Nikolai Kibalchich - Biography

Biography

In 1875 Kybalchych was arrested for lending a prohibited book to a peasant. He spent 3 years in prison before being sentenced to 2 months imprisonment.

He went on to join Narodnaya Volya, becoming their main explosives expert. In March 1881, he was charged with taking part in the assassination of Alexander II.

All through the night from February 28 to March 1, Mykolaj and his assistants - the Fleet Lieutenant Sukhnanov and Mikhail Grachvesky – worked without rest preparing the missile shells. The Peoples Will members had to be quick. Andrei Zhelyabov, who was to direct the missile throwers in an attempt on the life of the Emperor Alexander II, had been arrested on Feb 27th. If the Tsar survived the explosion, Zhelyabov was to kill him with a dagger. Zhelyabov’s arrest on the eve of the assassination attempt came as a complete surprise, although alarming rumors had appeared in February that the police were up to something. The plan was in jeopardy. There was no one to warn the Narodnaya-Volya people. Nikolai Kletochnikov, assistant to the file clerk of the Third (Security) Department, bearer of a Saint Stanislav Order, who had often warned the Narodniks about the gathering dangers, had been arrested at the end of January.

By the morning of March 1 four projectiles were ready. One of them killed Alexander II on March 1, 1881, on the embankment of the Yekaterininsky Canal in Saint Petersburg. Kybalchych was arrested on March 17.

"When his men came to see Kibalchich as his appointed counsel for the defense," said V.N Gerard in his statement to the special committee of the senate, "I was surprised above all by the fact that his mind was occupied with completely different things with no bearing on the present trial. He seems to be immersed in research on some aeronautic missile; he thirsted for a possibility to write down his mathematical calculations involved in the discovery. He wrote them down and submitted them to the authorities."

In a note written in his prison cell, Kybalchych proposed a manned jet air-navigating apparatus. He examined the design of powder rocket engine, controlling the flight by changing engines angle, the pro note is dated March 23. He produced this scientific work truly at death's door.

On March 26, General Komarov, Chief of the Gendarmery Department, informed the Police Department: "Pursuant to the request from Mykolaj Kybalchych, the son of the priest, who is accused of high treason, I have the honor to present hereby his design of an aeronautic device."

The brief written in the report said: "To be filed with the March 1 dossier and to give this to scientists for consideration now would hardly be expedient since this can only give rise to a lot of wanton talk. Kybalchych’s design was put in an envelope, sealed and filed. The inventor was told that his design would be handed over to scientists for examination.

Kybalchych awaited for their answer. The month of March was at an end, with two days left before execution. On March 31 Kybalchych wrote this solicitation address to the Minister of Interior: “By instruction of your Excellency my design of an aeronautic apparatus has been submitted for the consideration of technical committee; could your Excellency direct that I be allowed to meet with any of the committee members on the matter of this design not later than tomorrow morning or at least to receive a written answer from the experts who have examined my design, also no longer than tomorrow.

I also ask your Excellency for permission for me, before I die, to meet with all my comrades in the trial or at least with Zhelyabov and Perovskaya." All the requests were ignored.