#Andrei Yushchinsky

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 3.25 (Before 1920)

410 – The Southern Yan capital of Guanggu falls to the Jin dynasty general Liu Yu, ending the Southern Yan dynasty. 421 – Italian city Venice is founded with the dedication of the first church, that of San Giacomo di Rialto on the islet of Rialto. 708 – Pope Constantine becomes the 88th pope. He would be the last pope to visit Constantinople until 1967. 717 – Theodosius III resigns the throne to the Byzantine Empire to enter the clergy allowing Leo III to take the throne and begin the Isaurian dynasty. 919 – Romanos Lekapenos seizes the Boukoleon Palace in Constantinople and becomes regent of the Byzantine emperor Constantine VII. 1000 – Fatimid caliph al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah assassinates the eunuch chief minister Barjawan and assumes control of the government. 1065 – The Great German Pilgrimage is attacked on Good Friday by Beduin bandits, suffering heavy losses. 1306 – Robert the Bruce becomes King of Scots (Scotland). 1409 – The Council of Pisa convenes, in an attempt to heal the Western Schism. 1410 – The Yongle Emperor of Ming China launches the first of his military campaigns against the Mongols, resulting in the fall of the Mongol khan Bunyashiri. 1519 – Hernando Cortes, entering province of Tabasco, defeats Tabascan Indians. 1576 – Jerome Savage takes out a sub-lease to start the Newington Butts Theatre outside London. 1584 – Sir Walter Raleigh is granted a patent to colonize Virginia. 1655 – Saturn's largest moon, Titan, is discovered by Christiaan Huygens. 1708 – A French fleet anchors nears Fife Ness as part of the planned French invasion of Britain. 1725 – Bach's chorale cantata Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern, BWV 1, is first performed on the Feast of the Annunciation, coinciding with Palm Sunday. 1770 – Daskalogiannis, leads the people of Sfakia in the first Greek uprising against the Ottoman rule 1802 – The Treaty of Amiens is signed as a "Definitive Treaty of Peace" between France and the United Kingdom. 1807 – The Swansea and Mumbles Railway, then known as the Oystermouth Railway, becomes the first passenger-carrying railway in the world. 1811 – Percy Bysshe Shelley is expelled from the University of Oxford for publishing the pamphlet The Necessity of Atheism. 1821 – Greek War of Independence: Traditional date of the start of the Greek War of Independence. The war had actually begun on 23 February 1821 (Julian calendar). 1845 – New Zealand Legislative Council pass the first Militia Act constituting the New Zealand Army. 1865 – American Civil War: In Virginia during the Siege of Petersburg, Confederate forces temporarily capture Fort Stedman from the Union before being repulsed. 1894 – Coxey's Army, the first significant American protest march, departs Massillon, Ohio for Washington, D.C. 1905 – The Greek football club P.A.E. G.S. Diagoras is founded in the city of Rhodes. 1911 – In New York City, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire kills 146 garment workers. 1911 – Andrey Yushchinsky is murdered in Kiev, leading to the Beilis affair. 1914 – The Greek multi-sport club Aris Thessaloniki is founded in Thessaloniki. 1917 – The Georgian Orthodox Church restores its autocephaly abolished by Imperial Russia in 1811. 1918 – The Belarusian People's Republic is established. 1919 – The Tetiev pogrom occurs in Ukraine, becoming the prototype of mass murder during the Holocaust.

[russiancrimes]

The Beilis Trial- A Story of Antisemitism

  On March 20th 1911 the body  of a 12-year-old boy was discovered in a small cave in the Lukyanovskaya suburb of Kiev. The body had 47 stab wounds made by a stitching awl, a special tool used for making holes in thick materials, such as leather. 

  The boy’s name was Andrei Yushchinsky, and what should have been a thorough criminal investigation uncovering local gang activities, turned into a shameful prosecution of Menahem Mendel Beilis, an innocent Jewish man, fueled by the antisemitic movement and political instability of the Russian Empire at the time.

  Let us set the stage for this story, by diving into some important historical events, which facilitated the social unrest in the nation. 

  Firstly, “Krepostnoe Pravo” was the ownership or serfdom of peasants, which existed in the Empire since 14 hundreds, the times of Kievan Rus`. Unlike slavery in the West, serfdom meant that the people were attached to a certain piece of land, and could only be sold along with that land. Attempts to abolish it began in 1790s, but it took a lot of efforts and enlightenment to finally get rid of the inhumane rule in 1861 by Tsar Alexander II.

(Tsar Alexander Nikolaevich II. Years of reign 1855-1881)

  While it is fair to mention, that a lot of nobility were supportive of the reform, we cannot ignore the resistance from others, far less enthusiastic dwellers of the wealthy social layers. 

