The Narva Branch Meetinghouse of the Assembly of Factory and Mill Workers - Saturday January 8, 1905

Father Gapon looked out at the growing crowd. He had them transfixed. They anxiously awaited his every word. The last few days had been a whirlwind. Now the end was finally near. He had believed the march would be successful when he first proposed the idea but now he was beginning to have doubts. He still believed the Tzar could solve the problems of the working class if he would meet with the workers. It was also clear that the government would set up every roadblock possible to hinder the march.

Gapon did not doubt that he would be arrested if the march failed. That was another reason why the march had to be successful. He also did not doubt that he would be stripped of his position in the church. He had placed everything on the success of the march. Looking out at the crowd as he continued to read from his petition to the Tzar inspired him. These were the true salt of the earth. God in his just mercy would hear their petition and allow the Father of the nation to return from Tsarskoe Selo to receive them.

Gapon’s voice boomed out although the strain from near nonstop speaking for several days had started to take a toll and could be heard in his raspy words.

“Here, O sire, are our principal needs which we have come to lay before thee: Only with their fulfillment can our motherland be emancipated from slavery and poverty, only then can she prosper, and only then can the workers unite in order to defend their interests against the brazen exploitation of the capitalists and the plundering, stifling bureaucratic administration.”

Andreev listened to Gapon and felt he was far more political and far more revolutionary than he remembered. The man needed to be arrested. He would instill a revolutionary spirit in all those in attendance. Unfortunately there were many people present. The room had already reached capacity and if Gapon talked any longer they would have to move the meeting outside. Andreev could see why Markov had told him it would be impossible to arrest Gapon here. That was fine. Andreev had all night, as long as he arrested Gapon before people began to assemble for the march everything would turn out just fine. But for now all he could do was settle in and listen to the socialist priest preach his poisonous propaganda. Andreev had never been more convinced that the autocracy was necessary to protect Russia.

Andreev surveyed the room and noticed many people were raising their hands and were making the sign of the cross. The implication was troubling to Andreev. There was a religious zeal attached to this message. If the same conviction existed in everyone who intended to march the arrest of Gapon wouldn’t stop the procession.

Andreev spotted Markov in the crowd whispering into the ear of someone close to Gapon. There was no doubt in Andreev’s mind that Markov was telling the man that Andreev was there to arrest Gapon. Andreev would have to consider the implications of that at a later time. For now he listened as Gapon continued.

“Tomorrow is the day we have waited for. March with me. Bring your wives. Bring your children. March with me. Bring your cross bring your icons. March together as one. Bring your portraits of the tzar. Will you march with me?”

Almost in unison the crowd roared back. “We will march with you.”

“Yes, we will march and we will meet with the Tzar. We shall present our petition and we shall say to the Tzar “issue thy orders and swear to fulfill them, and Thou wilt make Russia happy and glorious, and Thy name will forever be engraved in our hearts and in the hearts of all our descendants. But if Thou withholdest Thy command and failest to respond to our supplications, we will die here on this square before Thy palace. There is no place for us to go, nor is there any reason for us to go any further. There are two paths before us: one to freedom and happiness, the other into the grave.

Sire, show us either of them and we will follow it without a word, even if it leads us to death. Let our lives be a sacrifice for suffering Russia. We do not regret this sacrifice, but offer it greatly.”

Andreev looked around the room again. He saw some of the most downtrodden people in the room moved to tears. They had lived hard lives and they clung to this message of hope delivered by a man of God. They believed in a benevolent Tzar who could ease their pain. For the briefest moment Andreev almost wished the Tzar would meet with them.

“March with me tomorrow. Together we will joyfully march to present our petition to the Tzar. But what if the Tzar refuses to hear us out?”

“Then he is no Tzar to us!”

“Do the police and soldiers dare stop us from going through comrades?”

“They do not dare.” The crowd roared in response.

“If they do confront us are we willing to sacrifice our lives for a suffering Russia?”

“We will die.”

“Do you swear to die?”

“We swear to it!”

“Raise your hand if you swear to die!”

Andreev watched with a mixture of horror, disgust, and sadness as the majority of hands instantly shot into the air.

“Tomorrow we will march together as one comrades. With love of God, Russia, and the Tzar in our hearts we will proceed. Our suffering will end. The Tzar will hear our petition and ease our suffering or we will die.”

With those words Gapon stopped speaking and the crowd in the hall began to disperse as a new crowd was already beginning to filter in. Andreev had no doubt that Gapon would repeat this speech at least two or three more times before the night was over. The confidence that he had felt while meeting with the city leadership lead by Sviatopolk-Mirskii no longer existed. Blood would be shed in the morning. It was unavoidable. Two opposing ideas were going to meet in the streets and the iron fist of the autocracy would disperse the idealized workers dreams of revolutionary reform. If only the idea of reform didn’t have to violate every tenet of autocracy. Andreev leaned against the wall and settled in to hear Gapon begin his diatribe again.