On This Day: Bloody Sunday in St Petersburg

It was On This Day in 1905, known as Bloody Sunday, that a peaceful demonstration turned bloody and essentially marked the beginning of the Russian Revolution of 1905. I should note here that this date is on the Russian (Old) Calendar.

Headline from the Altoona Tribune

23 January 1905

The industrial workers in Russia had begun to organize themselves. In January 1905 there were several organized strikes. On this particular day, a priest Georgy Gapon led the workers, many of whom were carrying icons and pictures of Tsar Nicholas, to see the Tsar directly. The Tsar however was not at the Winter Palace at the time. His uncle, the Grand Duke Vladimir (who happened to be the chief of security too) attempted to stop the march. He is the one who ordered his police to fire upon the innocents.

More than 100 people were killed on that Bloody Sunday. Several hundred more were injured. That massacre set off a series of strikes and uprising throughout

Russia

On This Day is a prompt to further explore historical events.

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