Guba, April-May 1918. Documented Pogroms of the Muslims
154
continued my studied at the Medical department in Moscow. In early
1918, I traveled to the Caucasus to visit my relatives. When I intended
to get back, the railroad communication was interrupted after the
events in Gudermes. I ended up in Baku, quite idle. At that moment
the city was overtaken by the Bolsheviks. One of their ringleaders,
someone Japaridze offered me the position of a militia inspector. I
agreed, so I was appointed to this position by the Executive Commit-
tee.
After the March events in Baku, I was instructed to restore the
railroad communication all the way to Gudermes station. I headed by
train with an echelon of troops following me. En route, residents of all
Muslim villages were hastily fleeing facing the troop train. I stopped
them and persuaded to stay in their places as there was no real dan-
ger for them. My troops were manned by Russians and Armenians,
the latter ones counting for more than a half. The squad numbered to
two thousand.
Once we arrived in Khachmaz station, a couple of unknown Ar-
menians joining our train discovered about 120 dead bodies not far
from the station in the forest, closer to old Khachmaz. There were
some Russians among the dead bodies, however majority were Ar-
menians. I was on the scene and saw the dead bodies, however I will
hardly identify the location now. The troop train was indignant about
this and started getting restless. Soldiers wanted to move to Guba
and devastate the place as they believed these people were killed by
the Shykhlyar beys (landlords). I had hard times keeping the troops
under control.
Under the pressure of the commissars and myself, and after the
telephone conversation with Guba stating that the town residents are
sending their envoys the troops changed their mind to move to Guba
and decided to send me as a neutral person to present the local resi-
dents with an ultimatum to comply with the Soviet rule within 2 hours
and to render support to them.
Then another delegation arrived steadily presenting themselves
as the Bolsheviks. I arrived in Guba and offered them to respond wit-
hin two hours whether they submit to the Soviet rile. I also notified
them that I can guarantee nothing should the answer be negative.
The residents of Guba selected several representatives who,
being assured by the Sunni and Shiite clergy that the ideas of Bolshe-