Death

Bloody Sunday

Over 150,000 people signed George Gapon's petition that you read in the previous section. Gapon and the Assembly of Russian Workers planned to present the petition to the Nicholas II at his Winter Palace (the official residence of the Tsar). In advance of marching to the Winter Palace, Gapon sent the following letter to Tsar Nicolas II on January 21, 1905:

"The people believe in thee (you). They have made up their minds to gather at the Winter Palace tomorrow at 2 p.m. to lay their needs before thee. Do not fear anything. Stand tomorrow before the party and accept our humblest petition. I, the representative of the workingmen, and my comrades, guarantee the inviolability (safety) of thy person."

The Winter Palace:

A painting of Father Gapon leading the workers to the gate of the Winter Palace:

The following day, on January 22, 1905, Gapon led a large procession of workers to the Winter Palace in St. Petersberg to present the petition. When the procession of workers reached the Winter Palace it was attacked by the police. Over 100 workers were killed and some 300 wounded. This incident became known as Bloddy Sunday.

In the excerpt below, George Gapon, writes about the events of Bloody Sunday in his book, The Story of My Life (1905):

"At last the firing ceased. I stood up with a few others who remained uninjured and looked down at the bodies that lay prostrate around me. Horror crept into my heart. The thought flashed through my mind, And this is the work of our Little Father, the Tsar. Perhaps the anger saved me, for now I knew in very truth that a new chapter was opened in the book of history of our people."

A still from the Russian Movie, 9th of January (1925) showing a line of armed soldiers facing the demonstrators as they approach the Winter Palace:

A painting of the Bloody Sunday massacre:

Bloody Sunday signaled the start of the 1905 Revolution. Strikes took place all over the country and the universities closed down when the whole student body complained about the lack of civil liberties by staging a walkout. Lawyers, doctor, engineers, and other middle-class workers established the Union of Unions and demanded a constituent assembly.