Translation: Scott Zenkatsu Parker
Transcription: Mary Huey
HTML-markup: Jonas Holmgren
No 1
March 3rd, 1921, battleship PETROPAVLOVSK
The Provisional Revolutionary Committee of the Town of Kronstadt orders all organizations in the town and fortress to strictly carry out all decrees of the Committee. All heads of organizations and their workers are to remain in their places and continue work.
No 2
March 3rd, 1921, battleship PETROPAVLOVSK
The Provisional Revolutionary Committee of the Town of Kronstadt forbids leaving the town. In exceptional cases, apply to the Commander of the Town. The Department of Fleet Staff Registration in Kronstadt is instructed to halt any and all leaves.
No 3
March 3rd, 1921
The Provisional Revolutionary Committee forbids any and all arbitrary searches in the town, and brings to the general attention that certificates for the right of search are issued with the signature of the President and Secretary of the Provisional Revolutionary Committee, and are invalid without the seal of the battleship Petropavlovsk. It is ordered that during searches of organizations, of whatever party, nothing is to be removed, nor stolen. All must be preserved entire, as the people's property.
No 4.
March 3rd, 1921, battleship PETROPAVLOVSK
The Provisional Revolutionary Committee of the Town of Kronstadt, in view of the the events currently being endured, forewarns all citizens, seamen, and soldiers that, after 11 P.M., any and all movement about the town is absolutely forbidden without special documents issued by the Prov. Rev. Com.
PETRICHENKO, President of the Provisional Revolutionary Committee
KILGAST, for the Secretary
The Provisional Revolutionary Committee considers it necessary to refute all rumors that the arrested Communists are threatened with violence. The arrested Communists are located in complete security.
Many of them were arrested, and a part then released. A member of the Communist Party will take part in the commission for investigation of the reasons for the Communists' arrest. To Comrades Ilyin, Kabanov and Pervushin, who appeared before the Revolutionary Committee, was given the right to see those located under arrest on the Petropavlovsk, and they, with their signatures, personally affirm that declared above.
Ilyin, Kabanov, Pervushin.
Certified true:
N. ARKHIPOV, authorized member of the Prov. Rev. Com.
P. BOGDANOV, for the Secretary
Finally, the Communists themselves have admitted that it is necessary to restructure life, and that it does not follow to hold power by force which falls from your hands by the will of the laboring masses. Evidence of this is the appeal of the Provisional Bureau of the Kronstadt Organization of the R.C.P., printed below.
PETRICHENKO, President of the Rev. Com.
Comrade Communists, working in all Soviet departments, trade organizations, and factory committees, all economic organs, and also in the military units of the garrison, the PROVISIONAL BUREAU OF THE R.C.P. addresses you with a comradely appeal and urgent call of the following substance:
The moment currently being endured demands of us special caution, restraint and tact. Our party has not betrayed, and is not betraying, the working class, in the defense of which it has stood for many years. The historic course of political events requires us, in the interests of all laborers, to be at our places, and to carry on our daily work without any stoppages. We must remember that the smallest weakening or break in work, in any section of our economic life, brings about worse living conditions for the working class and peasantry.
May every comrade of our party be imbued with an understanding of the moment being endured. Do not believe the absurd rumors that Communist leaders are supposedly being shot, and that Communists are preparing for armed action in Kronstadt. They are spread by a clearly provocative element, which wishes to provoke bloodshed. These are lies and absurdities, and it is on such as these that the agents of the Entente, working to achieve the overthrow of Soviet power, wish to play.
We openly declare that our party, with weapon in hand, has and will defend all the achievements of the working class against the open and secret White Guards who wish the destruction of the Soviet power of workers and peasants.
The Provisional Bureau of the R.C.P recognizes new elections to the Soviet as necessary, and calls on all members of the R.C.P to take part in these new elections.
The Provisional Bureau of the R.C.P. calls on all members of the party to be at their places, and not to cause any obstruction to the measures being carried out by the Provisional Revolutionary Committee. Restraint, discipline, calm and unity are the price of victory for the workers and peasants of the entire world against all the secret and open plots of the Entente.
Long live Soviet power!
Long live the Worldwide Union of Laborers!
Provisional Bureau of the Kronst. Organ. of the R.C.P.
IA. ILYIN, F. PERVUSHIN, A. KABANOV
Kronstadt is now enduring a moment of tense struggle for freedom. An attack by the Communists can be expected any minute, with the goal of seizing Kronstadt, and again fastening us to their authority, which brings us only to hunger, cold and ruin. We all, to the last man, will staunchly defend the freedom achieved by us. We shall not allow them to seize Kronstadt, and if they should attempt to do so by force of arms, we will give them a worthy repulse.
Therefore, the Provisional Revolutionary Committee forewarns citizens not to give in to panic and fear if it becomes necessary to hear shooting. Only calm and restraint will give us victory.
