Weapon volleys struck, bullets whistled, and Sandro Ketskhoveli fell to the ground as a lifeless corpse. George Machabeli gave orders to the guards who took positions. He stood openly in the middle of the street, waiting for any minute for help from Gori according to the agreed sign (this sign should have been a wire break), but the wires were broken and help did not come. He was losing hope. Then suddenly the red banner appeared, followed by the people. He mistook this for the expected help and, in error, shouted to the Red Guards: “Stand firm, comrades, help has come,” and went to meet the red banner. What was his disappointment when, instead of help from the crowd, bullets rushed in his direction! These were Georgian peasants who came to the aid of the Ossetians who attacked Tskhinval. At the same time, Ossetians opened fire. Under this crossfire, police inspector Costa Kazishvili was killed... G. Machabeli, wounded in the leg, bleeding, was transferred to the nearest hospital and placed in a dark back room. During the siege of the hospital, everyone ran away, except for the wounded. No one knows how Machabeli found himself on the street, maybe he was trying to escape ... A big strategic mistake for our comrades was to take a position in the lowlands, while the enemy was occupying the heights. This civil war ended yet with minor casualties on both sides.
The newspaper "Struggle" April 1, 1918, No. 44.
From the book "The struggle of the working people of South Ossetia for Soviet power" (1917-1921). Documents and materials. Compiled by I.N. Tskhovrebov.
