Assassination of Yuri IV

The 10th Emperor of Laiatan, Yuri IV, was shot and killed on July 8, 1887 inside the Imperial Jewel House on the grounds of the Imperial Exposition in Volkgoroda, Elita. Kamenev was shot while shaking hands with the public by Lieutenant Vadim Bobrik of the Imperial Laiatanese Army, a human separatist. The Emperor died at 4:14 pm LST from his wounds.

Kamenev had taken power after the death of his father in 1841. Kamenev loved the public and meeting with them, even before he was crowned emperor. He implemented and continued to implement massive social reform that his father undertook before his death. Unfortunately, humans were still considered to be second class citizens with the idea that Laiatan was (and is still considered) to be a lupine state. Human separatism was on the rise during this time, showing how the years of abuse had angered the human population.

Bobrik was a lieutenant in the Imperial Laiatanese Army, part of one of the two human divisions the Army had at the time. Off duty, Bobrik went and attended the Imperial Exposition armed with his government issued revolver. Kamenev was meeting with and speaking with citizens from all over the country in the Imperial Jewel House, dedicated to showing off the Royal Jewels. As Bobrik reached the front of the line, Kamenev extended a handshake to Bobrik which was reciprocated. He pulled Kamenev in close, which prompted a response from Kamenev's body guard, but Bobrik was able to fire three rounds into Kamenev's abdomen. Bobrik was apprehended and hauled away from the scene. Kamenev succumbed to his wounds during an emergency operation.

Kamenev's assassination was part of a larger plot planned by separatist elements within the Imperial Laiatanese Military, all of which came from human divisions and sections of the military. Also targeted was Prime Minister Aleksy Zukov, Interior Minister Isaak Yefremov, Defense Minister Fedya Kolontayev, and State Minister Danil Pishchalnikov. Three of the four were wounded and survived the attempts on their lives. A policeman was also shot but ultimately survived. These attacks were conducted by Bobrik's three co-conspirators: Arkadiy Inozemtsev, Nazar Nezhdanov, and Pavel Siyankovsky.

Background

The Laiatanese Empire during 1887 was extremely prosperous thanks to the many social and economic reforms undertaken by Emperor Yuri IV in continuance of his father's policies that were being enacted at the time of his death in 1841. These rights were not extended to the small human population simply due to the fact Laiatan was viewed as a lupine state, and thus humans had no right to decide how the lupine state was governed. Kamenev continued to hold this belief as well simply because the majority of the population did, though he reportedly told a military commander he "respects the hell out of those humans that do choose to fight for us."

Human separatism, the idea that the humans of Laiatan should create their own state and leave the Empire, was a growing ideology during Kamenev's rule. It was left unchecked and eventually grew into a powerful ideology among the human population during the 1880s. Imperial military reports put the percentage of humans that subscribed to the ideology was roughly seventy-six percent.

Vadim Bobrik, Arkadiy Inozemtsev, Nazar Nezhdanov, and Pavel Siyankovsky were all soldiers in the Imperial Laiatanese Army; Bobrik and Nezhdanov were officers of their all-human division. The four human men were believed to be subscribers to the human separatism ideology, but were left alone due to lack of proof.

The Imperial Exposition was an annual event started by Kamanev's grandfather in 1800 to showcase the power of the Empire to the people and allow them to meet with high ranking members of the Imperial government to voice opinions or just to meet them. Kamenev's grandfather attended every one, as did his father. Kamenev attended all of them as well, even as Imperavich, which gave the assassins a solid idea for a time to strike.

Shooting and death of Kamenev

At the Imperial Jewel House

The Imperial Jewel House was an exhibit that was showcased every year at the Imperial Exposition, and housed the Imperial Jewels that were owned by the Kamenev family. The Imperial Crown was almost always on display during the duration of the exhibit, and was considered to be the main showpiece of the House. Exposition organizers chose the location of the Imperial Jewel House to host the public reception for Emperor Kamenev because of its large auditorium, central location in the Exposition, and had doorways on each of its four sides. Floor seating was removed in order to create an aisle for the public to approach Kamenev from the west doors. Once members of the public shook hands with Kamenev, they would continue on to exit the building. A Laiatanese Empire flag hung on the wall behind Kamenev as decoration, and potted plants were placed strategically to create an attractive scene.

