In 2004, a monument to Kolchak was erected in Russia in Irkutsk. This is one of the most controversial and controversial personalities in Russian history during the Civil War. On the one hand, the famous naval commander and explorer of the ocean depths, on the other - one of the leaders of the white movement, which is still officially considered a war criminal. Disputes about the validity of the installation of this monument have not subsided so far.
Irkutsk precedent
The monument to Kolchak appeared in Irkutsk on the 130th birthday of the Russian naval commander. A native of St. Petersburg, Admiral Kolchak ended his life in Irkutsk.
In 1920, Kolchak, along with the chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Russian government, Viktor Pepelyaev, was shot. The verdict is executed without a court. The death decree was signed by the Irkutsk military revolutionary committee of the Bolsheviks. According to many historians, the Irkutsk Bolsheviks carried out a direct order of Lenin.
The monument to one of the leaders of the white movement is made of forged copper, the height of the statue of Kolchak is 4.5 meters. At the base is a concrete pedestal. On it are images of two warriors who crossed their arms. One of them is a White Guard, the other is a Red Army soldier.
Today, the city is a monument to Kolchak owes such close attention from all over Russia.
Monument Location
The debate about whether to install this monument has been very long. Irkutsk became their center. The monument to Kolchak (address of his whereabouts: Angarskaya Street, Right-Bank District) is installed on the very spot where, according to historians, the shooting took place. Near the river Ushakovka flows. It was in her water that the body of the white admiral was thrown.
Not far from the monument stands the Znamenskaya Church. Previously, it was a convent, one of the oldest in all of Siberia.
On the day of the monument’s official opening, a funeral wreath was put on the river’s surface in memory of the naval commander.
Sculptor Fangs
The monument to Kolchak is the work of the Russian sculptor Vyacheslav Klykov. A native of the Kursk region, has been a member of the Union of Artists of the USSR since 1969. He exhibited his work in the Russian Museum and the State Tretyakov Gallery.
His most famous works are the sculpture of Mercury near the World Trade Center in Moscow, established in 1982, and the design of the Moscow Children's Musical Theater.
During perestroika, he became interested in Orthodox themes, as well as patriotic moods. Created a monument to the famous St. Sergius of Radonezh. The monument had a difficult fate. They tried to install it back in 1987, but then the monument was arrested and, accompanied by police, was taken from the village of Gorodok, which is located under the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, in the places where St. Sergius himself lived.
The opening was arranged only a year later, on May 29, 1988. The monument to Kolchak became one of the last works of Vyacheslav Klykov. In 2006, he died at the age of 66.
Kolchak before the Civil War
What arguments do the supporters and opponents bring to the point that the monument to Admiral Kolchak should stand in Irkutsk? All disputes are rooted in his biography.
Alexander Vasilievich Kolchak was born in St. Petersburg on November 4, 1874, during the reign of Alexander II. He received a deep religious education thanks to his mother, who often took her children to church. The clan came from a hereditary serving nobility.
He studied at a classical gymnasium, and at the age of 14 he entered the Marine Corps. It was here, as his contemporaries recall, that he developed an interest in learning and a sense of responsibility.
In 1890, he first went to sea on the armored frigate "Prince Pozharsky". At 18, he received the rank of non-commissioned officer. The turning point in his fate was 1894. Firstly, after a long illness, the mother of Alexander Vasilievich dies. Secondly, in Russia, Nicholas II comes to power. The last emperor of Russia. It was the collapse of the Romanov dynasty that determined the fate of Kolchak himself.
Kolchak the scientist
Supporters of the fact that the monument to Admiral Kolchak stood, talk about his achievements in scientific fields. In 1897, he began to engage in research as part of the crew of a sailing cruiser, which was sent to the Korean port of Gensang. Here Kolchak conducts hydrological studies.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Kolchak was one of the founders of the Russian polar expedition. He specifically travels to Norway to consult with Nansen. July 18, 1900 travelers set sail.
They managed to get to Gaffner Bay. Here they left a warehouse with provisions in order to move deeper into the peninsula next spring. Upon returning to the base, Kolchak presented a detailed report, thanks to his astronomical observations, it was possible to make significant clarifications on the map, which Nansen made according to the results of his expedition.
The next trip in the spring of 1901 went already on a sleigh. Oceanographic work was carried out, depth was measured, the state of ice floes was studied, Kolchak devoted a lot of time to observations of terrestrial magnetism.
The leader of the expedition, Baron Toll, praised Kolchak's personal contribution, using words such as "the best officer of the expedition." On his own initiative, the name of Kolchak was immortalized - the island and cape in the Taimyr Bay are so named.
The Russian polar expedition ended only in 1903. Kolchak returned to St. Petersburg with the team.
