2 copper riot. Copper riot (13 photos). Reasons for the start of the riot

The Copper Riot of 1662, like the Salt Riot of 1648-1649, was an anti-government protest based on financial reasons. After the start of the war between Russia and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1654, the country needed a lot of money, but it did not have its own silver, and the Russian government, led by Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, decided to introduce copper money instead of silver. The latter began to actively depreciate, which did not please the majority of the Russian population. In 1662, several thousand Muscovites rebelled against the government's monetary policy. However, this uprising was suppressed. But after this, copper money was nevertheless withdrawn from circulation. You will learn about all this in more detail from this lesson.

The need to change the monetary system of the Moscow stateXVIIV. was obvious. At this time, the main coins used in circulation were silver kopecks (Fig. 2). For example, in order to pay the salaries of the Russian army, half a million of these kopecks were needed. In addition, such pennies were inconvenient due to their small size. The idea was ripe to introduce a larger coin or denomination that could be correlated with the main monetary unit of Europe at that time - the thaler (Fig. 3). In Russia, such money was not used in circulation. They were melted down and made into silver pennies.

Rice. 2. Silver penny of the 17th century. ()

Rice. 3. Thaler - the monetary unit of Europe in the 17th century. ()

In 1654, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich and his government began conducting monetary reforms in Russia. It began with the introduction of the silver ruble (Fig. 4). In weight it was equal to a thaler (approximately 30 g). The population of the country very willingly accepted these coins. The difficulty of the reform at this stage was that the thaler actually weighed 64 Moscow kopecks, and the ruble was launched at the forced exchange rate of 100 kopecks. At first, this disadvantage did not greatly affect the residents of the Russian state - the need for large coins was very great.

Rice. 4. Silver ruble of Alexei Mikhailovich ()

The next stage of the reform was due to the fact that it was not possible to mint a large number of rubles, since the minting equipment quickly broke down. Then the Russian government took a different path - they took ordinary efimkas (as thalers were called in Russia) and minted them in a special way. They were called “yefimki-sprizniki”. They were released at a more reasonable rate - 64 kopecks for one such monetary unit.

Then Alexey Mikhailovich decided that it was time to mint copper money (Fig. 5). This need for minting copper money was due to the fact that in Russia until the end XVIIV. there was no silver. All this metal was imported, and there was clearly not enough of it. The minting of copper money began at the Moscow Monetary Court. The reason for minting copper money was the discovery of copper ore near Kazan, which they decided to put into production. Altyns (3 money), half rubles (50 kopecks) and kopecks were minted. All this money was released at the price of silver circulation. This was a time bomb of the entire monetary reform, since the price of copper was 50 times less than silver. However, at first the population of Russia perceived the royal decree as a guide to action.

Rice. 5. Copper money in Russia in the 17th century. ()

Problems of monetary reform

The problem of monetary reform was the following. The reform began in 1654 - at the time when the Russian-Polish war began. Therefore, more and more money was required to run it. More and more copper money began to be issued. This money was sent to the active army, and the war took place on the territory of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, whose population was distrustful of the new money. As a result of these events, a difference in exchange rates arose. This was called crap - an additional payment when accepting low-value currency. This difference grew more and more over time.

At this time, Alexey Mikhailovich made the following mistake. He issued a decree according to which taxes were to be collected only in silver, and salaries were to be paid only in copper. After this decree, a financial crisis began in Russia. The entire monetary system was disorganized. It would seem that the peasants should have benefited from this, since food prices have risen. However, it was not profitable for them to sell their goods for copper money. Service people were also paid in copper money. Neither the peasants nor other categories of the population liked this very much.

It was in this atmosphere of monetary disorganization and the collapse of the Russian financial system that the Copper Riot arose (Fig. 6). On July 25, 1662, in Moscow, people went to the market and in different places found glued sheets that contained information that a number of Duma people were cheating on the tsar. Among these people were those who were suspected of carrying out monetary reform in the country. The population was agitated not only by the fact that copper money was falling in price, but also by the fact that many abused the introduction of copper money. Officials secretly bought silver and, in agreement with the masters of the money courts, minted money. At the same time, they sold them at a forced rate, receiving huge profits for this.

