Nikolai Ivanovich Bobrikov
Encyclopedia
Nikolay Ivanovich Bobrikov ; born on in St. Petersburg
– June 16, 1904 in Helsingfors
, Grand Duchy of Finland
) was a Russian
soldier and politician.
Bobrikov became an officer in the Russian army in 1858 after which he served in the Kazan military district and as division
al chief-of-staff in Novgorod. He became a colonel
in 1869. A year later he was transferred to Saint Petersburg for special duties in the Imperial guard. This gave Bobrikov access to the Imperial court. In 1878 he became a Major General.
In 1898, Tsar Nicholas II
appointed Bobrikov as the Governor-General of Finland
. Bobrikov was both hated and feared by the Finnish population as he thought that Finland
was still a foreign country that threatened Russia. In 1899, Nicholas II signed the "February Manifesto" which marks the beginning of the first "Years of Oppression"
. In this manifesto the Tsar decreed that the laws of the Empire take higher order of precedence than the laws of Finland. Half a million Finns signed a petition to Nicholas II requesting to revoke the manifesto. The Tsar didn't even receive the delegation bringing the petition.
In 1900, Bobrikov issued orders that all correspondence between government offices was to be conducted in Russian
and that education in the Russian language was to be increased in schools. The Finnish army was abolished in 1901, and Finnish conscripts could now be forced to serve with Russian troops anywhere in the Russian empire. To the first call up in 1902, only 42% of the conscripts showed up. In 1905, conscription in Finland was abolished since Finns were seen as unreliable.
In 1903, Bobrikov was given dictatorial powers by the Tsar so that he could fire government officials and abolish newspapers. On June 16, 1904 Bobrikov was assassinated by Eugen Schauman
in Helsingfors
. Schaumann shot Bobrikov three times and himself twice. Schauman died instantly and Bobrikov died later that night in the hospital.
Bobrikov's assassination took place on the same day that is described in James Joyce
's novel Ulysses
. It is briefly mentioned in this book and also alluded to in Joyce's last work, Finnegans Wake
.
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
– June 16, 1904 in Helsingfors
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
, Grand Duchy of Finland
Grand Duchy of Finland
The Grand Duchy of Finland was the predecessor state of modern Finland. It existed 1809–1917 as part of the Russian Empire and was ruled by the Russian czar as Grand Prince.- History :...
) was a Russian
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
soldier and politician.
Bobrikov became an officer in the Russian army in 1858 after which he served in the Kazan military district and as division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
al chief-of-staff in Novgorod. He became a colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
in 1869. A year later he was transferred to Saint Petersburg for special duties in the Imperial guard. This gave Bobrikov access to the Imperial court. In 1878 he became a Major General.
In 1898, Tsar Nicholas II
Nicholas II of Russia
Nicholas II was the last Emperor of Russia, Grand Prince of Finland, and titular King of Poland. His official short title was Nicholas II, Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias and he is known as Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer by the Russian Orthodox Church.Nicholas II ruled from 1894 until...
appointed Bobrikov as the Governor-General of Finland
Governor-General of Finland
Governor-General of Finland ; was the military commander and the highest administrator of Finland sporadically under Swedish rule in the 17th and 18th centuries and continuously in the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland between 1808 and 1917.-Swedish rule:...
. Bobrikov was both hated and feared by the Finnish population as he thought that Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
was still a foreign country that threatened Russia. In 1899, Nicholas II signed the "February Manifesto" which marks the beginning of the first "Years of Oppression"
Russification of Finland
The policy of Russification of Finland was a governmental policy of the Russian Empire aimed at limiting the special status of the Grand Duchy of Finland and possibly the termination of its political autonomy and cultural uniqueness...
. In this manifesto the Tsar decreed that the laws of the Empire take higher order of precedence than the laws of Finland. Half a million Finns signed a petition to Nicholas II requesting to revoke the manifesto. The Tsar didn't even receive the delegation bringing the petition.
In 1900, Bobrikov issued orders that all correspondence between government offices was to be conducted in Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
and that education in the Russian language was to be increased in schools. The Finnish army was abolished in 1901, and Finnish conscripts could now be forced to serve with Russian troops anywhere in the Russian empire. To the first call up in 1902, only 42% of the conscripts showed up. In 1905, conscription in Finland was abolished since Finns were seen as unreliable.
In 1903, Bobrikov was given dictatorial powers by the Tsar so that he could fire government officials and abolish newspapers. On June 16, 1904 Bobrikov was assassinated by Eugen Schauman
Eugen Schauman
Eugen Schauman was a Finnish nationalist and nobleman who assassinated the Governor-General Nikolai Ivanovich Bobrikov.- Schauman's life :...
in Helsingfors
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
. Schaumann shot Bobrikov three times and himself twice. Schauman died instantly and Bobrikov died later that night in the hospital.
Bobrikov's assassination took place on the same day that is described in James Joyce
James Joyce
James Augustine Aloysius Joyce was an Irish novelist and poet, considered to be one of the most influential writers in the modernist avant-garde of the early 20th century...
's novel Ulysses
Ulysses (novel)
Ulysses is a novel by the Irish author James Joyce. It was first serialised in parts in the American journal The Little Review from March 1918 to December 1920, and then published in its entirety by Sylvia Beach on 2 February 1922, in Paris. One of the most important works of Modernist literature,...
. It is briefly mentioned in this book and also alluded to in Joyce's last work, Finnegans Wake
Finnegans Wake
Finnegans Wake is a novel by Irish author James Joyce, significant for its experimental style and resulting reputation as one of the most difficult works of fiction in the English language. Written in Paris over a period of seventeen years, and published in 1939, two years before the author's...
.