Protest

The most dramatic cases of protest by Russian peasants against the landowning and ruling elites, before the rural revolutions of 1905–07 and 1917–21, were four great revolts led by cossacks in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Most important, from the point of view of peasant involvement, were the revolts led by Stepan (‘Sten’ka’) Razin in 1670–71 and Emelyan Pugachev in 1773–74. Before, between, and especially after the four revolts, Russian peasants took part in more limited forms of protest against oppression and exploitation, including flight to the borderlands; small-scale ‘disturbances’, in which groups of peasants tried to extract concessions from landowners or state authorities; and ‘everyday resistance’, such as under-fulfilment of obligations, lying, and other ‘weapons of the weak’. ¹ This chapter starts with a discussion of the causes of peasant protest, but the largest part is devoted to an analysis of the four main forms of protest (revolt, flight, ‘disturbances’ and ‘everyday resistance’). Particular attention is paid to the timing and geographical location of the different forms of protest, as well as their causes, the aims of the participants, and the consequences. The objectives and achievements of peasants who protested are discussed in the final section of the chapter.