Fanya Baron facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Fanya Baron
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| פאַניאַ באַראָן | |
Baron in pre-revolutionary Russia
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| Born |
Freida Anisimovna Greck
1887 Vilnius, Russian Empire (now Lithuania)
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| Died | 30 September 1921 (aged 33–34) Moscow, Russian Soviet Republic (now Russia)
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| Cause of death | Execution by shooting |
| Years active | 1915–1921 |
| Organization | Nabat |
| Movement | Anarchism |
| Criminal charge(s) | Anti-Soviet agitation |
| Criminal penalty | Capital punishment |
| Spouse(s) | Aron Baron |
| Children | 1 |
Fanya Anisimovna Baron (born 1887 – died September 30, 1921) was a Russian Jewish woman who believed in anarchism. Anarchists are people who think that society should not have a government or rulers. Fanya was a revolutionary, meaning she wanted big changes in how her country was run.
She spent her younger years in Chicago, USA, working to help factory workers. After the Russian Revolution in 1917, she moved to Ukraine. There, she joined a group called the Makhnovshchina, which was also fighting for change. Because of her anarchist activities, she was arrested and later killed by a secret police force called the Cheka.
Contents
Fanya Baron's Life Story
Early Life in the United States
Fanya was born in 1887 with the name Freida Anisimovna Greck. Her family moved from the Russian Empire to the United States when she was young. In the US, they changed their last name to "Grefenson."
In Chicago, Fanya met and started a relationship with Aron Baron, who was also an anarchist from Russia. Together, they became involved in the local workers' movement. This movement was led by a group called the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW).
Fanya spent much of her time and money sharing anarchist ideas in the factory where she worked. On January 17, 1915, during a workers' protest, police hurt Fanya and arrested her. But a famous American activist named Jane Addams helped her get out of jail.
Returning to Europe
When the February Revolution started in Russia, Fanya and Aron Baron decided to return home. They moved to Kyiv, a city in Ukraine. There, they continued to work with local factory workers.
After another big event, the October Revolution, the couple moved to Kharkiv. In Kharkiv, they helped create a group called the Nabat. This was a large group of anarchists from Ukraine.
Fanya was very concerned about how anarchists were being treated unfairly by the government. She traveled all over Ukraine to help organize workers and farmers. She also helped prisoners and spread the ideas of the Nabat group. Fanya attended every meeting and conference of the Nabat, even when they had to meet in secret.
The Nabat group later joined the Makhnovshchina, a movement led by Nestor Makhno. This group had its own army, called the Revolutionary Insurgent Army of Ukraine. After a major battle in November 1920, the government turned against its anarchist allies. They launched surprise attacks on them.
On November 25, 1920, many Nabat members, including Aron and Fanya Baron, were arrested in Kharkiv. They were then sent to prisons in Russia. While in prison, Fanya was treated very badly by the guards.
A Daring Prison Escape
On July 10, 1921, Fanya took part in a prison break. This escape was planned by a group called the Underground Anarchists. She successfully got out of Ryazan prison and went to Moscow.
In Moscow, she lived on the streets for a while until she was found by two well-known anarchists, Emma Goldman and Alexander Berkman. They helped Fanya find a safe place to stay with her brother-in-law, Semion Baron. Semion was a member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.
Fanya told Semion that she planned to help her husband, Aron, escape from prison. Semion promised to help her. Alexander Berkman said that Fanya was very hopeful as they prepared for the escape. However, on August 17, 1921, before she could carry out her plan, Fanya was found and arrested again by the Cheka.
She was sent to Taganka prison, where her husband Aron and many other anarchists were held. At this time, a big international meeting was happening in Moscow. To get attention for their situation, the anarchists in Taganka prison started a hunger strike. Fanya joined them.
Unfair Treatment and Her Death
Even though people protested to the government, the authorities kept denying that they were treating anarchists unfairly. Leon Trotsky, a powerful leader, even said, "We do not imprison the real anarchists, but criminals and bandits who cover themselves by claiming to be anarchists."
However, pressure from people inside and outside the country forced the government to change its mind. The leader, Lenin, ordered that anarchist political prisoners be released, but only if they left the country. On September 17, 1921, most of the anarchist prisoners were set free and planned to leave Russia. But Fanya Baron and Lev Chernyi were kept in prison.
Fanya Baron was accused of serious wrongdoings by the government. A Russian anarchist historian named Volin said that the accusations against Fanya and Chernyi were false. He claimed that government agents had actually committed the alleged acts.
On the night of September 29–30, 1921, Fanya Baron was killed by the Cheka. According to Emma Goldman, Fanya fought against her fate until the very end. She had to be carried by Cheka officers to the place where she was killed. Emma Goldman tried to protest Fanya's death, but her friends convinced her not to. Emma eventually left Russia, feeling very disappointed with the Russian Revolution. Aron Baron, Fanya's husband, was also killed many years later during a time called the Great Purge.
Over the years, Fanya Baron's death became a symbol for Russian anarchists who were unfairly treated by the Soviet government. Many years after she died, a bookstore in Sydney, Australia, called Jura Books, named its library after Fanya Baron.
See also
- Peter Arshinov
- Okhrana
