Bloody Sunday

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CHAPTER PRIMARY SOURCE from Bloody Sunday

30 by Father Gapon
Section 1 On January 22, 1905, a priest named Father Gapon led a peaceful march of about
200,000 workers and their families to the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg. The
marchers wanted to ask Czar Nicholas II for better working conditions, more per-
sonal freedom, and an elected national legislature. As you read the following
excerpt from Father Gapons autobiography, think about what happened on
Bloody Sunday.
W e were not more than thirty yards from the

soldiers, being separated from them only by
the bridge over the Tarakanovskii Canal, which
afterwards, bullets even struck persons inside,
through the windows.
At last the firing ceased. I stood up with a few
here marks the border of the city, when suddenly, others who remained uninjured and looked down
without any warning and without a moments delay, at the bodies that lay prostrate around me. I cried
was heard the dry crack of many rifle-shots. I was to them, Stand up! But they lay still. I could not at
informed later on that a bugle was blown, but we first understand. Why did they lie there? I looked
could not hear it above the singing, and even if we again, and saw that their arms were stretched out
had heard it we should not have known what it lifelessly, and I saw the scarlet stain of blood upon
meant. the snow. Then I understood. It was horrible. And
Vasiliev, with whom I was walking hand in hand, my Vasiliev lay dead at my feet.
suddenly left hold of my arm and sank upon the Horror crept into my heart. The thought flashed
snow. One of the workmen who carried the ban- through my mind, And this is the work of our
ners fell also. Immediately one of the two police Little Father, the Tsar. Perhaps this anger saved
officers to whom I had referred shouted out, What me, for now I knew in very truth that a new chapter
are you doing? How dare you fire upon the portrait was opened in the book of the history of our people.
of the Tsar? This, of course, had no effect, and I stood up, and a little group of workmen gathered
both he and the other officer were shot downas round me again. Looking backward, I saw that our
I learned afterwards, one was killed and the other line, though still stretching away into the distance,
dangerously wounded. was broken and that many of the people were flee-
I turned rapidly to the crowd and shouted to ing. It was in vain that I called to them, and in a
them to lie down, and I also stretched myself out moment I stood there, the centre of a few scores of
upon the ground. As we lay thus another volley was men, trembling with indignation amid the broken
fired, and another, and yet another, till it seemed as ruins of our movement.
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though the shooting was continuous. The crowd from Father Gapon, The Story of My Life (1905). Reprinted
first kneeled and then lay flat down, hiding their in John Carey, ed., Eyewitness to History (New York: Avon,
heads from the rain of bullets, while the rear rows 1987), 417418.
of the procession began to run away. The smoke of
the fire lay before us like a thin cloud, and I felt it
stiflingly in my throat. . . . A little boy of ten years,
Discussion Questions
who was carrying a church lantern, fell pierced by a Recognizing Facts and Details
bullet, but still held the lantern tightly and tried to 1. When did the soldiers start firing on the marchers?
rise again, when another shot struck him down. 2. According to this excerpt, who were among the
Both the smiths who had guarded me were killed, victims of the shooting?
as well as all those who were carrying the icons and 3. Perceiving Cause and Effect Why do you
banners; and all these emblems now lay scattered think many Russians were outraged by this mas-
on the snow. The soldiers were actually shooting sacre? Use information from this excerpt as well
into the courtyards of the adjoining houses, where as your textbook to support your opinion.
the crowd tried to find refuge and, as I learned
26 Unit 7, Chapter 30

Bloody Sunday

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CHAPTER PRIMARY SOURCE from Bloody Sunday

W e were not more than thirty yards from the

McDougal Littell Inc. All rights reserved.

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