Presidential Library declassified materials, which cast light on assassination attempt on Lenin’s life

On the eve of the centenary of the attempted murder of Vladimir Lenin, committed on August 30, 1918, the Presidential Library has presented official materials on the investigation of this case on its portal.

The original documents of the criminal case totaling 105 pages, which spotlight the period from August 30 to September 18, 1918 have been digitized. They feature testimonies, descriptions and photographs of crime reenactments, bulletins on the physical state of Vladimir Ilyich, directives of Vladimir Bonch-Bruevich, who was in charge of the Council of People's Commissars.

Disputes over the events that happened on August 30, 1918 are still underway. Versions put forward are all fantastically different: the bullets that hit Lenin were poisoned; the murder was "a contract" arranged  by Yakov Sverdlov, who dreamed of replacing Lenin as a leader; it was a “staged death” to start red terror - Lenin had arranged that Chekists (Soviet state security organization) would shoot into the air, and he would "theatrically" fall to the ground ... Some versions seem quite absurd - for example, the one that explains that the attempt on Lenin’s life was Kaplan’s revenge for failed romance with Dmitry Ulyanov. Even the name of "No 1 terrorist" of 20th century arouses controversy among historians. Fanny is also known as Fanya, Feiga, Dora. Kaplan, Royd, Roydman, Roitblat ... She became Kaplan in 1906, when being arrested (together with her man Victor Garskiy she was preparing the assassination attempt on the local governor-general in Kiev), she, a 16-year-old girl, happened to carry a fake passport, featuring the name of Feiga Kaplan.

Digitized materials, now freely available, give an insight into the case based on factual information. On the morning of August 30, 1918, the Chief of Cheka of Petrograd City, Moisei Uritsky, was assassinated in Petrograd. Despite this, members of the Council of People's Commissars were still going to deliver speeches at plant rallies in the capital city. The day of August 30 was Friday, on this day Moscow used to hold "days of the party", when leaders of the country and city officials met with people. On that evening Vladimir Lenin spoke at the Mikhelson plant, where the rally "Dictatorship of the bourgeoisie and dictatorship of the proletariat" was underway. Then, accompanied by workers, he went out into the yard. The driver Stepan Gil had already started the engine, when one woman stopped Lenin to ask him a question. At that moment Batulin, an assistant to the military commissar of 5th Moscow Soviet Infantry Division, was 15-20 steps away from the leader.

His “Testimonies on the detention of Kaplan, who had attempted to assassinate comrade Lenin on August 30” , available on the portal of the Presidential Library, read: “I heard three sharp dry sounds, which I mistook for ordinary motor sounds, though they were revolver shots. After these sounds, I saw a crowd of people, that had stood quietly by the car, now running in different directions, and behind the car I saw comrade Lenin, who was lying motionless face down on the ground. <...> I was not confused and cried out: Stop comrade Lenin’s killer and with these words I ran into Serpukhovka. <...> By a tree I saw a woman with a briefcase and an umbrella, whose strange appearance caught my eye. She looked like a person who was trying to escaping chase, frightened and hunted. I asked this woman why she had come here. She replied: "Why do you ask?" Then I searched her pockets and took her briefcase and umbrella and asked her to follow me. "

Fearing that the woman might escape or be attacked by the crowd, Batulin asked the armed police forces and Red Army soldiers, who were in the crowd, to accompany them to the Zamoskvorechye District Commissariat. Under interrogation, the detained woman "said her name was Kaplan and admitted that she had attempted to murder comrade Lenin. "

A few days later, on September 2, the crime was re-enacted at Mikhelson plant. The file, which is accessible on the portal of the Presidential Library, features a series of photographs  under the title "Re-enactment" by V. E. Kingisepp and Ya. M. Yurovsky (the one who was in charge of the execution of Emperor Nicholas II and his family). Photos taken by Yurovsky are accompanied by explanatory text, written personally by Kingisepp.

One of the photographs captures "the moment immediately preceding the attempt on Lenin’s life." The car parked sideways, in the driving seat is Lenin’s  chauffeur Stepan Gil. "Lenin" and "M. G. Popova” are talking about something by the car. "Kaplan-Roydman" (Victor Kingisepp) froze at the front wheels of the car. "Kaplan’s hands" are either in a pocket, or are bosomed. There are several such pictures made by Yurovsky from different angles.

Next series of photographs are titled "The Assassination." "Lenin" and "Popova" are on the same spot. "Kaplan" is shooting, driver Gil is jumping up. The location of four shells is also shown here.

