Power structure in the Lower and Middle Volga region during the rebellion of Stepan Razin

10.54398/1818510Х_2023_3_9

Annotation

The rebellion of Stepan Razin destroyed the tsarist administration in the territories of the Volga region. The power of the rebellious Cossacks, peasants, and urban residents was established there for a short period of time. The main goal of this article is to study how this power was structured. The main source of information is the interrogations of the rebels. During interrogations, they were rarely asked about the power structure in the rebel territories. For this reason, the information is fragmentary and incomplete. This study attempts to recreate a comprehensive picture of the power structure of the rebels, which has not been done since Soviet historiography. The Cossack krug (circle) and the institution of ataman power were the main governing bodies of the Cossacks. They attempted to bring these forms of power from the Don to the rebellious cities of the Volga region. Throughout the rebellion, the balance of power and opportunities between these two institutions, as well as the social composition of the rebels, changed. Due to this, the power structure in the Middle and Lower Volga regions differed. The participation of different categories of the population in the popular movement and the geographic specificity of the Volga basin, where the actions of the rebels took place, determined the power structure in the areas under their control. The Lower Volga region differs in that it boasts few cities. As a result, the large garrisons of Don Cossacks left behind by Stepan Razin played an active role in creating governance institutions. In the Middle Volga region, there were fewer Don Cossacks, and for this reason, urban residents played a decisive role in capturing and establishing power.

Keywords

• Stepan Razin's rebellion
• power structure
• geographic specificity
• Volga region
• Cossack krug (circle)
• ataman
• city council
• voivode
• urban residents
• the Peasant War
• Don Cossacks
• popular movement
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References

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