Searching for Kolchak's Gold
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Sue:
Here's a news article about the search for this missing gold. I seem to recall that they were searching for it last year, too.
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Russian authorities say a mini-submarine plumbing the depths of Lake Baikal has found several shiny metal objects that could be evidence of the legendary Czarist gold lost nearly a century ago during the country's civil war.
Explorers discovered the metal objects - described as resembling gold bullion - 400 meters below Lake Baikal's surface Monday. Attempts so far, however, to pick up the objects with a mechanical arm have failed.
Explorers have long been hunting for the treasure, some 1,600 tons of gold allegedly carried by the White Army of Admiral Alexander Kolchak as it fled the advancing Red Army during the 1918-1921 civil war.
The admiral, portrayed in a 2008 Russian film of the same name, led the pro-Czarist White Army against the Bolsheviks after the October revolution of 1917.
One version of the legendary disappearance has Admiral Kolchak's troops freezing to death in temperatures of of minus-60 degrees Celsius in the winter of 1919-1920 as they fled across the lake with the treasure. Under that story line, the imperial gold sank to the bottom of the vast lake, which contains a full 20 percent of the world's fresh water, when the Spring thaw finally arrived.
Another version of the disappearance places the gold at lake bottom after the admiral's train plunged from a trestle into the lake. Some substance was added to the train scenario, when explorers found the remains of train wheels from the civil war era in an area of the lake currently being searched.
Critics of the Lake Baikal scenario include those who contend that Admiral Kolchak secretly shipped the gold to Japan during the war, in exchange for military hardware.
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hardluck:
Hello Sue
Thank you for the interesting story.
I have a fair bit of resaerch on this subject. I can show you a photograph of the actual train that was alleged to of carried the treasure across Siberia. The white army had a special legion of Czech Legion tasked to guard it.
Is was estimated that the entire Russian imperial fortune was an amazing 2000 million. That seems like a mind boggling amount of gold. But if you resaerch into the history of Russia you will begin to understand that Russia was a very wealthy country. The problem was the country was badly run as ultimate monarchy with no democracy.
The Tsar had ultimate power and wealth beyond all imagination where the every day people lived in utmost poverty by inept mismanagement and total lack of emotion or understanding of the needs of his country. The Russian Royal family were so super rich they were totally ignorant of plight of their own people. And it was because of this it led to their undoing and start of the civil war.
As the civil war between the Reds communists and the white loyalist armies got more intense European countries sent volunteers in support of the white army. But as the white armies cause began to fall apart.European began to court the Bolshevick government.
The white Army in seeing their cause was lost especially after the execution of the captured Tsar Nicholas II and his family by the Bolshevick red army in Ekaterinburg. The White army Split up the national treasure in what would be called one of the greatest acts of looting since the fall of the Inca empire in 1534.
Much treasure fell into private hands and into the hands of the Red Army. But much even fled outside the country. It was about 500 million of treasure ended up with Kolchack in which most was either buried along the trans Siberian rail line, thrown into lake Baikal or went with the remaining fleeing white army east to Valdivostock.
The White Army to the south under General Denikin fled with 100 million dollars worth of treasure. Allegedly buried in Bulgaria somewhere.
Many other treasures filtered out of country ending up in other countries. Much of the imperial crown jewels had vanished. However Some items have eventually have turned up. Others have have never been seen since the 1919 revolution.
Once such Item was a large diamond that was stolen from a sacred temple statute in India by a Frenchman who sold it to a Sea captain who sold it to a Jewish gem Dealer who sold to Russian crown Prince Olaf only to have it looted in the Russian revolution and eventually sold to the Shah of Iran.
It was the Shah who had the Arabia words inscribed on this wonderful gem " God is great" But apparently even this complement help the shah as he was ousted from power around 1978 and fled to the united States where the shah dying with most of his fortune gone sold the fabulous gem to the largest diamond dealers in the world the De Beers group.
Like the Hope diamond, Maximilien's Jewels these stones seem to be desired by the ultra wealthy only to be cursed by them.
Some thing to remember the next time I am plucking a jewel from some temple idol. ;D
Hardluck ;)
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Sue:
Interesting about the idol diamond. Brrr, that old train picture is cold, but neat looking. I google'd some old news stories about that treasure. That lake seems large & deep, plus it could be just a lake not a trove at all. There's so much history I need to brush up on - enjoyed the mini lesson.
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unoturbo:
Lake Baikal is deepest lake in the world! It is ~1,6 km (1 mile) deep.
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Sue:
I looked up Lake Baikal. Not only is it the deepest lake, it's one of the clearest & it's the world's oldest at more than 25 million years. Plus it's 1/5 of the entire earth's surface of fresh water. Scenic, too. Folks there are fortunate to have it.
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hardluck:
Hello All
Sue I agree it is one of Russia's great secrets.
Here is another story associated with the missing treasury that ended in court in Paris. And map of area of occupation between the white and red forces during the civil war.
Hardluck
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Sue:
Interesting article - sure no guarantees when it comes to t hunting. Almost silly to think it could have been under his home - just my opinion, tho. Read an article online that suggests that the Japanese got the gold. More I read, the less I believe it's in the lake.
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hardluck:
Hello All
It must be remember the gold and treasure from the collapsed imperial Russian government was looted by various parties. The Red Army, White army loyalists and various other groups and individuals.
Parts of the treasure ended up scattered across the world. The incident involving the Japanese is another treasure story based on an earlier war between Russian with Japan in 1905 often mistaken as a treasure relating to the Russian civil war and the breaking up of the Russian imperial treasure.
There is a story of an alleged survivor a man called Slava Bogdanov who was one of the Czech legion. He claimed he returned to the site where he had buried treasure removed with an American accomplice 325 pounds of gold Bullion in 1959. He was killed by frontier guards trying to flee Russia with Gold. Slava is the Soldier on the right of photograph.
The identity of this mysterious American treasure hunter has never been verified or what fate befell the man in the hands of the Russians. It seems unbelievable that there was an American citizen treasure hunting behind the Iron curtain during Starlin's reign of Terror in the height of the Cold war?
Another part of the Treasury 17 tons of gold may had ended up in the United States as part payment for arms and ammunition to a private company in New York. There has been inconsistent reports on the fate of the Bullion.
One thing is for certain much was recovered by the soviets after the civil war but much was looted by individual parties fleeing Russia. And some treasures are still hidden to this day.
The most promising location for treasure relating to the imperial Russian treasure is related to the White Russian General Denikin who was cut off to the south from the rest of the white Army. It is believed that over 100 million in gold lies buried in Bulgaria in 4 separate caches. in 1973 a man called Nicolas Svidine claimed there was gold coins 450 pounds of Platinum, baskets of uncut gems and documents with information that may lead to the where about of general Koslchacks gold.
However the Bulgarian Government has actively prevented any organized searches for this treasure and until that policy change we may never know if there is any truth to the story.
Hardluck
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