In August 1916, a sign appeared on the façade of Pyotr Falaleyev’s building on Pupyrevskaya Square in Vyatka. It read, “Affordable Electric Photography”. The business was well organized, and the most advanced photographic and electrical equipment was purchased. The studio worked from nine o’clock in the morning until late at night. Orders were completed in seven days, urgent orders — in three days.

A year later, in 1917, another sign appeared — “Vyatka Committee of the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party (Bolsheviks)”. Apart from Pyotr Falaleyev, members of the committee included V.I. Laletin, P.P. Kapustin, and M.M. Popov. The party’s documents, money, literature, and seal were kept at that house. The photo studio was a convenient place for party gatherings, which were constantly reported by the undercover police agent Nikitin, who lived nearby.

On the night of October 29, 1917, the Governorate Commissar of the Provisional Government Pyotr Salamatov ordered the soldiers to surround the building, and Falaleyev was arrested. The party’s sign was taken off the façade and trampled on. All documents were kept in a hiding place in the building’s wall and were discovered during the search. Two revolvers were found in the stove, which Pyotr’s wife, Anastasia Osipovna, had hidden at the last moment. Laletin and Kapustin managed to escape and wrote an urgent letter to the Central Committee in Petrograd,

After spending a week in solitary confinement, Falaleyev was released only thanks to the demands of the regimental committee of the 106th infantry regiment stationed in Vyatka.

In November 1917, Pyotr Falaleyev received an order from the governorate commissar to purchase weapons and live ammunition and to organize the Red Guard from among the best Vyatka workers within 24 hours. To gather the Red Guards, Falaleyev went to his railway workshops. By the evening of November 27, 1917, he had found 55 volunteer workers who took muster at his house. This day is considered to be the birthday of the Vyatka Red Guard. Vasily Utrobin was one of the first to sign up. He was also appointed Commissar of the Red Guard. The 106th Infantry Regiment helped to obtain 50 rifles and 8,000 rounds of ammunition. Falaleyev’s sons transported the weapons on self-made one-meter-long sleds.