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There was a copper riot of 1662. Copper riot. See what "Copper Riot" is in other dictionaries

"THE THIEFS GAVE RETURNED BY GIVING BRIBES TO THE WAREHOUSES"

Heavy taxes fell on the people, the merchants were exhausted by paying the fifth money. Already in 1656, the treasury lacked military men for a salary, and the sovereign, on the advice, as they say, of Fyodor Mikhailovich Rtishchev, ordered to issue copper money, which had a nominal price of silver; in 1657 and 1658, this money really went like silver; but from September 1658 they began to decline in price, it was necessary to add six money to the ruble; from March 1659, they should have added 10 money per ruble; the surplus increased to such an extent that in 1663 12 copper rubles had to be given for one silver ruble. A terrible high cost has come; decrees prohibiting raising prices for essential commodities were not in effect; we saw the position in Little Russia of the Moscow military men, who received a salary in copper money, which no one took from them. There was a lot of thieves (counterfeit) copper money [...]. They began to look after the money-makers, the silversmiths, the cauldrons, the tin-makers, and saw that these people, who had previously lived poorly, had set up stone and wooden yards for themselves with copper money, they made clothes for themselves and their wives according to boyar custom, in the ranks all kinds of goods, silver vessels and food supplies began to be bought at a high price, not sparing money. The reason for such a quick enrichment was explained when they began to take out thieves' money and coins. The criminals were executed by death, their hands were cut off and they were nailed to the walls of the monetary yards, houses and estates were taken to the treasury. But cruelty did not help with the irresistible charm of get rich quick; the thieves continued their work, especially since the rich of them paid off from misfortune, giving large bribes to the tsar's father-in-law - Ilya Danilovich Miloslavsky and the Duma nobleman Matyushkin, who was followed by the tsar's mother's aunt; in cities, thieves paid off by giving bribes to governors and orderly people.

[…] Moscow has calmed down; but complaints about the copper money continued: the governors reported that the debtors brought copper money to their house to pay to the lenders, but they did not take without the tsar's decree, asking for silver. Finally, in 1663, a decree was issued: in Moscow, Novgorod and Pskov, the monetary copper business should be abandoned, and the old monetary silver business should be set up in Moscow and silver money should be made there from June 15; and the salary of all ranks to service people to give in silver money, to the treasury customs duties and all monetary incomes to take in silver money, also in the ranks to trade in all sorts of goods for silver money, and set aside copper. Copper money in all orders, whatever it is, must be rewritten and sealed until June 15, and kept until the decree, but not given at the expense; private people were ordered to drain copper money. But the latter was not fulfilled; the decree on January 20, 1664 says: in Moscow and in different cities, copper money is announced, rubbed (rubbed with mercury), and others are silver-plated and half-skinned. The sovereign confirms the order not to keep copper money on pain of severe punishment, ruin and exile to distant cities. […] They say that more than 7000 people were transferred for damage to money, and more than 15000 were punished by cutting off their arms, legs, exile, taking away their property to the treasury.

"... THE SUCCESS OF THE CASE HAS BEEN HINDERED BY GREAT ABUSE"

Then, in 1656, boyar Rtishchev proposed a project to put into circulation, so to speak, metal banknotes - to mint copper money of the same shape and size with silver coins and issue them at the same price as them. It went pretty well until 1659, for 100 silver kopecks. gave 104 copper. Then silver began to disappear from circulation, and things went worse, so that in 1662 300-900 copper coins were given for 100 silver coins, and in 1663 they did not take 1500 copper coins for 100 silver coins. […] Why did Rtishchev's bold project, which could have been of great help to the Moscow government, so soon led him to a crisis?