  Another important factor in the game were the religious and cultural differences with the Jewish people, whose population increased tremendously after Russian Empire acquired new territories through the division of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The Jewish community constantly faced hardships and discrimination. “Pogroms”, the ultra-violent attacks on whole Jewish neighborhoods were terrible massacres, with no prosecution. 

  Finally, the growing revolutionary movement created secret societies and terrorist groups, who either supported the monarchy or wished to overturn it, both in their own violent ways.

  This dangerous cocktail would be the cause of many sad and unfair acts against innocent people, and it would play the main role in the Beilis Trial.

  Let us return to the sad story of the 12-year-old Andrei, who grew up without much affection or care from his single mother. His neighbours & classmates would often see him wonder the streets alone in the late hours. Despite the obvious neglect, he was considered a smart & well-behaved child, perhaps a little quiet and distant at times. He studied in the Theological School at St. Sophia Cathedral, hoping to become a priest which was his chance to escape his miserable life.

(The only photos that exist of Andrei, are those from his funeral)

  When Andrei’s body was discovered, he had been missing for 8 days. Inspection indicated that the boy was not murdered in the cave, and numerous stab wounds were sustained after he was already dead. The main cause of death was a blunt head trauma. It seemed the piercing wounds had exsanguinated his body and a wave of dark rumours swept through the nation, theorizing a “ritual killing” or a “blood libel”, which according to some old-wives tale was a Jewish tradition. The situation, being as volatile as it was, did not need much to spark up a public outrage. Antisemitic tendencies were further fueled by the investigation receiving anonymous letters, blaming the Jewish community for the murder. 

  Even though no hard evidence indicting Jewish involvement was found, the society’s demand for justice against the non-Christians was forcing the police and court to dig for “the truth”, even if it meant fabricating it. The far-right nationalist groups began protests, using Andrei as a martyr icon. New pogroms were planned to avenge the boy, who could never had imagined such attention during his lifetime.

(The cave where Andrei’s body was discovered)

  Because the cave where Andrei’s body was discovered happened to be conveniently located near a brick factory run by a couple of wealthy Jews, the fingers were quickly pointed at them. The role of the scape goat had befallen Menahem Mendel Beilis, superintendent of the factory. The “evidence” and witness statements presented to the investigation did not make sense and showed all signs of being tempered with.

(Menahem Mendel Beilis  on the day of apprehension )

  Luckily, in the police force there were some capable of disconnecting themselves from the antisemitic propaganda and taking an unbiased look at the crime.

  The main suspicion was the inconsistencies in the statements of one witness- Vera Cheberiak, who was one of the first to blame the Jews. Her son Zhenya happened to be Andrei’s close friend, and the boys often played in their home. Secondly, Vera was known to be connected to organized crime- holding a fence, dealing in stolen goods.

(the main suspect and probably one of the true murderers of Andrei- Vera Cheberyak)

  Zhenya’s first statement said that Andrei visited their home on the 12th of March, the day he disappeared. However, he later revoked his story and seemed to be frightened. Additionally, Vera’s neighbor remembered hearing strange noises and a child crying that same day. It was later uncovered, that Andrei and Zhenya had a row and the former threatened to spread the news about Vera’s illegal activities. It all was starting to look like Andrei witnessed something he shouldn’t have and paid a heavy price. Vera and her “buddies” further undermined their innocence by refusing to be interviewed, changing statements, even escaping custody.

(Vera’s gang buddies, believed to have murdered Andrei- Singaevskiy, Rudzinskiy & Latushev)

Despite the piling evidence against Vera Cheberyak and her gang, Menahem Beilis spent 2 years imprisoned before being put on trial. However, the attempts to prove his guilt were absolutely embarrassing and clearly fabricated. The workers of the factory provided a strong alibi for Beilis- the day Andrei went missing, the production was in full throttle, and he hardly left his office. Furthermore, a piece of fabric found next to the boy’s corpse matched bedsheets from Vera’s house. The court and jury had no more reason to hold Beilis and he was immediately released. The decision was respected by the outraged right groups and the intended pogroms were cancelled. The medieval concept of “blood libel” was denounced by the prominent journalists and politicians. Shortly after his release, Menahem Beilis migrated to USA, where he passed away in 1934.

  The tragedy of this story was in the fact that the murder of a young neglected boy was exploited by conflict-hungry individuals to carry out their dirty political agenda. Cheberyak received a fine dose of punishment from life itself- during the investigation 2 of her 3 children, including Zhenya, passed away from dysentery. She was never officially convicted for the murder of Andrei Yushchinsky, however was executed in 1919 by the new communist government.

