In September or October 1919, the Omsk government of Admiral A. V. Kolchak issued a series of six perforated stamps and four imperforate stamps on 17th and 21st issue Russian Empire stamps, with an overprint of the new denomination.
The stamps remained in circulation throughout Siberia until the end of 1920.
In July 1918, after the Bolsheviks were driven out, Omsk was proclaimed the capital of Siberia. For almost a year and a half, the new authorities did everything possible to make the city the center not only of the Siberian, but also of the all-Russian White movement.
Almost immediately after receiving capital status, political life in Omsk came to a boil. Various ministries and agencies of successive governments were concentrated here: the Provisional Siberian Government, the Directory, and the All-Russian Government headed by Kolchak. Contemporaries noted that although Omsk was large, there were still not enough good buildings to house a whole army of officials. Often, up to three government institutions were crowded into a single building. The most prominent were the ministries, of which there were 13 in the “White” capital.
In the State Bank building in 1918, the main part of Russia’s gold reserve, transported from Ufa, was housed. In April 1919, an exhibition was organized here where Omsk residents and visitors could see the precious metal in bullion, coins, and jewelry.
The city administration and the city duma were absorbed in municipal concerns. There was plenty to do, since as a result of forced migration the population of Omsk grew to 600,000 people. Overcrowding became one of the main problems: there was neither enough housing nor enough food for so many residents.
The city authorities managed to obtain from the government a loan to purchase grain and flour, as well as priority rights for transporting food and coal by rail. In addition, the municipal administration ensured the city’s supply of medicines and basic necessities, which became especially important during the epidemics of typhoid fever and epidemic typhus that raged in the city in the autumn of 1918.
On November 18, 1918, in Omsk, after the fall of the Directory, Admiral Kolchak was proclaimed Supreme Ruler of the Russian State. In his speech, the head of “White” Russia promised to restore the fighting capacity of the volunteer army, defeat Bolshevism, and ultimately return the country to its former greatness. The key principles Kolchak intended to be guided by were “law and order.”
The ruler’s residence was located in Batyushkin’s former residential house, which modern residents of Omsk know as the civil registry office. Kolchak lived there with his common-law wife Anna Timiryova; he also worked there, signed decrees, and received delegations. An attempt was made on his life in this house: only by a coincidence was the admiral not harmed.
Kolchak’s immediate tasks were aimed at solving the army’s supply problems; economic issues got stuck somewhere at the stage of drafting programs. The absence of effective measures to improve the lives of working people led to mass discontent among the population of Omsk and other cities. Repressive measures only worsened the situation. This created a favorable environment for the growth in popularity of underground Bolshevik organizations.
The capital of Kolchak’s Russia became a magnet for foreigners of all kinds, primarily military personnel. British rifle units, the French colonial corps, as well as Polish, Serbian, Romanian, and Italian garrisons were stationed here. The Czechs occupied a special position, as the liberators of Omsk from the Bolshevik regime.
In particular, a Czech commandant was installed at the Omsk railway station, controlling the movements of all rolling stock. Czech soldiers wandered the city streets with nothing to do, showing off sturdy greatcoats and new boots. Their well-fed, satisfied faces caused extreme irritation among ordinary citizens.
A diplomatic corps was also widely represented in Omsk. Foreign missions gave the city a special international flavor; ceremonial receptions, parades, and balls were organized in their honor. Cars with foreign flags scattered around the city and respectable foreign guests drew crowds of onlookers.
On Lyubinsky Prospect—the city’s main promenade—there was a Japanese military representation; the residence of the British emissary was on 2nd Vzvoz Street; in November 1918 the Americans approached Kolchak’s government with a request to allocate premises; Swedes, Danes, French, and Chinese also established themselves in Omsk.
Filled with officials, soldiers, and foreigners, Omsk could not live a dull life. Cafe-chantants, restaurants, and brothels opened in the city; a circus and a cinema operated; cheap eateries and shops sprang up like mushrooms. From morning till night, Omsk streets rang with singing of all kinds and military marches. Literary circles worked actively in the city, and exhibitions were organized, including those of the then-fashionable Futurists.
A special pride of Omsk was the city theater, which became the focal point of the city’s cultural life and a gathering place for the capital’s beau monde. Classical works were performed here by Russian and foreign celebrities; dramatic plays were staged—“Anna Karenina,” “Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich,” “Children of the Sun.” From the governor-general’s box, Kolchak himself often addressed the audience, trying to instill confidence in the revival of Russia.
By the end of 1919, Omsk’s active political and cultural life began to decline; the reasons were the worsening situation at the front and the failed work of Kolchak’s government, which did not find support among the people. Inflation had by then reached alarming proportions. For example, if at the beginning of 1918 a pood of flour in Omsk cost 2 rubles 40 kopecks, then in May 1919 they were already asking more than 60 rubles for it! The government was forced to introduce ration cards, and huge queues formed at shops.
The White movement suffered defeat after defeat, and Kolchak never received the promised support of the Allies. From mid-summer 1919, the front began to rapidly approach Omsk. Kolchak tried to defend the capital to the last, but in early November he was forced to decide to abandon it. On November 12, the Supreme Ruler left Omsk, and two days later the first units of the Red Army entered the city.