Why the Tambov peasants impaled Bolshevik Sophia gehlberg

The period of the Civil war will forever remain in history as a time of anarchy, violence and destruction. This era has produced many notorious personalities, reveling in his infinite power and gave vent to the most hideous vices. But often it also happens that the victims of these maniacs rise up and then mercy tormentors were not. So ended the life of a Bolshevik Sophia gehlberg, nicknamed "Red Sonja".

It is well known that the Civil war gave each province of the former Empire its "heroes". Under Kemerovo eliminate enemies of the revolution, red army commander-executioner Gregory Horns, Khakassia cut people whole villages of young Arkady Gaidar, and in the black sea steppes, wielding former Odessa raider Grigory Kotovsky.

Was its heroine and in the Tambov region is a "Red Sonja" Sophia Nahimova gehlberg. Despite belonging to the fairer sex, this woman can safely be ranked among the most cruel and disgusting animals floated to the surface in the foam of the October revolution.

The place and date of birth Sofas gehlberg is not known. We can only say with certainty that her childhood passed within the limits established for Jews in the Russian Empire "pale". In education, this woman was a doctor, or rather of a midwife, which did not prevent her from becoming a red commander and the arbiter of thousands of lives.

Erroneously attributed to Lenin the statement that "any cook can run the state" perfectly describes the lightning career gehlberg after the October revolution. The midwife Sofa, thanks to a passionate love for the world revolution, and hatred of class enemies, to show someone a perfect candidate for the position of the red commander.

Sophia gehlberg in 1918, the party instructed to impose so-called "military communism" in the Tambov province, where it was strongly influenced by the monarchists and lived many unreliable and wealthy farmers. For the fact the Sofa came from, that is, sleeves rolled up. Her posse consisted of the revolutionary sailors and soldiers, selected criminal scum and aliens: Hungarians, Chinese and Austrians.

This contingent was badly managed and needed a strong hand that suddenly found themselves in the homely midwife Sophia. "Red Sonja", and it is so called that woman was ruthless to his followers and hated outlined her party of the enemy.

First, Gelberg operated roughly in a straight line. Her squad went into the village or town and Sophia immediately demanded to give her "hostile elements". This group included the former nobility, non-commissioned officers, priests, merchants, gentlemen of the Royal orders and just wealthy farmers.

All of them are immediately destroyed, often chopped with swords or stabbing with bayonets. Sophia did not spare even children, its soldiers without hesitation, dealt with the students. After the punishment of the class enemy were appointed by the local government, which included the outcasts — the drunks, criminals and vagrants.

But the glory soon about the activities of the "red Sonia" flown the Tambov province and look for enemies has become more difficult. Then Sophia changed tactics and every village began to ask locals, who of respected people they would like to see in local Councils. Thus, the executioners were given the most dangerous for the revolution people, which are immediately executed.

Gehlberg never miss the opportunity myself to take part in torture and executions. Witness her "work" told the chilling details of people hacked with axes, alive buried in the ground, burned, torn horses. Sophia, who had experience in medicine, knew how to make her victim hurt and is not afraid of blood.

But such activity "red Sonia" could not generate opposition. Peasants to resist gehlberg and her gang began to organize armed self-defense units. Weapons at this time in Russian villages enough, and desperate people who have gone through the hell of the First world war and Russo-Japanese wars.

Barely in the distance there were red flags on the steeples of village churches started to sound the alarm and all who could bear arms, took up the defense. Often came to the aid of the inhabitants of the neighbouring villages — such solidarity was impossible to provide serious resistance.

These events later historians of the revolution will describe how the counter-revolutionary Tambov or Antonov uprising, but, in fact, the peasants simply wanted to protect themselves and their family from murderers, rapists and looters. Every day the resistance of peasants became more active and to occupy another village, "red Sonja" had to engage in combat with militia of the locals.

In a fight with one of these units on the outskirts of the village Kozlovka and was defeated by a detachment of gehlberg. I must say that "Red Sonja" without a fight entered the village and appeared between the parties were possible dialogue. But soldiers on the move were shot near the village temple several reputable farmers, and that was the reason for the attack on the detachment.

The researcher Tambov rebellion B. V. Sennikov in the book "the Tambov rebellion of 1918-1921 and the peasantry in Russia 1929-1933.", based on eyewitness accounts, described the events of that day:

Further, the fighters of red squad acted well organized, dependable scenario:

A significant role in the victory of good over evil played a coincidence — a red gunner jammed the shutter and shoot at close range attackers failed. Not accustomed to resistance, the rabble gehlberg was killed by peasants or fled, and the Sophia gehlberg with its immediate surrounding was captured. Despite the admonitions and even threats, the local gathering was unanimous and the woman-the executioner and her assistants were sentenced to death.

It is known that the Russian peasants people are not evil and the righteous. It is difficult to imagine the hatred they felt for gehlberg, just decided to execute her one of the most painful ways. "Red Sonja" impaled, where she died three days.

No mercy and her first Deputy, whose name history has not preserved. Eyewitnesses of the massacre described him as Commissioner of an elderly Jew with a goatee and glasses. It is first beaten nearly to death, gouged out his eyes and broken his hands and feet, and then, barely alive, tied to wooden goats and sawed in half with a two-handed saw. The Chinese and Hungarians who were caught in the Tambov forests a few days, without hardship to hang on the birch trees, at the place of capture.

Medieval punishment, which subjected the Church of gehlberg, was officially abolished under Peter I. the Latter, deprived of life Stepan Glebov, whom the king ordered to put on a stake on red square in Moscow in connection with his first wife Eudoxia Lopukhina in 1718. But the people are such a cruel method of execution was used in lynchings in the early twentieth century, although it was used only for executions of the most notorious scoundrels.