  The Beilis Trial was extensively covered by the international media and was the subject of many books and cinema on the topic of Anti-Semitism. It also marked the political and moral rock-bottom that the Russian Empire had hit, in its preparedness to turn a blind eye on a known criminal and shift the blame on a Jew...on any Jew.

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 3.25

421 – Italian city Venice is founded with the dedication of the first church, that of San Giacomo di Rialto on the islet of Rialto. 708 – Pope Constantine becomes the 88th pope. He would be the last pope to visit Constantinople until 1967. 717 – Theodosius III resigns the throne to the Byzantine Empire to enter the clergy. 919 – Romanos Lekapenos seizes the Boukoleon Palace in Constantinople and becomes regent of the Byzantine emperor Constantine VII. 1000 – Fatimid caliph al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah assassinates the eunuch chief minister Barjawan and assumes control of the government. 1306 – Robert the Bruce becomes King of Scots (Scotland). 1409 – The Council of Pisa convenes, in an attempt to heal the Western Schism. 1519 – Hernando Cortes, entering province of Tabasco, defeats Tabascan Indians. 1576 – Jerome Savage takes out a sub-lease to start the Newington Butts Theatre outside London. 1584 – Sir Walter Raleigh is granted a patent to colonize Virginia. 1655 – Saturn's largest moon, Titan, is discovered by Christiaan Huygens. 1708 – A French fleet anchors nears Fife Ness as part of the planned French invasion of Britain. 1770 – Daskalogiannis, leads the people of Sfakia in the first Greek uprising against the Ottoman rule. 1802 – The Treaty of Amiens is signed as a "Definitive Treaty of Peace" between France and the United Kingdom. 1807 – The Swansea and Mumbles Railway, then known as the Oystermouth Railway, becomes the first passenger-carrying railway in the world. 1811 – Percy Bysshe Shelley is expelled from the University of Oxford for publishing the pamphlet The Necessity of Atheism. 1821 – Greek War of Independence - Traditional date of the start of the Greek War of Independence. The war had actually begun on 23 February 1821 (Julian calendar). 1845 – New Zealand Legislative Council pass the first Militia Act constituting the New Zealand Army. 1865 – American Civil War: In Virginia, Confederate forces temporarily capture Fort Stedman from the Union. 1894 – Coxey's Army, the first significant American protest march, departs Massillon, Ohio for Washington, D.C. 1905 – The Greek football club P.A.E. G.S. Diagoras is founded in the city of Rhodes. 1911 – In New York City, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire kills 146 garment workers. 1911 – Andrey Yushchinsky is murdered in Kiev, leading to the Beilis affair. 1914 – The Greek multi-sport club Aris Thessaloniki is founded in Thessaloniki. 1917 – The Georgian Orthodox Church restores its autocephaly abolished by Imperial Russia in 1811. 1918 – The Belarusian People's Republic is established. 1919 – The Tetiev pogrom occurs in Ukraine, becoming the prototype of mass murder during the Holocaust. 1924 – On the anniversary of Greek Independence, Alexandros Papanastasiou proclaims the Second Hellenic Republic. 1931 – The Scottsboro Boys are arrested in Alabama and charged with rape. 1932 – The famous Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is unveiled in Athens. 1941 – The Kingdom of Yugoslavia joins the Axis powers with the signing of the Tripartite Pact. 1947 – An explosion in a coal mine in Centralia, Illinois kills 111. 1948 – The first successful tornado forecast predicts that a tornado will strike Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. 1949 – More than 92,000 kulaks are suddenly deported from the Baltic states to Siberia. 1957 – United States Customs seizes copies of Allen Ginsberg's poem "Howl" on obscenity grounds. 1957 – The European Economic Community is established with West Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg as the first members. 1959 – Chain Island is sold by the State of California to Russell Gallaway III, a Sacramento businessman who plans to use it as a "hunting and fishing retreat", for $5,258.20 ($48,877 in 2021). 1965 – Civil rights activists led by Martin Luther King Jr. successfully complete their 4-day 50-mile march from Selma to the capitol in Montgomery, Alabama. 1971 – The Army of the Republic of Vietnam abandon an attempt to cut off the Ho Chi Minh trail in Laos. 1975 – Faisal of Saudi Arabia is shot and killed by his nephew. 1979 – The first fully functional Space Shuttle orbiter, Columbia, is delivered to the John F. Kennedy Space Center to be prepared for its first launch. 1988 – The Candle demonstration in Bratislava is the first mass demonstration of the 1980s against the communist regime in Czechoslovakia. 1995 – WikiWikiWeb, the world's first wiki, and part of the Portland Pattern Repository, is made public by Ward Cunningham. 1996 – The European Union's Veterinarian Committee bans the export of British beef and its by-products as a result of mad cow disease (Bovine spongiform encephalopathy). 2006 – Capitol Hill massacre: A gunman kills six people before taking his own life at a party in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood. 2006 – Protesters demanding a new election in Belarus, following the rigged 2006 Belarusian presidential election, clash with riot police. Opposition leader Aleksander Kozulin is among several protesters arrested. 2018 – Syrian civil war: Following the completion of the Afrin offensive, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) initiate an insurgency against the Turkish occupation of the Afrin District.