The trouble was not in the project itself, which was bold but feasible, but in the inability to use it and in enormous abuses. First, the government itself was too generous in issuing copper money, and thus contributed to their depreciation. According to Meyerberg, 20 million rubles were issued in five years - a huge amount for that time. Second, huge abuses prevented the success of the case. The tsar's father-in-law, Miloslavsky, minted copper money without hesitation and, they say, minted up to 100 thousand coins. The persons in charge of minting coins made money for themselves from their copper and even allowed strangers to do it for bribes. The punishments did little to help the cause, because the main culprits and perpetrators (like Miloslavsky) remained intact. Along with these abuses of officials, a secret counterfeiting of coins among the people developed, although the counterfeiters were brutally executed. Meyerberg says that when he was in Moscow, up to 400 people were imprisoned for coin counterfeiting (1661); and according to Kotoshikhin's testimony, in total "for that money" more than 7000 people were "executed by death in those years." Even more were exiled, but the evil did not stop […]. Attributing the blame for their difficult situation to the unloved boyars and accusing them of treason and friendship with the Poles, in July 1662 the people, who knew about the abuses in minting coins, raised an open revolt in Moscow against the boyars and a crowd went to the tsar in Kolomenskoye to ask for control over the boyars ... "The quietest Tsar" Alexei Mikhailovich managed to calm the crowd with affection, but insignificant random circumstances fanned the unrest again, and then the rioters were pacified by military force.

Platonov S.F. A complete course of lectures on Russian history. SPb., 2000 http://magister.msk.ru/library/history/platonov/plats004.htm#gl10

NUMBER OF RECOVERED

Sources' references to a large number of those killed, hanged and drowned in the Moskva River during the suppression of the "riot" also refuted Bazilevich's allegations. They are not talking about a few dozen, but about hundreds and hundreds of killed insurgents. This was confirmed by the find by the historian V.A. Kuchkin of the most important document - the modern events of July 25, 1662, an eyewitness record: “In the summer of July 7170, on the 25th day of God, with the permission of God, and for our sin in the great and predominant city of Moscow, such a great terrible thing happened: in the field near the Kolomenskoe sovereign, the village was flogged wash-vich of black hundreds and all other ranks of people of hundreds of nine and more (my detente - VB) their own Moscow people, Stremyanov's archers and all sorts of sovereign ranks for the fact that they began to beat the sovereign's forehead against the boyars. Yes, in the month of July, on the 26th day, fifty people were hanged in the same petition of all ranks of people. "" Thus, we can talk about several thousand insurgents who died, were arrested and exiled as a result of the bloody pogrom of the uprising. , a significant part of which has not survived.

In light of these data, the figures of the knowledgeable and observant Kotoshikhin about the arrest of more than 200 insurgents in Moscow (this is confirmed by the Moscow investigation file), the murder and arrest of more than 7 thousand people in Kolomenskoye can be considered plausible; in the same place, according to him, more than 100 people drowned and “with 150” people were hanged. In addition, on the night of July 25-26, the "furious thieves" were drowned in the Moskva River from "large ships". Reports of 9-10 thousand participants in the uprising are just as likely.

"COPPER REBEL" IN THE EYES OF SCOTTISH MAN PATRICK GORDON

The rebels came out of the Serpukhov Gate in a crowd. There were about 4 or 5 thousand of them, without weapons, only a few had clubs and sticks. They claimed compensation [for damages] for copper money, salt, and more. For this purpose, in different parts of the city, sheets were pasted, and one solicitor in front of the Zemsky court read a sheet containing their complaints, the names of some persons whom they believed to be guilty of abuses, and an appeal to everyone to go to the king and seek compensation, as well as bad heads. advisers.

When the mob gathered, some went to rob the house of a guest or headman named Vasily Shorin, but most went to Kolomenskoye, where, while His Majesty was in church, they solicited the boyars and courtiers to appeal to the king. Finally, when the king left the church and mounted his horse, they very rudely and with loud cries insisted that he atone for their grievances. The tsar and some of the boyars reprimanded them for coming in such a disorder and number, and announced that the grievances would be ironed out, and therefore a council would be called immediately - they should only have a little patience. Meanwhile, at their first appearance, an order was sent to two streltsy colonels to go with their regiments as soon as possible to Kolomenskoye, and the rest were ordered to suppress those who remained in Moscow.

When I reached the regiment, which the colonel had led away from the gate and built near the monastery, I persuaded him to go ahead. We reached the Kozhukhovsky bridge, where we received orders to stop, guard the bridge and capture the fugitives. By this time, two rifle regiments had appeared and were passed through the rear gate of the palace, They united with the horsemen from the courtiers and, attacking through the large gate, scattered [the rebels] without much risk and labor, some were driven into the river, others were killed and many were taken into captivity. Many were also saved.

The copper riot took place in Moscow on July 25, 1662. The reason was the following. Russia waged a protracted war with the Commonwealth for the annexation of Ukraine. Any war requires huge funds to maintain the army. The state was sorely lacking money, then it was decided to introduce copper money into circulation.

