The Khodynka Tragedy was a mass panic that occurred on May 18, 1896 on Khodynka Field during the festivities of the crowning of Russian Tsar Nicholas II and resulted in the deaths of 1389 people. May 18 is the 138th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (139th in leap years). ... 1896 (MDCCCXCVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... The Khodynka Field (Khodynskoye Pole) is a large open space in the north-west of Moscow, at the beginning of the present day Leningrad Prospect. ... Look up Tsar in Wiktionary, the free dictionary For the US community of Czar, see Czar, West Virginia. ... Nicholas II, Emperor of Russia Nicholas II of Russia (18 May 1868 – 17 July 1918)(in Russian Николай II (Nikolai II)) was the last crowned Emperor of Russia, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Finland. ...

Khodynka Field

Main Article: Khodynka Field The Khodynka Field (Khodynskoye Pole) is a large open space in the north-west of Moscow, at the beginning of the present day Leningrad Prospect. ...

Khodynka Field (Khodynskoye Pole) is a large open space in the north-west of Moscow, at the beginning of the present day Leningrad Prospect. It takes its name from the small Khodynka River which used to cross the neighbourhood. Moscow (Russian: Москва́, Moskva, IPA: (help· info)) is the capital of Russia and the countrys principal political, economic, financial, educational and transportation center, located on the river Moskva. ...

Khodynka Tragedy

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 buffooneries, 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 17th, 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. May 13 is the 133rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (134th in leap years). ... The term Buffoon is a somewhat derogatory yet amusing term for a humourous character who provides his amusement principally through stupidity rather than talent. ... For other usages see Theatre (disambiguation) Theater (American English) or Theatre (British English and widespread usage among theatre professionals in the US) is that branch of the performing arts concerned with acting out stories in front of an audience using combinations of speech, gesture, music, dance, sound and spectacle — indeed... A Chinese buffet restaurant in the U.S. A buffet is a meal-serving system where patrons serve themselves. ... An amusingly named pub (the Old New Inn) at Bourton-on-the-Water, in the Cotswold Hills of South West England A pub in the Haymarket area of Edinburgh, Scotland A public house, usually known as a pub, is a drinking establishment found mainly in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada... Look up Tsar in Wiktionary, the free dictionary For the US community of Czar, see Czar, West Virginia. ... Two Brötchen A bread roll is a piece of bread, usually small and round. ... This page is about the food; for other uses see Sausage (disambiguation). ... Gingerbread A gingerbread house A gingerbread house Gingerbread is a sweet that can take the form of a cake or a cookie in which the predominant flavor is ginger. ... An ornamental mug A contemporary mug A mug or coffee mug is a sturdily built type of ceramic cup often used for hot beverages, such as coffee, tea, and hot chocolate. ...

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 and presents for everbody. A police force of 1800 men failed to maintain civil order, and in a catastrophic crush, and resulting panic to flee the scene, 1389 people were trampled to death and roughly 1300 were otherwise injured.

Aftermath

When they learned about the tragedy, Nicholas and Alexandra were shocked. They spent the rest of the day visiting hospitals and comforting the wounded. A festive ball was to be held that night at the French embassy in Moscow. Despite the tragedy, Nicholas attended the ball for diplomatic reasons.

In the aftermath of the tragedy, the negligence of the imperial authorities caused public indignation in Russia, and a number of minor officials were dismissed. However, many mystic writers in Russia say that Nicholas unwillingness to cancel the coronation ball predestined his death in Soviet Russia.

External links

• Nicholas II. and the Khodynka Tragedy