1912 Lena execution

105 years ago, on April 17, 1912, workers were shot at the mines of the Lena gold mining partnership, located near the city of Bodaibo. The workers demanded better working conditions, a shorter working day, and the dismissal of the most hated members of the administration.

The procession of workers protesting against the arrest of the strike committee was shot by soldiers commanded by the assistant chief of the Irkutsk provincial gendarmerie department, captain Nikolai Treshchenkov. From 150 to 270 workers died, more than 200 were injured.

As a result of the investigation, Treshchenkov was found guilty of abuse of authority, dismissed from service and demoted to the rank and file. More than 300,000 people all over Russia took part in strikes and rallies of solidarity with the Lena workers.