Peasant war led by Razin. Uprising led by Stepan Razin

At the end of the 17th century. The largest Cossack-peasant uprising broke out in Russia. The reasons that people took up arms and stood up against the authorities were different for each layer - peasants, archers and Cossacks had their own reasons for this. The uprising led by Stepan Razin consisted of two stages - a campaign against the Caspian Sea, which was of a predatory nature, and a campaign against the Volga, which took place with the participation of peasants. S.T. Razin was a strong, intelligent and cunning man, which allowed him to subjugate the Cossacks and gather a large army for his campaigns. You will learn about all this in more detail from this lesson.

Historians of the 20th century Most often the uprising of Stepan Razin was assessed as the second peasant war in Russia. They believed that this movement was a response to the enslavement of the peasants in 1649.

As for the reasons for the uprising led by Stepan Razin, they were complex and quite complex. Behind each factor of the uprising there was a certain social type of the rebel people. Firstly, they were Cossacks (Fig. 2). When in 1642 the Cossacks abandoned the conquest of the Azov fortress, they could no longer go on predatory campaigns in the Black Sea region and in the Azov region: their path was blocked by Azov, the Turkish fortress. Therefore, the size of the Cossacks’ military booty decreased significantly. Due to the difficult situation in Russia (Russian-Polish War) and the enslavement of peasants, the number of fugitive peasants to the south of the country increased. The population grew, and there were fewer and fewer sources of livelihood. Thus, tension arose on the Don, which explains the participation of the Cossacks in the uprising of Stepan Razin.

Rice. 2. Don Cossacks ()

Secondly, the archers (Fig. 3), who made up the bulk of the garrisons in southern Russia, took part in the uprising. That is, the main military force the country went over to the side of the rebels. Financial problems did not allow the servicemen to be paid their salaries in full, which the archers did not like. This was the reason for their joining the uprising.

Rice. 3. Sagittarius ()

Thirdly, the peasant movement could not do without the peasants themselves (Fig. 4). The formal enslavement of the peasants according to the Council Code of 1649 did not yet mean the establishment of a complete serfdom regime, but still greatly limited the rights of the peasants. This was the reason for their participation in the uprising of Stepan Razin.

Rice. 4. Peasants ()

Thus, everyone social type there was a reason for dissatisfaction with the Russian government.

The Cossacks were the driving force behind the uprising led by Stepan Razin.Towards the middleXVIIV. Among the Cossacks, a top group stood out - the homely Cossacks. If the bulk of the Cossacks were mostly poor people, former peasants and slaves, then homely Cossacks - these were rich people with personal property. Thus, the Cossacks were heterogeneous, and this became evident during the uprising.

As for the personality of Stepan Timofeevich Razin (c. 1631-1670), he was an amazing person with extensive life experience. Several times the Cossacks elected him as their chieftain. Razin knew the Tatar and Turkish languages, since on the Don it was necessary for the leader of the Cossacks to know the languages ​​of his opponents. Stepan Razin crossed the Moscow state twice - he went to Solovki in the White Sea. S.T. Razin was an educated man with a broad outlook. He also had a strong-willed character, and he kept all the Cossacks in obedience.

On the eve of Stepan Razin's uprising, a social explosion occurred - a harbinger of a formidable uprising. Several hundred Cossacks, led by Vasily Us, moved towards Moscow. They wanted to be recognized as servicemen and paid. However, near Tula they were stopped and forced to turn back.

In the spring of 1667, Stepan Razin decided to go with the Cossacks on a predatory campaign to the Caspian Sea. Having sailed along the Volga, Razin’s army approached Astrakhan. Here the royal governor tried to detain the “thieves’ army,” but the Razins managed to slip along one of the branches in the Volga delta (Fig. 5) and entered the Caspian Sea. Then they moved up, then to the East along the river. Yaik. On this river there was a royal fortress called Yaitsky town with the Yaitsky Cossacks living there. Stepan Razin and his Cossacks used a trick: they dressed in simple clothes and, having entered the city, killed the guards at night and allowed their army into the city. The entire leadership of the Yaitsky town was executed by Razin’s Cossacks. Most of the service people in this fortress went over to the side of the rebels. Then Stepan’s entire army took part in the duvan - dividing the looted property equally between the Cossacks. After Razin and Duvan joined the army, the archers became full-fledged Cossacks.

