Death barge

Death barges (Russian: Ба́ржи сме́рти) were floating prisons used by both sides during the Russian Civil War in 1918-1919, primarily in the Volga basin. They were primarily used to keep potential political enemies imprisoned, rather than as an execution tool. In case of a quickly advancing hostile army, they could be quickly dragged away, or sunk in a fairway, thus both liquidating enemy sympathizers and hampering the enemy's navy navigation.

The first usage of death barges was recorded in Yaroslavl during the Eser Revolt in 1918.^[1] It is also known, that one death barge with Soviet sympathizers was hijacked by towboat under Fedor Raskolnikov.^[2]

References

1. ^ (Russian) Ярославский мятеж
2. ^ (Russian) [1]