"Plague" riot in Sevastopol. How to unleash a far-fetched epidemic in 1830.
Carlo Bossoli. General view of Sevastopol, 1856. reproduction
190 years ago, on June 15, 1830, in the late afternoon on the cathedral bell tower of Sevastopol hit the alarm. That is how, according to good tradition, Russians from time immemorial began large-scale "actions of civil disobedience", which the authorities at all times preferred to qualify as a "riot". But this time it is appropriate to talk about the real uprising. Moreover, from a formal point of view, it ended in victory.
This is the story of how the authorities of Sevastopol colluded, built witty corruption schemes, milked the treasury and crushed the population for a long time, skillfully avoiding inspections from above. But in the end, they paid - who with life, who with official position.
The fuse was a special case. A few days before the riot in the Ship Slobodka died sailor widow Zinovya Shcheglov. It would seem - well, died and died. We all walk under God. But this case was special. The population of the Ship Settlement - one of the poorest in the city - at that time went not only under God, but also under the staff healers. For the reason that since 1828 in Sevastopol was declared a plague quarantine. The screws were tighter and tighter - in March 1830, residents of the city were generally forbidden to leave their homes. And each deceased had to be examined by a staff doctor. Just in case: what if this is death from a "terrible infection"? And then - the extension of quarantine, here and to the fortune teller do not go.
Staff doctor Shramkov came to the settlement and immediately stated that Shcheglova died of the plague. This news, to put it mildly, were not welcome. First, because the quarantine was automatically extended. Secondly, and more importantly, the very figure of the staff doctor was disgusting. Only later, when the investigation was being carried out, the testimony of 900 women was taken, whose state of health was checked by this doctor. All of them ended in standard: "I suffered torture from the staff physician Shramkov." What kind of torture these tortures were, it will become clear if you listen to the wife of a non-commissioned officer Nadezhda Kirillova. She said that both Shramkov and another staff doctor, Verbolozov, were "lustful sweet-loving old men."
Historian Theoktist Hartahay, who studied this issue, published in 1861 a pamphlet, which is called: "Women's revolt in Sevastopol". Indeed, the catalyst for the citywide uprising was women's discontent. Apparently, quite fair: who would like it when city officials regularly and with impunity rape women - someone's widows, wives and daughters?
However, if the case was limited only to this, the main purpose of the riot would be the massacre of doctors. But the instigators were well aware that the staff doctors were just gears in a well-established corruption mechanism. And therefore the main blow was dealt competently, clearly and in two directions at once.
Do it once - indignant citizens and army and naval units that have switched to their side storm the house of the governor, Lieutenant General Nikolai Stolypin. The governor himself is killed immediately as "the main culprit of people's suffering."
Do two - the second column of rebels captures the head of the quarantine cordon Rear Admiral Skalovsky, the commandant of the city, Lieutenant-General Turchaninov and the mayor Nosov. All of them take a subscription that "there was no plague in the city." Turchaninov issues the following order: "I declare to all residents of the city of Sevastopol that the internal quarantine line in the city has been removed, residents have unhindered communication with each other, in churches worship is allowed to be performed." Only then the investigators were surprised to inform Emperor Nicholas I: "The riot has not stopped - it stopped by itself. The very next day, the residents of the city returned to their daily worries.
The commandant of Sevastopol, Lieutenant-General A. P. Turchaninov, who, by court decision "for cowardice, committed a violation of all duties in the service" was deprived of all ranks and awards and demoted to privates. Photo: reproduction
The most interesting thing is that it could not take place at all. To do this, it was necessary that the subscription "there is no plague in the city" appeared two years or at least a year earlier.
The fact is that the epidemic was simply appointed. First, just in case. During the Russo-Turkish War of 1828-1829 in the active army and really was an outbreak of plague. The warships involved in the war were based in Sevastopol, and quarantine was a reasonable measure.
And profitable for the authorities. Food and fodder for livestock in the city had to deliver proven suppliers. For this case, the treasury released solid funds - the city was to be supplied at the highest level. But that was only on paper. The tender for supplies was won by those who "brought" the city administration. Products in the city went in a smaller volume and lousy quality. The difference settled in the pockets of "respected people".
But, as luck would have it, the war ended with the victory of Russian weapons, and cases of plague in Sevastopol were never recorded. The quarantine had to be lifted.
It was necessary, but I did not want to, because the feeder worked properly. It wasn't just one case of death from the plague that was needed , it wouldn't impress. It was necessary that there, at the top, they were convinced: there is an epidemic, it is cruel, people are dying in packs, give money and more.
How was it done? Very simple. First, the falsification of mortality statistics. Here is the testimony of Rear Admiral Salti: "The quarantine office tries to show all ordinary diseases as plague." Here is what Admiral Greig said: "For 5 months, people did not hear that they were sick and died a natural death, and whoever fell ill in teams or at home, were declared for the plague." To what reached the gentlemen of the staff doctors and the city administration in their desire to keep the quarantine and continue to milk the treasury, say the records of the commission of inquiry: "Some women who died of childbirth, but recognized as plague, dragged during the day across the city in the most shameful situation, without having washed them from their blood. And almost naked, attached and bloodied babies..."
Secondly, the natural mortality rate had to be increased somehow. The fact that people died from rotten crackers, spoiled flour and rotten corned beef, which supplied the city with the administration, seemed not enough. And therefore they came up with forced bathing - they say, only the purity of the body will save the people of Sevastopol from infection. On paper, it looked great - mass hygienic procedures were carried out. It's not just how. And so: in winter, the population of the poorest settlements was driven to ice-free bays and forced to sit in the water. And when, after such bathing, pneumonia and fever began to harvest a mortal harvest, the city administration relaxed. hurrah! Lots of corpses! You give the tightening of the regime! And even more money to fight the infection! It was just in the spring of 1830. What happened in the summer is already known.
Cuba is far away, Cuba is far away, Cuba is nearby!
The long distance did not prevent anyone,
We gathered from all over the globe.
We gathered beyond the line of the ocean,
Here on your young land, Havana!
The sky above me, the sky above me is like a sombrero, like a sombrero!
The shore is golden, the gold coast is Varadero, Varadero!
Cuba is far away, Cuba is far away, Cuba is near!
We say it, we say it!
You play, you will rang over the world, joy!
Thousands of hands weave kamaradas
Thousands of eyes are looking at you, Havana,
Thousands of times we say relentlessly:
The sky above me, the sky above me is like a sombrero, like a sombrero!
The shore is golden, the gold coast is Varadero, Varadero!
Cuba is far away, Cuba is far away, Cuba is near, Cuba is near!
We say it, we say it!
Source teksty-pesenok.ru
To live and love - this happiness we got!
May old age recede from the Earth forever!
We are Life, in a huge white light!
We are the World, on centuries, on centuries!
The sky above me, the sky above me is like a sombrero, like a sombrero!
The shore is golden, the gold coast is Varadero, Varadero!
Cuba is far away, Cuba is far away, Cuba is near, Cuba is near!
We say it, we say it! Amigo