Rice. 5. Crossing ships by portage ()

In the spring of 1668, the Cossack Razin army descended down the river. Yaik and went to the western coast of the Caspian Sea - the Persian shores. The Cossacks subjected the coast to a devastating defeat. They captured and plundered Big City Derbent, as well as a number of other cities. An episode occurred in the town of Farabat that showed the truly predatory intentions of Razin’s army. Having agreed with the residents of the city that Stepan Razin’s army would not plunder their city, but would only trade, after all the trading, it attacked the residents and plundered the city.

In 1669, the Razin Cossacks plundered the eastern Turkmen coast of the Caspian Sea. Finally, the Persian Shah sent his fleet against the Cossacks. Then Razin resorted to a trick. Again using cunning, the Razin fleet pretended to flee, and then, gradually turning their ships, defeated the Persian ships one by one.

Burdened with booty, the Razins moved home in 1669. This time, Razin’s army could not slip past Astrakhan unnoticed, so Stepan Razin confessed to the Astrakhan prince Prozorovsky. In Astrakhan (Fig. 6) the Razinites stopped for some time. Stepan Razin’s Cossacks went on a campaign “for zipuns” as ordinary people, modestly dressed and not rich, and returned with money, in expensive clothes with magnificent weapons, thus appearing before the people of Astrakhan, including servicemen. Then a doubt crept into the minds of the Tsar’s serving people: whether it was worth serving the Tsar further or joining Razin’s army.

Rice. 6. Astrakhan in the 17th century. ()

Finally, the Razins sailed from Astrakhan. Before leaving, Stepan gave his expensive lip to Prozorovsky. When the Cossacks sailed from Astrakhan, Stepan Razin threw, according to one version, the Persian princess, according to another, the daughter of an influential Kabardian prince overboard his ship, since his legal wife was waiting for him at home. This story was based on folk song“Because of the island on the rod.” This episode shows the essence of Stepan Razin’s predatory campaign to the Caspian Sea. Having walked between the Volga and Don, the Razinites returned home. But Razin did not disband his army.

In the spring of 1670, a royal messenger arrived on the Don in Cherkassk. Stepan Razin arrived here with his army. A general Cossack circle took place (Fig. 7). Razin proved to his Cossacks that the messenger came not from the tsar, but from the traitorous boyars, and he was drowned in the river. Thus, the bridges were burned, and Stepan decided to go with his Cossack army to the Volga.

Rice. 7. Cossack circle led by Stepan Razin in Cherkassk ()

On the eve of the campaign against the Volga, Stepan Razin sent out lovely letters to people (Fig. 8) - propaganda for his army. In these letters, Razin called on “to remove the worldly bloodsuckers,” that is, to destroy all the privileged classes in Russia, which, in his opinion, interfere with life ordinary people. That is, S.T. Razin spoke not against the tsar, but against the shortcomings of the then existing system.

Rice. 8. Lovely letters from Stepan Razin ()

Stepan Razin did not want to leave the strong Astrakhan fortress in his rear, and his army first moved down the Volga. Voivode Prozorovsky sent a large rifle detachment to meet the Razinites, but he went over to the side of the rebels. When Razin's army approached Astrakhan, the first assault on the fortress was unsuccessful. But then most of the archers went over to the side of the rebels, and the Razins took the fortress. Voivode Prozorovsky and the authorities of Astrakhan were executed.

After the capture of Astrakhan, Stepan Razin's army moved up the Volga. One after another, the cities were captured by Razin’s troops, and the Streltsy garrisons went over to the side of the rebels. Finally, the best Moscow infantry - the capital's archers - was sent against Razin's army (Fig. 9). The Razins captured the Volga region city of Saratov, but the Moscow archers did not yet know about it. Then S.T. Razin once again resorted to cunning. Some of Razin’s troops imitated an assault on the fortress, and some settled in the city. As soon as the Moscow archers landed near Saratov, all the Razins attacked them, and then the tsarist troops laid down their arms. Most of the Moscow archers joined the Razin army, but the Razins did not really trust them and put them on the oars.

Rice. 9. Capital archers ()

Next, Razin’s army reached the city of Simbirsk (Fig. 10). The fortress stood, and the government army approached it. However, Razin gained the upper hand and forced government troops to retreat. Near Simbirsk, the peasant nature of the uprising became more evident. In this area, peasants joined the rebels en masse. But they acted within the boundaries of their region where they lived: they killed landowners, stormed fortresses and monasteries, and then returned to their farms.

