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Timofey Mikhailovich Mikhailov (russian: Тимофе́й Михайлович Мих́айлов; — 15 April 1881) was a member of the
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...
n revolutionary organization
Narodnaya Volya Narodnaya Volya ( rus, Наро́дная во́ля, p=nɐˈrodnəjə ˈvolʲə, t=People's Will) was a late 19th-century revolutionary political organization in the Russian Empire which conducted assassinations of government officials in an att ...
. He was designated a bomb-thrower in the assassination of
Tsar Tsar ( or ), also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar'', is a title used by East and South Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word ''caesar'', which was intended to mean "emperor" in the European medieval sense of the ter ...
Alexander II of Russia Alexander II ( rus, Алекса́ндр II Никола́евич, Aleksándr II Nikoláyevich, p=ɐlʲɪˈksandr ftɐˈroj nʲɪkɐˈlajɪvʲɪtɕ; 29 April 181813 March 1881) was Emperor of Russia, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Fin ...
, however he did not throw a bomb. Mikhailov, a discontented workman, claimed in his trial that he was motivated by a desire to improve the condition of the working classes. He was promptly condemned to death, and was hanged along with four other conspirators.


Early life

Mikhailov was born 1860 in
Smolensk Smolensk ( rus, Смоленск, p=smɐˈlʲensk, a=smolensk_ru.ogg) is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River, west-southwest of Moscow. First mentioned in 863, it is one of the oldest ...
. His parents Mikhail Nefedov and Natalia Savelyeva were Orthodox peasants. He had sisters Malanya and Matrena, and brothers Grigory and Stepan. In 1875 Mikhailov moved to
Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
to earn a living. He worked as a boiler maker. Having worked in multiple plants, he left his last job in 1880 due to low wages. At this time, Mikhailov became involved in revolutionary politics and joined the Workers' Section of Narodnaya Volya. Mikhailov then started living under the false name ''Sergei I. Lapin''.


Assassination of the Tsar

Two weeks prior to the incident, Timofei Mikhailov volunteered to join the bomb-thrower unit to assassinate Tsar Alexander II, and was recruited by Andrei Zhelyabov. The group had observed that on Sundays, after the inspection of marine corps at
Michael Manege Michael Manege (''Mikhailovsky manezh''; russian: Михайловский манеж) is the Neoclassical building of an early 19th-century riding academy in the historic center of Saint Petersburg, Russia. It was converted into an indoor sport ...
, the Tsar would drive back to the
Winter Palace The Winter Palace ( rus, Зимний дворец, Zimnij dvorets, p=ˈzʲimnʲɪj dvɐˈrʲɛts) is a palace in Saint Petersburg that served as the official residence of the Russian Emperor from 1732 to 1917. The palace and its precincts now ...
. His route would be either by the Sadovaya Street or the
Catherine Canal The Griboyedov Canal or Kanal Griboyedova () is a canal in Saint Petersburg, constructed in 1739 along the existing ''Krivusha'' river. In 1764–90, the canal was deepened and the banks were reinforced and covered with granite. The Griboyedo ...
. The group had purchased a shop in the Sadovaya ostensibly for the sale of cheese, and used that as a cover to place dynamites under the street. If, on the other hand, the Tsar passed by the Canal, it was decided that the bomb-throwers were to be relied upon for the assassination. On the morning of 13 March
Old Style Old Style (O.S.) and New Style (N.S.) indicate dating systems before and after a calendar change, respectively. Usually, this is the change from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar as enacted in various European countries between 158 ...
], Mikhailov and the three other bomb-throwers collected their missiles from the group's headquarters. In the afternoon, the conspirators found that the Tsar had paid a brief visit to his cousin, the Grand Duchess Catherine, and was heading back to the Winter Palace via the road alongside the Catherine Canal. The four bomb-throwers were supposed to take up their new positions along the Canal. Mikhailov lost his nerve, returned his missile to the group's headquarters and went home. He, therefore, did not participate in the subsequent bombing attack that killed the Emperor.


