Chapter 137 Benefits

The Admiralty Building is one of the first-class buildings in Petrograd, which was once a dock for the Russian Baltic Fleet and an important fortress occupying the Neva Delta. The Admiralty Building, built in 1806-1823, was built by Aden? Designed by Sakharov, the front of the naval department building is 407 meters long and 163 meters on the side. It is not easy to deal with such a long building. However, Sakharov, as a designer, not only solves the composition problem of the building itself, but also solves its composition problem as the center of the urban complex. To the east of the Admiralty Building is the Winter Palace and to the west is the Senate Square. Neva Street, the most important street in Petrograd, is facing its center. In addition, across the Neva River is the overseas exchange on Huaxili Island, and in the northeast is the tall tower of Peter and Paul Fortress Church. The Admiralty Building is not only the center of the water complex, but also the center of the land complex. To this end, the designer built a 72-meter-high tower in the middle of the front of the building, which constitutes the vertical axis of the complex both on the water and on land.

From the beginning of the use of this naval building, the building witnessed the rise and fall of the Russian navy, as well as the rise and decline of the empire. At this time, when Petrograd fell into a revolutionary wave of the people, the navy, as the imperial minister of the Russian Empire, became left behind in Peter. The hope of the upper nobles and senior officials of the Russian Empire in Geller was almost natural. When the whole Petrograd fell into a state of no political axe due to the revolution, the senior officials naturally chose the Admiralty Building as its last "fortress".

Like any explosion, when the explosion occurs, those in power often turn to the army. When the whole of Petrograd is in turmoil due to the riots of workers and soldiers and enters a state of no political axe, the Tsar's brother Mikhail? Grand Duke Alexanderovich, Army Minister Belyaev and Zankovich, Chief of Staff of the Military Region, retreated to the Admiralty Building, where more than 1,500 soldiers were guarding the naval building, waiting for the rescue of the base camp.

In a magnificent office in the Admiralty Building, Mikhail? Grand Duke Alexander Rović looked out of the window nervously from time to time. From time to time, gunshots and explosions came from the air. On this night, the whole Petrograd had a fundamental reversal, and the city became a battlefield.

"Fortunately, Lisa is not here!"

Thinking of my wife who is far away in China, Mikhail? Grand Duke Alexander Rowich even felt a little lucky that his wife and daughter were in China, at least there, where they didn't need to go through this turmoil or all these hardships.

I hope it will be over when they come back.

Thinking of the turmoil in Russia, Mikhail? Grand Duke Alexander Rović prayed for the future in his heart.

When will Your Majesty come back?

Now, for Mikhail? For Grand Duke Alexander Rović, the only hope is the tsar in the base camp. As long as the tsar comes back and leads the army back to Petrograd, everything here will end and Russia will once again restore the order of the past.

Although I look forward to your majesty to lead the army back to Petrograd as soon as possible to suppress the rebellion here, Mikhail? Grand Duke Alexander Rovic did not want His Majesty to come back too early. If he came back too early, he could not mobilize the army at all. He should come back with the army, instead of taking the royal train back to Petrograd as in the past. Who knows what will happen on the way?

But... Thinking of your majesty's concern for his wife and children, Mikhail? Grand Duke Alexander Roovich knew that there was no possibility for His Majesty to wait any longer. Perhaps, for him, when he learned that the revolutionary people were heading towards the imperial village, he would desperately return to the capital to return to his family and protect his family.

But... Just then, the door of the office was pushed open, and Protopopov came in, holding a telegram in his hand.

"Your Highness, Your Majesty sent a telegram. Your Majesty will arrive at the Imperial Village at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 1st..."

As soon as he heard Protopopov's report, Mikhail's face changed. At this time, there was no trace of blood on his face. Looking at Protopopov, Mikhail smiled bitterly and then said.

"Everyone, please come here!"

It's all over!

After learning the news, although he was unwilling to show his scheming, he still betrayed him. When the Minister of the Navy Khabarov, the Secretary of the Army Belyayev and the Chief of Staff of the Military Region, Zankovic, all walked into the office, Mikhail motioned Proto Popov to inform others of His Majesty's telegram. .

Everyone heard that His Majesty had left the base camp, and everyone's faces became gloomy and dull. They all understood what it meant, which meant that the riot was likely to be suppressed. Perhaps tomorrow, after the end of the riot, the Russian Empire would become a historical term. What if... at this time, almost everyone looks at Mikhail? Grand Duke Alexanderovich, who is also the legal successor of the empire. If Tsar Nicholas II abdicate, and the body and age of Prince Alexei make it impossible for him to succeed, then the one in front of them is possible... But this idea is just a flash in their minds. Because they understand that now, the only force that can be pointed out has disappeared with the departure of the Tsar. Is it still possible for this disturbance to calm down?