Rice. 6. Copper riot of 1662 in Russia ()

After people saw the names of these counterfeiters, it immediately caused a spontaneous explosion. People began to gather in crowds and read letters of appeal against the counterfeiters indicated in the advertisements among the people. At one point, thousands of Muscovites moved with such a letter to Kolomenskoye, the residence of the Moscow Tsar near Moscow, where Alexei Mikhailovich was at that moment. The rebels arrived in Kolomenskoye at the moment when the tsar was listening to mass in the Church of the Ascension. Having learned about the arrival of the rebels, the king ordered the so-called “traitors” to hide, and he himself went out to the crowd of people and promised them to sort everything out. The rebels spoke rudely to the king, asking whether his words could be trusted. Then Alexey Mikhailovich promised to correct the situation with the financial sector of the state.

Finally, reassured by the tsar’s promises, the Muscovites moved back to Moscow. Meanwhile, the courts of the hated traitors were being destroyed in the capital. One of the “traitors,” the son of Vasily Shorin, who wanted to flee abroad (which was treason to the state) was identified, captured and solemnly taken to Kolomenskoye. On the road between Moscow and Kolomenskaya, two crowds met - one was returning from the Tsar’s residence, the other was going there with the “traitor”. After that, they united and headed back to Kolomenskoye.

Alexey Mikhailovich already wanted to go to Moscow, but then several thousand rebels appeared at the sovereign’s court, who were more determined. They demanded the extradition of the traitors, and otherwise, they threatened, they would seize them themselves. But at that moment the tsar was informed that the Streltsy regiments loyal to him had entered through the rear gate of the residence. After this, the king spoke to the rebels differently - he shouted at them and ordered his troops to kill them. People scattered. About 200 people drowned in the Moscow River, and about 7,000 people were killed and captured. Some were immediately hanged around Kolomenskoye and in Moscow as a warning, and then after a detailed investigation, 12 more active instigators of the uprising were identified and executed. Those who remained were exiled to Astrakhan, Siberia and other cities.

This is how the Moscow uprising of 1662, called the Copper Riot, was suppressed. Despite the suppression of the uprising, it became quite obvious that copper money would have to be abolished. In 1663, copper money was banned, and the government bought it from the population at a very low price - 5 kopecks in silver for a copper ruble.

The Copper Riot of 1662 in Moscow clearly showed that financial reasons were the main ones in the anti-government protests of the 17th century. The treasury was always short of funds for several reasons. The bureaucracy grew; the medieval noble militia was replaced by regiments of a foreign system; the number of the sovereign's court grew. All this required a lot of money. Thus, the country was preparing for the changes that subsequently came in the era of Peter the Great - at the beginning of the 18th century. But these changes had to be paid a high price throughout the 17th century.

Bibliography

1. Baranov P.A., Vovina V.G. and others. History of Russia. 7th grade. - M.: “Ventana-Graf”, 2013.

2. Buganov V.I. Copper riot. Moscow “rebels” of 1662 // Prometheus. - M.: Young Guard, 1968.

3. Uprising of 1662 in Moscow. Collection of documents. - M., 1964.

4. Danilov A.A., Kosulina L.G. Russian history. 7th grade. The end of the 16th - 18th centuries. - M.: “Enlightenment”, 2012.

5. Moscow uprisings of 1648, 1662 // Adaptive radio communication line - Object air defense / [under the general. ed. N.V. Ogarkova]. - M.: Military publishing house of the Ministry of Defense of the USSR, 1978.

Homework

1. Tell us about the financial situation in Russia in the middle of the 17th century. What changes have matured in it by this time?

2. How was the monetary reform carried out in Russia in 1654? What consequences did it cause?

3. Tell us about the course of the Copper Riot of 1662. What was the main reason for the uprising? What consequences of this event can you identify?

The reign of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich (1645-1676), nicknamed the Quietest, was characterized by wars and popular unrest. By nature, the sovereign was a gentle, pious and kind man. But his immediate circle left much to be desired. The most authoritative person for the tsar was the boyar Boris Ivanovich Morozov (1590-1661). The second most important was Ivan Danilovich Miloslavsky (1595-1668) - the father of Maria Miloslavskaya, the wife of Alexei Mikhailovich.

It was these people who provoked the copper riot in 1662. And the reason for it was the monetary reform that began in 1654.

The initiator of the monetary reform is considered to be the okolnichy Fyodor Mikhailovich Rtishchev (1626-1673). He was familiar with the European monetary system, considered it progressive, and proposed introducing larger monetary denominations in the country. Along with this, he expressed the idea of ​​starting to mint copper money, which had long been practiced in European countries.

The monetary system that existed at that time was formed in 1535. The largest monetary unit was the silver penny. Behind it was money, the face value of which was half a penny. The smallest coin in this row was the half coin. It was equal to half a money and a quarter of a kopeck.

