Borki train disaster
49°41′15.30″N 36°07′41.50″E / 49.6875833°N 36.1281944°E
| Borki train disaster | |
|---|---|
| Details | |
| Date | 29 October [O.S. 17 October] 1888 |
| Location | Near Borki station, Kharkov Governorate |
| Country | Russian Empire |
| Line | Kursk–Kharkov mainline |
| Operator | Kursk–Kharkov–Azov Railroad |
| Incident type | Derailment |
| Cause | Inconclusive: combination of speeding, overload and faulty track |
| Statistics | |
| Trains | 1 |
| Deaths | 21 |
| Injured | 14 to 35 |
The Borki train disaster occurred on 29 October [O.S. 17 October] 1888 near Borki station in Kharkov Governorate of the Russian Empire (present-day Birky, Ukraine), 295 kilometres (183 mi) south of Kursk, when the imperial train carrying Emperor Alexander III of Russia and his family from Crimea to Saint Petersburg derailed at high speed. Twenty-one people died at the scene and two later, and many others were injured. According to the official version of events, Alexander held the collapsed roof of the royal car on his shoulders while his family escaped the crash site uninjured. The story of the miraculous escape became part of contemporary lore and government propaganda. The investigation into the crash, led by Anatoly Koni, resulted in the appointment of railway manager and the future Russian prime minister, Sergei Witte, as the director of State Railways.