"Okay, gentlemen, do we have any strength now?"

Mikhail seems to know something about everyone's thoughts. Of course, he knows what they are thinking. In fact, he began to favor Rass from the royal family? At the beginning, there was a mood brewing among the nobles. They hoped that His Majesty would abdicate and then let him succeed to the throne, but now, obviously not consider this issue, Mikhail turned his eyes to Khabalov, the head of the navy.

Facing Mikhail? Grand Duke Alexandrovich's question and his sight, Khabarov squeaked:

"Your Highness, in fact, the current situation is far worse than we thought. Although there are 1,500 troops guarding the naval building, and most of them are loyal, they are the navy, because before that, the navy gave a large amount of ammunition to the army, and now they not only do not have rifle bullets. There are almost no shells. It's really nothing..."

When he said this, Khabarov's face became very ugly. Once, he had resisted the decision to hand over naval ammunition to the army, but in the end, the navy still handed over a large amount of ammunition, even small and medium-caliber naval guns to the army, which directly led to the current Navy's fundamental There is no way to suppress this riot. On average, there are only ten bullets per rifle. How to calm the chaos?

"Oh..."

A gentle answer, Mikhail? Grand Duke Alexander Rović stood up and looked at Neva Street. At this time, torches could be seen everywhere on the street. The sound of gunfire seemed to be getting closer and closer to here. It seemed that soon, maybe it would take an hour or two. When the mob occupied all the points in the city, it was over.

"What else can we do now?"

Standing Mikhail with a wry smile? Grand Duke Alexanderovich whispered. Through the light in front of Xiamen of the Admiralty, he could faintly see that soldiers and even officers left the building from time to time. It seemed that they had expected the end, and no one was willing to bury the empire at this time... "Withdraw the defense of the Admiralty Building! "

After making this decision, Mikhail? After the Grand Duke Alexander Rović had a trace of pain on his face, when he gave the order, he was not opposed by everyone. In fact, many people and even some generals had already left one after another. Now the Grand Duke's order is just to legalize everything.

"Your Highness, what about you?"

Habalov asked, but his question was only Mikhail? The silence of Grand Duke Alexanderovich.

"Your Highness, it seems that you should go to the headquarters of the East Asian Expeditionary Force. Now they..."

"The Grand Duke of the Russian Empire can't be sheltered by outsiders!"

Mihail without any hesitation? Grand Duke Alexanderovich rejected Khabarov's suggestion. He had also considered escaping into the embassy or the headquarters of the expeditionary force, at least where he did not need to worry about personal safety, but the honor of the aristocracy made it impossible for him to take that step.

"I will go back to my home!"

Mikheil? Grand Duke Alexanderovich looked out of the window and looked at Habalov as he was about to walk out.

"So what about you? My minister!"

"Your Highness, I am the Minister of the Navy. Even if this place is about to fall, I should stand here and not escape!"

For Khabarov's stubbornness, Mikhail? Grand Duke Alexanderovich did not express his opposition. In this early morning, everyone had their own decision. Perhaps, the more at this time, the more he should reflect the demeanor and honor of the aristocracy.

"Well, see you later, my general..."

When the sound fell, Mikhail? Grand Duke Alexandrovich walked out of the office. When he walked out of the office, an Asian in a Russian uniform who had been standing outside the door followed him closely.

"Your Highness, where are we going?"

"Go home!"

In Mikhail? After Grand Duke Alexander Rović and others left the Admiralty Building, at 4 p.m., the revolutionary people and soldiers "attacked" the Admiralty Building. The soldiers found Khabarov in the empty building and arrested him. By evening, the workers and soldiers of the uprising had occupied most of the important strongholds in the capital.

For the disturbance in Petrograd, the Duma Lord Duro, who has been staying in the State Duma, kept calling, looking for political ministries to determine the situation in the capital, but the phone calls of each department could not be connected. After failing, he called Prime Minister Goli. Cen, this time the call was connected. Almost at the moment Golyzen answered the phone, Luo Jianke reported to him what he had grasped, including the reality that all departments could not contact.

After listening to Luo Jianke's report, Prime Minister Golice was silent for a moment, and then answered him:

"Please don't come to me for anything in the future. I have resigned."

