Moscow plague riot of 1771: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 16:57, 2 September 2005

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'''Plague Riot''' (''Чумной бунт'' in [[Russian language|Russian]]) was a [[riot]] in [[Moscow]] between [[September 15]] and [[September 17]] of [[1771]], caused by an outbreak of [[plague]].

The first signs of plague in Moscow appeared in the late [[1770]], which would turn into a major [[epidemic]] in the spring of 1771. The measures undertaken by the authorities, such as creation of forced [[quarantine]]s, destruction of contaminated property without compensation or control, closing of [[public baths]] etc., caused fear and anger among the citizens. City's economy was mostly paralyzed due to the fact that many factories, markets, stores, and administrative buildings had been closed down. All of this was followed by acute [[food shortage]]s, causing deterioration of living conditions for the majority of the [[Moscow|Muscovite]]s. [[Dvoryane]] and well-off citizens left Moscow due to the plague outbreak.

The first outbursts of mass protest against the measures undertaken by the authorities took place on [[August 29]] and [[September 1]] in a neighborhood of [[Lefortovo]]. By early [[September]], the rumors of an imminent uprising had already been circulating. An attempt by the [[Archbishop of Moscow Ambrosius]] to prevent the citizens from gathering at the [[Icon of the Virgin Mary of Bogolyubovo]] (Икона Боголюбской Богоматери) in [[Kitai-gorod]] as a quarantine measure served as an immediate cause for the Plague Riot. On September 15, huge crowds of Muscovites began to flow towards the [[Red Square]] at the sound of the alarm bell. Pushing aside a military unit, they burst into the [[Moscow Kremlin|Kremlin]] and destroyed the [[Chudov Monastery]] ([[archbishop]]'s residence) and its [[wine cellar]]s. Archbishop Ambrosius managed to escape to the [[Donskoy Monastery]].