In Soviet times, the name of such a hero as Sergei Lazo was very popular. His biography was an example of devotion to the cause of the formation of Soviet power. It was especially noteworthy that Lazo was originally a nobleman from a we althy family. And a beautiful legend was formed about his death. But what was Sergei Georgievich Lazo really like? The biography below is an attempt to answer this question.
In Soviet books and textbooks on the history of the Civil War, the version of the death of S. Lazo was as follows: the White Guards threw him into the furnace of a steam locomotive, where he, along with Alexei Lutsky and Vsevolod Sibirtsev, burned down for the cause of the revolution (this locomotive is shown in the photo above). The details, however, varied. No one was interested anymore at the hands of which White Guards they died, at what station it happened and how they got there. But in vain. Upon careful consideration of this issue, a very interesting story unfolds. But first things first.
Origin of Lazo, joining the SRs
Sergey Lazo was born in Bessarabia in 1894, and he died at the age of 26 far from his homeland for the idea of communism. Sergei came from a we althy noble family. Lazo Sergei Georgievich studied at Moscow State University in physics and mathematics, and during the First World War he was mobilized. In the rank of ensign in 1916, Lazo ended up in Krasnoyarsk, where he joined the Social Revolutionaries. This choice was not accidental: as contemporaries noted, from childhood Sergei was distinguished by an increased sense of justice and maximalism, reaching romanticism.
Meeting with Lenin, rebellion in Krasnoyarsk
20-year-old romantic in the spring of 1917 arrived in Petrograd as a deputy from the Krasnoyarsk Soviet. Then, for the only time in his life, he saw Lenin live. Sergei really liked the radicalism of the leader, and he decided to become a Bolshevik. Upon his return to Krasnoyarsk, Sergei Lazo led a rebellion that took place in October 1917
Fight against Ataman Semyonov
According to the version of Soviet textbooks, in 1918, when the party sent Lazo to Transbaikalia, he successfully defeated Ataman Semenov there. However, the reality was different. Sergei Lazo, a romantic revolutionary, fought the chieftain for six months, but could not defeat him. Several times he pushed Semenov back to Manchuria, but the ataman again advanced and drove Lazo to the north. And in the summer of 1918, Sergei Lazo found himself caught in a pincer between the Czechoslovaks and Semyonov. He had to flee from Transbaikalia. In principle, Ataman Lazo could not be defeated, since Semenov was a significant figure in Dauria, enjoyed the supportand authority among the population, and no one knew Sergei Georgievich there. In addition, Sergei's army enjoyed a bad reputation due to its criminal focus. It is known that his detachments were manned by ruffians and criminals, whom the Bolsheviks agreed to release if they supported the revolution. A lot of trouble for Sergei Georgievich was delivered by these soldiers, who carried out "requisitions" from the local population. However, he had to put up with it, since every person counted.
Two female commissioners
Two female commissars served in the Lazo detachment. The personality of Nina Lebedeva is especially remarkable. She was the adopted daughter of the former head of Transbaikalia and an adventurer by nature. While still a schoolgirl, she joined the ranks of the Socialist-Revolutionaries, took part in the left-wing terror, after which she went over to the anarchists. It was she who commanded in the detachment of Sergei Lazo, which consisted of criminal elements. She sprinkled her speech with such obscene expressions that even seasoned criminals shook their heads.
The direct opposite of her was the second commissar, Olga Grabenko. It was a black-browed beautiful girl who really liked Sergei. He began courting her and they soon got married. In 1919, their daughter, Ada Sergeevna, was born, who subsequently prepared a book about Sergei Lazo "Lazo S. Diaries and Letters".
Encirclement, flight to Vladivostok
However, the young ones were not lucky. The next day after the wedding, Sergei's detachment was surrounded. Olga and Sergei abandoned the army and tried to hide in Yakutsk. However, in thisthere was a "white" coup in the city, so they had to go to Vladivostok.
The interventionists and the White Guards were in power in Primorye, so Lazo arrived in Vladivostok illegally. This was soon found out and a large reward was promised for his capture. Ataman Semenov gave money for the head of his opponent. When the bloodhounds attacked Sergei's trail, the Bolsheviks sent him deep into Primorye to work in partisan detachments.
Lazo's fatal mistake
In early 1920, after the news of the fall of Kolchak in Siberia, the Bolsheviks of Vladivostok decided to overthrow his viceroy, General Rozanov. Lazo himself insisted on this. However, it later turned out that this was his fatal mistake.
To storm Vladivostok, at that time filled with Japanese troops, meant nothing less than suicide. However, on January 31, 1920, the partisans occupied the city. Rozanov fled to Japan on a steamer. The interventionists were at first only observers. There were about 20-30 thousand Japanese in the city, and only a few thousand Bolsheviks, so one had to proceed with caution. Lazo under these conditions set out to proclaim Soviet power in Vladivostok. The fighters, among whom were criminals, began to carry out executions of the "bourgeoisie" (which included everyone who did not look like a complete ragamuffin) and the confiscation of property. The townsfolk turned to the Japanese garrison for help.
Japanese performance, arrest of Lazo
The performance of the Japanese took place on the night of April 4-5, 1920. Almost all the leaders were arrestedBolsheviks and partisan commanders. Sergei Lazo was taken in the building of the former counterintelligence of Kolchak, located on the street. Poltavskoy, d. 6 (now - Lazo, 6). He went there at night in order to destroy the documents. On April 9, together with Lutsky and Sibirtsev, he was taken away in the direction of the Rotten Corner. Olga Lazo rushed to the Japanese headquarters, but she was informed that her husband was in the guardhouse on Begovaya. Lazo Olga Andreevna went there. Sergei Lazo, however, has disappeared.
The version of death that did not suit the Soviet government
Only a month later, rumors about the death of Sergei Lazo, Sibirtsev and Lutsky began to spread. And in June 1920, they began to talk about it as a fact. The first information has appeared. Klempasko, an Italian captain, told that Sergei was shot on the Egersheld and his corpse was burned. This message appeared in many newspapers, it was distributed by news agencies of the world. However, the Bolsheviks were not satisfied with this version of the death of Lazo, and they decided to come up with a more beautiful one.
Evidence of an "eyewitness"
In September 1921, a locomotive driver suddenly showed up, allegedly having seen in May 1920 how the Japanese handed over three bags to the Cossacks from Bochkarev's detachment. They pulled Lazo, Sibirtsev and Lutsky out of the bags and tried to put them into a locomotive firebox. They resisted, and the Bochkarevites got tired of it. The prisoners were shot and thrown into the furnace, already dead.
This story has been retold many times, but the name of its author has nevercalled. Apparently, he didn't exist. This story does not stand up to scrutiny. First of all, Sergei Lazo and two of his associates could not climb through and fit in the firebox of a steam locomotive three of them. The design of the machines of the 1910s simply did not allow this. In addition, it is not known at which station this event occurred. The driver pointed to the Ruzhino, and later Art. Muravyevo-Amurskaya. And why did the Japanese need to hand over Lazo and his friends to the Bochkarevites and take them for many kilometers through places teeming with partisans? No one explained this - the Bolsheviks were not interested in the details.
Memory
In 1968, the biographical film "Sergei Lazo" was released. In 1985, a mini-series directed by Vasile Pascaru "The Life and Immortality of Sergei Lazo" appeared. It tells about the life path of this hero. Many streets and other geographical objects were named after him, several monuments were erected.