Such a monetary unit as the ruble existed only in the calculation of large sums of money. But there were no coins with such denomination. Nowadays, there is no bill of a million rubles. So it was at that time. They said it was a hundred rubles, but they paid in kopecks. The first minted ruble appeared in 1654 with the beginning of the reform.

The situation was also interesting because there were no silver mines in Russia. Their own money was made from purchased foreign coins. For this purpose, silver Joachimsthalers were purchased in the Czech Republic. Subsequently, they began to be called thalers, and in Russia they received the name efimki. The purchased raw materials were not processed in any way. They simply put countermarks on the thaler, and it changed its nationality.

In 1655, the mass minting of copper kopecks began instead of silver ones. At the same time, it was officially announced that their purchasing power is the same. That is, copper was equated to silver by a strong-willed decision. There were copper mines in Russia, so this idea seemed very profitable financially. Although from a legislative point of view it was an obvious scam, and carried out by the state.

But here you need to understand the logic of the courtiers. In 1654, war with Poland began. Huge sums of money were needed to run it. To achieve this, a war tax could be introduced. But more recently, the capital was shaken by the salt riot (1648), which was a consequence of tax reform. Therefore, the authorities were careful not to raise taxes, but took a different route. A combination was invented that at first apparently seemed ingenious. But time has shown that it was impossible to come up with anything more stupid.

The transition to copper money promised huge profits. A pound of copper on the market cost 12 kopecks. From this pound it was possible to mint coins worth 10 rubles. Smart people figured it out, did the math, and almost choked with excitement. The total income from such a monetary reform was estimated at 4.175 million rubles. At that time the amount was astronomical.

Copper money began to be minted, but the matter was aggravated by the fact that it was forbidden to exchange it for silver or gold. Taxes were also collected in silver money. The state did not take copper, it only sold it to the domestic market. But for the first 4 years everything developed relatively calmly. The population perceived the innovation as a temporary measure in case of war.

However, hostilities dragged on. More and more money was needed. In 1659, the government decided to forcibly confiscate all silver from the population by exchanging it for copper. And by this time a lot of copper coins had accumulated in people’s hands. In this regard, the state was generous. It minted unbacked copper money in Moscow, Pskov and Novgorod. Their purchasing power began to plummet. Accordingly, prices began to rise. “White” and “red” price tags appeared on the markets. The first indicated the price in silver money, and the second in copper.

The peasants began to categorically refuse to sell grain for copper. Essential goods began to rise in price sharply. Bread prices have increased several times. The same thing happened with other foods. For one silver penny they began to give 30 copper ones. It was already clear to the naked eye that a financial catastrophe was looming.

Against the backdrop of all these flaws, counterfeiters flourished. Everyone who is not too lazy began to mint counterfeit money. This was a simple matter, since the coins did not have several degrees of protection and “watermarks”. The fakes were made using a fake stamp. Any average craftsman could make this. Naturally, it was not precious metal that was cast. For these purposes, tin and lead were used. All segments of the population were involved in this matter. And almost every person possessed basic skills of blacksmithing and foundry.

The government tried to rectify the situation as best it could. Since 1660, attempts have been made to find large deposits of silver in Russia. However, it was impossible to do this in a short period of time. The next step was the introduction of a temporary monopoly on the trade of hemp, sable fur, beef lard, and potash. These goods constituted the main share of exports in the 17th century. Manufacturers had to sell them to the treasury for copper, which then resold them to foreign merchants for silver.

But the main bet was placed on counterfeiters. It was they who decided to blame all the flaws of the failed financial reform. Criminals began to be caught in huge numbers. In Moscow alone, 40 underground mints were discovered. But one nuance was not taken into account here. It was not just ordinary people who were involved in unsavory activities. The boyars also minted counterfeit money. And they did it on such a scale that ordinary citizens could not even dream of. The Tsar's father-in-law, Ivan Danilovich Miloslavsky, also came under suspicion. The investigative authorities decided to hide his name, but the people learned about the unsightly activities of the courtier.

In July 1662, a rumor spread throughout Moscow that Miloslavsky and several members of the Boyar Duma were minting counterfeit money. But they did this not only for personal gain. The boyars were in a secret conspiracy with the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. All this talk and unrest resulted in a copper riot. On July 25, 1662, a huge crowd of people gathered and headed to Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. At that time he was in his palace in the village of Kolomenskoye.

