Chapter 36 Chapter fifteen

Chapter fifteen After Kaledin's subordinates severely damaged the revolutionary Cossack troops, they were forced to move to the Don River Revolutionary Military Council in Millerovo, and sent a statement to the leaders of the war against Kaledin and the Ukrainian counter-revolutionary Rada, The content is this: Kharkov.January 19, 1918.From Luhansk, No. 449.Eighteen twenty. —The Don Cossack Revolutionary Military Council requests that you transmit to the Petrograd Soviet of People's Commissars the resolution of the Don region which reads as follows. The Revolutionary Military Council of the Cossacks, in accordance with the resolution of the Congress of Soldiers at the Front held in the town of Kamensk, decided as follows:

1. Recognition of the central state power of the Russian Soviet Republic, recognition of the Central Executive Committee of the Congress of Cossack, Peasant, Soldiers and Workers' Councils, and the Council of People's Commissars elected by the Central Executive Committee. 2. The establishment of border power in the Don region by the Congress of Cossack, Peasant and Workers' Soviets. [Remarks] Land issues in the Don region will also be resolved by the regional congress.After receiving this telegram, the District Red Guards sent troops to support the troops of the Revolutionary Military Council. With the help of the Red Guards, they defeated Colonel Chernetsov's team and restored the original situation.The initiative passed to the Revolutionary Military Council.After the capture of Zverev and Likhaya, the Red Guard contingents commanded by Sablin and Petrov, reinforced by Cossack troops of the Revolutionary Military Council, launched an offensive and forced the enemy to retreat towards Novocherkassk.

On the right flank of Taganrog, Sievers' detachment was defeated near Neklinovk by Colonel Kutepov's White Volunteers, losing a cannon, twenty-four machine guns and an armored vehicle , retreated to Amvrosievka.But on the day Sievers retreated after being defeated, an uprising broke out in the Polo factory in the city of Taganrog.The workers drove the cadets out of the city.Sievers regained his strength, turned to the offensive, and developed the offensive, crushing the Volunteers to Taganrog. The situation became more and more favorable to the Soviet army.They surrounded the White Army Volunteers and the remnants of Kaledin's "no-name" troops from three sides.On January 28, Kornilov telegraphed Kaledin, informing him that the Volunteers were about to abandon Rostov and move to the Kuban River Valley.

At nine o'clock in the morning on the twenty-ninth, an emergency meeting of members of the Don military government was held in the general's residence.Kaledin was the last to come from his room to the council hall.He sat down heavily at the desk and moved some documents in front of him.The upper parts of his cheeks were sallow from insomnia, and there were shadows under his listless, melancholy eyes;He read Kornilov's telegrams slowly, and read the battle reports of the commanders of the troops who were resisting the attack of the Red Guards north of Novocherkassk.Carefully flattening the stack of telegrams with his broad white palm, without lifting his swollen, shadowed eyelids, he said in a muffled voice:

"The Volunteers are retreating. Only one hundred and forty-seven guns remain to defend the Don region and Novocherkassk..." His left eyelid was throbbing, and the corners of his tightly closed lips were creased with convulsions; he raised his voice, and continued: "We are in a desperate situation. The people not only do not support us, but are hostile to us. We are at the end of our rope, and it is useless to continue to resist. I don't want to make unnecessary bloody sacrifices. I submit my resignation and let others. I also resign as the commander of the Don Army official duties."

Mitrofan Bogaevsky looked at the wide window, straightened his spectacles, and without turning his head, said: "I also resign myself." "Of course all members of the government will resign. The question is who do we hand over power to?" "To the City Duma," replied Kaledin coldly. "It's going through the handover formalities," government member Karev said hesitantly.There was a moment of distressed, awkward silence.Outside the window full of breath, it was a gloomy and gloomy January morning.The city, filled with morning mist and hoarfrost, fell sleepily silent.The beating of the pulse of ordinary life cannot be heard.The boom of the cannon—the aftermath of the battle going on near Surin station—smothered all activity, and the dead weight of impending disaster loomed large.

Outside the window, jackdaws were circling, croaking monotonously and clearly.They hovered over the top of the white belfry like a dead animal.On the church square was a fresh, purple-white snow.Pedestrians are sparse, occasionally passing the sledges of passengers, leaving a few dark marks. Bogaevsky broke the silence by suggesting the writing of instruments to transfer power to the city council. "It would be best to hold a joint meeting with the City Duma to discuss the handover." "So when do you think it is appropriate?" "Later, at four o'clock in the afternoon."

