ABSTRACT

The village of Novaia-Ouda was a wretched hamlet, lost amidst the snows, some 300 miles to the north of Irkutsk. It numbered only 150 inhabitants, of whom fifteen were exiles in 'compulsory residence'. The representative of authority was an ouriadnik, a corporal of the gendarmerie. He had been given special instructions regarding Koba: 'Joseph Djugachvili, surname Koba, is to be closely watched. Any danger of or attempt at evasion must be reported immediately to Balagan'. The exiles enjoyed absolute liberty within the district of Balagan, an area equal to that of several counties. The story of the first escape, and of its failure, is told by Allilouev, who took notes of Koba's own description of his experiences after his return to Tiflis. The working-class population of Baku was in a state of effervescence. A strike committee, of which 'Ivanovitch' was the secretary, was very restive.