This is the 17th Century Page!

Click through below to find rebellions, revolutions, riots, and more in 17th century Tsarist Russia. I hope you enjoy and learn something new!

17th Century
Uprising of Bolotnikov
  • Date: 1606-1607
  • Location: Southern & Central Russia
  • Groups Uprising: Peasants, Cossacks, Nobles
  • Number of People: Up to 25-30,000
  • Leaders: Ivan Bolotnikov
  • Reason(s): Rise of serfdom, political instability, famine
  • Result: Supression
Moscow Uprising of 1648 (Salt Riot)
  • Date: June 1648
  • Location: Moscow, Russia (sparked some smaller riots across Russia)
  • Groups Uprising: Moscovites, Strelsy
  • Number of People: Unknown
  • Leaders: Unknown
  • Reason(s): Installation of a universal salt tax, which drove up its prices, poorer boyars wanted to reclaim escaped serfs, widespread (local) corruption
  • Result: Death of Leontii Pleshcheyev (head of Moscow police), creation of the Assembly of the Land, through which the legal code used for centuries was formed (which, among other things, made it practically impossible for serfs to escape their boyars)
Copper Coin Riot
  • Date: (N.S.) August 4th, 1662
  • Location: Moscow, Russia
  • Groups Uprising: Mainly Moscovites
  • Number of People: Up to 10,000
  • Leaders: Unknown (or N/A)
  • Reason(s): Financial Crisis (deteriation of Moscow's economy due to the Livonian war, rise in taxes, inflation due to the issuing and then devaluation of copper coins, and the production of counterfeit money)
  • Result: Merciless suppression, fear among officials
Bashkir Rebellion of 1662-1664
  • Date: Summer 1662 - Autumn 1664
  • Location: (Mostly) Bashkortostan (Bashkiria), Russia
  • Groups Uprising: Bashkir Rebels
  • Number of People: Unknown
  • Leaders: Gaura Akbulatov, Ulekeya Krivoy, Ishmukhammed, Konkas Davletbaev, Uraslanbek Bakkin
  • Reason(s): Fear of losing rights to land, increased taxes, abuse by officials
  • Result: Officials removed for mistreatement, promised end to abuse by tax collectors, patrimonial right to land officially confirmed
Stepan (Or Stenka) Razin Rebellion
  • Date: 1670-1671
  • Location: Don and Volga regions of Russia; Kazan, Russia
  • Groups Uprising: Rebel Cossacks
  • Number of People: 500-20,000 (Varies between different periods)
  • Leaders: Stepan Razin, Vasily Us, Alena Arzamasskaia
  • Reason(s): Protect independence of the Cossacks, protest centralized government (and give more power to the people)
  • Result: Brutal suppression and the execution of Razin (among others), increased government control and increased fear among the upper class and tsar of rebellion
Bashkir Rebellion of 1676 and 1681-1684
  • Date: 1676, 1681-1684
  • Location: Volga and Ural regions (Western Bashkortostan/Bashkiria)
  • Groups Uprising: Bashkir Rebels, Tatars
  • Number of People: Unknown
  • Leaders: Seit Saafer (Sadiir), Ish-Mukhammed Devletbaev, other Bashkir nobles
  • Reason(s): Russian governmant tried to impose Christianity on the Muslim Bashkir (and on the Muslim Tatars)
  • Result: Promise to end forceful Christinization
Moscow Uprising of 1682
  • Date: May 1682
  • Location: Moscow, Russia
  • Groups Uprising: Moscow Strelsy Regiments (firearm infantry)
  • Number of People: Unknown
  • Leaders: Sophia Alekseyevna, Prince Ivan Andreyevich Khovansky (Tararui)
  • Reason(s): Death of Tsar Feodar III (and ensuing succession "crisis"), discontent of Moscow regiments
  • Result: Deaths/Murders of multiple Naryshkin supporters (including Peter I's uncles), top commanders, and boyars, installation of Ivan V and Peter I as the "first" and "second" tsar (respectively), with Ivan's sister and Peter's half-sister, Sophia, as regent
Strelsy Uprising of 1698
  • Date: June 6th-18th, 1698
  • Location: West of Moscow, Russia
  • Groups Uprising: Four Strelsy Regiments sent to Velikiye Luki
  • Number of People: 2,300
  • Leaders: Chosen Strelsy electives
  • Reason(s): Not entirely agreed upon (rebellion due to Peter the Great's reforms or due to oppression of serfs and military hardships and mistreatment), discontentment among the Strelsy
  • Result: Major investigations leading to the execution, torture, and exile of many Strelsy, disbanding of the Moscow regiments and the removal of them and their families from Moscow