Popular movements in the 17th century in Russia were mass events. The era of Time of Troubles is over. All spheres of public life were completely destroyed: economics, politics, social relations, culture, spiritual development. Naturally, it was necessary to restore the economy. Many reforms and innovations hurt the population of that time. As a result, popular movements. We will try to analyze this topic in more detail.
The subject of "history" (7 C.): "Popular movements"
The period of the "rebel age" is included in the compulsory school minimum. The course "Patriotic History" (Grade 7, "Popular Movements") identifies the following causes of social upheaval:
- Increased taxes due to ongoing military conflicts.
- Attempts by the authorities to limit Cossack autonomies.
- Reinforcement of red tape.
- The enslavement of peasants.
- Church reforms that led to a split among the clergy and population.
The above reasons give reason to believe that popular movements in the 17th century are associated not only with the peasantry, as it was before, but also with other social strata: the clergy, Cossacks, archers.
This means that powerful forces begin to oppose the authorities, who know how to wield weapons. Cossacks and streltsy managed to gain combat experience in constant wars. Therefore, their participation in unrest on a scale can be compared with civil wars.
Salt riot
I would like to recall modern pensioners who actively monitor salt prices in stores. An increase of one or two rubles is today accompanied by various reproaches and criticism of the authorities. However, the rise in salt prices in the 17th century provoked a real rebellion.
On July 1, 1648, a powerful wave of protest broke out. The reason was an additional salt duty, due to which the government decided to replenish the budget. The situation led to the fact that the protesters “intercepted” Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich upon returning from prayer to the Kremlin. People complained to the “good king” about the action of the “bad” boyar - the head of the Zemsky order L. S. Pleshcheev. In the eyes of an ordinary man in the street, he alone was to blame for all the troubles of the state: orderly red tape, embezzlement, price increases not only for salt, but also for other food products.
The “bad” boyar had to be sacrificed. “Silently” the tsar got rid of not only the “villain” Pleshcheyev, but also his relative, boyar B. Morozov, his educator. In fact, he was a "secret cardinal" in the country and solved almost all administrative issues. However, after this the popular movements in the country did not end. Let's move on to the rest.
Popular movements (7th grade, the history of Russia): copper riot
The situation with salt did not teach the government to cautiously approach reforms. There was a catastrophic lack of money in the country. And then the authorities carried out the most “killer” economic reform that could only have been invented - coin devaluation.
Instead of silver money, the government put copper coins into circulation, which at 10-15 was cheaper. Of course, one could come up with wooden (in the literal sense of the word) rubles, but the authorities did not dare to try their luck so much. Naturally, merchants stopped selling their goods for copper.
In July 1662, riots and riots began. Now people did not believe in a "good king." The pogroms affected the estates of almost all the royal cronies. The crowd even wanted to defeat the residence of the “anointed of God” in the village of Kolomenskoye. However, the troops arrived in time, and the king came to negotiations.
After these events, the authorities brutally treated the rebels. Many people were executed, arrested, some were cut off their hands, legs, tongues. Those lucky were sent to the link.
Rise of Stepan Razin
If the previous popular movements were organized by a peaceful unarmed population, then armed Cossacks with military experience participated in the uprising of Stepan Razin . And this turned out to be a more serious problem for the state.
The whole blame was the Cathedral Code of 1649. This document finally established serfdom. Of course, it began to form even from the time of Ivan III, with the introduction of St. George’s Day and the attachment of workers to the lands of the feudal lords. However, the Council Code established a lifelong search for fugitive peasants and the return of their former owners. This norm was contrary to the Cossack liberties. There was a centuries-old rule “there is no extradition from the Don”, which implied the protection of everyone who got there.
By the mid 60-ies of the XVII century, a huge number of runaway peasants had accumulated in the Don. This led to the following consequences:
- The impoverishment of the Cossacks, as there was simply not enough free land. In addition, there were no wars that traditionally reduce the population of Cossacks and serve as a source of wealth.
- Concentration of a huge combat-ready army in one place.
All this, of course, could not but result in popular movements
"Campaign for zipuns"
The first stage of the uprising of peasants and Cossacks led by S. Razin went down in history as a “campaign for zipuns,” that is, for prey (1667-1669). The purpose of the campaign was the looting of merchant ships and caravans carrying goods from Russia to Persia. In fact, Razin’s detachment was a pirate gang that blocked the main trading artery on the Volga, captured the Yaitsky town, defeated the Persian fleet, and then returned in 1669 with rich booty to the Don.
This successful and unpunished campaign inspired many other Cossacks and peasants who were suffocating from poverty. They massively reached out to S. Razin. Now the idea of the revolution in the country was born. S. Razin announced a campaign in Moscow.
The second stage (1670 - 1671 gg.)
In fact, S. Razin’s speech resembles a future peasant war led by E. Pugachev. Wide social strata, large numbers, and participation of local ethnic tribes in the conflict speak of a full-scale civil war. On the whole, domestic history (popular movements in particular) has never seen such mass protests of its own people before this time.
Course of the uprising
The rebels immediately took the city of Tsaritsyn. We approached the well-fortified fortress of Astrakhan, which then surrendered without a fight. All governors and nobles were executed.
The success provoked a massive transition to the side of Razin of such large cities as Samara, Saratov, Penza, which indicates a serious political crisis within Russian society. In addition to the Russian population, the Volga peoples also reached out to it: the Chuvash, Tatars, Mordovians, Mari, etc.
The reasons for the large number of rebels
The total number of rebels reached 200 thousand people. There are several thousands of reasons for reaching Razin: some were tired of poverty, taxes, others were attracted to the status of “free Cossacks”, and still others were criminals. Many national communities wanted autonomy and even independence after the victory of the revolution.
End of the uprising, massacres
However, the goals of the rebels were not destined to come true. Without organizational unity, common goals, the army was uncontrollable. In September 1670, she tried to take Simbirsk (modern Ulyanovsk), but failed, and then began to disintegrate.
The main number led by S. Razin went to the Don, many fled to the inner regions. Against the rebels, the punitive expedition was led by the governor, Prince Yu. Baryatinsky, which in fact means the use of all available military forces. Fearing for their lives, the rebels betrayed their leader, who was then quartered.
Up to 100 thousand people were killed and tortured by official authorities. Russia never knew such mass repressions before this time.