Don Cossack and Ataman Stepan Razin entered the story as a fillingler and the head of the peasant war that flashed in Russia in 1670-1671. For many people, his name is associated with robber raids and ruin. The rebellion under the leadership of the wall of Razin became truly a tragic and bloody page of the history of Russia.
Despite this, the personality of Stepan should not be considered only under such an angle - he was not devoid of a peculiar nobility and the latitude of the soul. It can rightly be called an outstanding commander, who became the "father" of all disadvantages. What was the life path of Stepan Razin? What is known about this contradictory and difficult person?
early years
Stepan Timofeevich Razin was born in 1630 in the Cossack family. As the legend says about him, Mother Razin was the captive Crimean Tatarka, although this fact is not confirmed. The Motherland of Stepana's father was Voronezh, and the reasons for the resettlement to the Don, like many other peasants, were hunger and the powerlessness of power.
Becoming the Cossack, Timofey acquired a house and considerable economy, became one of the most respected representatives of the Cossacks. He participated in almost all military campaigns by putting love for freedom and courage to his sons - Ivan, Stepan and Frolu.
A number of reforms and transformations of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich turned out to be an unbearable burden for peasants and the Cossacks. In 1649, "Cathedral Message" was signed, which aggravated the position of serfs. This was the cause of discontent in the people, provoking the shoots of people to Don.
There, the peasants became "naked", free Cossacks without property. The fugitives united in the detachments, often robbed, and in the meantime, the number of such peasant-Cossack settlements grew. The largest associations became the Don and Yaitsky Cossacks.
Causes of the uprising
In historical sources of 1652, it is already noted that Stepan Rinor became Ataman, which has always performed in support of "Golutbi". Already then in his soul, anger on representatives of the authorities, which was considered the people of powerless slaves. However, the turning point was the tragedy of 1665. His brother Ivan headed the army in the Russian-Polish company Yuri Dolgoruky.
The Cossack decided to leave the battlefield to selflessly, which was not raised by representatives of free Cossacks. However, the warlord ordered to catch up with Ivan and his squad, declared them with deserters, after which he was executed. Having lost his brother and many comrades, Stepan Razin understood that he wants to fight with those who pecks such a chaos.
Stepan Timofeevich firmly decided to carry out a number of military hikes, including Moscow. Successfully taking a number of cities, Stepan called people to join the riskers. Simple people, disadvantaged peasants considered him with their leader, believing every word.
A foreigner Ya. Stretis, who witnessed the speech of Razin in Astrakhan, wrote that Stepan stated the following:
"I will not force forcing the power, and who wants to be with me - will be a free Cossack! I came to beat only the boyars and the rich gentlemen, and with the poor and simple, as a brother, everyone! ".
Strengths Stepan Razin
And it was really so. But what was the secret of the success of the string of the rain? His congenital qualities were delets and an inxcanal, which helped in military affairs. In addition, Razin has a diplomatic talent, which helped him to solve even the most difficult negotiations in his favor. He managed to reconcile the small peoples of the Volga region, which was supported by the rebels.
The most important stage of preparation for the uprising was the so-called "hike behind Zipunov", during which the supporters of Razin acquired support and demonstrated their strength, increased the fleet at the expense of captured trade of Russian and Persian ships, were able to develop a strategy for further action. Promotivity and cunning in a considerable extent helped Stepan strengthen their detachments. However, the difference received not only the flattering characteristics.
In the letter of the Unknown from the ship "Orel", which was standing near Astrakhan, was noted:
"The man is cruel and rude, especially in a drunken form: then the greatest pleasure finds in the torment of his subordinates who orders to associate hands over his head, filling the stomach of sand and then throws them into the river."It is worth mentioning about the famous episode described in the song "Because of the Island on Strazhen", which actually occurred under Astrakhan. The cruelty of Stepan Razin narrates the Persian and Iranian folklore, preserved to the present day.
Preparation for hiking
The controversial and cruel character of razin did not interfere, acquire more and more comrades. Not only oppressed and disadvantaged people of the people have now stretched to the famous Ataman.Volunteers in the detachments of Razin now often became serviced people, artisans, merchants. The Cossack's troops were a lot of old workers who are dissatisfied with the detachment of the church reform of Patriarch Nikon. Supported razin and various populations of the Volga region - Mordva, Tatars, Chuvashi, Mari.
In just a year, Razin's troops have gained great strength. And if initially in the "hike behind the Zipunov" wagon went with six hundred Cossacks, now at least 20 thousand people consisted in his detachments.
In 1670, Razin has already prepared his army to the main campaign - to Moscow. He intentionally launched a rumor, as if in his camp, Alexey Alekseevich Alexey, the legitimate heir to the throne, which was declared dead. In fact, the young Tsarevich really died of illness, but it did not prevent the impostors to use his name.
Second taking Astrakhan
Razin again advanced to the Volga, but now many cities have surrendered to him without a fight. Setting up in Tsaritsyn, the Russoletsie, under the leadership of his brave Ataman, headed for Astrakhan. The harrow, who did not want to give the fortress to the renovers, was reset from the city wall. The rebels arranged a massacre, which continued and after the care of Razin from Astrakhan. His second appearance in this city has become no less bloody than the first.