It happened in 1655. From a pound of copper, worth 12 kopecks, coins were minted for 10 rubles. A lot of copper money was immediately thrown into use, which led to the distrust of the population in them, inflation. It should be noted that taxes to the state treasury were collected in silver money, and paid in copper. Copper money was also easy to counterfeit.

By 1662, the market price of copper money had fallen by as much as 15 times, and the value of goods had increased dramatically. The situation was getting worse every day. The peasants did not take their food to the cities because they did not want to receive worthless copper for them. Poverty and hunger began to flourish in the cities.

The copper revolt was being prepared in advance, proclamations appeared throughout Moscow, in which many boyars and merchants were accused of collusion with the Commonwealth, the ruin of the country and betrayal. Also in the proclamation there were demands to reduce taxes on salt, to abolish copper money. It is significant that almost the same people caused the people's discontent as during the salt riot.

The crowd split into two. One, in the amount of 5 thousand people, moved to Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich in Kolomenskoye, the second smashed the courtyards of the hated nobles. The rebels caught Alexei Mikhailovich at a prayer service. The boyars went to talk to the people, but they could not calm the crowd. Alexei Mikhailovich himself had to go. People beat their foreheads in front of the king, demanded to change the situation. Realizing that the crowd could not be pacified, Alexei Mikhailovich spoke in a quiet custom, persuading the rioters to be patient. People grabbed the king by the dress, and said What to believe? The Tsar even had to shake hands with one of the rioters. Only after that did the people begin to disperse.

The people left Kolomenskoye, but on the way they met the second part of the crowd, which was going to where the first one left. The united, dissatisfied, 10 thousandth crowd of people turned back to Kolomenskoye. The rebels behaved even more boldly and decisively, demanding the boyars to kill. Meanwhile, the loyal regiments of Alexei Mikhailovich arrived in time to Kolomenskoye and dispersed the crowd. About 7 thousand people were subjected to repressions. Someone was beaten, someone was sent into exile, and someone was burned with a stigma with the letter B - a rebel.

Only people from the lower strata of society, butchers, artisans, and peasants participated in the copper riot. The copper revolt resulted in the gradual abolition of the copper coin. In 1663 the copper courtyards in Novgorod and Pskov were closed, and the printing of silver money was resumed. Copper money was completely withdrawn from circulation and melted into other useful items.

Copper riot of 1662

In 1662, a copper riot broke out in Russia. The reasons for the revolt must be sought in the severe impoverishment of the population as a result of the Russian-Polish war of 1654-1667. The Russian Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, fulfilling the conditions of the Stolbovsky Peace of 1617, was forced to send bread and money to the Swedes through Pskov and Novgorod. The indignation of the population by sending grain abroad was suppressed. The treasury was empty, and the tsarist government was forced to start minting copper money in order to pay the troops. The currency reform directly provoked the copper riot. The reasons for the riot can also be seen in the plague epidemic of 1654-1655. The disease has undermined not only an already frustrated economy, but also reduced human resources. Cities were deserted, trade weakened, hostilities had to end, and the plague was the indirect cause of the copper riot of 1662. As a result of the weakening of trade, the influx of foreign silver dried up, foreign merchants could not get to Russia beyond Arkhangelsk. The minting of a small-denomination copper coin that replaced the small silver coin, amid general disasters, caused a sharp jump in inflation. If at the beginning of the monetary reform 100, 130, 150 copper kopecks were given for one hundred silver kopecks, then later the rise in inflation caused the small copper coin to fall to 1000 and 1500 for one hundred silver kopecks. There were rumors among the population that some boyars minted copper money themselves. The government issued copper money in an unreasonable amount, which spurred the copper revolt of 1662. The main mistake of the tsarist government was the order to make any payment to the treasury in silver. Having thus abandoned the monetary policy being pursued, the government only intensified the popular unrest.

