The history of the Kharkiv fire department—and indeed, of fires in the city in general—is a topic that could fill far more than one article. But we’ll focus on one particularly telling example.
In Alexander Pavlovich Chekhov’s book *A Historical Sketch of Firefighting in Russia*, published in 1892, we find the following:
In 1820, an order was issued stipulating that provincial and county towns be supplied with tools from the capital’s depots, and in 1823, provincial governors were instructed to request tools specifically from these depots and, at the same time, to establish similar workshops in their provincial capitals whenever possible. Thus, workshops for the manufacture of firefighting equipment were established in Ryazan, Yaroslavl, Penza, Kazan, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Riga, and Vilnius…
Here is what can be read about Kharkiv in Alexander Dmitrievich Sheremetev’s book *A Brief Statistical Overview of Fire Departments in the Russian Empire*, published in 1892.
Municipal (public) fire department. No records regarding the exact date of its founding have survived. The department’s staff includes: a fire chief, 4 assistant fire chiefs, 1 veterinarian, and 160 firefighters. The brigade is equipped with uniforms. The equipment of the Kharkiv Municipal Fire Brigade consists of 5 fire hoses, 17 fire pipes, 5 pumps, 30 barrels, 5 ladders, and 116 horses (of which 111 are draft horses and 5 are riding horses). Information regarding fires that occurred in Kharkiv in 1887, 1888, and 1889 is included in the annual reports of the Kharkiv City Fire Department for those years; however, these reports had not been received by the time this review was compiled. The fire department’s service area covers a territory with a population of 190,000 people
Fires caused serious damage to our city and were even cited as examples in specialized books. In N. Trenbezov’s 1913 work, *Firefighting Tactics*, the following incidents are mentioned:
One day in Kharkiv, fireworks exploded in the basement of a stationery store. The explosion caused a fire, during which a janitor was burned to death and four workers who had been sleeping in the janitor’s quarters next to the basement suffocated…
…On January 4, 1912, a fire broke out at Dr. Ginzburg’s house on Sumskaya Street in Kharkiv. It took a long time to put out the fire, and as a result, horse-drawn carriages and other vehicles were unable to travel down the street for an entire day…
All the firefighters were under the protection of the “Blue Cross,”
membership in which was marked by a badge, approved by the Emperor on June 27, 1897.
In addition to public fire departments, there were also private ones in the cities of the empire. For that time, this was a progressive development. After all, in the event of a fire at a factory, the industrialist did not have to wait for the city fire department to arrive but could easily handle the situation on his own.
Our beloved city was no exception. For example, on November 16, 1909, a voluntary factory fire brigade was established at one of Kharkiv’s largest enterprises—the “M. Helferich-Sade Partnership.”
Its founders were the following individuals:
The team’s bylaws specified, among other things, the following:
The Purpose, Rights, and Responsibilities of the Druzhina.
§ 1.
1) The brigade is established for the purpose of: extinguishing fires and, in general, combating fire-related disasters within the premises of the “M. Helferich-Sade Company” factory and its immediate vicinity, within a radius of no more than one verst.
2) At its discretion, upon invitation, or at the request of the authorities, it also responds to other major fires in the city of Kharkiv and its surrounding areas, regardless of the aforementioned limit.
§ 2.
In accordance with the objective stated above, and also for the purpose of raising the necessary funds, the Druzhina is granted:
3) Have a music choir.
4) To organize festivals, balls, concerts, and theatrical performances, obtaining the appropriate permits each time and complying with the rules established for this purpose by applicable laws and administrative regulations.
5) Accept donations.
6) Acquire and dispose of movable and immovable property.
Firefighting equipment, as well as uniforms for the fire brigade and training facilities for the volunteer fire department, were provided by the M. Helferich-Sade Company.
The fire brigade’s main assembly point was, of course, at the factory. The following were not allowed to join the brigade:
1) Minors and students enrolled in educational institutions.
2) Enlisted personnel on active military duty.
3) Persons whose rights have been restricted by a court.
Only men—including factory employees, skilled workers, and laborers—could be full members of the fire brigade. The fire brigade also collected membership dues. First-class members paid an admission fee of 1 ruble upon joining the brigade and 3 rubles annually; second-class members paid an admission fee of 50 kopecks and 1 ruble 50 kopecks annually. (Payments could be made monthly.) Anyone who failed to pay their monthly membership dues four times was considered to have withdrawn from the brigade. Every new member was required to submit a medical certificate attesting to their good health.
For outstanding achievements, members of the plant’s volunteer fire brigade could be awarded the following, subject to the approval of the board and a resolution of the general meeting:
1) Cash disbursements.
2) Certificates of Commendation.
3) Distinctive marks or tokens.
The designs and regulations governing the wearing of insignia were approved by the local governor.
If a fire broke out, members of the volunteer fire brigade were required to report immediately to the assembly point upon hearing the special fire alarm at the factory, wearing the prescribed uniform or carrying the prescribed badge; for this reason, they were required to live in the vicinity of the factory. However, if the team members’ own homes were in danger, they were exempt from their duties.
The bylaws devoted no less than 5 pages to a detailed description of the various uniforms worn by the factory firefighters! The brigade’s distinctive emblem consisted of two torches lying crosswise, tied together in the middle with a ribbon. This symbol also appeared on the fire brigade’s seal.
In addition, the volunteer fire brigade of the “M. Helferich-Sade Partnership” was a full member of the Imperial Russian Fire Society (IRFS). The banner played a significant role in the lives of the factory firefighters. Section 3 of the bylaws stated:
The unit shall have a banner bearing the insignia and name of the unit, as depicted in the design approved by the Governor. The banner shall be kept by the unit’s senior officer and shall be displayed only on particularly solemn occasions.
§ 6.
To escort their deceased members to the cemetery in uniform and carrying a banner; the Druzhina’s executive committee is required to notify the local police of the date, time, and route of the procession.
To my great regret, as far as I know, the fire brigade’s banner itself has not survived. It was completely unclear what this symbol—which was of utmost importance to firefighters—looked like. However, not long ago, while working with documents from civic organizations in the Kharkiv Regional State Archives, I discovered a unique document in one of the files.
In addition to the description of the banner itself (the front side consists of a field of white silk, embroidered with gold or gold silk, edged with a gold cord and tassels), In the center is the distinctive emblem of the Imperial Fire Society; surrounding the emblem is the fire department’s motto, “Praise to God, Glory to the Tsar, PROTECTION FOR ONE’S NEIGHBOR”; in the corners of the field are fire department coats of arms, and at the bottom is the year of the banner’s consecration), the design approved on December 31, 1915, was also included. Although more than 100 years have passed, it has been preserved so perfectly that, if desired, it could be reconstructed and displayed in a museum.
So I can’t wait to share this beauty with you.
Despite being a subject of considerable interest and extensive study, the history of our city still holds many amazing treasures within it.
After all, Kharkiv’s real—rather than fictional—past is so fascinating that even a topic like the volunteer fire brigade at the Helferich-Sade factory—which might seem quite ordinary to most people—can offer new insights.
I truly believe that the most interesting part is just beginning.
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