Russian-Japanese war
The news of the beginning of the Russo-Japanese War in 1904 found Kolchak in Yakutsk. Many historians highly value his role in this conflict, therefore, they believe that a monument to Kolchak in Irkutsk should stand. Photos of this monument are required to adorn the tomes about the sights of the city.
Kolchak immediately asked for a transfer to the Maritime Department and did not hesitate to leave his scientific work. He arrived in Port Arthur on March 18, by then the fighting had been ongoing for a month and a half.
Soon, Alexander Vasilyevich achieved a transfer to the Amur mine-laying mine. And a few days later he became the commander of the destroyer "Angry". The young officer was eager for battle, but the "Angry" belonged to the second detachment of destroyers and was involved in escorting ships and guarding the entrance to the harbor. Despite this, Kolchak completely devoted himself to the routine work, which he did not like so much, and brought much benefit to the general defense of Port Arthur.
In the heat of battle
Kolchak got the first serious task on May 1. The Amur mine layer at that time, with several dozen mines on board, reached the Golden Mountain, not far from which Japanese ships were located. And he organized a minefield of fifty shells.
At this time, the "Angry" under the command of Kolchak, along with another destroyer, went ahead, clearing the way. As a result, two Japanese battleships, the Yashima and the Hatsuse, were immediately blown up on well-placed mines. This success was one of the most notorious for his Pacific campaign in that war.
Despite the routine work, there was a place for Kolchak’s feat. He went out on a daily raid, firing at the enemy and setting up barriers. On the night of August 24, Alexander Vasilyevich chose a place for laying mines, but he was prevented by Japanese ships. Showing perseverance, Kolchak returned there the next day and still laid 16 minutes. They became fatal for the Takasago cruiser, which sank when it exploded on October 30th. This success is recognized as the second most important in the Russian-Japanese war.
It was these achievements that led many to advocate the erection of a monument to Kolchak in Irkutsk (photos are presented in the article).
True, by that time Kolchak had already left the ship, having asked for the army. After all, it was on land that the main events were unfolding, he was striving into the thick of it.
He began by commanding a battery of guns at positions in the Rocky Mountains. Prior to the surrender of Port Arthur, Kolchak conducted artillery firefights with the Japanese, repelled the attacks of their infantry. At the same time, he tried to systematize the experience gained, manifesting himself as a scientist. His notes helped summarize the knowledge of the artilleryman and first-class strategist.
Shortly before the surrender of Port Arthur, Kolchak was injured, which exacerbated his rheumatism. In December, he was hospitalized, and in April he was evacuated to Nagasaki. All wounded Russian officers were allowed to return to Russia. Kolchak arrived in St. Petersburg in June 1905.
Reviving the fleet
After the end of the Russo-Japanese War, Kolchak was very upset by the defeat of the Russian fleet. He conducted careful work on the bugs. As a result, he became one of the key figures in his reconstruction, technical and organizational modernization.
He headed the naval circle, on the initiative of which the Naval General Staff appeared in 1906. His tasks, in particular, included drawing up war plans.
Thanks to Kolchak, the naval qualification was canceled in Russia - an order that made it extremely difficult for young officers to advance.
Alexander Vasilievich became an expert on the defense commission in the State Duma. In 1907, he made a report, “Which Fleet Russia Needs, ” based on his research, including during the Russo-Japanese War. Ultimately, this work became fundamental to Russian shipbuilding until the very outbreak of World War I. In 1908, he was awarded the rank of captain of the second rank.
That is why many people believe that the monument to Kolchak, whose photo adorns booklets about Irkutsk, has a right to exist.
On the first world
Kolchak proved himself during the First World War. He was part of the headquarters of the Baltic Fleet, developed mining plans and always himself sought to take part in the battle.
In 1915 he became commander of the mine division of the Baltic Fleet, developed a landing operation in the German rear. In the war, he fully revealed himself as a miner and naval commander. In 1916 he was promoted to rear admiral. In 1917, he began to command the Black Sea Fleet. At that time he was 41 years old.
According to historians, the Black Sea Fleet during the command of Kolchak achieved serious success. Many enemy units were defeated, and an attack on the Russian coast was prevented.
During the revolution
The situation was greatly complicated in 1917. Anti-war sentiments were gaining strength in the fleet, Kolchak entered into open confrontation with the Provisional Government. He was investigated for political reasons and was forced to resign as commander in chief.
At a meeting of the Provisional Government in Petrograd, Kolchak accused the leadership of the deliberate collapse of the army and navy. And already at that time was considered as one of the candidates for dictators. I learned about the Bolshevik intention to make peace with the Germans when I was in Japan. After this news, he turned to the UK with a request to accept him for military service.
Such a turn greatly dropped in the eyes of the descendants the authority that Alexander Vasilievich Kolchak earned. The monument erected to him is still succumbing to attacks by opponents.