Then, the phone at the other end was hung up, and Luo Jianke was listening to the blind sound at the other end of the phone. His whole body seemed to collapse and sat heavily in a chair next to the phone. He covered his eyes with his painful expression, and tears seemed to have flowed out... "My God, what the hell is going on! ...No political axe...no political axe...bleeding...revolution...riot..."

Then, Luo Jianke sobbed gently.

"Chairman, now is the time for us to take power!"

Kronsky, who was originally watching all this, looked at the sobbing President of the State Duma and said excitedly.

"Your Excellency, now the whole of Russia has turned to the revolution, and this revolution is a spontaneous act of the people, and we..."

Kronsky turned his eyes to more than a dozen members of the State Duma in this conference room and said excitedly.

"We are members of the National Duma elected by the people. The people believe in us and are also willing to hand over power to us. We must shoulder the trust of the people..."

Kronsky's speech seemed to give a sigh of relief to the legislators who were going to flee the State Duma. In an instant, they understood what they should do, that is, the people abandoned the tsar, and they also had no good impression on the tsar, so it should be the parliamentarians and the country elected by the people. The people will also agree that Jiaduma will take over the power of the country, and this is also for the benefit of Russia.

"But..."

Luo Gengke looked at Kronsky with a little calm mind. Although he understood his intention, Ro Gengko was unwilling to deal with those mob directly. After all, no one knew what those mob would do. Thinking of Kronsky's recent contact with those revolutionary organizations, he squeaked his eyes to Karens. Base.

"Now, who can contact the people on behalf of the State Duma?"

Kronsky had already prepared for Luo Jianke's question. He straightened his chest and looked at the timid colleagues around him and sneered in his heart. Didn't they know that the greater the risk, the greater the return?

"Your Excellency, I would like to talk with the revolutionary people, but I need your Excellency's authorization to grant me the power to represent the State Duma!"

Of course, Rozenko would not refuse Kronsky's request, and almost immediately gave Krens the "power" he needed. Then Kronsky left the Tavlida Palace, where the State Duma was located, and took a carriage to contact with people who had been in contact with him for a long time.

At two o'clock in the afternoon, Klensky ran into the Duma venue happily. He did not report directly to Rozenko, but announced to the members of the State Duma at the Duma venue.

"The people and revolutionary soldiers are coming to the Tavrida Palace, and the people are asking the Duma to take control of the country's power!"

Almost before he finished speaking, someone ran in and reported loudly.

"Comrades, soldiers come to pay tribute to the Duma and swear allegiance to the Duma!"

Everything was like a drama that had been rehearsed. When Luo Jianke and the legislators of the State Duma went to the Tavrida Palace, tens of thousands of soldiers and people with live ammunition immediately cheered outside the door of the Tavrida Palace.

"They say it's a riot and a rebellion, but I'm here to say "no" to you..."

Kronsky, standing on the steps, was like a speech to those people in front of the court twelve years ago, giving a speech in the cheers of the people.

"No! This is by no means a riot, let alone a rebellion. This is not a riot, but a revolution. This is not a rebellion, but the redemption of the Russian people and heroic Russian soldiers to Russia and our lovely motherland..."

With Kerensky's speech, the cheers became louder and louder. Looking at all this in front of him, Luo Jianke's whole heart was full of mixed feelings. In fact, whether it was him personally, or any member of the State Duma and the State Duma, perhaps they were tired of the Tsar, but from the bottom of their hearts It is said that each of them has no preparation for the outbreak of the revolution, and has no plan or organization to realize such a revolution. In fact, before today, they did not expect to participate in the revolution at all.

Perhaps, as Kerensky said, this revolution has its inevitable logic, but Russian society is indeed not ready for the arrival of such a revolution, which is like a bolt from the blue, which not only panicked the political axe, but also caught Duma and various social groups off guard.

But for the revolutionaries, and even the members of the state Dumane who have always been longing for power and the constitutional parliament, it is also a very unexpected and happy thing, but now, more unexpectedly, this revolution seems to have succeeded!

"... Revolution, some people say that revolution is bloodshed, yes, revolution needs bloodshed, but revolution does not mean blind bloodshed. This revolution is by no means a revolution in a simple sense, but the salvation of the Russian people to the motherland. So, my comrades, don't forget our purpose. We don't want to Destroy Russia, but for redemption..."

Kronsky's speech continued, but when Luo Genko heard this, he was finally relieved. Just as Kronsky's initial promise, the State Duma intervened in the revolution for one thing - to prevent Russia from falling into a state of no political axe, and to prevent Russia from continuing to bleed. Therefore, they must intervene in this revolutionary wave.

(to be continued)