A mass of thousands of people gathered near the palace, and the king was forced to go out to his subjects. But those who came behaved with restraint and correctness. They only asked to resolve the issue of high prices and to stop taking silver coins as a tax. The people also demanded that the boyars who were involved in the production of counterfeit money be punished. Alexey Mikhailovich promised to sort out all these issues. The excited people gradually calmed down and moved back to Moscow.

But while the sovereign was communicating with some residents, another mass of people formed in Moscow. These were mainly merchants and peasants. Copper money hit their well-being very seriously. The merchants laid all the blame on the counterfeiting boyars.

These people also moved towards Kolomenskoye. But they were much more determined. They surrounded the palace and demanded that the boyars who minted the “stolen” money be handed over to them immediately. However, by this time troops had been brought to the palace. They were given orders to disperse the crowd. The people were unarmed and could not resist the equipped soldiers. The crowd was pushed back to the river, and many merchants and peasants were killed, and some people drowned. Several thousand people were arrested. They were subsequently put on trial. By his decision, the instigators were exiled to uninhabited Siberian lands.

The authorities won, the copper rebellion choked in its own blood. But he forced the authorities to reconsider the financial policy that was leading the country to destruction. Copper money began to be gradually withdrawn from circulation, and on July 15, 1663, that is, a year after the popular unrest, a decree was issued banning the minting of copper coins. The country returned to the old and proven monetary system.

The first decree was followed by a second. According to it, it was forbidden to keep copper money. It was ordered to exchange copper for silver within 2 weeks at the rate of 100 copper kopecks for 1 silver. An official government statement was also issued. It said that counterfeiters were to blame. It was they who spoiled a brilliant economic idea with “thieves’ money.” At this point, the authorities considered the issue closed, and life gradually returned to normal.

On July 25 (August 4), 1662, a popular uprising took place in Moscow. About ten thousand unarmed Muscovites went to the tsar in search of truth, justice and protection from the tyranny of the boyars. How the events of this day ended, which were included in history books under the name of the Copper Riot of 1662, we are talking about today.

Causes of the Copper Riot

No sooner had the country recovered from the consequences of the Salt Riot (June 1648 - February 1649), than a new one was on the threshold - the Copper Riot, which occurred in Moscow in the summer of 1662. In other words, 14 years have passed. A lot has changed during this period. Some changes were for the better, others led to an increase in discontent among various segments of the population, which developed into more - unrest and rebellion.

Rice. 1. Alexey Mikhailovich (Quiet)

Among the changes are the following:

• The war between Russia and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (1653-1667) and the Russian-Swedish war (1656-1658) : in 1653, Russian Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich accepted Ukraine into the Russian state, which led to a protracted war with the Poles claiming these territories. As you know, any military action is an expensive affair, requiring generous financial investments. This ultimately led to a deficit in the state treasury;
• Currency reform of 1654 : during the period under review, the country’s monetary system required reforms. Only silver kopecks were in use, while in Europe a coin of a larger denomination, the thaler, was in circulation. Thus, a silver ruble equal to one hundred kopecks was introduced in Russia. Despite the fact that the rate of one hundred kopecks per ruble did not correspond to its real value (64 kopecks), people accepted this innovation. However, at that time Russia did not have its own silver deposits. Its shortage led to the need to mint copper money: altyns, half rubles and kopecks. But they were put into circulation along with silver, which led to inflation, rising food prices and counterfeiting;
• Decree of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich on collecting taxes in silver coins and issuing salaries in copper : this decision led to a real collapse in the state’s financial system. The peasants refused to bring goods to the city and sell them for copper, which led to famine.

Monetary reform was hampered by another circumstance - special equipment for minting coins constantly broke down.

Rice. 2. Copper coins of the 17th century

Progress of the uprising

July 25, 1662 is the date of the beginning and end of the Copper Riot. Everything happened within one day. What incident stirred up the masses, the main participants and the results of the anti-government rebellion - all the events of that day are presented in the following table:

