Kolchak's Gold

The fate of "Kolchak's gold" — a part of the gold reserves of the Russian Empire that fell into the hands of the Whites in 1918 — is one of the most famous and intriguing mysteries of 20th century Russian history. Based on materials from American, British, and Russian archives, historian Oleg Budnitsky has managed to solve this mystery and trace the movement of the money obtained from the sale of the gold, which was spent until the end of the 1950s. The essence of such a historical "investigation" lies not only in putting an end to the prolonged debates about the fate of "Kolchak's gold." This narrative serves as a core around which the issues of the history of the White movement and its foreign financing, the relationships between the Whites and their allies, Russian "diplomacy in exile," Russian emigration, and others are strung together. Ultimately, it is yet another attempt to answer the key question of 20th century Russian history: why did the Reds win the Civil War instead of the Whites.