"Pugachev"
240 years ago, 10 (21) January 1775, Yemelyan Ivanovich Pugachev was executed in Moscow on Bolotnaya Square. Calling himself "emperor Peter III," the Don Cossack raised the Yaik Cossacks to revolt. Soon the uprising turned into a fire of the Peasant War, which swept a huge region and caused panic in a part of the ruling class of the Russian Empire. They even called Alexander Suvorov, but managed to put out the fire of the war before his arrival. After a series of defeats, Pugacheva betrayed the Cossack officers, hoping to win a pardon from the government.
The main prerequisites of the Peasant War were two. First, in the XVIII century, the Romanovs created the classical serfdom. The Russian elite was divorced from the people, Europeanized. In fact, there are two “people” in Russia - the Europeanized nobility, speaking German and French better than Russian, and the people themselves, living their lives, very far from balls, masquerades and nobility living through life. Peter I tightened serfdom, and the “patriot” Elizaveta Petrovna legalized the sale of serfs. At the same time, after Peter Alekseevich, who, despite some of his negative traits, knew how to work, the nobility dissolved (though not all: people like Rumyantsev, Suvorov and Ushakov supported the honor of the empire). In St. Petersburg, balls and holidays rolled in a continuous succession; luxury fashion was quickly introduced. Provincial nobles tried to follow the fashion of the capital. That squeezed out of the serfs all that is possible, or sold them, lost, laid. Millions of rubles, survived from the peasantry, went on entertainment, on luxury items, not invested in the development of the country.
The factory (“assigned”) peasants, who were assigned to factories by entire villages, were given a particularly difficult situation, putting the industrialists and their clerks under the authority. The convicts, fugitive, local clerks had the opportunity to hide them or give bribes to the authorities in the factories of the Urals. In addition, the most active peasants still sought to hide in the Cossack regions, which had a certain autonomy. The atmosphere of general injustice created an opportunity for a large-scale fire, a broad social base for a possible uprising. The serfs hated landowners, factory workers — clerks, townspeople — embezzlers and officials who abused power.
Secondly, the difficult situation was in the Cossack troops. On the one hand, the Cossack troops were subordinated to the government, having lost their former independence. On the other hand, the central government was not particularly interested in the affairs of the Cossacks, letting them run by chance. The Cossack officers conversed with the authorities, which within the Army received almost uncontrolled power. This led to serious abuse. So, in the Don Army, the government usurped the "family" of the atamans Efremov. She seized military and stanitsa land, uncontrollably spent military money, installed exactions in their own interests. Looking at the “Tsar” by Stepan Efremov, the foreman was also enriched. Those who complained were beaten by ataman henchmen.
A similar situation exists in the Yaik Troops. Despite the preservation of self-government, the government assigned a Cossack officer, who manipulated the votes of the circle. Troop office has become virtually irremovable. Cossack foremen kept their salaries in their favor, introduced taxes on fishing and selling of fish, and other trades. Complaints of ordinary Cossacks did not give any results, since the officials sent in the office communicated with the elders and took bribes from them. As a result, the Cossacks split into the lured "ataman" and "folk" parties. Riots flared up. Even before the Pugachev uprising, a number of uprisings occurred, which were brutally suppressed. Cossacks were hung, impaled, and quartered. Thus, the ground for the uprising was prepared. Simple Cossacks were angry. Needed only a leader.
On the Don, the uprising was prevented. The government remembered, drew attention to the complaints of the Cossacks. Ataman Efremov summoned to St. Petersburg. However, he was in no hurry, he found reasons to get out. He began to dispel rumors among the Cossacks that they were going to be written into a “regularity”, scaring Petersburg with the possibility of insurrection. In order to deliver the chieftain to the capital, General Cherepov was sent, but his assistants beat him. Only from the second attempt Efremova was taken to Petersburg. From the capital to the Don, a commission was sent to investigate the complaints of the Cossacks, which was personally controlled by Potemkin and the Empress. The lands illegally seized by Ephraim were confiscated. Ataman was sentenced to death, but Catherine, in memory of the past participation in the palace coup, softened the sentence to exile.
