Fresh Out the Slammer: Baikal Insurrection, 1866

The vast region of Siberia is known for its harsh winters and dangerously low temperatures, but when it came to June of 1866, the (rebellious) climate was anything but frozen. Just three years earlier in the Russian-controlled Kingdom of Poland, Polish youth became disgruntled at how the Russian Empire was treating them and their fellow Poles. This led to a dramatic start to the January Uprising. Fearing the loss of control, Tsar Alexander II quickly put an end to the Uprising and, as punishment, relocated thousands of Poles who were even slightly associated with the rebellion to a region in Siberia around Lake Baikal. Even as the weather became colder, the flame for a free Poland was never snuffed out in the hearts of the exiled Poles, and their anger against the Russians grew stronger. Through secret means of communication and a common ground for freedom, the prisoners formed the Siberian Legion of Free Poles, and during the crack in the Siberian winter, launched the Baikal Insurrection. Initially gaining ground, the prisoners briefly escaped, but due to betrayals and a lack of resources, their efforts quickly fell apart, only a mere four days later. However, how else could this second uprising have played out? That is now up to you. As a member of the Baikal Insurrection, you will have to work with your Polish compatriots to build resources and friendships, establish legitimacy, discover those who have motives against the cause for freedom, and determine the future of the Insurgency. As the rebels once called out, FIGHT FOR OUR FREEDOM AND YOURS! ZA NASZĄ I WASZĄ WOLNOŚĆ!