DR BORANOFF.

Bush Advocate, Volume XXI, Issue 288, 9 June 1909, Page 4

DR BORANOFF.

The Drill Hall was fairly well filled last night £0 hearHho lecture of Dr: Boranoff, tea . Russian exile.. Mr Magnusson, in "vlie* absence of the Mayor, took the 'chair, and briefly 'introduced ihe speaker. Dr Boranofi: said it would be impossible to deal with. Russian affairs unless ho gave them a brief retrospect of . Russian history. This he did, emphasising the fact that Alexander" 11., who had con\e to be recognised as the Liberator of Russia, did not deserve 'that title; all the liberating Alexander had ever done was purely . from mercenary motives. The speaker 'graphically pourtrayed his experiences in, Siberia, where he had been sentenced. to four years' imprisonment. He related how he escaped upon that occasion, and told of experiences in St.., Petersburg on that -"tor- • rible "Red Sunday," a page ii history written with the blood of innocent men, women, and children.', "What we want," said the .speaker, "is your sympathy." It was, lie'eaid, a great- help in tjie reform movement to know that they had the sympathy' of people who enjoyed a constitution like ours. He dealt r minutely with the conditions under whicn; th<e> Russian peasants work, and ridiculed the Greek Church, which, was- founded, hot upon Vinoralityi as ■ all other . churches were, but upon the superstition and .ignorance of the people. After air interval] the.speaker appeared in the undress uniform of ihe Puklowsky Regiment, in .which he was : made to serve as a medical officer dur-j ing the Russo-Japanese war. He also exhibited the knout, used 1 in Russia upon political " offenders, recounting some of tho barbarities, inflicted upon. prisoners, women especially, -of which herhad been an eye-witness.; . i Tne lecturer, who was listened to with rapt attention throughout, said ,'if time and money permitted— ie ex-... plained that the money Teoeived thafc night was not for his own use-7-that * he woujd visit D.annevirko; again. He concluded by moving a vote of tLanks to the chairman. In responding, the Chairmaji said he would like to impress upon the young people present what a blessing education was, as had been shown by the lecturer, and he asked aU those' young people present to make the best of their opportunities.. *