THE PROVISIONAL REVOLUTIONARY COMMITTEE
We print the following, broadcast on Rosta from Moscow, full of blatant lies and deceptions by the Communist Party, which calls itself the Soviet Government. The broadcast was picked up by the radio station on the Petropavlovsk.
Several sections weren't picked up, as another station interfered. This broadcast does not require commentary. The laborers of Kronstadt will understand its provocative nature.
Broadcast. To all, To all, To all.
radio messenger Rosta Moscow, March 3rd.
"To Battle With White Guard Conspiracy."
That the mutiny by former General Kozlovsky and the ship Petropavlovsk was prepared by the spies of the Entente, like so many earlier White Guard rebellions, is visible from the report of the bourgeois French newspaper Matin, which two weeks before the mutiny printed a telegram from Helsingfors of the following substance.
"Of Petrograd they report that as a result of a recent revolt in Kronstadt, Bolshevik military authorities have taken a whole set of measures to isolate Kronstadt, and to forbid the soldiers and sailors of the Kronstadt garrison access to Petrograd. Supply of provisions to Kronstadt is forbidden in the future, until special decree. It is clear that the mutiny in Kronstadt was directed by Paris... and that French counterintelligence is mixed up here."
The same old story is repeated. The SR's, led from Paris, prepared the soil for a rebellion against Soviet Power, and just when they'd gotten it ready, the real boss, a tsarist general, appeared from cover behind their backs. The story of Kolchak, establishing his power in exchange for that of the SR's, is now repeated. All enemies of the laborers, from tsarist generals to SR's inclusive, try to speculate on hunger and cold. Of course, this general/SR revolt will be put down very quickly, and General Kozlovsky and his associates risk the fate of Kolchak.
But the Entente's spy net is undoubtably spread not only in Kronstadt alone. Workers and soldiers, tear apart that net, and fish out informers and provocateurs! Composure, restraint, vigilance and unity are needed. Remember that we will leave these temporary, if difficult, food and heating problems with tight, comradely labor, and not by the path of insane exhibitions which can only increase the hunger still more, and play into the hands of the damned enemies of laborers.
radio station Moskva
Today salted butter is issued from the meat stores: for letter A, 3/4 lb. and letter B, 1/2 lb. for produce coupon No 2. Table butter for children of series A, 1 pound for produce coupon No 3, series B, 1/2 lb. for produce coupon No 3, and series C, 1/2 lb. for produce coupon No 2.
Salt is issued from all stores to adults for produce coupon No 3, to children of series B for produce coupon No 4 and series C for produce coupon No 3, at 1 lb. for all.
Coffee: to boarders and non-boarders for bread coupon No 5, to children of series B for bread coupon No 53 and series C for bread coupon No 5, at 1/4 lb. for all.
2 boxes of matches are issued from all stores, by adult cards for bread coupon No 6, the same for boarders and non-boarders.
1 pound of dried potatoes is issued to children of series B for produce coupon No 6 and series C for produce coupon No 5.
Today 1/2 pound of first grade tobacco is issued from the writing paper store (formerly of Rakovskaya) and the store (formerly of Molchanov) by registered tobacco cards, with the cutting of coupon No 4.
The responsible clerks in the stores are instructed to cut control coupon No 1 on the tobacco cards.
Today kerosine is issued by cards up to No 7000.
In accordance with People's Commisariat of Social Security circular No 2495 of September 8th, 1920, the Administration of Gorkommuna instructs Uchkoms [District Election Committees] and Building Representatives, on their own responsibility, not later than March 5th to take "Red Star" cards from childless wives of soldiers and sailors who are occupied with work and service in organizations and who therefore receive produce card letter A-reserved.
Fruit drops are issued by children's cafeteria cards of series C for bread coupon No 54 from the same stores as to non-boarders, and in the same quantity.
CHASNOV, Member of the Administration for Distribution
The order of bread issue for the month of March is announced:
| March 3rd | for the 3rd | and 4th | by coupon No 30 (I.X.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 5 | 6 | 29 |
| 7 | 7 | 8 | 28 |
| 9 | 9 | 10 | 27 |
| 11 | 11 | — | 26 |
| 11 | 12 | 13 | 25 |
| 14 | 14 | 15 | 24 |
| 16 | 16 | 17 | 23 |
| 17 | 18 | 19 | 22 |
| 19 | 20 | 21 | 21 |
| 22 | 22 | 23 | 20 |
| 24 | 24 | 25 | 19 |
| 26 | 26 | 27 | 18 |
| 28 | 28 | 29 | 17 |
| 30 | 30 | 31 | 16 |
For the convenience of citizens, bread will be delivered the evening before issuance, but citizens are instructed to take the bread on the announced days.
Issuance of remaining products will be announced specially.
All military units, workers' associations and organizations may receive 'Izvestiia of the Provisional Revolutionary Committee' and pamphlets at Sevtsentropechat [North Central Publishing], in accordance with the set norm.
[1] Gorkommuna [Town Commune] and Gorprodkom [Town Produce Committee] were official organizations which supplied Kronstadt with produce (Avrich, p. 128).