Karpovich, Petr

Born Oct. 3 (15), 1874; died Mar. 31 (Apr. 13), 1917. Socialist Revolutionary (SR) terrorist.

Karpovich studied at Moscow University (1895–96) and atthe University of Iur’ev (1898–99); he was expelled for his par-ticipation in the student movement. In 1899 he went abroad andentered the University of Berlin. Tsarist repressions of revolu-tionary students prompted Karpovich to return to St. Peters-burg. There, on Feb. 14, 1901, as a symbol of protest, he mortallywounded the minister of education, N. P. Bogolepov. Karpovichwas imprisoned in the SchlissePburg Fortress and condemned to20 years of penal servitude. He was transferred in 1906 to theprison at Akatui and later to Algachi. In 1907, after beingreleased for deportation, he escaped abroad and joined the Fight-ing Organization of the SR’s, becoming one of E. F. Azef’sassistants. In 1908, Karpovich helped organize the unsuccessfulattempt on Nicholas IPs life. After Azef was denounced as aprovocateur, Karpovich left the SR’s. In 1917, returning toRussia, he perished in the North Sea when his steamship wassunk by a German submarine.