A.P.Sheksheev
Alexander Aleksandrovich Sotnikov, the first ataman of the Yenisei Cossack army, wasn't disregarded by Soviet memoirists and historians. He is represented as the enemy of the Soviet authority in memoirs of participants of revolutionary events in the south of the Yenisei province. E. A. Gluhih bolshevik since 1917 and the former commander of Minusinsk Red guards telling about the participation in suppression of the Cossack mutiny, declared that it ended with flight « in a ladies' dress » of rebellion head Sotnikov. Contemporaries and then historians created a myth that in May 1918 Sotnikov headed white cossack movement and commanded of a group of Karatuz cossacks participating in liquidation of the Soviet authority in Minusinsk. At last, one more researcher asserted that Sotnikov, being then in structure of the Mid-Siberian case of white army, was the chief of "a hussar division". During the post Soviet period appeared truthful but the short information about Sotnikov and it was still actual. In the given message was made an attempt of wider and unbiased interpretation of Sotnikov activity and destiny with use of various documentary sources and in particular with his investigation.
Sotnikov A.A. was born in March, 1891 and he was the Yenisei cossack by a social origin. He was the native of village Potapovskoe of Turuhansky region, an ancestral lands of his father, known hereditary merchant - A.K.Sotnikov nicknamed by aboriginals as "Landur" - a bull or a deer.
Sotnikov was the student of geological branch of the Tomsk technology institute when the World War I began. He became the researcher of "Siberian Klondike" as the energetic and keen on geology person. Sotnikov organized expedition to Norilsk mountains for search of deposits of coal, copper ore and graphite on his own means in the summer of 1915. Sotnikov was enroled to the army with reception documents of an secondary polytechnic education in December 1915. He graduated Irkutsk military school and was directed as the first officer to the Krasnoyarsk Cossack battalion In May 1916.
February revolution of 1917 promoted Sotnikov official growth. First he became the commander of 2-nd hundred battalion. Then he became the commissioner and the chief of garrison on Krasnoyarsk railway station in May, 1917. Simultaneously he conducted the big political activity among cossacks. At the end of May he presided on 1st congress of the Yenisei cossacks which supported Provisional government. Sotnikov was a member of the Yenisei executive committee, chairman of Krasnoyarsk garrison Council. He was appointed to the post of the Cossack battalion commander, holding the rank of cornet, by the order of the Irkutsk military district commander, lieutenant colonel and socialist-revolutionary A.A.Krakovetsky.
Sotnikov was elected an ataman according to one of II congress documents of the Yenisei cossacks (20-25 of September, 1917) on the basis of the bill about Cossack army, confirmed by the government. It was probably convenient for Krasnoyarsk council. But soon relations between Soviet and Sotnikov have sharply changed.
There was 50-60 cossacks with Bolshevistic views in Krasnoyarsk battalion since February, 1917. But all the three hundreds of cossacks basically supported socialist-revolutionaries. Mutual relations of cossacks and Soviet was based on mutual circumspection and distrust as well as everywhere. Krasnoyarsk Council decided to arm workers and to create its own militia in March the 14, 1917.
Executive committee crossly concluded that the cossacks battalion caused distrust for him On July, the 7. In October, 1917 Krasnoyarsk Council got all the power in the Yenisei province. Cossacks didn't risk to take military actions against bolsheviks. But they accepted the resolution offered by Sotnikov about authority of the Yenisei provincial committee on general meeting of a battalion and army board in October the 30, 1917. But the committee has been liquidated by bolsheviks in November, the 10.
Socialist-revolutionaries created a slogan « the autonomous state organization for Siberia » in conditions of heavy crisis in Russia. Extraordinary regional congress was convoked because of Provisional government overthrow and the approval of Soviet regulations in Tomsk in December the 6, 1917. Sotnikov was among of its participants, he was delegated there by army. He was elected as a chairman of military committee at Regional Council. And later victorious bolsheviks called him in mockery a "military minister ".