Rice. 10. Stepan Razin’s troops storm Simbirsk ()

In September 1670, newly formed and trained government regiments approached Simbirsk, which this time defeated Stepan Razin’s army. He was wounded and with several Cossacks fled down the Volga and to the Don. On the Don, the homely Cossacks handed Razin over to the authorities because they were saving their lives.

Stepan Timofeevich Razin and his brother Frol were taken to Moscow. Razin endured all the torture and in the summer of 1671 was executed by quartering. Razin's brother, Frol, was executed a few years later, because at first he said that he knew where the treasures of the Razins were hidden, but this turned out not to be the case.

After the execution of Stepan Razin, the core of the rebel army - the Cossacks - was defeated, but the uprising did not stop immediately. In some places, peasants also came out with weapons. But the peasant movement was also soon suppressed. Boyar Yuri Dolgoruky hanged 11,000 peasants during punitive campaigns.

Theoretically, if Razin’s army had won, the structure of the Moscow state would not have changed, since it could not be structured in the image of the Cossack circle; its structure was more complex. If the Razins had won, they would have wanted to take the estates with the peasants and settle down. Thus, the political system would not have been changed - the movement had no prospects.

Bibliography

1. Baranov P.A., Vovina V.G. and others. History of Russia. 7th grade. - M.: “Ventana-Graf”, 2013.
2. Buganov V.I. Razin and the Razins. - M., 1995.
3. Danilov A.A., Kosulina L.G. Russian history. 7th grade. End XVI- XVIII century. - M.: “Enlightenment”, 2012.
4. The Peasant War under the leadership of Stepan Razin: in 2 volumes. - M., 1957.
5. Chistyakova E.V., Solovyov V.M. Stepan Razin and his associates / Reviewer: Dr. ist. sciences, prof. IN AND. Buganov; Design by artist A.A. Brantman. - M.: Mysl, 1988.

1. Protown.ru ().
2. Hiztory.ru ().
3. Doc.history.rf ().

Homework

1. Tell us about the reasons for the uprising led by Stepan Razin.
2. Describe the personality of S.T. Razin.
3. To what type can the first stage of the uprising be classified - the predatory Cossack or the peasant?
4. What contributed to the continuation of Stepan Razin's uprising after the first stage? Name the reasons for the defeat of the Razins. Comment on the consequences of this uprising.

Abstract on the history of Russia

The culmination of popular uprisings in the 17th century. became uprising of Cossacks and peasants led by S.T. Razin. This movement originated in the villages of the Don Cossacks. The Don freemen have always attracted fugitives from the southern and central regions Russian state. Here they were protected by the unwritten law “there is no extradition from the Don.” The government, needing the services of the Cossacks for the defense of the southern borders, paid them a salary and put up with the self-government that existed there.

The causes of the war were strengthening of serfdom and a general deterioration in the lives of the people. The main participants in the movement were peasants, the poorest Cossacks, and the urban poor. At the second stage of the movement, the peoples of the Volga region joined him. Razin's uprising can be divided into two periods.

1st period began with the robbery campaign of the Cossacks in the Caspian Sea in 1667. The Razins captured the Yaitsky town. In the summer of 1668, Razin’s army of almost 2 thousand successfully operated in the possessions of Persia (Iran) on the Caspian coast. The Razins exchanged the captured valuables for Russian prisoners, who replenished their ranks. In the winter of 1668, the Cossacks defeated the Persian fleet sent against them. This greatly complicated Russian-Iranian relations and changed the government's attitude towards the Cossacks.

Then Razin approached Astrakhan. The local governor chose to peacefully let him into Astrakhan, subject to the concession of part of the booty and weapons. In September 1669, Razin's troops sailed up the Volga and occupied Tsaritsyn, after which they departed for the Don. Inspired by success, Razin began preparing a new campaign, this time “for the good Tsar” against the “traitorous boyars.”

2nd period. Razin's second campaign from the Don to the Volga began in April 1670. The Cossacks remained the military core, and with the influx of a huge number of fugitive peasants and peoples of the Volga region - Mordovians, Tatars, Chuvashs - into the detachment, the social orientation of the movement changed dramatically.

