Rasin uprising

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Razin rebels in Astrakhan , Dutch engraving from 1681

The Rasin uprising was a failed uprising in the Volga region in Tsarist Russia , which was directed against serfdom and the abusive Russian state administration. The uprising was contained by the end of 1670. Its leaders were executed on June 6, 1671.

prehistory

Due to the Russian expansion in the 17th century and the increasing incorporation of non-Russian areas it came from the mid-17th century to unrest and riots of non-Russian peoples, especially in the Volga area , the former Tatar was dominated. The tsarist policy of Alexei I towards the new peoples in the now multi-ethnic Russian empire alternated between oppression and violent colonization and consideration for the existing structures through indirect rule. The increasing tensions from the second half of the 17th century were therefore directed against tsarist rule and the restoration of the old khanates . The Russians now acted more sharply against the Volga peoples, since they saw the security and power of the state in question. The Orthodox Church now expanded its missionary activity and did not shy away from forced baptisms and similar coercive measures. Land colonization was also promoted. The burdens for the non-Russian residents increased enormously. As a result of this change in Moscow politics, the territories became more firmly integrated into the Russian Empire. The Volga peoples were not ready to accept the new policy without resistance.

course

The leader of the uprising movement of the Don Cossacks was Stenka Razin (actually Stepan Timofejewitsch Razin ). He had made himself the spokesman for those who wanted to maintain the Cossack autonomy, and thus stood in opposition to the Cossack upper class, which had entered into an alliance with the Tsar. From 1667 on, Rasin and his department had undertaken raids on the lower Volga to the Persian coast of the Caspian Sea and attacked Tsarist transports in the process. In the process, he had noticeably gained fame and recognition and an increasing following among the Cossacks.

Since the spring of 1670, the army, led by the ataman Razin, advanced as far as Astrakhan and Simbirsk . The elevation quickly spread to the Volga regions. Up to 20,000 men fought temporarily against the Tsarist troops. To the groups of Cossacks and rebellious peasants sentient met disadvantaged Strelets and many Old Believers . The largest group of insurgents were non-Russian Volga peoples. The insurgent's program aimed to divide the wealth of the rich among all residents and to introduce the Cossack administrative system with its democratic grassroots assemblies and elected atamans everywhere. Serfdom should be abolished. In Astrakhan this program was implemented for a short time. The rebels took the oath on Razin and on the tsar. Rasin posed as the deputy of the late heir to the throne Alexei (February 5, 1654 - January 17, 1670). The immediate opponents were not the tsar, but the boyars as representatives of serfdom and the state administrative officials, whose abuse of state power repeatedly aroused displeasure.

From the end of 1670, government troops pushed the insurgents back more and more. Stenka Rasin was eventually captured by betrayal. The tsar interrogated him personally. He was executed in Moscow on June 6, 1671.

consequences

As a result of the uprising, some of the worst administrative abuses were ended. At the same time, the pressure on the peasants and the non-Russian peoples increased.

Numerous legends and folk songs that revolved around Stenka Rasin kept him awake. In developing a tradition of resistance against the state, it played a special role.

literature