The course of the riot

The riot began with the fact that on the morning of July 25 in the center of Moscow anonymous letters appeared in which it was said about the betrayal of the boyars. They called the Miloslavskys, the okolnich F. Rtischev, who was in charge of the Order of the Grand Palace, the okolnich B. Khitrov, who headed the Armory. A crowd of starving and impoverished townspeople went to the tsar in Kolomenskoye and asked to hand over to them the boyars who were responsible for the national disasters. The king promised and the crowd left. The government brought up the rifle regiments to Kolomenskoye. The people could no longer see the king. The fact that the tsar was closed and did not hear popular complaints prompted the inhabitants of Moscow to transfer the expression of indignation at the policy of Alexei Mikhailovich to the streets of the city. The courtyards of the boyars Zadorin and Shorin were destroyed. A crowd of townspeople, armed only with sticks and knives, moved to Kolomenskoye, where they were attacked by the archers. They not only killed people, but also dumped them into the Moskva River. About 900 people died. The next day, about 20 more instigators of the riot were hanged in Moscow. Several dozen people were deported from Moscow to remote settlements.

The copper revolt of 1662 ended with the fact that in Russia, drained of blood in all respects, by the Tsar's Decree of April 15, 1663, silver money was returned into circulation, for which the silver reserve of the treasury was used. Copper money was not only withdrawn from circulation, but also banned.

Russia in the 17th century

Most historians call the 17th century a rebellious century for Russia. This name was not chosen by chance, this century was marked by many uprisings and riots, which significantly undermined the development of the state and the position of its power. The situation escalated during the reign of Alexei, the son of Tsar Mikhail.

Salt and Copper Riot

Discontent was aroused by the governors and clerks, indignation over taxes gradually increased in the cities, and the emergence of a new salt tax exacerbated the position of the authorities. In 1648, the Salt Riot took place in Moscow, the population of the city attacked the royal retinue.

Muscovites wanted to be given two clerks and boyar Morozov, who was the tsarist educator. He managed to hide from the angry people, and Muscovites lynched the orders Trakhaniotov and Pleshcheyev.

This affected the government, and the salt tax was abolished, at the same time increasing the collection of direct taxes. Soon the situation began to escalate again, the state demanded more money from the population. They began to take tax not on land, but on households, tax on income was taken several times, copper coins were issued, which cost like silver.

The next mutiny took place in 1662 and was called the Copper Riot. By then, prices had risen sharply again, and many refused to believe copper coins and only demanded silver coins. The revolt was suppressed, but the minting of coins was stopped.

People's war by Stepan Razin

But the people of Russia did not stop there. The rebellious movement of Stepan Razin, a Cossack who managed to lead all the people of the lower class, went down in history. The movement began in 1667 and covered a significant part of the territory of the Lower and Middle Volga regions, a huge part of the Ukrainian lands.

Under the leadership of Razin, the impoverished people plundered the royal and wealthy ships on the Lower Volga and the Caspian Sea, and attacked Persian cities. Even more people followed him, a real army of seven thousand people appeared.

The movement continued its revolutionary path, and in 1670 it again found itself on the Volga and plundered Tsaritsyn. The next city was Astrakhan. It is noteworthy that the population of the cities supported the Cossack, and many went over to Razin's side.

In the captured cities, Cossack administration was introduced, and the next cities on the way of the Razins were Saratov and Samara. Then the movement of the Cossack Razin acquires the scope of a real people's war, and it can no longer be called a simple Cossack revolt of the disaffected and disadvantaged.

The actions of Razin and his followers arouse sympathy among the people and a desire to support them, and over time they attract them as thousands of ordinary people, peasants and townspeople go over to Razin's side and help the movement achieve its goal. Stepan Razin creates lovely letters - appeals, which are entailed by a simple people burdened with constant, unfair taxes.

The next city to be captured was Simbirsk, but Razin's army was completely defeated. Their leader had to flee to the Don, but soon - in 1671 - rich and influential Cossacks handed him over to the Russian authorities.

Thus, the most famous and powerful uprising, which turned into a real action against state power, was suppressed. And the Russian people did not succeed in repeating such an anti-government statement in the 17th century.

Sources: www.ote4estvo.ru, www.syl.ru, 900igr.net, www.calend.ru, www.nado5.ru

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On August 4, 1662, an uprising of the urban lower classes took place in Moscow. The reasons for the riot were the issuance of depreciating copper coins in comparison with silver, and an increase in taxes that had to be paid only in silver.

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 Monetary Yard, Russian coins were minted from foreign coins: kopecks, money and polushki.

The protracted war with the Commonwealth (1654-1667) required huge expenses. To find money for the continuation of the war, the head of the Ambassadorial Prikaz, boyar Ordin-Nashchokin, proposed issuing copper money at the price of silver money. Taxes were collected in silver, and salaries were distributed in copper.

