The events described in this article are known in the official chronology as the Peasant War of 1773 - 1775 under the leadership of Yemelyan Pugachev.
Immediately after the defeat of the rebels, in 1775, all information was classified, and for the most part destroyed. A decree was issued that introduced punishment not only for mentioning the name of Pugachev, but also for not informing those who heard this mention. All materials on the Pugachev case for 144 years, until the end of the Romanov dynasty, were classified as "secret". Even such a famous person as A. S. Pushkin failed to study them when he wrote his famous works. I am absolutely sure that among the documents that have been preserved, the overwhelming majority are forgeries of the Romanovs, or originals that have been leaked by their censors. Why are there such difficulties? Well, there were some "dashing people" - "bandyugans", muddied the quarrel, the people, due to their stupidity and darkness, were led to their dense … well, so what?
They have defeated the villains - one must be proud! Show the enlightened people this "scoundrel who clings to the most august persons", so that at once it becomes clear that all this is nonsense about Peter the Third (read more about him in the article "Murder of Peter the Great's grandson - the tragedy of Russia") and his claims to the throne, right? However, they did everything exactly the opposite. Classified, forbidden to mention, but who was it when it stopped? And rumors and conjectures began to flow throughout Russia and Europe even more than ever. The conclusion suggests itself: it means there was something to hide! Let's try to figure it out.
Pugachev's war with regular units of the army.
As you know, Peter III is meant by Pugachev, but which one? The simplest explanation - that it could be the husband of Catherine II, who survived after the removal from power, is very doubtful, there were no fools and humanists among those who cleaned the place for the throne (the Orlov brothers did not stain themselves with such a characteristic). Surely he was reliably strangled with a rifle strap, since A. Orlov did not have enough strength. However, there is another version, which is more complicated and therefore much more realistic.
Tsarevich Alexei, who was killed by Peter the Great (possibly a substituted personality, wrote about this in detail in the materials "This strange Tsar Peter"), had a son, Peter. He reigned under Menshikov's regency for only three years and, according to the official version, died either from a cold or from smallpox. Menshikov at that time was sent into exile in Siberia, but the official chroniclers of the Romanovs did not take into account that at that time (as follows from many European sources), Siberia did not belong to Russian Muscovy, but to Moscow Tartary (again this mysterious Tartary). It turns out that they exiled a criminal accursed to the territory of a neighboring (even if union) state? Usually, they run away from persecution, taking the heir to the throne, saving him and themselves from the participants in the conspiracy.
Pugachev or Peter the Third?
So, if we assume that Peter the Second was saved and he had a son, then according to the years and the logic of the succession to the throne, he should have been Peter the Third. Which of the meager facts known to us can confirm this version?
Promotional video:
1) Official information about his personality:
- was born in the village of Zimoveyskaya (in the same place where Stepan Razin did not have enough imagination, or was there just a "smithy" of Cossack leaders?);
- is described to us as a dissolute, illiterate goof, who did not have his own corner and "a king in his head" (and not just peasants, but foremen, chieftains, riflemen and city governors, patriarchs of district dioceses? - not enough …);
- the surname Pugachev is clearly invented (as well as Otrepiev, for example), designed to evoke subconscious associations with the words "scare" or "scarecrow", confirmations of the name of the "leader" to the descendants, you understand, the Romanovs prudently did not leave.
Personal seal of Pugachev (pay attention to the profile).
2) Military and political action:
- the tactics of actions and the structure of his troops (namely, troops, not gangs), confirms the high degree of organization, the ability to master the initiative, tactics, good supply with everything necessary (according to experts in military affairs);
Seal of the Pugachev military collegium.
- the presence of a military collegium, which A. V. Suvorov respectfully called the Headquarters (this is a completely understandable commentary, isn't it? for bandits and peasants - Headquarters?);
- cannons, cannonballs and powder supplies for his army, were manufactured at the Ural factories (Moscow Tartaria) - the state level;
- in foreign archives there are documents on the allocation of large sums for Pugachev's army from France and the Ottoman Empire, as well as on the assignment of professional officers to his army as advisers (well, what can regular officers talk about with peasants, is it possible to teach the crowd to fight according to military science ?);
- finally, after a series of defeats of regular troops (from "peasants and crowds of robbers"), Russian Muscovy urgently concluded an unprofitable peace with the Ottoman Empire (later quickly dissolved), and the liberated troops under the command of Suvorov were hastily transferred to the internal front (nothing the peasants raised a storm for themselves - only Suvorov could defeat them!);
- throughout his journey, Pugachev published (literate and reasonable) manifestos, proclamations, decrees and other political documents (working and achieving their intended goals - not even all the tsars succeeded!);
- many cities greeted him with bread and salt, residents came out with priests and local governors, fell on their knees in front of him (that's how you want, but it is hard to believe that nobles, merchants and officials will fall on their knees before the bandits and murderers), festive services were served for Emperor Peter and Empress Ustinya Petrovna (the people wanted and saw another empress above themselves - but I wonder who is that anyway?).
Suvorov escorts Pugachev.
3) Trial and execution:
- well, Suvorov won "tatya", and he would have gone with the army to the place of a new deployment or to rest, after the labors of the warriors, but no - he showed a high honor and personally escorted to Moscow for trial (this is how they escort especially noble prisoners);
- the trial of the "robber of vile origin" took place for some reason in the Throne Room of the Kremlin, and why on earth (?), the captured villains were usually not released from the torture cellars until execution, and here is a hall for a solemn reception of senior state officials and dignitaries (again strange honor given);
- neither the interrogation protocol, nor any serious documents shedding light on those events remained - everything was thoroughly and quickly cleaned up … suspiciously thorough … (and then the same decree on execution for one mention), the Yaik river was renamed into Ural, Yaitskoe Cossacks in the Ural, the Volga Cossack army were generally disbanded, even the Zaporozhye Sich was liquidated and the village (supposedly the native Pugachev) was also renamed, in general they tried to erase not only human memory, but also geographical toponymy (deeply Catherine "bandit and robber" ate deeply).
Execution of Pugachev.
The measures taken, in my opinion, definitely indicate a conflict at the state level, and certainly not an uprising of "bandit gangs led by an uneducated impostor." A number of historians believe that this war put an end to the independent kingdoms of Tartary, placing them in a strong colonial dependence on the metropolis - Russian Muscovy, later called the Russian Empire. I also probably agree with this formulation - the fight for the throne was won by Catherine II.
Continuation: What was hidden by the "Pugachev uprising"?