Press Release, 7.11.2019

On 7 November, the Moscow branch of Yabloko held its traditional action honouring the memory of officers and pupils of military schools who fought in the streets of Moscow against usurpation of power by the Bolsheviks in 1917.

For the first time, an action in memory of those who with arms in their hands opposed the Bolshevik coup d’etat, was held on the initiative of Sergei Mitrokhin more than ten years ago. Every year, activists of the Moscow Yabloko lay flowers and erect a temporary memorial plaque near Znamenka 19, the building of the former Alexandrovsky Military School, where the headquarters of resistance to the Bolsheviks was organised.

Officers and pupils of the Alexandrovsky Military School (now the building belongs to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation) formed the based of the detachment of volunteers who stood up for freedom and democracy in Russia. They fought in Moscow against the power of the Bolsheviks in October-November 1917. It was here that the term the “White Guard” was first used.

For many years, Moscow Yabloko has been striving to establish a permanent memorial plaque on this building. Lev Schlossberg, member of the Yabloko Federal Political Committee and Chairman of the Pskov branch of Yabloko, also took part in the action in memory of pupils of military schools and officers.