In May 1670, Razin's 7,000-strong detachment again captured Tsaritsyn. At the same time, the detachments of archers sent from Moscow and Astrakhan were defeated. Having established Cossack administration in Astrakhan, the rebels headed up the Volga. Samara and Saratov surrendered without a fight. Throughout the entire second period, Razin sent out “lovely letters” in which he called on the people to fight. The peasant war reached its highest limit and covered a vast territory in which numerous detachments led by atamans M. Osipov, M. Kharitonov, V. Fedorov, nun Alena and others operated. The rebels destroyed monasteries and estates.

In September, Razin’s army approached Simbirsk and stubbornly besieged it for a month. The frightened government announced the mobilization of the nobility - in August 1670, a 60,000-strong army headed to the Middle Volga region. In early October, a government detachment under the command of Yu. Baryatinsky defeated the main forces of Razin and joined the Simbirsk garrison under the command of governor I. Miloslavsky. Razin, wounded, with a small detachment went to the Don, where he hoped to recruit a new army, but was betrayed by the top of the Cossacks and handed over to the government. On June 6, 1671, Razin was executed on Red Square in Moscow. In November 1671, Astrakhan, the last stronghold of the rebels, fell. Participants in the uprising were subjected to brutal repression.

Reasons for the defeat of the uprising: spontaneous character; lack of a clear action plan; weak discipline and poor weapons of the rebels; lack of a clear political program; contradictions between different social groups in the rebel camp.

Like all peasant unrest, Razin's uprising was defeated. But this was one of the largest anti-feudal protests in Russian history.

PEASANT WAR UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF STEPAN RAZIN(1670–1671) – protest movement of peasants, serfs, Cossacks and urban lower classes in the 17th century. In pre-revolutionary Russian historiography it was called a “rebellion”, in Soviet it was called the Second peasant war(after the Uprising under the leadership of I.I. Bolotnikov).

The prerequisites for the uprising include the registration of serfdom ( Cathedral Code 1649) and the deterioration of life for the lower classes due to Russian-Polish war and monetary reform of 1662. The ideological and spiritual crisis of society was aggravated by the reform of Patriarch Nikon and the church schism, the desire of the authorities to limit the Cossack freemen and integrate them into state system added tension. The situation on the Don also worsened due to the growth of the golutvenny (poor) Cossacks, who, unlike the “domovity” (rich Cossacks), did not receive a salary from the state and a share in the “duvan” (division) of fish production. The harbinger of a social explosion was the uprising of 1666 under the leadership of the Cossack ataman Vasily Us, who managed to reach Tula from the Don, where he was joined by Cossacks and fugitive slaves from the surrounding counties.

Cossacks mainly took part in the unrest of the 1660s, and the peasants who joined them tried to protect the interests not of their class, but of their own. If they were successful, the peasants wanted to become free Cossacks or servicemen. The Cossacks and peasants were also joined by those from the townspeople who were dissatisfied with the liquidation of “white settlements” free from taxes and duties in the cities in 1649.

In the spring of 1667, a detachment of six hundred “golytba” people appeared near Tsaritsyn, led by the “homely” Cossack of the Zimoveysky town S.T. Razin. Having brought the Cossacks from the Don to the Volga, he began a “campaign for zipuns” (i.e., for booty), robbing caravans of ships with government goods. After wintering in the Yaitsky town (modern Uralsk), the Cossacks raided the possessions of the Iranian Shah - Baku, Derbent. Reshet, Farabat, Astrabat, having gained experience in the “Cossack war” (ambushes, raids, flanking maneuvers). The return of the Cossacks in August 1669 with rich booty strengthened Razin's fame as a successful chieftain. At the same time, a legend was born that ended up in a folk song about the ataman’s reprisal against a Persian princess captured as war booty.

Meanwhile, a new governor, I.S. Prozorovsky, arrived in Astrakhan, carrying out the tsar’s order not to let the Razins into Astrakhan. But the Astrakhan residents let the Cossacks in, greeting the successful chieftain with volleys of cannon from the only ship, the Eagle. According to an eyewitness, the Razins “camped near Astrakhan, from where they went to the city in crowds, dressed luxuriously, and the clothes of the poorest were made of gold brocade or silk. Razin could be recognized by the honor that was shown to him, because they approached him only on their knees and falling on their faces.”

Lev Pushkarev, Natalya Pushkareva

The uprising led by Stepan Razin is a war in Russia between the troops of peasants and Cossacks with the tsarist troops. It ended in the defeat of the rebels.

