Siberian Red

asked Stalin.
    ‘I do,’ replied Pekkala. ‘Almost as soon as the expedition was under way, Kolchak learned that an informant had betrayed him to the Bolsheviks. Guessing that Kolchak would head for the territory held by his uncle, the Bolsheviks sent their own cavalry to intercept the expedition before it reached Siberia. Once Kolchak realised that he was being followed, and since the wagons which transported the gold were slowing down his progress, he decided to leave the gold behind in the city of Kazan as he passed through there on his way to Siberia. The gold was later removed from its hiding place by the anti-Bolshevik forces of the Czechoslovakian Legion, who were also on their way to Vladivostok.’
    Stalin nodded. ‘Go on.’
    ‘In the winter of 1918, Czech Legion troops under the command of General Gaida had joined with the Admiral’s White Russian Army. In the spring of 1919, they launched an offensive against the Reds from their base in Siberia.’
    ‘But the offensive stalled out, didn’t it?’
    ‘Yes,’ agreed Pekkala, ‘and by November of that year, the Admiral was forced to abandon his capital at Omsk. All through that winter, Czech and White Russian troops retreated east towards Vladivostok. There they hoped to board ships which would take them out of the country. They had captured a number of trains, some of them specially armoured, and were travelling along the Trans-Siberian Railroad. By January of 1920, they were still nowhere near the coast. Seeing that his situation was hopeless, Admiral Kolchak stepped down from power. From then on, he was placed under the protection of the 6th Czechoslovakian Rifle Regiment, under General Janin. The Czechs became responsible for the safety of the Admiral as they continued their journey to Vladivostok.
    ‘And what happened then?’
    ‘You know what happened, Comrade Stalin. Why are you asking me now?’
    Stalin slowly rolled his hand before his face. ‘Humour me, Pekkala. What happened next?’
    ‘Very well,’ sighed Pekkala. ‘When the Czech train convoy reached the city of Irkutsk, they were stopped by armed members of the Socialist Political Centre, who demanded that they hand over Admiral Kolchak in return for being allowed to pass through.’
    ‘And what else did they want, these socialists?’
    ‘Gold,’ replied Pekkala. ‘Specifically, the Imperial Reserves which were still being guarded by the Czechs.’
    ‘And what did they do, these Czechs of the 6th Rifle Regiment?’
    ‘They handed the gold over‚ along with Admiral Kolchak.’
    ‘Why?’
    ‘The Socialist Centre had mined the tunnels around Lake Baikal. If they decided to blow the tunnels, the Czechs would never have gotten through. Handing over Kolchak and the gold was their only hope of reaching Vladivostok.’
    ‘And what became of Admiral Kolchak, the Ruler of Siberia?’
    ‘On January 30th, 1920, the Admiral was executed by the Bolsheviks.’
    ‘And what of his nephew, the Colonel?’
    ‘Red cavalry finally caught up with him. After a fight lasting three days, survivors of the Expedition surrendered. Among the men captured was Colonel Kolchak himself.’
    By then, in St Petersburg, on the other side of the country, Pekkala had also been taken prisoner by the Revolutionaries. Both men ended up in the Butyrka prison, although neither was aware of the other’s whereabouts at first.
    ‘And, of course,’ remarked Stalin, ‘you remember what happened at Butyrka?’
    ‘Remember?’ spat Pekkala. ‘Do you think I could ever forget?’

After months of torture and solitary confinement
     
     
    After months of torture and solitary confinement, prison guards frog-marched Pekkala down the spiral stone steps of the old fortress of Butyrka and into the basement. Knowing that these caverns, which had once boasted one of the world’s finest collections of wines, now served as execution chambers for enemies of the state‚ he fully expected to be murdered there.
    Pekkala felt relieved that his time of suffering was almost over. In something approaching a gesture of compassion, some convicts were even shot before they reached the bottom of the stairs, so as to minimise the terror of their execution. Pekkala found himself hoping that he might merit such a speedy end, but when they reached the bottom of the stairs, the guards brought him to a room already occupied by several men who wore the gymnastiorka tunics, dark blue trousers and knee-length riding boots of State