	Events
	At night, leaflets were posted all over the city - “thieves' sheets”, which called on the common people to oppose the government, namely, against the boyars from the Miloslavsky family, the okolnichy F. M. Rtishchev, the head of the Armory Chamber B. M. Khitrovo, the clerk D. M. Bashmakov, foreign merchants V. G. Shorin, S. Zadorin and others. They were accused of the financial crisis and treason in favor of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The proclamations also called for the abolition of taxes and copper money.
Early morning	Early the next morning a huge crowd gathered on Sretenka. The main participants are the urban lower classes, peasants from nearby villages and soldiers. The people loudly discussed the contents of the leaflets: it is one thing to experience need, hunger, and another thing to know the names of the perpetrators of these troubles. Kuzma Nagaev spoke to the people. He urged people not to be afraid and to speak out against the injustice of the existing order. After such an appeal, a large number of people went to Red Square. The excitement grew and within an hour covered all the streets.
9 am	The crowd split into two parts. One - about 4-5 thousand people, went to Alexei Mikhailovich in Kolomenskoye. In their hands were leaflets, and in their heads was the main demand to hand over the boyars and execute them for their machinations and betrayal. The Russian Tsar came out to the townspeople and promised to sort everything out and punish the “traitors.” People spoke to him rudely, but they believed his words and turned back to Moscow.
11 am	At this time, the second part of the rebels set out to smash and burn the houses of officials. They wanted one thing - quick execution. The son of the merchant Shorin was caught trying to escape abroad, which was evidence of treason, and was taken to the residence of the Russian Tsar. Thus, two streams of people met halfway, and, united, again moved to Kolomenskoye. The crowd numbered about 10 thousand people.
Middle of a day	The determined attitude of the rebels led to the opposite result. The Tsar delayed negotiations for the sole purpose of waiting for the Streltsy regiments loyal to him. Soon they appeared, and a clash occurred, as a result of which the riot was brutally suppressed: 12 people were executed, about 200 drowned in the river, more than 7,000 thousand were arrested.

Rice. 3. Ernest Lissner’s painting “Copper Riot”

To suppress the Copper Riot it was necessary to use force and shed a lot of blood. But at the same time it became clear that other measures needed to be taken. In 1663, the tsar abolished the minting of copper coins, and those remaining in hand were bought back from people at a very low price: for one copper ruble they gave five kopecks in silver. As can be seen, even in small concessions, deception, injustice and shameless exploitation continued to flourish, and all this with the blessing of the state. The result was not long in coming: exactly five years later, in 1667, a new flame of rebellion flared up, larger-scale and bloodier - the uprising of Stepan Razin.

Reasons for the riot

In the 17th century, the Moscow state did not have its own gold and silver mines, and precious metals were imported from abroad. At the Money Yard, Russian coins were minted from foreign coins: kopecks, money and polushki (half money).

The Case of the Counterfeiters

The financial situation in the country has led to the rise of counterfeiting

Development and course of the rebellion

The common people were outraged by the impunity of the boyars. On July 25 (August 4), 1662, sheets with accusations against Prince I. D. Miloslavsky, several members of the Boyar Duma and a wealthy guest Vasily Shorin were discovered in Lubyanka. They were accused of secret relations with the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, which had no basis. But dissatisfied people needed a reason. It is significant that the object of universal hatred became the same people who were accused of abuses during the Salt Riot, and just like fourteen years ago, the crowd attacked and destroyed the house of Shorin’s guest, who was collecting the “fifth of the money” in the entire state. Several thousand people went to Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, who was in his country palace in the village of Kolomenskoye. The unexpected appearance of the rebels took the king by surprise, and he was forced to go out to the people. He was given a petition demanding a reduction in prices and taxes, and the punishment of those responsible. Under pressure from circumstances, Alexey Mikhailovich gave his word to investigate the matter, after which the calmed mass of people, believing the promises, turned back.

Another crowd of thousands, much more militant, was moving towards us from Moscow. Small traders, butchers, bakers, cake makers, village people again surrounded the palace of Alexei Mikhailovich and this time they did not ask, but demanded that the traitors be handed over to them for execution, threatening “he will not give them the goods of those boyars, and they will learn to take from him themselves , according to his custom." However, archers and soldiers had already appeared in Kolomenskoye, sent by the boyars to the rescue. After refusing to disperse, the order was given to use force. The unarmed crowd was driven into the river, up to a thousand people were killed, hanged, drowned in the Moscow River, several thousand were arrested and exiled after an investigation.

G.K. Kotoshikhin describes the bloody finale of the copper riot as follows:

“And the same day, near that village, 150 people were hanged, and the rest were all given a decree, they were tortured and burned, and upon investigation for guilt, they cut off their arms and legs and the fingers of their hands and feet, and beat others with a whip, and laid them on their faces on on the right side are signs that the iron has been lit red, and “beeches” are placed on that iron, that is, a rebel, so that he will be recognized forever; and inflicting punishment on them, they sent everyone to distant cities, to Kazan, and to Astarakhan, and to Terki, and to Siberia, for eternal life... and by another thief, days and nights, a decree was made, tying their hands back and putting them in large ships were sunk in the Moscow River."

