The revolutions of the 20th century

By the start of the 20^th century, Nizhegorodskaya province was the leading industrial power in the Volga region, with 600 factories.  Its steelworks were comparable only to those of St Petersburg, and it was one of the major shipbuilding centres of the country.  Other industries continued to flourish too.

The first general strike in Nizhny took place from 15-19 February 1905, in response to the events of Bloody Sunday in St Petersburg.  Spring and summer 1905 saw a marked increase in worker agitation.  The most important strike took place at Bogorodsk on 16-21 May.  In the autumn, the railway workers struck in October to great effect.

On the 12^th December 1905, there was an uprising in Nizhny Novgorod.  The factory workers of the city went on strike, many businesses were closed, and public transport shut down.  Not just workers, but also servants were involved in the mass action.  Rallies went on everywhere, calling for an armed uprising, and barricades were set up in the streets.  The uprising lasted for three days, after which it was suppressed by troops brought in from Moscow.