Nikolai
Kibalchich, the son of a parish priest, was born in Chernigov in 1850.
He studied at the Petersburg Engineering College and began experiments
into jet propulsion.
In
1875 Kibalchich was arrested for lending a prohibited book to a peasant.
He spent three years in prison before being tried and sentenced to
two months' imprisonment.
Kibalchich
joined the the
People's Will and became the party's main
explosives expert. In March, 1881, he was arrested and charged with
taking part in the assassination of Alexander
II. Others involved in the plot included Gesia
Gelfman, Nikolai Sablin, Ignatei
Grinevitski, Andrei Zhelyabov,
Nikolai Rysakov and Timofei
Mikhailov.
Ignatei
Grinevitski was killed during the assassination, whereas Nikolai
Sablin committed suicide before he could be arrested. Nikolai
Kibalchich,
Sophia Perovskaya, Andrei
Zhelyabov, Nikolai Rysakov and Timofei
Mikhailov were hanged on 3rd April, 1881.
Andrei
Zhelyabov, Sophia
Perovskaya, Nikolai
Kibalchich, Timofei Mikhailov
and Nikolai Rysakov being executed
on 3rd April, 1881.
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