Causes.

1) The final enslavement of the peasantry;

2) Increase in taxes and duties of the lower social classes;

3) The desire of the authorities to limit the Cossack freemen;

4) Accumulation of poor “golutvenny” Cossacks and fugitive peasantry on the Don.

Background. The uprising of Stepan Razin is often attributed to the so-called “Campaign for Zipuns” (1667-1669) - the campaign of the rebels “for booty”. Razin's detachment blocked the Volga and thereby blocked the most important economic artery of Russia. During this period, Razin's troops captured Russian and Persian merchant ships.

Preparation. Returning from the “Campaign for zipuns,” Razin was with his army in Astrakhan and Tsaritsyn. There he gained the love of the townspeople. After the campaign, the poor began to come to him in crowds and he gathered a considerable army.

Hostilities. In the spring of 1670, the second period of the uprising began, that is, the war itself. From this moment, and not from 1667, the beginning of the uprising is usually counted. The Razins captured Tsaritsyn and approached Astrakhan, which the townspeople surrendered to them. There they executed the governor and nobles and organized their own government led by Vasily Us and Fyodor Sheludyak.

Battle of Tsaritsyn. Stepan Razin gathered troops. Then he went to Tsaritsyn. He surrounded the city. Then he left Vasily Us in command of the army, and he himself with a small detachment went to the Tatar settlements, where they voluntarily gave him the cattle that Razin needed to feed the army. In Tsaritsyn, meanwhile, residents experienced a shortage of water, and Tsaritsyn’s livestock were cut off from the grass and could soon begin to starve. The Razins, meanwhile, sent their people to the walls and told the archers that Ivan Lopatin’s archers, who were supposed to come to the aid of Tsaritsyn, were going to slaughter the Tsaritsyns and Tsaritsyn archers, and then leave with the Tsaritsyn governor, Timofey Turgenev, near Saratov. They said they had intercepted their messenger. The archers believed and spread this news throughout the city in secret from the governor. Then the governor sent several townspeople to negotiate with the Razins. He hoped that the rebels would be allowed to go to the Volga and take water from there, but those who came to the negotiations told the Razins that they had prepared a riot and agreed on the time of its start. The rioters gathered into a crowd, rushed to the gate and knocked down the locks. The archers fired at them from the walls, but when the rioters opened the gates and the Razinites burst into the city, the archers surrendered. The city was captured. Timofey Turgenev with his nephew and devoted archers locked himself in the tower. Then Razin returned with the cattle. Under his leadership the tower was taken. The governor behaved rudely with Razin and was drowned in the Volga along with his nephew, loyal archers, and nobles.

The battle with the archers of Ivan Lopatin. Ivan Lopatin led a thousand archers to Tsaritsyn. His last stop was Money Island, which was located on the Volga, north of Tsaritsyn. Lopatin was sure that Razin did not know his location, and therefore did not post sentries. In the midst of the halt, the Razins attacked him. They approached from both banks of the river and began shooting at the Lopatin residents. They boarded the boats in disarray and began to row towards Tsaritsyn. All along the way they were fired upon by Razin’s ambush detachments. Having suffered heavy losses, they sailed to the walls of the city. The Razins started shooting from them. The Sagittarius surrendered. Razin drowned most of the commanders, and made the spared and ordinary archers rower-prisoners.

Battle for Kamyshin. Several dozen Razin Cossacks dressed as merchants and entered Kamyshin. At the appointed hour, the Razintsi approached the city. Meanwhile, those who entered killed the guards of one of the city gates, opened them, the main forces burst through them into the city and took it. Streltsy, nobles, and the governor were executed. Residents were told to pack everything they needed and leave the city. When the city was empty, the Razintsi plundered it and then burned it.

Trip to Astrakhan. A military council was held in Tsaritsyn. There they decided to go to Astrakhan. In Astrakhan, the archers were positive towards Razin, this mood was fueled by anger at the authorities, who paid their salaries late. The news that Razin was marching on the city frightened the city authorities. The Astrakhan fleet was sent against the rebels. However, when meeting with the rebels, the archers tied up the fleet commanders and went over to Razin’s side. Then the Cossacks decided the fate of their superiors. Prince Semyon Lvov was spared, and the rest were drowned. Then the Razins approached Astrakhan. At night the Razins attacked the city. At the same time, an uprising of the archers and the poor broke out there. The city fell. Then the rebels carried out their executions, introduced a Cossack regime in the city and went to the Middle Volga region with the goal of reaching Moscow.

