also known as anarchist communism, (or, colloquially, ''ancom'' or ''ancomm'') is a political philosophy and anarchist school of thought that advocates communism. It calls for the abolition of private property but retains res ...
was lowered, and its "government" retreated onto the ships of the Baltic Fleet, heading for
Helsinki
Helsinki ( or ; ; sv, Helsingfors, ) is the Capital city, capital, primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Finland, most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of U ...
, and from there to
Kronstadt
Kronstadt (russian: Кроншта́дт, Kronshtadt ), also spelled Kronshtadt, Cronstadt or Kronštádt (from german: link=no, Krone for "crown" and ''Stadt'' for "city") is a Russian port city in Kronshtadtsky District of the federal city of ...
. Three years later, a red-black banner also hoisted over Kronstadt – the former leader of the Nargen "republic" Stepan Maksimovich Petrichenko led the Kronstadt uprising.
Kronstadt rebellion
After the rebellion was exterminated by
Trotsky
Lev Davidovich Bronstein. ( – 21 August 1940), better known as Leon Trotsky; uk, link= no, Лев Давидович Троцький; also transliterated ''Lyev'', ''Trotski'', ''Trotskij'', ''Trockij'' and ''Trotzky''. (), was a Russian M ...
, he fled over the ice to
Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
, where he continued his agitation against the Bolsheviks.
Emigrant
Petrichenko remained in exile in Finland for almost 25 years, where his regard from fellow rebels remained high.
He blocked further emigration to Helsinki, instead sending Kronstadt "volunteers" to
Soviet Karelia to organize an uprising. He called on Kronstadters to not obey the order of
General Wrangel
Baron Pyotr Nikolayevich Wrangel (russian: Пётр Никола́евич барон Вра́нгель, translit=Pëtr Nikoláevič Vrángel', p=ˈvranɡʲɪlʲ, german: Freiherr Peter Nikolaus von Wrangel; April 25, 1928), also known by his ni ...
, and refuse inclusion in the
White Army
The White Army (russian: Белая армия, Belaya armiya) or White Guard (russian: Бѣлая гвардія/Белая гвардия, Belaya gvardiya, label=none), also referred to as the Whites or White Guardsmen (russian: Бѣлогв ...
. When an amnesty was declared for the ordinary participants in the uprising, by the decree of the
All-Russian Central Executive Committee
The All-Russian Central Executive Committee ( rus, Всероссийский Центральный Исполнительный Комитет, Vserossiysky Centralny Ispolnitelny Komitet, VTsIK) was the highest legislative, administrative and r ...
, Petrichenko did not put obstacles in the way of those who wanted to return to their homeland and decided to ask for permission to return himself. Soon, the police chief of
Vyborg
Vyborg (; rus, Вы́борг, links=1, r=Výborg, p=ˈvɨbərk; fi, Viipuri ; sv, Viborg ; german: Wiborg ) is a town in, and the administrative center of, Vyborgsky District in Leningrad Oblast, Russia. It lies on the Karelian Isthmus ne ...
received a denunciation of the "vile plot" of Petrichenko, as a result of which, on May 21, 1922, he was arrested and spent several months in prison.
[
]
Agent
In 1922, Petrichenko went to Riga
Riga (; lv, Rīga , liv, Rīgõ) is the capital and largest city of Latvia and is home to 605,802 inhabitants which is a third of Latvia's population. The city lies on the Gulf of Riga at the mouth of the Daugava river where it meets the Ba ...
and visited the embassy of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic
The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Russian SFSR or RSFSR ( rus, Российская Советская Федеративная Социалистическая Республика, Rossíyskaya Sovétskaya Federatívnaya Soci ...
