In the last days before emigration from Primorye, the White Guards faced a dilemma: surrender or leave their homeland. However, some chose to give the Reds one last fight.

A Siberian detachment was formed from volunteers, consisting of experienced officers and soldiers skilled in combat operations. The unit, numbering 720 men, was led by 31-year-old General Anatoly Pepelyaev, brother of the Kolchak prime minister. Pepelyaev, who distinguished himself in World War I, was awarded numerous orders and a sabre for bravery. During the Civil War, he became known for defeating the Reds near Perm and taking 20,000 prisoners, whom he released home, an unusual act for that brutal era.

The general's detachment headed towards Yakutsk, overcoming harsh natural conditions, frost, snowstorms, and food shortages. The expedition covered over 1000 km and achieved a series of victories. A serious obstacle was the village of Sasyl-Sysy, where the Red Army commander Ivan Stroda had fortified his position. The battle was so fierce that the snow around the houses was covered in blood. At night, the Siberian detachment intercepted a report in which Stroda requested help from Yakutsk, stating he was severely wounded. Pepelyaev offered him to surrender, but Stroda asked for time to think.

He deceived the White Guards by strengthening his trenches and launching a surprise attack. The fight for the village lasted 18 days, and without help from Yakutsk, Stroda would not have endured. Understanding the need to save his soldiers, Pepelyaev ordered a retreat to the sea, where they were ambushed by the Bolsheviks. Many were arrested, Pepelyaev was sentenced to 10 years in camps, and then executed. In the midst of the Great Terror, his opponent Ivan Stroda was also executed. As they say, 'the revolution devours its children.'