Khodynka Tragedy

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For other uses, see Khodynka.

The Khodynka Tragedy was a mass panic that occurred on May 18, 1896, on Khodynka Field in Moscow during the festivities following the coronation of the last Russian emperor Nicholas II, which resulted in the deaths of 1,389 people.

[edit] The events

Nicholas II was crowned Tsar of Russia on May 13, 1896. Four days later, a banquet was going to be held for the people at Khodynka Field. In the area of one town square, theaters, 150 buffets for distribution of gifts, and 20 pubs were built for the celebrations. Nearby to the celebration square was a field which had a ravine and many gullies. On the evening of May 17, people who had heard rumours of rich coronation gifts from the tsar (the gifts, which everybody was to receive, were actually a bread roll, a piece of sausage, gingerbread and a mug) began to gather in anticipation.

At about 5 o'clock in the morning of the coronation day, several thousand people (some say as many as 500,000) were already gathered on the field. Suddenly a rumour spread among the people that there was not enough beer or presents for everybody. A police force of 1,800 men failed to maintain civil order, and in a catastrophic crush and resulting panic to flee the scene, 1,389 people were trampled to death, and roughly 1,300 were otherwise injured.

[edit] Aftermath

Nicolas and Alexandra were informed about the tragedy, but not immediately. A festive ball was to be held that night at the French embassy in Moscow. Nicholas thought it best not to attend, because it would make him appear he had no grief over the loss of his subjects. However, the younger brothers of Tsar Alexander III still wielded much influence over the court, and Nicholas's uncles said not attending the ball would be a slap in the face of Paris, which could be even worse for him than appearing uncaring about the Russian people. Despite the deaths, Nicholas attended the ball for diplomatic reasons.

There was a large government aid to the families of the dead, and a number of minor officials were dismissed.

In the aftermath of the accident, the negligence of the imperial authorities caused public indignation in Russia, and Konstantin Balmont wrote in 1905 that "Who started his reign with Khodynka, will finish it by mounting the scaffold". That prophecy came true in 1918, 13 years later.