There is no documentary evidence of when Stepan Razin was born. However, this date can be inferred from secondary sources. For example, the Dutchman Jan Jansen Streis, who traveled around Russia, saw the famous rebel several times. In his notes, he recorded that in 1670, Razin was 40 years old, which suggests that he was born approximately in 1630.
Biography details
Only the fact that the famous chieftain was born on the Don is exactly known. The biography of Stepan Razin began in the present Volgograd region, where in the XVII century there were numerous Cossack villages and villages. His life was overgrown with numerous inventions and traditions, which was traditional for that time. The biography of Stepan Razin became a subject of veneration among the Cossacks. His reputation was enjoyed by Emelian Pugachev, who during his rebellion often referred to his predecessor.
In 1652, the biography of Stepan Razin was replenished with an important event for the latter. He becomes the chieftain. Ten years later, Stenka participated in the campaign against the Crimean Khan. In addition to the Cossacks, the army included Kalmyks and Cossacks. Then, Russia defended itself against the Crimean Tatars through a large stratum of free soldiers who lodged in the south of the country.
Razin had an older brother, Ivan. He was the chieftain of the Don Army. His Cossacks were distinguished by free and violent manners, because of which they constantly had conflicts with the royal messengers. Moscow governor Yuri Dolgorukov during one such skirmish ordered the execution of Ivan for disobedience. This set Stepan against imperial authority.
The situation in the Cossacks
The 17th century was generally nicknamed the “rebel” because of frequent peasant uprisings. Rural residents began to fall into serfdom dependent on the landlords, after the Council Code was adopted in 1649 . The peasants fled from slavery to the Don, from where they did not give out the fugitives. By the 70s, a huge number of Cossack converts had accumulated in the south of the country. This layer was most intransigent towards the tsarist administration, which many accused of unfair treatment of the rural population.
The peasants, who became Cossacks, were called "hooted". They made a living by robbing ships on the Volga. Old-timers looked at the situation through their fingers ...
Hike to Persia
In 1667, Stepan Razin became the leader of such a detachment. A brief biography of the chieftain in a history textbook includes mentions of a campaign against Persia. Indeed, this was the first serious military experience of the brave chieftain. In the lower Volga, his Cossacks robbed merchants and even ships that belonged to Patriarch Joasaph. Unskilled laborers, barge haulers and other people who were engaged in the river fleet massively joined the detachment.
Robberies of merchants did not worry Moscow, which was extremely far away. But when the Cossacks defeated the archers and even captured Yaitsky town, the usual boundaries of the permissible were violated.
In the new 1668, after wintering on Yaik, the Razin army went to the Caspian Sea. Here it first encountered the forces of the Persian Shah. Razin was joined by Circassians and other inhabitants of the North Caucasus. With such forces in July, the Russians fought with the Persians at Pig Island. It was the largest domestic victory at sea in the 17th century. The battle unfolded near Baku. The Persians were defeated, and the Cossacks got prey. But since the situation was precarious, the latter retreated to Astrakhan, where they were received by the royal governors.
Popular uprising
The following year, the biography of Stepan Razin was marked by an open rebellion against the king. He sent letters in the south of the country in which he called everyone to get the will to join him. In addition, then there was a tradition of impostors, which was used by Stepan Razin. A brief biography of the chieftain continued as follows: he spread the rumor that he had an heir to the throne in the army, Alexei Alekseevich, who had actually recently died. Then the king was in conflict with Patriarch Tikhon, whom he sent into exile. Taking advantage of this, Razin also said that the high priest also supported him. The peasants did not need evidence, they willingly walked under his banners.
Popular support helped Razin capture Astrakhan, Saratov, Tsaritsyn and Samara. Moving upstream, the Cossacks were next to Simbirsk. His siege began in 1670. The order was given by Razin Stepan Timofeevich himself. The biography of the chieftain states that the life of a good Cossack hung in the balance. He went so far that defeat would not leave him the opportunity to survive.
Defeat and execution
Meanwhile, an army of 60 thousand soldiers was already moving from Moscow. Razintsy were defeated and driven back from Simbirsk. Stepan fled, but he was not able to enlist the support of the Cossacks, who did not want to be in disgrace. As a result, Razin was captured by his comrades-in-arms, who surrendered to his king in April 1671. On June 6, the leader of the popular uprising was quartered.
It happened in Moscow on Bolotnaya Square for the edification of everyone around. Nevertheless, everyone still remembers who Razin Stepan Timofeevich is. A brief biography of the chieftain became the basis for the numerous folk songs that are popular today.