The Yenisei executive committee made the decision about cossacks demobilization, dissolution of army and disarmament of officers in December the 18, 1917. The executive committee created a revolutionary staff, sent for the military help from Tomsk, detained the soldiers who were coming back from holiday, organized protection of city and stopped salary payment to the Cossack officers in connection with aggravation of relations with cossacks. There was a command about partial demobilization and disarmament of cossacks of the Krasnoyarsk battalion in January the 2, 1918. Sotnikov called off a battalion from city to village Torgashino on the night of January the 18 to avoid armed conflict. 120 cossacks with 2 machine guns and 25 officers went in direction of Minusinsk with Sotnikov.
Sotnikov brought a battalion in large village Karatuz where III congress of the Yenisei cossacks began to work in February the 15 (28), 1918 because Council in Minusinsk declared city on the martial law and began to increase forces of Red guards. Sotnikov was again elected an ataman.
Sotnikov was forced to search for supports at Yenisei left bank cossacks because of minusinsk bolsheviks aggressive moods and intentions. He was pursued by groups of Red guards and consequently failed to stir cossacks to opposition against the expansion of bolsheviks again. He had to disappear and then appear again in Tomsk in conditions of cossacks split in April 1918.
Sotnikov joined white army where he all over again prosecuted subjects of military construction.
He was responsible for formation of a two squadrons hussar battalion. Sotnikov declared mobilization of cossacks in white army under the instruction of the Mid-Siberian corps commander in Krasnoyarsk in June the 28, 1918. Sotnikov addressed to congress calling its participants «to rise on protection of independent Siberia» with the requirement of a cancellation of previous resolution in Minusinsk on June the 29.
He broke off all attitudes with party of socialists - revolutionaries at that time. Simultaneously he directed to military board the request for abdication of his ataman authorities. And later lieutenant Sotnikov left to the front. But when the authority in Siberia passed to A.V.Kolchak after November the 18, 1918 Sotnikov decided to leave military service. But there also was one more factor that abruptly changed his destiny.
Sotnikov was experienced in searches and researches of minerals in the North so he was recalled for a writing of the detailed report about results of Norilsk deposits forwarding investigation in October 1918. Sotnikov left military service and accepted resignation of ataman post in February, 1919. Sotnikov's Report was presented to the Ministry and it highly estimated his work at the end of March, 1919. Sotnikov was transferred in Sea department on the basis of the order from April, 13 1919.
Sotnikov participated in expedition to the polar circle in the summer of 1919. He was necessary there for guarantee of an expedition route.
Sotnikov arrived to Irkutsk with the report about hydrographic and topographical activity in December, 2 1919. While he with his colleague was reaching Irkutsk for about three weeks, bolsheviks came to authority in Siberia and they promised to judge only Kolchak's chastisers and counterspies. Sotnikov and his friend was arrested because of a denunciation of the former colonel, serving earlier in Krasnoyarsk garrison, on February, 26 1920.
Sotnikov wrote the letter to security officers in which he declared that prosecution and conviction of him could be considered only as the revenge, after the monthly conclusion in prison without accusation on March, 26 1920.
Sotnikov was accused in counterrevolutionary activity which he supposedly carried out being the ataman on May, 7 1920. Sotnikov brother tried to help him and told to security officers that he's a rare expert who knows how to operate in conditions in polar circle. The former guerrilla also testified that his brother was rescued by Sotnikov as the expert valuable to expedition. But at the same time prisoners informed that Sotnikov and his friend held among themselves anti-soviet conversations.
Sotnikov was accused not only of insubordination to the order of the Soviet authority about disarmament of a battalion and his preservation as fighting unit, but also that he was a member of the secret organization struggling with Tomsk bolsheviks on May, 21 1920. There wasn't any facts confirming his accusation. Moreover the anti-soviet organization could not exist in Tomsk at that time. But such details did not undertake in attention then, the main thing for accusation was his ataman status. The author of the conclusion asserted that Sotnikov who « after such past couldn't be useful anymore but only very harmful » and it is necessary «to administer him to a capital punishment». Panel of judges decided to shoot Sotnikov after this conclusion and to confiscate his property on May, 23 1920.
As a matter of fact, Sotnikov believed in blank promises of bolsheviks, was lost as a result of political revenge. The Office of Krasnoyarsk region Public Prosecutor rehabilitated him and named « the pathbreaker of the Norilsk deposit ». Though it was late but anyway it obtain justice in March, 1998.