Somewhat differently from what the Cheka had imagined, the East African National Security Bureau's activities in Odessa were not actually very active. At least for the moment, the East African government had no intention of stirring up trouble in Russia.
As for the Tsarist Russian government-in-exile, although it had been established in East Africa, East Africa considered this so-called government to have little value. East Africa never expected this so-called government-in-exile to accomplish much. No matter what, the Soviets would never choose to return to the imperial era.
Of course, keeping the Tsarist Russian government-in-exile around could be used to disgust the Soviet government. That was, in fact, a rather useful bargaining chip.
March 14, 1925.
Saint Petersburg.
This city, known by the Soviets as Leningrad, had once been the capital of the Imperial Russian era and was also the region where the cultural heritage accumulated over several centuries of Tsarist Russian history was most concentrated.
Since Peter the Great founded Saint Petersburg in 1703, the city's history had already surpassed two hundred years.
And throughout those two centuries, it had served as the capital of Imperial Russia, becoming the center of all Russia as vast resources were gathered here from every corner of the country.
Among them were cultural relics from nations across the world, plundered during the Imperial Russian era.
Since the Labor Party came to power, Russia's antiquities market had also undergone a massive price collapse. Relics and collectibles once treasured by tsars, nobles, and merchants during the Imperial Russian period had now become an important resource the Soviet government used to exchange for large amounts of foreign currency.
In Saint Petersburg, merchants from every country flooded into this newly emerging antiquities market, hoping to pick up bargains at prices that met their expectations.
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