David Butet, who was in Astrakhan at the time, recalled the city taking with shudders:
"The 9th stuck the hook in the side of Alexey Alekseevich secretary and hung him along with the son of Gilyansky Khan on the pole, on which they died a few days later. After that on the wall of the Kremlin, he hung over the legs of two sons of the governor ... The next day you were tied up, and the elder was dropped from the tower, with which the father was dropped over a few days. "
Confrontation of rebuilders
However, despite the success of Razin, the king realized how dangerous this person and those who are ready to go behind him even for death became. A considerable forces of the royal troops were thrown on the suppression of the uprising. To stop the "rebels and thieves", Alexey Mikhailovich sent the Voevod Y. Dolgorukov, V. Shcherbatova and Y. Baryatinsky, which was waiting for the Buntovshchikov under Arzamas.
Yuri Baryatinsky began to move towards Kazan, seeking not to give the opportunity for troops razin to move on. Despite the desperate attempts to break through the punitive detachments, the ruins failed to achieve their goal. Now they were trapped.
Stepan himself fought bravely without noticing wounds and pain. In the battles under the symbirsky, he received a serious injury. Despite the dissected head and the periodic loss of consciousness, the Razin continued to fight. However, now an email, which so often helped Ataman, became weapons of his opponent.
Yuri Baryatinsky cunning took the rebels who were in the distant acute. He ordered a small detachment to cross the opposite coast of the Sviyagi and shout out loudly from there. Deciding that this arrived reinforcement to the tsarist troops, Stepan Razin immediately went to the Don, where he planned to take new detachments to help comrades.
Defeat rebels
Leaving his associates in Symbirsk, Razin and imagine could not, what kind of fate and overtake. Without his Ataman and the inspirer, the Cossack-peasant army turned out to be weak and unorganized. Yuri Baaryatinsky pursued the rebellion, broken down under Arzamas, and overtaking ordered severely to straighten.
One of the foreign officers wrote in his diary:
"It's scary to look at Arzamas: his suburbs seemed perfect hell: everywhere they stood the gallows and hung around 40 and 50 corpses everywhere; there were scattered heads and smoked fresh blood; The stakes were sticking out, on which criminals suffered and were often alive for three days, experiencing indescribable suffering. In the continuation of the three months, 11 thousand people were executed. "
Film rain
But what is Stepan? Meanwhile, Razin tried to enlist the support of the Don Cossacks. Here are just the domain representatives of the Cossacks did not want the royal punishers to turn to the free Don.
Even the landscale father, Korniliy Yakovlev, first supporting Ataman, did not want to stick to his lands. Most of the former comrades were hostile to rain. Nevertheless, almost six months later, the Razin and his associates lived in the Kagalnitskian town.
Despite the external calm, the Don Cossacks were in suspense. Cossacks realized that the differences located near them would certainly be the reason for the appearance of the royal troops, and this was their main fear. On April 14, 1671, a small detachment of local Cossacks attacked the kagasnik, after which the city was set on fire.
Almost all comrades raid were killed, and the house where he was a few months, flaming. Desperate resistance did not help Ataman in confrontation. Stepan Razin was taken by its own Cossacks, and his younger brother Frol was caught soon.
Cassenger Ataman
More than two hundred people were taken to Moscow captive. Frol sobbed and accused of trouble his older brother, Stepan did not agree: "There is no trouble! We will be scratched scratch; The biggest gentlemen will go to meet us. " The Cossacks for the capture of the leader of the Buntovshchikov and his brother received a generous "sovereign mercy", which had 3,000 silver rubles, huge stocks of bread and wine, 150 pounds of gunpowder and lead.
In prison, Razin was tortured for a long time, but even during the torture Cossack showed inconceivable courage and durability. The diplomat Jacob Riettfels wrote about Razin:
"His body was already ulcerated, so the blows of the whip fell on the naked bones, and he nevertheless neglected them, which not only did not shout, but did not even moan and reproached his brother, who was separated by suffering and less hardy, in a little and stocky. "
Despite all the suffered torture, torment and hatred, which was powered by government officials, he remained unlikely to the last sigh. As biographers tell, he has repeatedly resembled his brother that the case they started by them would certainly lead to a similar end - even in case of even greater success. I have no doubt that Stepan, unlike Frol, perfectly aware of the danger of his position even in the time of Triumph.
On June 6, 1671, the execution of Stepan Razin took place on Red Square. The events of the day are described in very detailed in the letter of An Englishman Thomas Hebdon:
"This disorder kept his angry type of tyrant all the time and, as it was seen, was not afraid of death at all ... Some of us even were spattered with blood. At first he cut off his hands, then his legs and, finally, head. These five parts of the body have planted five stakes. Torching was thrown in the evening. "As the legend says, at the time of the execution itself, when Stepan had hands, his brother, could not see it, cried out: "I know the word and the matter of the state!". What a strip in response fiercely stuck: "Silent, dog!", As it has become his last words.
Despite the fact that stakes with the parts of the body of Stepan Razin were still in Moscow, this man continued to instill fear. Even after his death, he remained powerful and terrible for the authorities. His rebellion was crash due to the spontaneity and low level of organization, the lack of specific goals and disparability of rebel actions.
Despite this, the chapter himself continues to distinguish the minds of people. In it, the unthinkable cruelty, true nobility, high ideas and low-lying passions were accustomed to. But the main thing - he was fully faithful to the case, his ideas, to refuse whom he did not make even death.