Eugen Schauman
Eugen Waldemar Schauman | |
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Евгений Владимирович Шауман | |
Born | May 10 [O.S. April 28] 1875 |
Died | 16 June [O.S. 3] 1904 (aged 29) Helsinki, Grand Duchy of Finland, Russian Empire |
Cause of death | Suicide by gunshot |
Resting place | Näsinmäki Graveyard, Porvoo |
Nationality | Finland (Russian Empire) |
Occupation | Civil servant |
Known for | The assassination of the Governor-General of Finland, Nikolay Bobrikov |
Relatives | Waldemar Schauman, father Sigrid Schauman, sister |
Eugen Waldemar Schauman (
Early life and family
Eugen Schauman was born in Kharkov, Russia (now Kharkiv, Ukraine) to Swedish-speaking Finnish parents. His mother was Elin Maria Schauman, and his father was Fredrik Waldemar Schauman, a general-lieutenant in the Imperial Russian army, who also served as a privy councillor and senator in the Finnish government. His brother Rafael was born in 1873, and his sister Sigrid in 1877.[1] The family moved often due to Waldemar's work with the government.[1]
As a young child, he was inspired by his mother's reading of
Schauman attended secondary school in Helsinki, Finland while the rest of the family was living in Poland. He had poor hearing, however, and this had an effect on his studies.[2] Nonetheless, Schauman matriculated at the Nya Svenska Läroverket in 1895; graduated from the University of Helsinki with an upper degree in government studies in 1899; and began his career as a clerk in the senate in 1901. He was a temporary employee working as an assistant to the school governing board. The job became permanent in 1903.[4][2][5] In addition to his job at the senate, Schauman arranged for a series of marksmanship courses aimed at local students in Helsinki. These courses later became a part of the White Guards training.[citation needed]
Political activism
Language manifesto
Schauman observed and experienced the formalization of the controversial Russification of Finland policy firsthand with the February 1899 decree of the February Manifesto. His father, Waldemar Schauman, resigned as senator in the summer 1900 as a protest against the manifesto, that had made the Russian language a compulsory subject in all Finnish schools. At first Schauman acted against the oppression like the other students: joining protests at the Runeberg statue; spreading leaflets calling for the will to battle and hatred towards the Russians; and gathering names for the Great Petition in Uusimaa.[6]
Shooting practice
Gradually Schauman, like other students and activists, started to move from passive resistance to active resistance. He organised shipments of weapons from abroad by shipping American rifles to Finland with the help of the Finnish Hunting Association, which were then distributed to students. In addition to this, he organised shooting clubs around the Helsinki area that taught marksmanship to students and other youths. Soon Schauman and other activists started planning an armed revolution.
Draft riot
Schauman became personally involved with Russian authorities during the riots in Helsinki connected to the draft strikes on 18 April 1902. Thousands of Finns participated in demonstrations at Senate Square angered by the draft conducted at the Russian Guard barracks. The governor of the Uusimaa Province, Mikhail Kaigorodov, had sent the Cossacks to end the demonstrations. Schauman was returning from work to his home on Koulukatu, but went to see what was happening on the square. A group of a few Cossacks intercepted him on Hallituskatu, pushed him against a wall, and started to whip him on the head. When one of the Cossacks went for his sabre, Schauman took his knife and stabbed at his chest. The blade of the knife twisted when it hit a metal part of the Cossack's uniform. The Cossack was, however, thrown off his horse and Schauman escaped to the stairway of the chemistry building of the university. According to a witness, he was "...shaking with anger...".[7]: 189–191
Kagal
After the Cossack riots, Bobrikov became convinced that Finland was undergoing a kramola (or "secret rebellion"). The
Assassination
The possible assassination of Bobrikov was a topical question among the Finnish activists of the time. Other activist groups are known to have made assassination plans, but Schauman convinced them to give him two weeks before they would intervene.[1] When Bobrikov came to the Senate house on 16 June, Schauman shot him three times—and then himself twice in the chest—using an FN Browning M1900 pistol.[8] Schauman died instantly. Two of the bullets that hit Bobrikov ricocheted off his military decorations, but the third bounced back from his buckle and caused severe damage to his stomach. Bobrikov did not die immediately but was taken to the Helsinki Surgical Hospital. Surgeon Richard Faltin worked to save his life, but Bobrikov died the following day at 1:10 a.m.[9][1][10]
Aftermath
Schauman's body was taken to an unmarked grave in the
Schauman's legacy
Schauman left a letter in which he stated that he justified his actions as a punishment for Bobrikov's crimes against the people of Finland. He addressed the letter to the
Schauman became something of an icon for the resistance to Imperial Russia, and many Finns still consider him a hero. His fame can be characterized by his ranking as the 34th greatest Finn of all time in the 2004
Historical perspective
The importance of Schauman in history divides opinions.
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Schauman with his hunting dog Lucas, who was a gift from the family of agrarian official Georg Borgström; this photograph is one of the last ones taken of Schauman.[5]
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The Memorial of Eugen Schauman in the Malmi cemetery
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The grave of Eugen Schauman in the Porvoo cemetery
Notes
References
- ^ a b c d Niinistö, Jussi (11 October 2000). "Schauman, Eugen (1875 – 1904)". Kansallisbiografia. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
- ^ a b c Jussi Niinistö: Suomalaisia vapaustaistelijoita, pp. 13–18. Nimox Ky, Helsinki 2003.
- ^ Schauman, Fredrik Waldemar, Suomalaiset kenraalit ja amiraalit Venäjän sotavoimissa 1809–1917. Biography centre, Finnish Literature Society.
- ^ Eugen Schauman. Ylioppilasmatrikkeli 1853–1899; online publication of the University of Helsinki.
- ^ a b Seppo Zetterberg: Kuka oli Eugen Schauman?, pp. 96–97, in Osmo Apunen: Itsenäisen Suomen historia 1: Rajamaasta tasavallaksi. Weilin+Göös 1991.
- ^ a b c Risto Niku: Ministeri Ritavuoren murha, pp. 30–42. Edita, Helsinki 2004.
- ISBN 951-1-09266-9
- ^ Gunwriters' Handloading Subsonic Cartridges, Part 2, P.T. Kekkonen, 1999. Accessed on 12 May 2011.
- ^ Järvenpää, Eeva (17 March 2007). "Lahjakas kirurgi yritti pelastaa Bobrikovin". Helsingin Sanomat. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
- ^ "KORJAUS: Uutinen Suomen kenraalikuvernöörin ampumisesta levisi nopeasti aina Honolulua myöten". Keskisuomalainen. 19 October 2019. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
- ^ "Schaumanin kirje". Helsinki. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
- ^ "Other orchestral works / In Memoriam". Jean Sibelius. Finnish Club of Helsinki. Retrieved 2017-12-07.
- ^ Toivonen, Hannu (September 20, 2015). "Eugen Schauman: Sankari vai terroristi? Mikä Olli Immosen idoli oli miehiään?". Seura (in Finnish). Retrieved March 2, 2021.
- ^ "Oliko Eugen Schauman Terroristi?" [Was Eugen Schauman a Terrorist?]. Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). June 16, 2004. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
- ^ "Bobrikovin murha kuohutti Suomea sata vuotta sitten" [Bobrikov's murder shook Finland a hundred years ago.]. Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). June 15, 2004.
- ^ Ruotuväki 8/2006[permanent dead link], Joonas Nordman: "Pahat pojat ja tytöt". (in Finnish)
External links
- Media related to Eugen Schauman at Wikimedia Commons
- Centennial article about the assassination in Helsingin Sanomat international edition, 15 June 2004