After the victory of the February Revolution in Petrograd, Moscow and other large cities, cases of seizure of private buildings by anarchists, Bolsheviks and other forces became more frequent. We have prepared a selection of articles from the Petrogradsky Leaf newspaper for 1917 about the following episodes:
“Seizure of the palace b. Duke of Leuchtenberg by anarchists”
“On April 28, the police commissariat was urgently informed that the palace-mansion b. Duke of Leuchtenberg, house number 18 on English Avenue, a group of anarchists appeared, numbering 18 people, armed with revolvers and rifles.
B. Duke was not in the palace at that time. The anarchists declared that they would occupy the palace.
Representatives of the police, led by the local commissar and commandant, immediately arrived at the palace. The anarchists told them that they had occupied the palace on the orders of some party committee or group of anarchists. All persuasion and requests to leave the palace were unsuccessful. Nevertheless, the police commissioner managed to persuade the anarchists to appear at the commissariat for explanations.
A group of armed anarchists came to the police and presented a written order to the anarchist party to occupy the palace.
“But this order cannot have binding force,” the police representatives objected.
“But it depends on who,” the anarchists objected. – We don’t need any other documents.
All further attempts to persuade the anarchists to leave the palace met with serious objections. The police commissioner, by agreement with the commandant, sent soldiers to the palace who were entrusted with the protection of property and valuables. Duke of Leuchtenberg”
(“Petrograd leaflet”, April 29, 1917)
“Anarchists’ visit to Count Grabbe”
“Yesterday, the manager of Count Grabe’s estate told the local police about the visit of the anarchists. On the said estate there is an extensive count’s house, beautifully furnished and equipped. Early in the morning, two unknown men, modestly dressed, appeared to the manager.
The strangers said that they were anarchist-communists and that they were sent by order of the anarchist committee, which decided to occupy the count’s house for the needs of anarchist organizations. Count Grabe has been given the shortest possible time to clear the premises.
The visit of the anarchists caused a great stir both on the estate and among the summer residents. By order of the commissioner, the police installed security on the estate, but until late yesterday evening the anarchists did not make a second visit.”
(“Petrograd leaflet”, June 27, 1917)
Despite armed guards, the mansion was captured after 3 days:
“The anarchists showed up heavily armed, with bombs and grenades. The local police, of course, gave up and did not want to engage in battle with heavily armed people.”
(“Petrograd leaflet”, July 2, 1917)
“Symbol”
“The newspapers write that the Leninists and Bolsheviks completely trashed Kshesinskaya’s house. They spat on us and covered us with cigarette butts and rubbish. Silk curtains are spit on, silk furniture is soiled, torn, broken; Leather-upholstered furniture has had its skin torn off. On the top floor of the house there is a bathroom with a huge marble basin. In this pool, 1 ½ arshins thick, there is a layer of all kinds of garbage: cigarette butts, sunflower husks, sausage skins, match and cigarette boxes.
Here is the symbol! All of Petrograd, all of Russia, is covered in such garbage!”
“ВЧК ОГПУ”