Considerable arrangements had been made for the Emperor's protection. Volkgoroda Police were stationed at all the doors while officers in full dress uniform of the Imperial Laiatanese military guarded the aisle. Kamenev's bodyguard, Captain Nikita Tkachenko of the Imperial Laiatanese Army, was at his side like usual. At this time, the military was in charge of defending the Imperator and his family. The officers watching the aisle were given instructions to close in on anyone who seemed suspicious.

Throughout the afternoon crowds had filled the floor outside the blocked-off aisle, and the galleries as well, wanting to see the Emperor, even if they could not greet him. Kamenev arrived on schedule, glanced at the arrangements, and walked to his place. The pipe organ began playing the "Hymn to the Laiatanese Empire" as the doors were opened by the police in order to let in the public. A master statesmen, he could shake roughly forty hands per minute and helped guide people to the exit in one motion after shaking their hands. After twenty minutes, the doors were shut. The reception continued, the organ playing patriotic songs. Tkachenko looked suspiciously upon a tall, restless looking man that approached the Emperor. He breathed a sigh of relief when the man shook the Emperor's hand and continued on without incident. The usual rule that those who approached the Emperor must do so with their hands open and empty was not being enforced, probably because of how hot the day was, as several people were using handkerchiefs to wipe their brows. The man who followed the tall man had his right hand wrapped in a handkerchief, as if it was injured. Seeing this, Kamenev reached for the man's left hand. The two shook hands, and Bobrik pulled Kamenev in close and shot him three times in the abdomen with a .45 Krieger revolver concealed under the handkerchief at 3:58 pm.

Bobrik prepared to take a fourth shot but was hit from behind by one of the army officers. The rest of the officers moved in and began beating the assassin before dragging him out of the Imperial Jewel House. Kamenev was taken away by other officers to a nearby hospital.

Operation

Emperor Kamenev was taken to the nearby Exposition hospital within minutes of being shot, at 4:04 pm. The Exposition hospital typically only dealt minor ailments dealing with the fairgoers, there was an operating theater built just in case. At the time of the shooting, a doctor was on hand with a full medical staff. Svetlana Yerov, the doctor at the hospital at the time of the shooting, was a relatively inexperienced surgeon. Regardless, she was the only one on hand and they immediately wheeled Kamenev into the already prepared operating room. Kamenev received morphine to ease his pain, and was given ether as an anesthetic as he murmured prayers.

Kamenev was rolled into the operating room by 4:05 pm, and Yerov immediately began operating. She was able to remove two of the bullets rather quickly, but it was soon discovered the third one had exited his body. Kamenev continued to bleed profusely as the bullets had ripped through his lower intestine, and Yerov and her medical staff tried to stop the bleeding as best they could. By 4:09 pm, it was obvious Kamenev would not survive his encounter with Bobrik. Kamenev was given a final shot of morphine, and a preacher was brought in from the crowd to deliver last rites.

At 4:14 pm on July 8, 1887, the Emperor of the Laiatanese Empire, Yuri IV, was dead.

Minister attacks

In addition to targeting the Emperor, Kamenev had three co-conspirators that targeted high ranking ministers in the Imperial government. Arkadiy Inozemtsev targeted Prime Minister Alexy Zukov, Nazar Nezhdanov targeted Interior Minister Isaak Yefremov and Defense Minister Fedya Kolontayev, and Pavel Siyankovsky targeted State Minister Danil Pishchalnikov. Yefremov, Zukov, Pishchalnikov, and Vladimir Yeodomir, a police officer, were wounded. All the ministers survived the attack and would go on to help form a new government.

