Stephan Khalturin

Stephan Khalturin, the son of a peasant, was born in Viatka in 1857. He became a carpenter and was employed in several factories in St. Petersburg.

Khalturin became involved in revolutionary politics and joined the terrorist organization, the People's Will. In 1880 he managed to find work in the Winter Palace. Allowed to sleep on the premises, each day he brought packets of dynamite into his room and concealed it in his bedding.

On 17th February, 1880, Khalturin constructed a mine in the basement of the building under the dinning-room. The mine went off at half-past six at the time that the People's Will had calculated Alexander II would be having his dinner. However, his main guest, Prince Alexander of Battenburg, had arrived late and dinner was delayed and the dinning-room was empty. Alexander was unharmed but sixty-seven people were killed or badly wounded by the explosion.

Khalturin moved to Odessa and in March, 1882, he was captured while engaged in another assassination plot. He was executed a few days later.