Arrest and trial

Two days after the assassination, Mikhailov arrived at the group's Telezhnaya quarters following the arrest of Hesya Helfman. When the police began to frisk him, Mikhailov took out a revolver and fired six shots, wounding three police officers. He was seized and was subsequently identified by
Nikolai Rysakov Nikolai Ivanovich Rysakov (russian: Николай Иванов Рысаков; – 15 April 1881) was a Russian revolutionary and a member of Narodnaya Volya. He personally took part in the assassination of Tsar Alexander II of Russia. He threw ...
. During his trial, Mikhailov declared that his conduct was caused by a desire to improve the condition of the working classes. Mikhailov admitted membership in what he called ''The Russian Social-Revolutionary Party'', but he did not plead guilty to participating in the assassination of the Emperor. On 29 March, Mikhailov and the five other defendants were found guilty, and they were sentenced to be hanged. Mikhailov petitioned for mercy, but it was disallowed since no extenuating circumstances could be found given the severity of the case.


Execution

The execution took place on the morning of 15 April, in the parade grounds of the
Semenovsky Regiment The Semyonovsky Lifeguard Regiment (, ) was one of the two oldest guard regiments of the Imperial Russian Army. The other one was the Preobrazhensky Regiment. In 2013, it was recreated for the Russian Armed Forces as a rifle regiment, its na ...
. The night before the execution, Mikhailov wrote a letter to his parents in the Smolensk province. That evening the Church offered its ministrations and Mikhailov made his confession. Mikhailov was transported to the Semenovsky Regiment seated in a cart with
Sophia Perovskaya Sophia Lvovna Perovskaya (russian: Со́фья Льво́вна Перо́вская;  – ) was a Russian Empire revolutionary and a member of the revolutionary organization ''Narodnaya Volya''. She helped orchestrate the assassination of ...
and
Nikolai Kibalchich Nikolai Ivanovich Kibalchich (russian: Николай Иванович Кибальчич, uk, Микола Іванович Кибальчич, sr, Никола Кибалчић, ''Mykola Ivanovych Kybalchych''; 19 October 1853 – April 3, 188 ...
. On the way, he kept bowing to people, as was customary for convicts on their way to the gallows. He shouted something several times, but according to eye-witnesses, his exact words were drowned out by the drummers of the escorting convoy. Reportedly, during the proceedings, Mikhailov showed firmness and resignation. He and Zhelyabov approached Perovskaya and said goodbye to her with a kiss. The drums and fifes then began playing. Mikhailov was the second to be executed. Twice the rope broke under his heavy weight. First time, when the stool was pulled from under his feet, the rope broke and he crashed to the floor of the scaffold, bound and blindfolded. Mikhailov rose to his feet almost immediately, and, unaided, placed himself under the next rope. To reduce the sudden strain on the rope, Mikhailov raised his feet before the support was drawn from under him. He hung for approximately 1.5 minutes until the rope broke again. Although conscious, he was unable to rise on his own; he had to be lifted up in the arms of soldiers who would then let him drop from a fresh noose. It was reported that the crowd was at this time buzzing with indignation; some were saying that it was a sign from heaven that the criminal should be pardoned. He was finally hanged using a reinforced rope. The body of Mikhailov and those of his companions were placed in black wooden coffins and were taken away by two carts under an escort of
Cossacks The Cossacks , es, cosaco , et, Kasakad, cazacii , fi, Kasakat, cazacii , french: cosaques , hu, kozákok, cazacii , it, cosacchi , orv, коза́ки, pl, Kozacy , pt, cossacos , ro, cazaci , russian: казаки́ or ...
. They were buried in a common grave in a remote part of the suburbs of the city.


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* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Mikhailov, Timofey 1859 births 1881 deaths Executed revolutionaries People executed by the Russian Empire by hanging Russian revolutionaries Executed Russian people 19th-century executions by the Russian Empire Executed people from Smolensk Oblast Execution survivors People from Smolensk