Fifth Squad Cadets of the Tenth Accelerated Wartime Graduation, Pavlovsk Military School, 1916

Abstract

The turbulent first decades of the XX century resulted in the fact that modern Russians know very little about their ancestors, their social status, occupation, education, etc. Sometimes the only source for numerous genealogical questions can be obtained from unidentified and undated faded photographs. The author made an attempt to identify the Pavlovsk Military School cadets of the Fifth Squad, graduates of the Tenth Accelerated Wartime Course, by their graduation photo made in 1916. The Pavlovsk Military School was one of the most prestigious military education institutions in the Russian Empire. The article contains biographical information and images of cadets whose personality the author managed to identify. Most of them chose the military path guided by the realities of the Great War. These people became witnesses and participants of revolutions, wars, emigration, repressions, and World War II. The research relied on federal and regional archives. The identity of the cadets was confirmed by archival photographs. This research proved that students’ files can be an important historical source. The publication may help to find the descendants of the cadets, as well as to attract the attention of scholars and local historians, and encourage active citizens to provide additional information about their personalities.