Emelyanov family

The article provides an analysis of significant aspects of the biography of Vasily Alexandrovich Emelyanov (1888–1978), a worker at the Sestroretsk Arms Factory and a member of a prominent family involved in concealing V. I. Lenin in Razliv in 1917. The authors undertake a thorough examination of his revolutionary activities, encompassing the transportation of weapons and illegal literature from Finland, participation in combat squads, and his subsequent arrests and exile. Of particular note are the events of December 1907, when V. A. Emelyanov was involved in armed clashes with the authorities. The study introduces hitherto unexplored and newly discovered sources into academic circulation, thereby facilitating a comprehensive reassessment of the social and socio-political history of Sestroretsk during the revolutionary transformations. The researchers identify contradictions in V. A. Emelyanov’s recollections of the 1917 events and compare them with archival materials. The authors emphasise the significance of an interdisciplinary approach, reflecting sociocultural changes in the local revolutionary movement. The article emphasises the necessity of further in-depth research into the biographies of labour movement participants to gain a more complete understanding of their role in the revolutionary events of the early 20th century.