"Black Death" in Russia
It cannot be ruled out that the world may again be afflicted by the plague epidemic. The word “plague”, despite its terrible sound, is not currently perceived as a real danger. In the Soviet Union there was a very serious approach to epidemics. However, now the epidemiological situation in the immediate vicinity of Russia's borders is clearly restless: various epidemics, including the plague, are spreading and there is a constant growth trend. And what a great danger poses the plague and how this disease can quickly spread, we can learn from the examples of the past. The number of plague epidemics of victims sometimes significantly exceeded the losses during the most bloody wars. In the world stories three of the most terrible plague epidemics have been reported. This is so-called. "Justinian's Plague" (in 6 in. Ne), it began in Egypt and lasted almost six decades, devastating almost all countries of the Mediterranean basin. The second colossal and most terrible in the history of Europe is the “Black Death” of the middle of the 14 century. The third pandemic occurred in modern times, starting in 1892 in India, where several million people became its victims. It affected the territory of South America and some other regions of the planet.
It should be noted that the study of the history of epidemics is of considerable interest. Hazardous areas can be identified in terms of the emergence and spread of epidemics, where plague occurs relatively frequently. In other regions, the plague is rare and the form of exceptions, is brought from the outside. The history of epidemic diseases, being a section of the history of medicine, is also part of the history of civilization.
In the Middle Ages, the causes of epidemics were practically unknown. They were often associated with "God's punishment" or natural disasters, earthquakes, which, as the German medical historian Heinrich Gezer said, "at all times coincided with devastation from general diseases." According to other researchers, the epidemics were caused by “miasms,” that is, “contagious fumes,” which were caused by “rotting” that took place underground, and carried to the surface during volcanic eruptions. Others assumed that the development of mass diseases depends on the position of celestial bodies, and offered to leave human settlements at a certain location of stars. The first scientific concept of the spread of contagious diseases was put forward by the Italian scientist Girolamo Frakastoro (1478-1533). In his opinion, the infectious principle was transmitted in three ways: through direct contact with a sick person, through infected objects and by air.
Plague in Russia
The first, more or less detailed report on mass disease in Russia can be found in Russian annals for the year 1092. “The Tale of Bygone Years” reports that in the summer of 6600 (1092), “the miraculous was a miracle in Polotsk: a clatter was heard at night; with moans like people, demons were prowling the streets. If someone leaves the horomins, wanting to see them, demons invisibly stung him, and that is why he died. And people did not dare to leave the choir. ... People said that the souls of the deceased are killing Polochans. This disaster came from Drutsk. ” According to this description it is clear that this disease was an unprecedented, extraordinary phenomenon for Russia. The suddenness of the disease and the rapidly advancing fateful outcome, so amazed contemporaries that they began to search for the supernatural cause of the disease. “It was our sins, for our sins and unrighteousness multiplied. It was God who bore us, told us to repent and refrain from envy and other evil deeds hostile. ” In addition, it is obvious that it was an epidemic - the incidence and mortality rate was very high, those who left the house fell ill. The limits of distribution and the number of victims are unknown. Historical sources also report that Kiev has swept the pestilence. In addition, the chronicle reports that from Filippov’s day (14 (27) of November) to the meat-bush (the eve of Maslenitsa, after Karamzin, before 1 of February), 7 thousand people died. To judge the nature of this apparently epidemic disease, on the basis of fragmentary, fabulous chronicle data, it is impossible. There is also no information about the symptoms. The disease is called "ulcer" and "wound", so it can be assumed that it was accompanied by external signs.
The next epidemic and epizootic at the same time were noted in the annals for the year 1158 in Novgorod. “Mor was many,” reports the chronicle, “in Novgorod in people and in konek, and it was impossible to go through the city, to go out to the field, because of the stench of the dead,” and the cattle died. ”
The next time Pesch visited Russia in 1187 year. The chronicler reports that the disease is “strong in people,” there was not a single court without patients, and in some of them everyone was sick. At the same time, mortality is not mentioned, which is usually done. Therefore, we can assume that the disease was not accompanied by high mortality. A terrible epidemic broke out in 1230 in Smolensk, it was accompanied by a very high mortality rate. In the sources, he differs sharply "from the plague and plague" (death from starvation), which at the same time raged in Russia. The number of victims of the epidemic was measured in thousands. In 1237, an epidemic struck Pskov and Izborsk, and old and young people, women, men and children died. Mortality was so high that during the churches dug communal graves. "Mora" is also noted in 1265 and 1278. Apparently, mass diseases that prevailed in the 13 century almost throughout Western Europe, were occasionally recorded in Russia. Thus, the cities named — Polotsk, Smolensk, Kiev, Novgorod and Pskov — were at that time large shopping centers that were visited by a significant number of foreigners. At that time, they practically knew nothing about the origin of mass diseases, methods of dealing with them, attributing them to God's punishment for the sins of people. Later developed a superstitious notion that the pestilence was caused by witchcraft or water poisoning by the Tatars. It looked like similar ideas in Western Europe, where "witches" and "sorcerers" were persecuted for the epidemics, attributed the appearance of plague to poisoning of water sources by Jews.
The first news of the sea in the 14 century is found under the 1308 year. The Novgorod Chronicle reports: "There was a penalty from God, on the pestilence and on horses ...". In 1321, the sea is again reported, which has affected people and horses. A new mention of the epidemic in Pskov and Izborsk in 1241 a year, during the war with the Livonian knights. “Bäshe Mor,” says the chronicle, the disease had such coverage that it was necessary to dig mass graves for whole families. This is the latest news about the sea in Russia, which can be found in the sources before the arrival of the Black Death on the Russian lands.