The search in connection with the copper riot had no precedents. All literate Muscovites were forced to give samples of their handwriting in order to compare them with the “thieves' sheets”, which served as a signal for indignation. However, the instigators were never found.

results

The Copper Riot was an uprising of the urban lower classes. It was attended by artisans, butchers, pastry makers, and peasants from suburban villages. Of the guests and merchants, “not a single person accosted those thieves; they even helped those thieves, and they received praise from the king.” Despite the merciless suppression of the rebellion, it did not pass without a trace. In 1663, according to the Tsar's decree of the copper industry, the yards in Novgorod and Pskov were closed, and the minting of silver coins was resumed in Moscow. The salaries of service people of all ranks again began to be paid in silver money. Copper money was withdrawn from circulation, private individuals were ordered to melt it down into cauldrons or bring it to the treasury, where for each ruble handed over they paid 10, and later even less - 2 silver money. According to V. O. Klyuchevsky, “The Treasury acted like a real bankrupt, paying creditors 5 kopecks or even 1 kopeck per ruble.”

see also

Notes

Literature

• Buganov V. I. Copper riot. Moscow “rebels” of 1662 // Prometheus. - M.: Young Guard, 1968. - T. 5. - (historical and biographical almanac of the “Life of Remarkable People” series).
• Uprising of 1662 in Moscow: collection. doc. M., 1964.
• Moscow uprisings of 1648, 1662 // Soviet military encyclopedia / ed. N.V. Ogarkova. - M.: Military Publishing House, 1978. - T. 5. - 686 p. - (in 8 t). - 105,000 copies.

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See what “Copper riot” is in other dictionaries:

- (Moscow uprising of 1662), an anti-government uprising of Muscovites on July 25, 1662, caused by the disruption of economic life during the wars of Russia with Poland and Sweden, an increase in taxes, and the release of depreciated copper money. Since 1654... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

The uprising of the urban lower classes that took place in Moscow in 1662 against the issue of copper kopecks, which had been minted since 1655 to replace silver coins. The release of copper money led to its depreciation in comparison with silver. A year after the riot... ... Financial Dictionary

The accepted name in literature for the uprising of the lower and middle strata of Moscow residents, archers, soldiers (July 25, 1662). Caused by an increase in taxes during the Russian-Polish War of 1654 67 and the release of depreciated copper money. Some of the rebels went to the village of Kolome... Modern encyclopedia

The uprising of the urban lower classes that took place in Moscow in 1662 against the release of copper kopecks, which, since 1655, had been minted at Russian money courts to replace silver ones. The release of copper money led to its depreciation in comparison with silver. Through… … Economic dictionary

COPPER RIOT, the name adopted in historical literature for the speech in Moscow on July 25, 1662 by representatives of the lower and middle strata of townspeople, archers, and soldiers. Caused by an increase in taxes during the Russian-Polish War of 1654 67 and the release of depreciated... ... Russian history

"Copper Riot"- “COPPER RIOT”, the accepted name in literature for the uprising of the lower and middle strata of Moscow residents, archers, soldiers (7/25/1662). Caused by an increase in taxes during the Russian-Polish War of 1654 67 and the release of depreciated copper money. Some of the rebels went... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

- (“Copper Riot”) the name of the Moscow uprising of 1662 (See Moscow uprising of 1662), adopted in Russian noble and bourgeois historiography ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia

History of the Copper Riot

The Copper Riot is a riot that occurred in Moscow on July 25 (August 4), 1662, an uprising of the urban lower classes against tax increases during the Russian-Polish War of 1654-1667. and the issue since 1654 of copper coins that were depreciated in comparison with silver.

Copper riot - briefly (review of the article)

After a long and bloody war with Poland in 1654, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich introduced copper money. Preparations for a new war with Sweden required a lot of money, and minting copper coins seemed like a way out. And although copper was 60 times cheaper than silver, copper pennies were equal to silver ones. At first, the population eagerly accepted the new money. However, after their production took on an unprecedented, uncontrollable character, confidence in copper money decreased enormously.

The depreciated copper pennies played a fatal role in the state economy. Trade was largely upset, since no one wanted to take copper as payment, service people and archers grumbled, since nothing could be bought with the new salary. Thus the conditions arose for the subsequent copper revolt.