"The finale of the attempt" looks like this: "Lenin" is lying, "M.G. Popova " is running (one of the bullets has hit her). "Kaplan" is rushing towards the gates. Victor Kingisepp points out that the distance between the car and the gates is slightly more than 18 meters and admits that "Kaplan was detained only due to proletarian children who unlike adults did not lose their heads and ran after her crying out:" She shot Lenin! " The photograph of the "Browning gun, dropped by the woman who fired" is also available.

Most of the materials on assassination attempt on Lenin’s life presented on the portal of the Presidential Library, are bulletins about the state of health of the leader and doctors’ accounts. After the attempt, Vladimir Ilyich was taken to the Kremlin. He was strong enough to reach the third floor. The accounts of doctor A. Vinokurov, who was one of the first to give Lenin first aid, read: "I found comrade Lenin on the bed, his hand was bleeding. <...> I gave him the first aid and our communist doctors - comrades Semashko, Obukh, V. M. Bonch-Bruevich, Weisbrod and surgeons professors Rozanov and Mints were summoned. The wound was far more serious  than it seemed to be at first sight. One bullet <...> got stuck in the shoulder blade. This wound was not life-threatening. But another bullet passed through the neck, perforated the left lung and caused internal bleeding. It was a miracle that the bullet did not perforate the vital organs, that would have resulted in imminent death. The night was alarming because of a growing hemorrhage and an exhaustion. But the vigorous heart of a vigorous fighter for the proletariat and the poorest peasantry had won in the battle with the deadly danger. "

In the rare book of Vladimir Bonch-Bruevich “The Assassination attempt on V.I. Lenin (based on first-hand account)” (1924), also digitized by the Presidential Library and made available on the portal, this tragic evening is described as follows: "Vladimir Ilyich was lying on his right side ... and was groaning quietly... His face was pale ... A torn shirt showed his chest and his left hand, on which two wounds could be seen. He was half-dressed, without a jacket, in boots. <...> He opened his eyes, looked at me mournfully and said: "It hurts, my heart hurts. My heart hurts very much. " "Your heart is not hurt ... it's a referred nervous pain," I told him, trying to stay calm. <...> And he fell silent, closing his eyes. A minute later he moaned quietly, as if afraid to bother someone. "And why do they torture me, it would be better if I had been killed at once ..." - he said quietly and kept silent, as if fell asleep. The face became even paler, and a yellow waxy shade appeared on the forehead”.

The same evening, the heads of institutions, plants, newspapers received the order signed by Vladimir Bonch-Bruevich, Managing Director of the Council of People’s Commissars, which read: "Every day you will receive all the bulletins on physical state of the Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars. Let the subordinate institutions and the staff familiarize themselves with these bulletins for wide dissemination of information in the shortest possible time. "

A total of thirty-six bulletins came out during Lenin’s illness. The first was written on August 30, 1918 at 11 pm, the last one - on September 12 at 8 pm. All of them have been digitized by the Presidential Library and presented on its portal.

It is certainly true that newspapers published not just bulletins detailing Lenin's health. Each issue began with an angry editorial: "Soviet Power faces challenge", "Treacherous shot," "Woe betide the Whites!", "Viva the Ruthless Class Red Terror!", "Irritating weakness"…

Izvestia of Tver Executive Committee of the Council of Workers’, Peasants' and Red Army Deputies, whose digitized copy is available in the Presidential Library's collections, reads: "The hysterical SR (Socialist Revolutionary party) woman shot in the back comrade Lenin, who suffered severe wounds. Of course, all these "terrorists" have not just rejoiced, but felt proud of it. <...> By killing comrade Lenin could they have destroyed him as a great personality, a great fighter, a fighter for truth and light? No! Great people are not killed by the hideous shot from around the corner. "

A decree of the Council of People’s Commissars of RSFSR, which officially declared the beginning of the Red Terror, came out on September 5, 1918. Fanny Kaplan was no longer alive. On September 3, without trial she was shot. The commandant of the Kremlin Pavel Malkov and poet Demian Bedny, who happened to present at the execution, following the order of Sverdlov to leave no traces, burned Kaplan's body in an iron barrel. "Revolutionary justice" was done.

And in a fortnight’s time, on September 18, 1918, the last bulletin on the physical state of Lenin was published (it is also available in the archival file on assassination attempt digitized by the Presidential Library): "The temperature is normal. Pulse is good. Small traces of the hemorrhage remain in the left pleura. There are no complications as to the fracture. The position of the bullets under the skin and the complete absence of inflammatory reactions make it possible to postpone their removal until the bandage is removed. Vladimir Ilyich is allowed to work. "

Right here is the note made by the leader himself: "Following this bulletin and on account of my wellness, I humbly request not to bother doctors with calls and questions. V. Ulyanov /Lenin/ ".