Plague epidemics in Russia from the 2 half to the end of the XIV century. Black Death
In the XIV century in Western Europe, there was a terrible epidemic of the Black Death, brought from Eastern China. It differed from the previous and subsequent plague epidemics on an extraordinary scale, with a special malignancy that led to millions of victims. So, in the 1348 year, it took the lives of almost 15 million people, which accounted for a quarter of the entire population of Europe, and by the 1352 year in Europe, 25 million people died, that is, a third of the population.
For the first time, a plague appeared in the Crimea in the 1346 year, in the possession of the Golden Horde, and in 1351 in Poland and Russia. The chronicle says: “Byst mor is strong on besomemen and on Tatars, and on Circassians and on all tamo dwellers who do not bury them”. Tatars came into conflict with the Genoese in Cafe and besieged this Italian colony for three years. A plague began among the Tatars, and a great number died every day. Then, in a rage and despair, they began to throw the corpses of the dead from the plague with the help of throwing machines, into the fortress, in order to destroy the enemy. Panic broke out among the Italians and they left the city and fled to their homeland. Gabrielle de Mussy reports that the plague began on the way, and among them, only 1000 people survived from the 10 sailed. So, from the East, the plague came to Europe. Interestingly, the plague came to Russia not from the possessions of the Golden Horde, but from Western Europe, 5-6 years later after its appearance in the Crimea. The first Russian city to undergo a mora was Pskov, which was located at that time in lively trade relations with Western Europe, and in particular with the cities of Hansa.
The 1352 mor of the year is described in detail in all Russian annals, therefore we can draw a completely clear picture of this extraordinary and terrible event from this description. The plague appeared in the city in the summer of 1352, and apparently immediately took on a large scale. Mortality was huge. People did not have time to bury the dead, and the priests to conduct all the necessary rites. During the night, each church accumulated up to 30 and more bodies. 3-5 corpses were laid in the same grave. Pskov seized fear and horror. Seeing death everywhere and constantly, and considering the sad outcome inevitable, many began to think only about saving the soul, handing out their property and taking monastic vows. The townspeople, not seeing salvation anywhere, sent ambassadors to Novgorod the Great to Archbishop Vasily, asking him to come to Pskov to bless his inhabitants and pray with them for the cessation of their illness. The church hierarch fulfilled their request and walked around Pskov with a procession. However, on the way back he fell ill and soon died. Thus, the plague hit Novgorod - the Novgorodians brought the body to the city and buried it in Hagia Sophia. This suggests that people of that time did not know about the need for quarantine. The consequences of this event led to an outbreak of the epidemic in Novgorod, and then the plague spread to other cities, appeared in Ladoga, Smolensk, Suzdal, Chernigov, Kiev and spread throughout Russia. The chronicles also report a brief description of the disease, which is similar to the descriptions of Western European sources. The disease began with hemoptysis, and approximately, on the third day, a person died. Obviously, pulmonary form of the plague prevailed on Russian land, since the “buboes” (the appearance of sharply painful conglomerates, most often in the area of lymph nodes) are not recorded in the chronicles. As in the previous period - 13 century, there are no reports of any treatment methods, or methods of prevention.
In 1360, a new outbreak of the epidemic again occurred in Pskov. Desperate citizens, again sent ambassadors to Veliky Novgorod, asking the archbishop to help them. Vladyka Alexy arrived, blessed the city, walked around it with a procession, and after that, according to the chronicler, the disease receded. In the description of this epidemic for the first time reported swelling of the glands, hemoptysis is not mentioned. In 1364, a terrible disease appeared in the lower reaches of the Volga and began to climb up the river. Particularly affected by the plague: Nizhny Novgorod, Kolomna, Ryazan, Moscow, Pereyaslavl, Tver, Yaroslavl, Vladimir, Suzdal, Dmitrov, Mozhaisk, Kostroma, Belozersk, Volok. The disease claimed a huge number of people. In Moscow, they did not have time to bury the dead, the bodies were put into mass graves. Chroniclers quite thoroughly described the symptoms of a terrible disease. Some immediately started hemoptysis, and they died through the 2-3 of the day. Hemoptysis was preceded by acute chest pains, then fever, profuse sweat, chills began. Others had lymph nodes in various places: cervical, inguinal, etc. In 1374, another plague swept across Russia and also the Golden Horde, which was accompanied by the death of cattle. Nothing is said about the symptoms of this epidemic.
In 1387, the terrible plague completely destroyed the population of Smolensk. According to the chronicles, an unknown terrible rampant disease raged so that a 5-10 man remained in the city! However, the symptoms of this plague are not reported. In 1388-1389 the plague struck Pskov again, and then penetrated into Veliky Novgorod. In the description of the mora it is reported about the swelling of the glands, so we can assume that it was a new return of the plague. Pskov again asked the Novgorod archbishop to come to the city and bless him. Hierarch fulfilled the wishes of the citizens. In the annals it is reported that the archbishop and his attendants returned to Novgorod safely, but, nevertheless, the city soon repeated the fate of Pskov. Novgorodians were saved by the decision to build the church of St. Athanasius and the whole world cut it down in one day. The disease then receded. It should be noted that it was common practice for medieval Russia. In the case of the plagues, the inhabitants of cities and villages built the church with the whole community-world. In Pskov, the plague is also reported in the 1390 record for the year, whether it was a continuation of the previous mora, or a new wave, is unknown. Sources say that the 1388-1390 epidemics. accompanied by the appearance of buboes and death was advancing on 2-3 day.
To be continued ...
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