After the Bolsheviks came to power, it became clear that a fair trial for Kornilov and his associates was impossible, as the commission members declared the general innocent. Then, risking his life, Dukonin freed all prisoners in Bykhov.

On December 19, 1917, Kornilov arrived in Novocherkassk, hoping for support from the Cossacks, but faced indifference from most front-line soldiers. Ataman Kaledin relied mainly on small partisan groups of Cossack youth and could not provide significant assistance. The Volunteer Army was extremely small, making it impossible to hold positions against the Reds. After prolonged fighting, Kornilov decided to abandon the positions and begin a march. On February 11, Kaledin was killed, and on the night of February 23, the Ice March began.

In the early days of the march, the volunteers decided to move towards Kuban, but learned that Ekaterinodar had fallen, and there was nowhere left to go. However, after uniting with the Kuban Army, there was hope for taking Ekaterinodar, although the forces were unequal. The Volunteer Army numbered less than 6,000, while the Reds had up to 40,000.

For several days, fierce battles ensued, but the volunteers failed to capture the city. A decisive assault was scheduled for April 14, but early in the morning the day before, an enemy shell ended General Kornilov's life. Command was taken over by General Denikin, who decided to retreat, although the paths were cut off. Nevertheless, the Whites managed to escape. On the way, they buried Kornilov and Nezhentsev, but on April 16, the general's body was exhumed by the Bolsheviks and delivered to Ekaterinodar, where it was stripped, hacked with sabers, stabbed with bayonets, and then burned at the slaughterhouse.

After their return, the Whites created a symbolic grave, which the Reds later destroyed along with the grave of the general's widow. A memorial exhibition for Kornilov was opened, and a monument was planned to be erected in Omsk, but this was not accomplished. In the 1990s, a monument to the fallen heroes of the Volunteer Army was unveiled in Ekaterinodar, and a symbolic grave was created. Seven years ago, a memorial park was established, and a bronze monument to General Kornilov was erected. The house where the general died has been preserved, and there were plans to open a museum there, but this has not yet been realized.