On Yaik, the situation is out of control. An investigation commission was established in Yaitsky Town, but its decisions were not implemented. Cossack delegates sent to the empress were arrested, declared rebel and imprisoned. A rumor was spread about the army about enrolling in regular troops, which caused new unrest. When the western branch of the Kalmyks, which was in the citizenship of Russia, moved to the borders of China (the Khan wanted to occupy the lands devastated by the Chinese massacres), the Yaik Army received an order to chase and return the fugitives. However, the Cossacks refused to execute the order. In January, the Cossacks in Yaitsky Town, 1772, moved to the house where General Traubenberg and Captain Durnov were staying at the investigation commission. They demanded the removal of the Military Chancellery and the payment of a salary. Traubenberg, in response, led a military team with guns. Cossacks rushed to the attack and won. Traubenberg was killed; the ataman Tambovtsev was hanged. People were again sent to the capital to explain the situation. However, the authorities responded with a punitive expedition of General Freiman. The rebels broke. Hundreds of people were exiled to Siberia and recorded as soldiers. Troop self-government was abolished, the Army was subordinated to the commandant of the Yaitsky town.
As a result, the Cossacks, having received no justice, became angry. Moreover, the military foreman was also dissatisfied because of the liquidation of the local government, which gave them the opportunity to enrich themselves. It was then that Emelyan Pugachev appeared. The Don Cossack had experience of the Seven Years, the Polish and Russian-Turkish wars. He was a great fighter, served to the cornet. However, different adventurism, propensity to vagrancy. In 1771, Pugachev fell ill and was sent home for treatment. The Cossack went to Taganrog, to visit his sister. In a conversation with his son-in-law, Pugachov found out that he and several comrades were dissatisfied with the order in the regiment and wanted to desert. Pugachev helped Pavlov escape to the Kuban. But soon Pavlov changed his mind, returned and repented. And for helping to escape, Emelyan Pugachev was outlawed. Pugachev was forced into hiding, was repeatedly arrested and fled, trying to escape on the Terek. Been in the schismatic monasteries.
During the wanderings, Pugachev was on Yaik. At first, he wanted to incite a group of Cossacks to enter the service of the Ottomans like Nekrasovs. Here he was noticed by rich Cossacks, who did not want to leave the farm, but they wanted to organize a rebellion. They planned to scare the government, to return self-government. As a result, Pugachev turned into “Peter III Fedorovich”, becoming an impostor. 18 September 1773, a small squad of Pugachev appeared at Yaitsky town. It was not possible to take the fortress and Pugachyov and the army headed up the Yaik. The seizure of the Yaikskaya line fortresses — the Alluvial, Nizhneozernaya, Tatishcheva, and Chernorechenskaya lines — took place according to a similar scenario. The garrisons of small fortresses, consisting of soldiers and Cossacks who had been written off as disabled, mostly went over to the side of the rebels. The officers were killed.
In Seitovaya Sloboda, a decree was issued to the Mishars (meshermen) and the Bashkirs with a call to join the "sovereign" army, in return they promised gunpowder and salt, possession of forests and rivers. Began active accession to the uprising of the Bashkirs, Tatars and Kalmyks. October 5 1773 of the year 7-th. Pugachev's detachment approached Orenburg. The siege lasted until mid-March 1774 and did not lead to success. As a result, the main forces of Pugachev were linked with the siege of Orenburg, which allowed the government to take retaliatory measures and not allow the Cossacks to revolt in the central provinces of Russia, which could sharply complicate the situation.
Pugachev still portrayed the king, arranged feasts, tried to take Orenburg. However, his colonels, Cossack officers, had real power. Zarubin, Shigaev, Padurov, Ovchinnikov, Chumakov, Lysov, Perfilyev and others jealously followed Pugachev, did not allow new people to appear around him who could influence the decision of the “tsar”. Thus, several officers were killed, who took the oath to the “tsar”, his beloved Kharlov, the widow of the commandant of Lower Lake Fortress who was hanged the day before. Cossack officers had several options. Could try to ignite a new Troubles. However, this scenario was broken by a protracted siege of Orenburg, which led to the loss of a strategic initiative by the Cossacks. In addition, one could simply “take a walk”, intimidate Petersburg, forcing him to make concessions, and then surrender Pugachev for reprisal. In fact, the rebels did not have a positive program, so the Peasant War was doomed to failure.