The members of the government seemed to be relieved, the dead silence was broken, and they began to discuss the transfer of power and the timing of the meeting.Kaledin said nothing, but tapped lightly and regularly on the table with his bulging fingers.Mica-like eyes gleamed dully under the character-splayed eyebrows.Excessive fatigue, disgust, and morbid tension made his gaze dull, hard, and distant. A member of the government didn't know whose opinion he was refuting, so he babbled for a long time.Kaledin interrupted impatiently: "Everyone, please be brief! Time is precious. You must know that Russia died of nonsense. Now experience it for half an hour. Let's discuss it... and then end this meeting as soon as possible."

He went back to his room.Members of the government gathered in groups of three and five, chatting in low voices.One said that Kaledin looked very ugly.Bogaevsky was standing by the window, and a word whispered to him reached him: "For a character like Alexey Maximoyevich, suicide is his only way out." Bogaevsky shuddered, and hurried to Kaledin's lodging.Soon he returned with the general. It was decided to hold a joint meeting with the City Duma at four o'clock in the afternoon to discuss the transfer of power and the preparation of the handover letter.Kaledin rose, and the rest followed him.Saying goodbye to an important member of the government, Kaledin watched Yanov, who was whispering to Kalev.

"What are you talking about?" he asked. Yanov was slightly embarrassed and walked over. "Some non-Cossack government members have asked for some travel expenses." Kaledin frowned and said sternly: "I don't have any money... so annoying!" Everyone started to disperse.Bogaevsky heard the conversation and called Yanov aside. "Come over to me, please. Tell Svetozarov to wait in the locker room." They came out together, following Kaledin, who was walking quickly, hunched over.Back in his room, Bogaevsky handed Yanov a stack of banknotes. "Here is forty-four thousand rubles, please send them."

Svetozarov, who was waiting for Yanov in the locker room, took the money, thanked him, took his leave, and went to the door.Just as Yanov was taking the military overcoat from the porter, he heard shouts on the stairs, looked back, and saw Kaledin's adjutant, Moldavsky, running down the stairs. "Get a doctor! Hurry up! . . . " Yanov threw down his overcoat and rushed towards him.The aide-de-camp on duty and the orderlies gathered in the storage room surrounded Moldavisky who had run down. "What's going on?!" Yanov yelled palely. "Alexey Maximovich has committed suicide!" Moldavsky cried, leaning on the banister. Bogaevsky ran out of the room; his lips seemed to be trembling with the cold, and he asked stammeringly: "What is it? What is it?" Everyone rushed upstairs.The sound of running footsteps rumbled and crackled.Bogaevsky sucked in the air with his mouth wide open, wheezing and wheezing.He was the first to slam the door open and rushed across the vestibule to the office.The door from the office to the cubicle was wide open.From there wafted the general faint gray bitter smoke and the smell of exploding gunpowder. "Oh! Oh! Ah-ah-ha-ha! . . . Alyosha! . . . . . . . . . . A terrible, breathless wail. Bogaevsky, as if suffocated, tore off the collar of his shirt and rushed into the small room.Karev stood by the window, hunched over and clutching the dull, gilded window handle.His shoulder blades were stretched convulsively under the coat on his back, and his whole body was shaking.The tremors were fierce, and the intervals were long.The muffled howling of an adult man made Bogaevsky almost unable to stand. Kaledin was lying upright on his back on an officer's cot, with his hands on his chest.His head was tilted slightly towards the wall; his blue, wet forehead and the cheek pressed against the pillowcase made the appearance even more sinister.His eyes were half-closed, half asleep, and the corners of his stern mouth twisted in pain.His wife knelt at his feet and wept.The savage and long crying is heartbreaking.There was a pistol on the cot.A cheerful, crimson trickle, zigzags down the shirt and past the pistol. The jacket of the military uniform hung neatly on the back of the chair next to the camp bed, and there was a watch on the small table. Bogaevsky came running sideways, knelt down by the bed, and pressed his ears to his warm, soft chest.He smelled a strong man's sweat, like vinegar.Kaledin's heart had stopped beating.Bogaevsky - at this moment his whole being was concentrated on hearing - listened greedily, but heard only the clear ticking of the watch on the little table, the voice of the dead general. The hoarse whimpering of his wife and the ominous, eager wailing of jackdaws from outside the window.