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 3.25

421 – Italian city Venice is founded with the dedication of the first church, that of San Giacomo di Rialto on the islet of Rialto. 708 – Pope Constantine becomes the 88th pope. He would be the last pope to visit Constantinople until 1967. 717 – Theodosius III resigns the throne to the Byzantine Empire to enter the clergy. 919 – Romanos Lekapenos seizes the Boukoleon Palace in Constantinople and becomes regent of the Byzantine emperor Constantine VII. 1000 – Fatimid caliph al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah assassinates the eunuch chief minister Barjawan and assumes control of the government. 1306 – Robert the Bruce becomes King of Scots (Scotland). 1409 – The Council of Pisa convenes, in an attempt to heal the Western Schism. 1519 – Hernando Cortes, entering province of Tabasco, defeats Tabascan Indians. 1576 – Jerome Savage takes out a sub-lease to start the Newington Butts Theatre outside London. 1584 – Sir Walter Raleigh is granted a patent to colonize Virginia. 1655 – Saturn's largest moon, Titan, is discovered by Christiaan Huygens. 1708 – A French fleet anchors nears Fife Ness as part of the planned French invasion of Britain. 1802 – The Treaty of Amiens is signed as a "Definitive Treaty of Peace" between France and the United Kingdom. 1807 – The Swansea and Mumbles Railway, then known as the Oystermouth Railway, becomes the first passenger-carrying railway in the world. 1811 – Percy Bysshe Shelley is expelled from the University of Oxford for publishing the pamphlet The Necessity of Atheism. 1821 – Traditional date of the start of the Greek War of Independence. The war had actually begun on 23 February 1821 (Julian calendar). 1845 – New Zealand Legislative Council pass the first Militia Act constituting the New Zealand Army. 1865 – American Civil War: In Virginia, Confederate forces temporarily capture Fort Stedman from the Union. 1894 – Coxey's Army, the first significant American protest march, departs Massillon, Ohio for Washington, D.C. 1911 – In New York City, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire kills 146 garment workers. 1911 – Andrey Yushchinsky is murdered in Kiev, leading to the Beilis affair. 1917 – The Georgian Orthodox Church restores its autocephaly abolished by Imperial Russia in 1811. 1918 – The Belarusian People's Republic is established. 1919 – The Tetiev pogrom in Ukraine, which become the prototype of mass murder during the Holocaust 1924 – On the anniversary of Greek Independence, Alexandros Papanastasiou proclaims the Second Hellenic Republic. 1931 – The Scottsboro Boys are arrested in Alabama and charged with rape. 1941 – The Kingdom of Yugoslavia joins the Axis powers with the signing of the Tripartite Pact. 1947 – An explosion in a coal mine in Centralia, Illinois kills 111. 1948 – The first successful tornado forecast predicts that a tornado will strike Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. 1949 – More than 92,000 kulaks are suddenly deported from the Baltic states to Siberia. 1957 – United States Customs seizes copies of Allen Ginsberg's poem "Howl" on obscenity grounds. 1957 – The European Economic Community is established with West Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg as the first members. 1959 – Chain Island is sold by the State of California to Russell Gallaway III, a Sacramento businessman who plans to use it as a "hunting and fishing retreat", for $5,258.20 ($46,680 in 2020). 1965 – Civil rights activists led by Martin Luther King Jr. successfully complete their 4-day 50-mile march from Selma to the capitol in Montgomery, Alabama. 1971 – The Army of the Republic of Vietnam abandon an attempt to cut off the Ho Chi Minh trail in Laos. 1975 – Faisal of Saudi Arabia is shot and killed by a mentally ill nephew. 1979 – The first fully functional Space Shuttle orbiter, Columbia, is delivered to the John F. Kennedy Space Center to be prepared for its first launch. 1988 – The Candle demonstration in Bratislava is the first mass demonstration of the 1980s against the communist regime in Czechoslovakia. 1995 – WikiWikiWeb, the world's first wiki, and part of the Portland Pattern Repository, is made public by Ward Cunningham. 1996 – The European Union's Veterinarian Committee bans the export of British beef and its by-products as a result of mad cow disease (Bovine spongiform encephalopathy). 2006 – Capitol Hill massacre: A gunman kills six people before taking his own life at a party in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood. 2006 – Protesters demanding a new election in Belarus, following the rigged 2006 Belarusian presidential election, clash with riot police. Opposition leader Aleksander Kozulin is among several protesters arrested. 2018 – Syrian civil war: Following the completion of the Afrin offensive, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) initiate an insurgency against the Turkish occupation of the Afrin District.

