Obukhov defense was one of the first in the country's history a clash between workers and government forces on the basis of political protest.After only five to seven years the speeches become commonplace for the public of the Russian Empire.The beginning of XX century in this respect was extremely intense.During this period, many revolutionary political forces penetrated to the factories in St. Petersburg and other major cities of the country, where expanding its social base and the number of sympathetic to his ideas.
BACKGROUND uprising
So, at the Obukhov steel plant of St. Petersburg actively conducted revolutionary propaganda forces nearly two dozen circles of the Social Democratic orientation.Together they cover about two hundred people.In April 1901 the company's management has attempted to boost production performance through tighter work schedules and the introduction of overtime.The move has caused extreme dissatisfaction of the majority of workers.However, proper management of the plant findings were never made.Latest continued to bend his line.In response to such a policy by representatives of several underground circles May 1, 1901 we announced a political strike.That day on the job did not work a few hundred workers.The plant's management has attempted to pacify the employees indicative layoffs May 5, lost his seat about seventy ringleaders.
workers' demands and the beginning of the uprising
In turn, the strikers have 7 May went to the administration of social demands: first, to cancel the decision of dismissal, as well as to establish an 8-hour working day, designated May 1as a holiday, to create a council of workers at the plant, canceled overtime work, to increase wages, reduce fines and so on.
After the failure of the administration to meet the demands, the strikers finally stopped work shops.
They took to the streets, where they were joined by workers as a cardboard factory and Alexandrovsky plant.Soon we arrived at the scene squads of mounted police, but they threw a hail of stones.Police opened fire on the workers, after which they were forced to hide in a cardboard factory premises.
Soon barricaded strikers tried to come to the rescue, and representatives of other factories of the capital.The resulting Union Obukhov Defense literally disbanded police units on the streets of the capital began all-out chaos.
fitting urgently Omsk soldiers of the regiment were able to restore order on the streets only in the evening, using rifle butts, and salvos.Obukhov defense on the first day claimed the lives of eight workers and a few police officers.
Results uprising
next few days, the two sides held in suspense.However, such large-scale action will not be repeated.May 12 elected representatives of the workers were new to the leadership of the plant, repeating their demands.The negotiations resulted in twelve of the fourteen workers' demands were met.Obukhov defense has borne fruit.The issue of granting the status of the date of May 1 holiday was postponed.And though the whole conflict was resolved, Obukhov defense continued in the form of local skirmishes throughout the city even for a whole month.
