Gregory Sokolov: Statement, 1929

On July 25, 1918, the White Guards, together with the Czecho-Slovak Legionnaires, entered the city of Ekaterinburg. In the beginning, the City Commandant was Colonel Sabelnikov. 

The city was divided into regions, and each region was in the charge of one officer. All members of the City Okhrana were mobilized in assistance of the officers. The head of the region that included Vodochnaya, Vassentsovskaya and Shartashskaya streets was Lieutenant Federov. In Vodochnaya Street had lived the officers Kuzovnikov, Golovin and Vilokhin, the first two of which were shot, and the last who died in Irkutsk on the staff of Captain Matveyev. The first nights in the town, all men between the ages of 18 and 50 were held under a curfew beginning at 2 AM. 

Then Sabelnikov turned to the duty officers and ordered that twenty men be mobilized from the citizenry. So the guard was raised, including boys from the gymnasium and old bearded men. My group was sent to the house of the Engineer Ipatiev. I had been there to the closed house a total of twice before. The first time, the fence ran close to the house and closed off the basement floor from curious eyes. By the second time I went, the fence had been raised to cover the second floor. At the corners were sentry boxes, which were wired with electrical bells. Several sets of wires ran between the Ipatiev House and the Kurkovsky House that was across Vosnessensky Lane where the earlier guards had lived. The houses, the fence and the guard boxes were wired for every electrical signaling device for every conceivable eventuality. 

On another day, Sabelnikov came to the Ipatievsky to check on the guards, and he intended to go into the house. He had the key in his hand. But while inspecting the posts, he had noticed the electrical wires, and was concerned that he would set off alarms in the house if he opened the door. He told me not to let anyone touch the wires, and then climbed up and tore them away from the house. This action attracted some curious on-lookers, but they quickly dispersed when Sabelnikov jumped down. 

Provisions for the guards were sent from the place that is now called "The October Revolution Club." 

On the day of August 1, "three automobiles drove to" the Ipatiev House. Inside were seventeen men. Of these men, I knew only Sabelnikov. There were two women among them. 

Sabelnikov gave me the keys to unlock the house. On opening the house, I stood aside and allowed Sabelnikov and his company to pass in. I saw on that day the rooms as they were left by the former occupants. I was especially involved in the clearing of the room used by the former Commandant of the House. In one of the rooms, next to a table, there was a rocking chair with a wicker back. In one of the rooms we collected a library of books and an entire domestic pharmacy. On one chair, we collected a number of icons with brightly colored paints and stones. The officers in charge said many of these stones and icons were gold and diamonds and were very valuable. 

In the last room were several simple iron beds on which lay plain mattresses. On one of the mattresses were several sheets of paper covered in writing in a foreign language. In reading them, one of the officers said that it was the English language, written by the Heir. This was one of the rooms that had electrical bells wired in. In almost every room, there were things written in Russian and in other languages. 

At the end of the day, everyone left in the cars they arrived in, and they came back on at least the following two days. 

This is my gift to the museum. 

Gregory Sokolov 

Sverdlovsk, 1929.

Translation Copyright: Penny Wilson, 2000. From German text. May not be reproduced without permission.