Zukov

At 4:00 pm, Prime Minister Aleksy Zukov had arrived in Mahigorod for a reelection event. He was walking off of the train when a courier ran up to him with a telegram, calling for him to immediately return to the capital. As he turned to get back on the train, Arkadiy Inozemtsev fired his rifle at Zukov, striking him in the arm. Inozemtsev dropped his rifle and ran before he could be apprehended, but he was quickly identified by the commanding officer. Zukov was rushed to the nearby Queen of the Sky Hospital near the train station in Mahigorod and received treatment. The bullet grazed Zukov's arm, causing little worry among hospital staff. He remained there for the rest of the evening.

He learned of Kamenev's death minutes after it happened, and reportedly began sobbing. He is reported saying "The Emperor, oh the Emperor! A darkness has swept across our great land!"

Yefremov and Kolontayev

Isaak Yefremov and Fedya Kolontayev were also visiting the Exposition, but were on the other side of the complex when Kamenev was shot, not receiving the news until they were moved into the hospital themselves. Nazar Nezhdanov was following the two Ministers through the Garden of Peace when he drew his .45 Krieger, firing at the Ministers at 3:58 pm. Yefremov was struck in the back, and before Nezhdanov could fire another shot a police officer shot Nezhdanov in the shoulder. He shot the police officer in response and fled the scene. Kolontayev carried the police officer to the ambulance that would take all three to the Exposition hospital. They were by Kamenev's side when he died.

Pishchalnikov

Danil Pischalnikov was also at the Exposition, and was stabbed by Pavel Siyankovsky at 4:05 pm when he was rushing to the Exposition hospital. Siyankovsky stuck Pischalnikov with his knife in the stomach, stabbing him two more times before Pischalnikov's bodyguard caught up after dealing with a disturbance around the corner. His bodyguard shot Siyankovsky in the hip, causing him to abandon the attack and managing to escape from the army. Pischalnikov got to the Exposition hospital at 4:15 pm, one minute after Kamenev had died.

Capture of the conspirators

Wanted poster released by the Imperial Government following the assassination of Kamenev.

All three conspirators had managed to escape initial capture by police and military units, but all three were captured within two days of the assassination. Bobrik confessed to the army that he had conspirators, and named them. Nezhdanov managed to escape the Exposition due to the proximity of the Garden of Peace to one of the exits. He disappeared inside Volkgoroda, but was apprehended by an Imperial Army checkpoint on July 10 trying to escape the city. He was found to have received a gunshot wound to his upper chest and had a shattered collarbone. He received medical attention before being transferred to the Lake Mahi Imperial Prison.

Siyankovsky was wounded by his target's bodyguard during his attack. His pelvis was shattered after being shot in the hip, and thus only managed to get about a hundred feet away. He was found in one of the food tents by the Imperial Army only an hour after the attack, and was promptly arrested. He received medical attention as well before being transferred to the Lake Mahi Imperial Prison.

Inozemtsev was the last of the three to be captured. After shooting the Prime Minister, he immediately dropped his weapon and fled the scene. He managed to flee Mahigorod and was pursued by police and Imperial troops. He was also captured on July 10 thanks to a military checkpoint in Hilten. After apprehension, he was transferred south to the Lake Mahi Imperial Prison.

Trial and execution

Aftermath

	Laiatanese Federation
Main article: Laiatan
Important Topics: Culture ♦ Lupine ♦ Laiatanese language ♦ Mahitou ♦ Laiatanese korona ♦ Defense Forces
Government: Cabinet ♦ Federation Assembly ♦ Federal Council ♦ People's Council ♦ President ♦ Supreme Federal Court ♦ Political Parties
History: Pre-Mahigan Laiatan ♦ Kingdom of Laiatan ♦ Laiatanese Empire ♦ Laiatanese Junta ♦ Laiatanese Federation
Important Figures (Past and Present): Yuliya Surkova ♦ Zakhar Kreskov ♦ Aleksey Zukov ♦ Yuri IV ♦ Katerina I ♦ Nika Alkaev ♦ Yura Lainov