Pugachev's Rebellion

The Russian Peasant War of 1773-75. Under the rule of Catherine the Great, the enslavement of serfs was promoted, and this rebellion arose against the backdrop of frequent peasant uprisings in response to this oppression.

Emel'yan Ivanovich Pugachyov (c. 1742-1775), a Don Cossack, appeared in the Yaik River (now the Ural River) region in 1773 and led the Yaik Cossacks, who were rebelling against the burdens imposed by the government, in a rebellion. In the autumn, he laid siege to the Orenburg fortress. The rebel army was joined by fugitive peasants and Bashkirs. Although they failed to capture the fortress, the rebel army numbered 50,000 at its peak. They took control of the Kama River basin, and in the summer of the following year occupied Kazan and Saratov, key points on the Volga River. Pugachev falsely claimed to be Peter III, issued an edict to emancipate the serfs, and executed many nobles and officials. Peasant uprisings occurred all over the country from the Volga River to central Russia, and their power posed a great threat to Moscow. However, they suffered repeated defeats at the hands of reinforced government forces, and at the end of August 1974, they suffered a decisive defeat in the lower Volga region. Pugachev attempted to make a comeback by fleeing to the Don region, but was captured by government forces for betrayal and executed in Moscow in January 1975, and the peasants who took part in the rebellion were also brutally retaliated against. The rebellion caused fear in the ruling class for a long time.

Pushkin's novel The Captain's Daughter is based on this rebellion.

[Yukio Ito]

"The Peasant War in Imperial Russia" by Shigeo Abe (1969, Yoshikawa Kobunkan) " "The History of the Pugachev Rebellion" translated by Tetsuo Yonekawa (included in the Complete Works of Pushkin 5, 1973, Kawade Shobo Shinsha)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

1773～75年のロシアの農民戦争。エカチェリーナ2世の治下で農奴の奴隷化が促進されたが、この乱は、このような圧制に対して頻発する農民一揆(いっき)を背景にしたものであった。

　ドン・コサック出身のプガチョフЕмельян　Иванович　Пугачеёв／Emel'yan Ivanovich Pugachyov（1742ころ―75）が、1773年ヤイク川（現ウラル川）地方に現れ、政府の課した負担に反発していたヤイク・コサックを率いて反乱を宣し、秋にオレンブルグ要塞(ようさい)を包囲した。反乱軍には逃亡農民やバシキール人なども加わった。要塞の攻略には失敗したものの、以後反乱軍は最盛時に5万人に達した。カマ川流域を制圧して、翌年夏にはボルガ川の要衝カザン、サラトフを占領した。プガチョフはピョートル3世を僭称(せんしょう)して、農奴解放の詔勅を発し、多くの貴族、役人を処刑した。ボルガ川から中央ロシアにかけての各地で農民が蜂起(ほうき)し、その勢力はモスクワに非常な脅威を与えた。しかし増強された政府軍に敗退を重ね、74年8月末ボルガ下流で決定的な敗北を被った。プガチョフは再起を図ってドン地域に走ったが、密告のため政府軍に捕らえられ、75年1月モスクワで処刑され、反乱に参加した農民も残酷な報復を受けた。反乱は長く支配層に恐怖感を与えた。

　なお、プーシキンの小説『大尉の娘』はこの反乱を素材としたものである。

［伊藤幸男］

『阿部重雄著『帝政ロシアの農民戦争』（1969・吉川弘文館）』▽『米川哲夫訳「プガチョーフ反乱史」（『プーシキン全集5』所収・1973・河出書房新社）』

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