In the spring of 1774, the situation of the rebels was complicated. Reliable troops began to be deployed from the Turkish front. The pacification was entrusted to the experienced general Alexander Bibikov. The Pugachevists began to suffer defeat, losing one by one the fortresses on the frontier lines. The siege was lifted from Orenburg. 22 March in a battle near the fortress Tatishcheva Pugachev were defeated. April 1 suffered another heavy defeat at the Sakmara town. However, the death of General Bibikov caused a pause in the fighting, among the generals began to intrigue. The rebels, defeated and scattered across the steppe, were able to regroup their forces by gathering in the Upper Urals. 5-6 May rebels were able to take the Magnit Fortress. The Ural peasants and the Gornozavodsk workers filled up the detachments of Pugachev.
The army of Pugachev becomes peasant in its composition, losing its combat capability and the ability to oppose government forces in open battle. The war took on the character of flight and pursuit. Pugachev suffers another defeat, runs, on the way new crowds of insurgent peasants, workers and foreigners adjoin him. The estates are burning, the nobles and clerks are killed, their families. Again defeat and flight.
The war is gaining momentum. The Pugachev men take the fortresses of Karagai, Petropavlovsk and Steppe. 20 May ended the assault on Trinity Fortress. However, on May 21, the camp of the rebels was defeated by the troops of General I. A. Dekolong. Most of the rebels were captured or scattered. Pugachev again with a small group runs. His squad reinforce Bashkirs Salavat Yulaev. 10 June Pugachyov joined Krasnoufimsk, then took the town of Osu. The Pugachevs moved to the right bank of the Kama, took in 20-s of June Christmas, Votkinsky and Izhevsk plants. July 12 was taken most of Kazan. There was almost no troops here, everyone left for Orenburg. Here Pugachev was overtaken by General Mikhelson. The rebels suffered a cruel defeat.
Pugachev fled with a detachment to 500 and a man crossed the Volga. Here serfs began to join the rebels. The peasants joined the "king" or made up separate units. Most of the Bashkirs refused to follow the “tsar” and returned to the Ufa region, where the uprising continued into late autumn 1774. Pugachev did not dare to go to Moscow. I turned south, decided to go through the Volga cities, then raise the Don or go to the Kuban.
Volga cities - Kurmysh, Alatyr, Saransk, Penza, Saratov, actually surrendered without a fight. The impostor was greeted with bread and salt, and "priests - with crosses." Pugachev again gathered a large force - up to 10 thousand people. The government had to send additional forces to suppress the uprising. They threw on Pugachev and the famous Suvorov.
Pugachev, having reached the Don Cossack Army, understood that it would not be possible to raise the Don Cossacks. Tsaritsyn failed to take. 25 August 1774, General Mikhelson defeated the rebels at Black Yar. In one battle, more than 8 thousand people were killed and captured. Among the dead was a prominent ally of the impostor Andrei Ovchinnikov. Pugachev fled the Volga with a small group of Cossacks. The impostor offered the Cossacks to flee further, to the Zaporozhye Cossacks, or to Turkey, like Nekrasovs, or to go to Bashkiria or Siberia. However, the Cossack colonels decided to hand over to the authorities of Pugachev and get a pardon. September 8 Pugachev was tied up and September 15 was taken to the town of Yaitsky.
4 November convoy team delivered Pugacheva to Moscow. December 31 announced the verdict: “Emeruka Pugachev quartered, head stuck on a stake, spread the body parts in four parts of the city and put on the wheels, and then burn in those places.” The sentence was enforced on 10 (21) on January 1775 on Bolotnaya Square. Standing on the scaffold, Pugachev said: “Forgive me, Orthodox people, let me go, what I have sinned before you ... Forgive me, Orthodox people!”
The village of Zimoveyskaya, where Emelyan Pugachev was born, was renamed Potemkinskaya. At the end of 1775, Empress Catherine II announced a general forgiveness to the surviving participants in the uprising and ordered her to be forgotten forever. For this, the Yaik River was renamed the Urals, the Yaitsky town - into Uralsk, and the Yaitsky Army - into the Urals. At the same time, the management of the Ural troops was reformed on the model of Donskoy, general circles were canceled, and the military atamans became appointed.
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