March to Moscow.

After this, the population of the Middle Volga region (Saratov, Samara, Penza), as well as the Chuvash, Mari, Tatars, and Mordovians freely went over to Razin’s side. This success was facilitated by the fact that Razin declared everyone who came over to his side a free person. Near Samara, Razin announced that Patriarch Nikon and Tsarevich Alexei Alekseevich were coming with him. This further increased the influx of poor people into his ranks. All along the road, the Razintsi sent letters to various regions of Rus' calling for an uprising. They called such letters charming.

In September 1670, the Razins laid siege to Simbirsk, but were unable to take it. Government troops led by Prince Yu. A. Dolgorukov moved towards Razin. A month after the start of the siege, the tsarist troops defeated the rebels, and the seriously wounded Razin’s associates took him to the Don. Fearing reprisals, the Cossack elite, led by military ataman Kornil Yakovlev, handed Razin over to the authorities. In June 1671 he was quartered in Moscow; brother Frol was presumably executed on the same day.

Despite the execution of their leader, the Razins continued to defend themselves and were able to hold Astrakhan until November 1671.

Results. The scale of the reprisal against the rebels was enormous; in some cities more than 11 thousand people were executed. The Razins did not achieve their goal: the destruction of the nobles and serfdom. But the uprising of Stepan Razin showed that Russian society was split.

IN National history There are many topics to which neither the attention of scientists nor the interest of readers fades. No matter how many essays, brochures, books, articles are devoted to them, people will always look forward to publications on these problems. And one of them is the uprising of Stepan Razin. The reasons that predetermined both the beginning of this peasant war and the defeat of Razin are quite obvious. Let's look at them in more detail.

Reasons for the start of the war

The uprising of Stepan Razin was a response to strong oppression from the wealthy population and the Moscow authorities. This revolt was only part of a protracted crisis that tormented Muscovy throughout the 2nd half of the 17th century. The first popular unrest in cities (Moscow, Pskov, Nizhny Novgorod and others) began with the ascension to the throne of Alexei Mikhailovich. In 1649, the Zemsky Sobor approved the Code, according to which the owners of estates and estates were given guarantees of rights to peasants. That is, if the serfs fled from their master, they had to hide until the end of their days. The time frame for their search has become unlimited. The adopted code caused discontent among the people and became the first reason that predetermined the uprising of Stepan Razin. Since the beginning of the reign of the new king, the economic situation of the country has greatly deteriorated. Exhausting wars with Sweden, Poland and the Crimean Tatars required a lot of funds. In addition, the monetary reform carried out at that time failed miserably. Due to the huge number of copper coins that were not properly used, inflation broke out.

Unrest intensified both in the power structure and among the people. The Don Cossacks were also dissatisfied. They had to defend the lands of the Don and the neighboring territories of Muscovy from raids Crimean Tatars. In addition, the Turks closed all the ways to the Cossacks Sea of ​​Azov. The Don government could not conduct serious campaigns against the enemy, because in case of defeat their lands would go to the Turks and Tatars. Muscovy would not be able to help, since it was absorbed in affairs with Ukraine and Poland. There were other reasons for the rebellious mood of the Cossacks. Fugitive serfs flocked to the Don territories. Naturally, they were forbidden to cultivate the land, and in order to somehow survive, they began to rob ships passing along the Volga. Repressive measures were taken against the thieves' squads, which increased the unrest of the poor. This was another reason that gave rise to the uprising of Stepan Razin. Soon, under the leadership of Vasily Us, a detachment consisting of Zaporozhye and Don Cossacks set off for the lands of Muscovy. Their forces were small, but they were inspired by the support of the peasants and slaves who joined them along the procession. This indicated that in the event of a major rebellion one could count on the help of the people. And after some time the peasant war began.

Causes of defeat

The uprising of Stepan Razin was defeated due to the destructive (“rebellious”) nature of the movement and poor organization. Also, the reasons were the obsolescence and insufficiency of weapons, unclear goals and lack of unity among serfs, Cossacks and townspeople. Razin's uprising did not in any way ease the situation of the peasants, but it did affect the lives of the Don Cossacks. In 1671, they swore allegiance to the Tsar, thereby making the Cossacks the support of the Tsar's throne.