Action of the Cruiser “Aurora”
Report of the Commissar of the Cruiser Aurora. November 7, 1917
This shipboard account describes how the cruiser Aurora was drawn into the Petrograd uprising. The newly appointed commissar overcame officer hesitation and brought the ship to readiness under Military Revolutionary Committee orders. The report demystifies Aurora's famous role: it fired blank shots on signal; live fire against the Winter Palace proved unnecessary once the palace surrendered.
Original Source: B. Elov, "Rol petrogradskogo garnizona v oktiabrskie dni (Po doneseniiam komissarov Voenno-Revoliutsionnogo Komiteta)," in Krasnaia letopis', No. 6, 1923, p. 120.
The cruiser "Aurora" had been under repairs at the Franco-Russian yards and was supposed to leave Petrograd on November 4 to try out its new machinery. But in view of the approaching Second Congress of Soviets, the Tsentrobalt issued an order postponing our departure indefinitely. The sailors of the "Aurora" were told that they would have to take an active part in the defense of the Soviet Congress, and, possibly, in an uprising. On November 6 the Military Revolutionary Committee appointed me commissar of the cruiser "Aurora." A special meeting of the sailors' committee was called in the presence of the commander and other officers. 1 briefly explained the instructions I had received, saying that I was going to execute all orders of the Military Revolutionary Committee ... regardless of the views of the commanding officers. In the evening [November 6] instructions were received from the Military Revolutionary Committee to reopen traffic on the Nikolaevskii Bridge ... It was necessary to move the ship closer to the bridge, and I gave orders to get tip steam ... and weigh anchor ...
The commander refused to pilot the ship on the pretext that the "Aurora" would not be able to move on the Neva. I gave orders to take soundings in the channel of the Neva, which showed that the cruiser could pass quite easily ...
At 3: 30 A.M. the ship cast anchor near the Nikolaevskii Bridge. We worked all day, November 7, to bring the ship in fighting order ... Toward evening we received orders from the Military Revolutionary Committee to fire a few blank shots upon receiving a signal from Peter and Paul Fortress and, if necessary, to shell [the Winter Palace] with shrapnel. There was no occasion, however, for the latter, as the Winter Palace soon surrendered ...