At first, small copper coins really were in circulation on a par with silver kopecks, but soon the excessive issue of unsecured copper money led to their depreciation. For 6 rubles in silver they gave 170 rubles in copper. Despite the tsar's decree, all goods rose sharply.

The financial catastrophe that broke out affected primarily the townspeople associated with small and medium trade, and the service people who received a monetary salary.

On the night of August 4, 1662, "thieves' sheets" were pasted in Moscow, which listed the names of the perpetrators of the financial crisis: the Miloslavskys boyars, who headed the orders of the Big Treasury, the head of the Grand Palace order, okolnichy Rtishchev, head of the Armory Chamber okolnichy Khitrovo, clerk Bashmakov, guests Shorin , Zadorin and others.

Early in the morning of that day, an uprising began, in which the townspeople, part of the archers, serfs, and peasants took part. In total, the performance was attended by from 9 to 10 thousand people. The rebels went to the village of Kolomenskoye, where Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich was staying, and demanded the extradition of the "traitors."

The tsar and the boyars promised the rebels to reduce taxes and to investigate their petition. Believing the promises, the participants in the uprising headed for Moscow. At the same time, after the pogroms of the courtyards of the "traitors", a new wave of rebels was sent to Kolomenskoye. Two counter streams merged and moved towards the royal residence. They renewed their demands, threatening, if the boyars were not handed over to them for reprisal, to take them to the palace themselves.

But during this time, the tsar managed to collect the archers. On his orders, they attacked the crowd, armed only with sticks and knives. In the course of the battle, about 900 citizens were killed, the next day, about 20 people were hanged.

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 Monetary yard, Russian coins were minted from foreign coins: kopecks, money and polushki (half money).

Counterfeiters case

The financial situation in the country led to the flourishing of counterfeiting

The development and course of the riot

The common people were outraged by the boyars' impunity. On July 25 (August 4), 1662, at the Lubyanka, sheets were found with accusations against Prince ID Miloslavsky, several members of the Boyar Duma and a rich guest Vasily Shorin. They were accused of secret relations with the Commonwealth, which had no basis whatsoever. But disgruntled people needed a reason. It is significant that the same people who were accused of abuses during the Salt Riot became the object of universal hatred, and just like fourteen years ago, the crowd attacked and destroyed the house of the guest Shorin, who was collecting "fifth money" throughout the 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 caught the king by surprise, he was forced to go out to the people. He was given a petition, demanding a reduction in prices and taxes, and punishment of those responsible. Under the pressure of circumstances, Alexei Mikhailovich gave his word to investigate the case, after which the calmed down mass of people, believing the promises, turned back.

Another crowd of many thousands was moving towards us from Moscow, in a much more belligerent mood. Small traders, butchers, bread bakers, cakes, 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 reprisals, threatening “if he will not give those boyars good, and they will learn from him themselves , according to their custom. " However, in Kolomenskoye, archers and soldiers have already appeared, 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 the investigation.

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

“And on that very day, about 150 people were hanged near that village, and the rest were ordered to order, they tortured and burned them, and, in search of guilt, they cut off the hands and feet and at the hands and feet of the fingers, and beat others with a whip, and put them on their faces. on the right side signs, lighting the iron on red, and put on that iron "beeches", that is, a rebel, so that he would be recognized forever; and punishing them, they sent everyone to distant cities, to Kazan, and to Astarakhan, and to Terki, and to Siberia, for eternal life ... courts, sunk the river in Moscow. "

The search in connection with the copper riot was unprecedented. 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 a performance by the city's lower classes. It was attended by artisans, butchers, pastries, peasants of suburban villages. Of the guests and merchants, "not a single person stuck to those thieves, they even helped those thieves, and they received praise from the tsar." Despite the ruthless suppression of the riot, it did not go unnoticed. In 1663, under the tsar's decree of the copper business, the courtyards in Novgorod and Pskov were closed, and in Moscow, minting of silver coins was resumed. The salaries of all ranks to service people again began to be paid in silver money. Copper money was withdrawn from circulation, private individuals were ordered to melt it into boilers or bring it to the treasury, where they paid 10 for each ruble handed over, and later even less - 2 money in silver. According to V.O. Klyuchevsky, "The Treasury acted like a real bankrupt, paid creditors 5 kopecks or even 1 kopeck per ruble."