. There he was recruited by the State Political Directorate
The State Political Directorate (also translated as the State Political Administration) (GPU) was the intelligence service and secret police of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR) from February 6, 1922, to December 29, 1922, ...
and became an agent of the Red Army Intelligence Agency in Finland.[M. Hosta, O. Lapchinsky, S. Koshe]
SPY DEATH
/ref> In August 1927, Petrichenko again arrived in Riga and at the Soviet embassy filed an application addressed to Mikhail Kalinin
Mikhail Ivanovich Kalinin (russian: link=no, Михаи́л Ива́нович Кали́нин ; 3 June 1946), known familiarly by Soviet citizens as "Kalinych", was a Soviet politician and Old Bolshevik revolutionary. He served as head of s ...
with a request to return to Soviet citizenship.[ In 1927, Petrichenko traveled through ]Latvia
Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...
to the USSR
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...
. Returning to Finland, he got a job at a pulp mill in Kemi
Kemi (; sme, Giepma ; smn, Kiemâ; sms, Ǩeeʹmm; Swedish (historically): ''Kiemi'') is a town and municipality of Finland. It is located very near the city of Tornio and the Swedish border. The distance to Oulu is to the south and to Rovani ...
, where he worked until 1931. He was eventually fired from the factory and moved to live in Helsinki. In 1937, he announced his refusal to cooperate with Soviet intelligence, but then again agreed to continue working with them. He stayed in Finland for years, until he came into conflict with the Finnish government over his support of Soviet groups during the Winter War
The Winter War,, sv, Vinterkriget, rus, Зи́мняя война́, r=Zimnyaya voyna. The names Soviet–Finnish War 1939–1940 (russian: link=no, Сове́тско-финская война́ 1939–1940) and Soviet–Finland War 1 ...
between the Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
and Finland in 1940. In 1941, Petrichenko was arrested by the Finnish authorities.
Arrest and death
On September 25, 1944, on the basis of an armistice agreement between the USSR, Great Britain and Finland, Petrichenko was released, and on April 21, 1945, he was again arrested and sent to the USSR, as part of a group of persons known as the "", a list of political enemies and alleged military collaborators of compiled by Soviet members of Allied Commission
Following the termination of hostilities in World War II, the Allies were in control of the defeated Axis countries. Anticipating the defeat of Germany and Japan, they had already set up the European Advisory Commission and a proposed Far Easter ...
.['' Björkelund B.V. '' Travel to the land of all kinds of impossibilities / Prep. text for publication, scientific. ed., entry Art. and comm. S. A. Mankova. – SPb .: International Association of "Russian Culture", 2014.] The investigation into Petrichenko was transferred from the police to the NKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (russian: Наро́дный комиссариа́т вну́тренних дел, Naródnyy komissariát vnútrennikh del, ), abbreviated NKVD ( ), was the interior ministry of the Soviet Union.
...
where it was examined without the presence of the prosecution or the defense. The verdict passed on November 17, 1945, read:[
Stepan Petrichenko died on June 2, 1947, during his transfer from the ]Solikamsk
Solikamsk (russian: Солика́мск, Permyak: Совкар, ''Sovkar'', also Соликамскӧй, ''Sovkamsköy'') is a town in Perm Krai, Russia. Modern Solikamsk is the third-largest town in the krai, with a population of
History
The ...
labor camp to the Vladimir Central Prison
Vladimir Prison, popularly known as Vladimir Central (russian: Владимирский централ), is a prison in Vladimir, Russia. It is the largest prison in Russia, with a capacity of 1220 detainees, and is operated by the Federal Penite ...
.
Work
* (russian: link=no, Правда о кронштадтских событиях) (bibrec); English: ''The truth about the Kronstadt events''
References
External links
''The Truth about Kronstadt''
Kronstadt: Mentiras anarquistas
Kronstadt rebellion
Kronstadt Uprising
Bibliography
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Petrichenko, Stepan
1892 births
1947 deaths
People from Zhizdrinsky Uyezd
Russian anarchists
Anarcho-syndicalists
Soviet dissidents
Russian emigrants to Finland
People extradited to the Soviet Union
Soviet anarchists
Russian revolutionaries
People of the Russian Revolution
Soviet people who died in prison custody
Prisoners who died in Soviet detention