1662, July 25 (August 4) - the alarm sounded alarmingly near the walls of the ancient Kremlin. As the merchants closed their shops, people hurried to the intersection at the Spassky Gate, where accusatory letters were already being read out. Thus began the copper riot. Later, an angry crowd would pour into Kolomenskoye, where the royal residence of Alexei Mikhailovich was located, and demand the abolition of copper money.

Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich brutally and mercilessly suppressed the copper rebellion. As a result, copper money will be abolished.

And now more details...

Description of the Copper Riot

Causes of the Copper Riot

The protracted war devastated the treasury. To replenish the treasury, the government resorted to the usual means - increased fiscal oppression. Taxes have risen sharply. In addition to ordinary taxes, they also began to levy extraordinary ones, which reminded the townspeople of the memorable thing - “five-five money.”

But there was also such a way to replenish the treasury as re-minting (spoilage) of a silver coin with a decrease in its weight. However, Moscow businessmen went even further and, in addition to the damaged silver coin, began to issue copper coins. Moreover, despite the difference in the market price of silver and copper (almost 60 times), they had the same nominal value. This was supposed to give - and did - a fabulous profit: from one pound (400 grams) of copper worth 12 kopecks. from the Mint they received copper money in the amount of 10 rubles. According to some sources, in the first year alone, this kind of financial fraud brought a profit of 5 million rubles. In just 10 years - from 1654 to 1663. - copper money came into circulation in an amount that Meyerberg, perhaps exaggerating, put at 20 million rubles.

At first, the copper kopeck was on par with the silver one and was well received. But the authorities themselves intervened in the sphere of payments and began to buy silver money from the population using copper money. In this case, taxes and duties were paid only in silver coins. Because of such a “far-sighted policy,” the already fragile trust in copper money quickly collapsed. The monetary system was in disarray. They stopped taking copper, and copper money began to rapidly depreciate. Two prices appeared on the market: for silver and copper coins. The gap between them increased due to weather conditions and by the time of cancellation was 1 in 15 and even 1 in 20. As a consequence of this, prices increased.

Counterfeiters did not stand aside either, not missing the opportunity to quickly get rich. There were persistent rumors that even the sovereign's father-in-law, boyar I. D. Miloslavsky, did not disdain the profitable business.

Before the riot

Soon the situation became simply unbearable. Commercial and industrial activity was in decline. It was especially difficult for the townspeople and service people. “Great poverty and great destruction are being caused by the price of grain and in all kinds of grub the great cost,” the petitioners moaned. The price of chicken in the capital has reached two rubles - an incredible amount for the old, “pre-copper” times. High prices and the growing difference between the copper and silver kopecks inevitably brought a social explosion closer, which, despite its spontaneity, was felt by contemporaries as an inevitable disaster. “They expect to be in turmoil in Moscow,” said one sexton on the eve of the July events.

News of the next “fifth money” collection added even more passion. The population of Moscow heatedly discussed the terms of the collection when “thieves’ letters” began to appear on Sretenka, Lubyanka and other places. Unfortunately, their text has not survived. It is known that they accused many councilors and officials of “treason,” which, in accordance with existing ideas, was interpreted quite widely: as abuse, and as “negligence of the sovereign,” and as relations with the king of Poland. 1662, July 25, the Copper Riot broke out.

Progress of the riot

The main events took place outside of Moscow, in the village of Kolomenskoye. A crowd of 4-5 thousand people went here early in the morning, consisting of townspeople and instrumental service people - archers and soldiers of the Elective Regiment of Agey Shepelev. Their appearance in the royal village was an absolute surprise. The archers who were on guard tried to stop the crowd, but it simply crushed them and broke into the palace village.

The Emperor and his entire family listened to mass on the occasion of the birthday of Alexei Mikhailovich’s sister, Princess Anna Mikhailovna. The confused tsar sent the boyars to negotiate with the people. The crowd rejected them. The sovereign himself had to go out. There were cries of indignation: those who came began to demand the extradition of the traitor boyars “to be killed,” as well as a reduction in taxes. Among those whose blood the crowd thirsted for was the butler, okolnichy F.M. Rtishchev, a man very close to the tsar in terms of his mental make-up and religious disposition. Alexei Mikhailovich ordered him, along with the others, to hide in the women's half of the palace - in the queen's chambers. Having locked themselves in, the entire royal family and nearby people “sat in the mansions in great fear and dread.” Rtishchev, who knew very well how the conversation with the Gilevists could end, confessed and took communion.

Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov

In the official language of that era, any appeal to the sovereign is a petition. What happened on the morning of July 25 in Kolomenskoye was also attributed to this “genre” with the expressive addition of the then office work: “They beat us with great ignorance.” The Tsar himself had already encountered this kind of “ignorance” 14 years ago, when angry crowds of Muscovites broke into the Kremlin in the hope of dealing with B.I. Morozov. Then the sovereign, at the cost of humiliation, managed to beg for the life of his teacher. The old experience was useful now - Romanov knew that the blind rage of the crowd could be countered with either strength or humility. The Moscow townsman Luchka Zhidkoy presented the petition to the sovereign. Nizhny Novgorod resident Martyan Zhedrinsky, who was standing nearby, insisted that the tsar immediately, without delay, “before the world,” deduct it and order the traitors to be brought.

The crowd “with shouting and much outrage” supported their petitioners. According to the testimony of the all-knowing G. Kotoshikhin, the tsar in response began to persuade the people with a “quiet custom,” promising to “carry out a search and a decree.” The king's promise was not immediately believed. Someone from the crowd even twirled the buttons on the royal dress and boldly asked: “What should we believe?” In the end, the sovereign was able to persuade the crowd and - a living detail - shook hands with someone as a sign of agreement - “gave them a hand on his word.” From the outside, the picture, of course, looked impressive: Alexei Mikhailovich, frightened, although he had not lost his dignity as in June 1648, and the unknown, daring townsman, sealing their agreement to find the traitors with a handshake.

At the same time, nobles were driven into the streltsy and soldiers' settlements with orders to urgently lead service people to protect the tsar. Yu. Romodanovsky went for foreigners to the German settlement. The measures in Romanov’s eyes were necessary: ​​the unrest could take the authorities by surprise. Around noon, the rebels burst into Kolomenskoye again: among them were those who had negotiated with the sovereign in the morning, and now turned back, meeting halfway with a new excited crowd coming from the capital.

While still in the capital, she captured the son of one of the “traitors,” a guest Vasily Shorin, who was involved in government financial transactions. The scared to death young man was ready to confirm anything: he announced his father’s flight to the King of Poland with some boyar sheets (in reality, Vasily Shorin was hiding in the courtyard of Prince Cherkassky in the Kremlin). The evidence left no one in doubt. Passions boiled over with renewed vigor. This time, about 9,000 people appeared before Alexei Mikhailovich, more determined than ever. During the negotiations, they began to threaten the tsar: if you don’t give the boyars good, we will take them ourselves according to our custom. At the same time, they encouraged each other by shouting: “Now is the time, don’t be timid!”

Suppression of the riot

However, the time for the rebels is already up. While negotiations were taking place, the rifle regiments of Artamon Matveev and Semyon Poltev entered Kolomenskoye through the back gate. It was not in vain that the king welcomed and fed the archers. They did not support, as happened in 1648, the uprising of the Posad. Therefore, events unfolded according to a different scenario. As soon as the sovereign was informed about the arrival of the troops, he immediately changed his mind and ordered “to flog and chop without mercy.” It is known that in moments of anger, Alexey Mikhailovich could not restrain himself. One of the sources puts even harsher words into Romanov’s mouth: “Deliver me from these dogs!” Having received the royal blessing, the archers with enviable agility - it is easy to deal with an unarmed crowd - rushed to rid the sovereign “of the dogs.”

The massacre was bloody. At first they chopped and drowned them, later they grabbed them, tortured them, tore out their tongues, cut off their arms and legs, several thousand were arrested and, after an investigation, exiled. During the days of the Copper Riot and the search, according to some sources, about 1,000 people died. For many, as an eternal memory of the rebellion, fiery “beeches” were placed on their left cheek - “b” - rebel. But the tension did not go away. A year later, foreigners wrote about the widespread murmur of the residents.

Results of the Copper Riot

1663 - the tsar abolished copper money. The decree was expressive in its frankness: “so that nothing else happens between people about money,” the money was ordered to be set aside.

As a result of the copper riot, by royal decree (1663), the mints in Pskov and Novgorod were closed, and the minting of silver coins was resumed in Moscow. Copper money was soon withdrawn from circulation.

The main leitmotif of the “Copper Riot” is boyar treason. In the eyes of the people, this alone made their performance fair. But in reality, the “traitors” and copper money focused discontent with the entire course of life, squeezed by direct and emergency taxes, arbitrariness and high costs. The symptom is quite alarming - general fatigue from war. Many in government circles would like to stop it. But stop with dignity, with a profit.