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 3.25

421 – Italian city Venice is founded with the dedication of the first church, that of San Giacomo di Rialto on the islet of Rialto. 708 – Pope Constantine becomes the 88th pope. He would be the last pope to visit Constantinople until 1967. 717 – Theodosius III resigns the throne to the Byzantine Empire to enter the clergy. 919 – Romanos Lekapenos seizes the Boukoleon Palace in Constantinople and becomes regent of the Byzantine emperor Constantine VII. 1000 – Fatimid caliph al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah assassinates the eunuch chief minister Barjawan and assumes control of the government. 1306 – Robert the Bruce becomes King of Scots (Scotland). 1409 – The Council of Pisa convenes, in an attempt to heal the Western Schism. 1576 – Jerome Savage takes out a sub-lease to start the Newington Butts Theatre outside London. 1584 – Sir Walter Raleigh is granted a patent to colonize Virginia. 1655 – Saturn's largest moon, Titan, is discovered by Christiaan Huygens. 1708 – A French fleet anchors nears Fife Ness as part of the planned French invasion of Britain. 1802 – The Treaty of Amiens is signed as a "Definitive Treaty of Peace" between France and the United Kingdom. 1807 – The Swansea and Mumbles Railway, then known as the Oystermouth Railway, becomes the first passenger-carrying railway in the world. 1811 – Percy Bysshe Shelley is expelled from the University of Oxford for publishing the pamphlet The Necessity of Atheism. 1821 – Traditional date of the start of the Greek War of Independence. The war had actually begun on 23 February 1821 (Julian calendar). 1845 – New Zealand Legislative Council pass the first Militia Act constituting the New Zealand Army. 1865 – American Civil War: In Virginia, Confederate forces temporarily capture Fort Stedman from the Union. 1894 – Coxey's Army, the first significant American protest march, departs Massillon, Ohio for Washington, D.C. 1911 – In New York City, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire kills 146 garment workers.[4] 1911 – Andrey Yushchinsky is murdered in Kiev, leading to the Beilis affair. 1917 – The Georgian Orthodox Church restores its autocephaly abolished by Imperial Russia in 1811. 1918 – The Belarusian People's Republic is established. 1924 – On the anniversary of Greek Independence, Alexandros Papanastasiou proclaims the Second Hellenic Republic. 1931 – The Scottsboro Boys are arrested in Alabama and charged with rape. 1941 – The Kingdom of Yugoslavia joins the Axis powers with the signing of the Tripartite Pact. 1947 – An explosion in a coal mine in Centralia, Illinois kills 111. 1948 – The first successful tornado forecast predicts that a tornado will strike Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. 1949 – More than 92,000 kulaks are suddenly deported from the Baltic states to Siberia. 1957 – United States Customs seizes copies of Allen Ginsberg's poem "Howl" on obscenity grounds. 1957 – The European Economic Community is established with West Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg as the first members. 1965 – Civil rights activists led by Martin Luther King Jr. successfully complete their 4-day 50-mile march from Selma to the capitol in Montgomery, Alabama. 1971 – The Army of the Republic of Vietnam abandon an attempt to cut off the Ho Chi Minh trail in Laos. 1975 – Faisal of Saudi Arabia is shot and killed by a mentally ill nephew. 1979 – The first fully functional Space Shuttle orbiter, Columbia, is delivered to the John F. Kennedy Space Center to be prepared for its first launch. 1988 – The Candle demonstration in Bratislava is the first mass demonstration of the 1980s against the communist regime in Czechoslovakia. 1995 – WikiWikiWeb, the world's first wiki, and part of the Portland Pattern Repository, is made public by Ward Cunningham. 1996 – The European Union's Veterinarian Committee bans the export of British beef and its by-products as a result of mad cow disease (Bovine spongiform encephalopathy). 2006 – Capitol Hill massacre: A gunman kills six people before taking his own life at a party in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood. 2006 – Protesters demanding a new election in Belarus, following the rigged 2006 Belarusian presidential election, clash with riot police. Opposition leader Aleksander Kozulin is among several protesters arrested.