see also

Notes (edit)

Literature

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

Links


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See what "Copper Riot" is in other dictionaries:

    - (The Moscow Uprising of 1662), an anti-government protest by Muscovites on July 25, 1662, caused by the disruption of economic life during the years of the wars of Russia with Poland and Sweden, an increase in taxes, the release of devalued 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 from 1655 were minted to replace silver coins. The issuance of copper money led to their depreciation in comparison with silver. A year after the riot ... ... Financial vocabulary

    Accepted in the literature, the name of the uprising of the lower and middle strata of the inhabitants of Moscow, archers, soldiers (25.7.1662). Caused by the increase in taxes during the Russian-Polish war of 1654 67 and the release of devalued 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 from 1655 were minted in Russian monetary yards to replace silver ones. The issuance of copper money led to their depreciation in comparison with silver. Across… … Economic Dictionary

    Copper Riot, accepted in the historical literature, the name of the speech in Moscow on 25.7.1662 representatives of the lower and middle strata of the townspeople, archers, soldiers. Caused by the increase in taxes during the Russian-Polish war of 1654 67 and the release of devalued ... ... Russian history

    "Copper riot"- "Copper Riot", accepted in the literature the name of the uprising of the lower and middle strata of the inhabitants of Moscow, streltsy, soldiers (25.7.1662). Caused by the increase in taxes during the Russian-Polish war of 1654 67 and the release of devalued copper money. Some of the rebels went ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

In 1662, a copper riot broke out in Russia. The reasons for the revolt must be sought in the severe impoverishment of the population as a result of the Russian-Polish war of 1654-1667. The Russian Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, fulfilling the conditions of the Stolbovsky Peace of 1617, was forced to send bread and money to the Swedes through Pskov and Novgorod. Population outrage

sending grain abroad was suppressed. The treasury was empty, and the tsarist government was forced to start minting copper money in order to pay the troops. The currency reform directly provoked the copper riot. The reasons for the riot can also be seen in the plague epidemic of 1654-1655. The disease has undermined not only an already frustrated economy, but also reduced human resources. Cities were deserted, trade weakened, hostilities had to end, and the plague was the indirect cause of the copper riot of 1662. As a result of the weakening of trade, the influx of foreign silver dried up, foreign merchants could not get to Russia beyond Arkhangelsk. The minting of a small-denomination copper coin that replaced the small silver coin, amid general disasters, caused a sharp jump in inflation. If at the beginning of the monetary reform 100, 130, 150 copper kopecks were given for one hundred silver kopecks, then later the rise in inflation caused the small copper coin to fall to 1000 and 1500 for one hundred silver kopecks. There were rumors among the population that some boyars minted copper money themselves. The government issued copper money in an unreasonable amount, which spurred the copper revolt of 1662.

The main mistake of the tsarist government was the order to make any payment to the treasury in silver. Having thus abandoned the monetary policy being pursued, the government only intensified the popular unrest.

The course of the riot

The riot began with the fact that on the morning of July 25 in the center of Moscow anonymous letters appeared in which it was said about the betrayal of the boyars. The names of the Miloslavskys (who were in charge of the orders of the big treasury), the okolnich F. Rtischev, who was in charge of the Order of the Grand Palace, the okolnich B. Khitrov, who headed the Armory. A crowd of starving and impoverished townspeople went to the tsar in Kolomenskoye and asked to hand over to them the boyars who were responsible for the national disasters. The king promised and the crowd left. The government brought up the rifle regiments to Kolomenskoye. The people could no longer see the king. The fact that the tsar was closed and did not hear popular complaints prompted the inhabitants of Moscow to transfer the expression of indignation at the policy of Alexei Mikhailovich to the streets of the city.

The courtyards of the boyars Zadorin and Shorin were destroyed. A crowd of townspeople, armed only with sticks and knives, moved to Kolomenskoye, where they were attacked by the archers. They not only killed people, but also dumped them into the Moskva River. About 900 people died. The next day, about 20 more instigators of the riot were hanged in Moscow. Several dozen people were deported from Moscow to remote settlements.

Results of the riot

The copper revolt of 1612 ended with the fact that in Russia, drained of blood in all respects, by the Tsar's Decree of April 15, 1663, silver money was returned into circulation, for which the silver reserve of the treasury was used. Copper money was not only withdrawn from circulation, but also banned.