Siberia and the Exile System/Volume 1

by George Kennan

GEORGE KENNAN.

SIBERIA AND THE
EXILE SYSTEM

BY GEORGE KENNAN

 

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VOLUME ONE

 

 

NEW YORK
THE CENTURY CO.
1891

 

Copyright, 1891, by
The Century Co.

 

The De Vinne press.

 

VOLUME I

CONTENTS

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chapter		page
I.	From St. Petersburg to Perm	1
II.	Across the Siberian Frontier	25
III.	The Flowery Plains of Tobólsk	55
IV.	The Tiumén Forwarding Prison	74
V.	A Siberian Convict Barge	103
VI.	First Impressions of Post Travel	120
VII.	The Great Kírghis Steppe	140
VIII.	Our First Meeting with Political Exiles	168
IX.	Bridle Paths of the Altái	188
X.	Two Colonies of Political Exiles	227
XI.	Exile by Administrative Process	242
XII.	The Province and the City of Tomsk	278
XIII.	The Tomsk Forwarding Prison	302
XIV.	The Life of Political Exiles	322
XV.	The Great Siberian Road	351
XVI.	Deportation by Étape	369

 

ILLUSTRATIONS

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1. page.

2. George Kennan ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

   Frontispiece.

3. The Fair-City of Nizhni Nóvgorod ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

   7

4. A Part of the Old Town of Nizhni Nóvgorod ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

   11

5. Water Carrier in a Vólga River Village ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

   16

6. A Vólga River Hamlet ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

   18

7. A Peasant Woman of Simbirsk ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

   22

8. The City of Perm ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

   26

9. A Railroad Verst Post ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

   33

10. A Street in Ekaterinburg ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    37

11. Tárantás at a Post Station ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    46

12. A Caravan of Freight Wagons ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    48

13. Bivouac of Freight Wagon Drivers ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    51

14. The Siberian Boundary Post ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    53

15. A Siberian Peasant's House, Barn, and Court-Yard Gate ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    67

16. The Tiumén Forwarding Prison ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    82

17. The Court-Yard of the Tiumen Prison ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    85

18. Making Up an Exile Party in the Tiumén Prison ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    88

19. Court-Yard of the Women's Prison, Tiumén ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    93

20. Tiumén Laborers Waiting for Employment ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    104

21. The "Real Schule" ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    106

22. "Voluntary Exiles." (Dobrovólni) ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    107

23. A Marching Exile Party ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    109

24. A Convict Barge ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    112

25. An Exile Party About to Embark ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    113

26. Exiles Going on Board the Barge ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    115

27. Men's Cage, Convict Barge—Exiles Buying Food ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    116

28. Inside the Women's Cage, Convict Barge ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    118

29. Convict Types ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    119

30. Our Tárantás ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    123

31. Return of the Miracle-Working Ikón ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    129

32. Huts of Village Gate-Keepers ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    132

33. A Village Gate-Keeper ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    134

34. A Steppe Village ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    137

35. Police Station and Fire Tower in Omsk ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    141

36. The Exile Suburb—Omsk ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    143

37. A Kírghis Encampment ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    144

38. Interior of a Kírghis Kibítka ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    147

39. A Kírghis Cemetery ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    151

40. An Oasis in the Kirghis Steppe ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    154

41. Washing Clothes in the Írtish ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    156

42. A Street in Semipalátinsk ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    159

43. A Camel Team Crossing the Ford ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    161

44. A Kírghis Horseman in Gala Dress ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    163

45. A Wrestling Match ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    165

46. Cossack Peasant Girl Spinning ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    190

47. Upper Írtish Valley and Foot-Hills of the Altái ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    192

48. The Altái Station ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    194

49. Our House at the Altái Station ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    196

50. Picnic Ground, Valley of the Búkhtarmá ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    203

51. Cossack Picket of Jingistái ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    205

52. The Village of Arúl ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    207

53. Ascent of the Mountain from Berél ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    210

54. Kírghis Encampment on the Summit ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    212

55. Rakmánofski Lake ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    214

56. The Rakmánofski Hot Springs ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    216

57. Descent into the Valley of the White Berél ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    218

58. Distant View of the Katúnski Alps ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    219

59. The "Katúnski Pillars"—Source of The Katún River ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    221

60. The Descent into the Gorge of the Katún ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    223

61. The Katún River ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    224

62. Lower Part of Katún Glacier (Upper Part in Clouds)—Katún Waterfall ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    225

63. Climing up the Alexandrófskaya-Séivernaya Ravine ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    231

64. The Ulbínsk Ravine ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    233

65. The Valley of Ulbínsk ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    235

66. The Town of Ust Kámenogórsk ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    238

67. A Post-Station on the Barnaül Road ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    280

68. Market-Place in Barnaül ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    282

69. Old Prison or Guard-House in Barnaül ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    284

70. Peasant Women at Work in Barnaül ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    287

71. Koliván Lake ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    289

72. Grotesque Rocks near Koliván Lake ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    292

73. Ferry on the River Ob near Barnaül ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    295

74. A Part of the Market Square in Tomsk ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    300

75. A "Family Kámera" in the Tomsk Forwarding Prison ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    313

76. Prince Kropótkin ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    324

77. An Old Siberian Ferry-Boat ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    355

78. Bark-Mills, Krasnoyársk ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    358

79. Monastery near Krasnoyársk ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    360

80. Road to Monastery ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    361

81. A Siberian Blacksmith ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    363

82. The Departure of the Mail ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    365

83. Sick and Infirm Exiles in Telégas ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    375

84. A Convict Party Passing a Shrine near Tomsk ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    377

85. Halt of a Convict Party for Lunch ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    379

86. "Brodyágs" or Runaway Convicts ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    381

87. A Polu-Étape on the Tomsk-Áchinsk Road ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    383

88. A "Kámera" or Cell in a Polu-Étape ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    385

89. An Étape ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    387

90. A Party of Exiles Crossing the Yeniséi ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    398

91. An Old Convict Begging Food ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    403

92. A Break for Liberty ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

    408

MAPS

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1. PAGE.

2. Map of Siberia ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

   4

3. Enlarged Map of Route from Tiumen to Semipalátinsk ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

   121

4. Map of Route from Semipalátinsk to the Altái ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

   189

5. Route from the Altái Station to Tomsk ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

   228