There has always been a special attitude towards "dashing people" in Russia. They were not only feared, but also respected. For their crazy prowess, they often paid a very high price - they ended up in hard labor or lost their lives.
Kudeyar
The most legendary Russian robber is Kudeyar. This person is semi-mythical. There are several versions of his identification.
According to the main one, Kudeyar was the son of Vasily III and his wife Solomeya, who was exiled to a monastery for childlessness. According to this legend, during the tonsure Solomonia was already pregnant, she gave birth to a son, George, whom she handed over "in safe hands", and announced to everyone that the newborn had died.
It is not surprising that Ivan the Terrible was very interested in this legend, since according to it Kudeyar was his older brother, which means he could claim power. This story is most likely folk fiction.
The desire to “ennoble the robber”, as well as to allow oneself to believe in the illegitimacy of power (and therefore the possibility of its overthrow) is characteristic of the Russian tradition. In our country, every ataman is a legitimate king. With regard to Kudeyar, there are so many versions of his origin that would be enough for half a dozen atamans
Lyalya
Lyalya can be called not only one of the most legendary robbers, but also the most “literary”. The poet Nikolai Rubtsov wrote a poem about him called "The Robber Lyalya".
Local historians also found information about him, which is not surprising, since toponyms reminiscent of this dashing man have survived to this day in the Kostroma region. This is Lyalina Mountain and one of the tributaries of the Vetluga River, called Lyalinka.
Local historian A.A. Sysoev wrote: “In the Vetluga forests, the robber Lyalya walked with his gang - this is one of the chieftains of Stepan Razin ... who lived in the mountains near the Vetluga River not far from Varnavin. According to legend, Lyalya robbed and burned the Novovozdvizhensky Monastery on the Bolshaya Kaksha River near the village of Chenebechikhi.
This may be true, since at the end of 1670 a detachment of Razints really visited here. Lyalya with his gang appeared in the Kostroma forests after the suppression of the Razin uprising.
He chose a place for a robber camp on high mountain in order to have a strategic advantage in the robbery of carts passing nearby along the winter route. From spring to autumn, along the Vetluga, merchants carried goods on ships, and on the way they often stopped in Kameshnik. The main business of the Lyali gang was the collection of ransoms from merchants, local feudal lords and landlords.
Legends draw him, as usual in folklore, strict, harsh and domineering, but fair. His approximate portrait has also been preserved: “He was a broad-shouldered, muscular man of medium height; face tanned, rough; black eyes under bushy, furrowed brows; dark hair."
They wanted to catch Lyalya’s gang more than once, but the detachments sent to catch the robber constantly encountered too loyal attitude of local men towards Lyalya - they treated him rather with respect, Lyalya was warned about the appearance of detachments, some village men even joined the gang. However, over time, the gang nevertheless thinned out, and Lyalya became more and more burdened by his craft. Therefore, he decided to bury his wealth - he drowned it in the lake (it is still called the Pantry) and buried it in the mountain. Where are they still kept? Of course, according to the legend.
Trishka Siberian
Trishka-Sibiryak robbed in the 30s XIX years century in the Smolensk district. News of him spread to other regions, bringing the nobles and landowners into a state of awe.
A letter from Turgenev's mother, which she wrote to her son in Berlin in February 1839, has been preserved. It contains the following phrase: "Trishka appeared like Pugachev - that is, he is in Smolensk, and we are cowardly in Bolkhov." Trishka was caught the very next month, he was tracked down and arrested in Dukhovshchinsky district. The capture of Trishka was a real special operation.
Knowing about the caution of the robber, he was caught under the guise of pursuing another person. Almost no one knew about the true purpose of the search - they were afraid to frighten them off. As a result, when the arrest nevertheless took place, a message appeared in Smolenskiye Vedomosti about this as an event of extreme importance.
However, until the 50s of the 19th century, the legends about Trishka the Sibiryak continued to excite the nerves of the landlords, who were worried that someday Trishka would get in their way, or get into their house. The people loved Trishka and composed legends about him, where the robber appeared as a defender of the destitute.
Vanka Cain
The story of Vanka-Cain is dramatic and instructive. He can be called the first official thief Russian Empire.
He was born in 1718, at the age of 16 he met a famous thief named "Kamchatka" and loudly left the landowner's house, where he served, robbing him, and writing on the manor gates everything he thinks about work: "Work the devil, not me ".
Several times he was taken to the Secret Order, but each time he was released, so rumors began to circulate that Ivan Osipov (that was Cain's real name) was "lucky". Moscow thieves decided to choose him as their leader. A little time passed, and Vanka was already "in command" of a gang of 300 people.
So he became the uncrowned king of the underworld. However, on December 28, 1741, Ivan Osipov recovered to the Detective Order and wrote a "repentant petition", and even offered his services in catching his own associates, became the official informer of the Detective Order.
The very first police operation on his tip covered a thieves' gathering in the deacon's house - a catch of 45 people. On the same night, 20 members of the gang of Yakov Zuev were taken in the house of the archpriest. And in the Tatar baths of Zamoskvorechye, 16 deserters were tied up and the underground with weapons was opened.
However, Vanka Cain did not live in peace. He had a penchant for extravagance and chic, and got burned on the kidnapping of the 15-year-old daughter of "retired serviceman" Taras Zevakin, on corruption and banal racketeering.
The case dragged on for 6 years, until in 1755 the court issued a verdict - flogged, wheeled, beheaded. But in February 1756 the Senate softened the sentence. They gave Cain whips, pulled out his nostrils, branded him with the word V.O.R. and exiled to hard labor - at first to the Baltic Rogervik, from there to Siberia. Where he died.
Mishka Yaponchik
According to the main version, the future "king" was born on November 30, 1891 in Odessa in the family of Meyer Wolf of Vinnitsa. The boy was named Moishe-Yakov, according to the documents - Moses Volfovich.
When Moishe was in his seventh year, his family was left without a father. In order to earn at least some money for food, Moishe got a job as an apprentice at Farber's mattress factory. In parallel with this, he studied at a Jewish school, and managed to finish four classes. At the age of 16, Moisha Vinnitsky went to work as an electrician at the Anatra plant. Moishe's life changed radically in 1905, when, following the publication of the tsar's manifesto on the granting of freedoms, Jewish pogroms began in Odessa.
The police preferred not to intervene too much in the bloody riots organized by the Black Hundreds in Moldovanka, and the local population began to organize Jewish self-defense units. In one of these detachments, the future Mishka Yaponchik received his first combat experience. Since then, he has not parted with weapons. Moishe Vinnitsky joined the anarchist group "Young Will", which became famous for daring raids, robberies and racketeering.
In 1907, the hand of justice nevertheless grabbed Moisha by the collar. The anarchist received 12 years of hard labor. If Moishe were an adult, we would definitely not recognize Mishka Yaponchik. On the basis of all his actions, the death penalty was guaranteed to him.
Yaponchik returned to Odessa in the summer of 1917. This was no longer the boy who could be sent to carry a bomb to undermine the chief of police - during the hard labor Moisha managed to talk with both "political" and "thieves".
Moishe quickly assessed the situation. Taking advantage of the unrest that is constantly happening in Odessa, Yaponchik quickly puts together his gang, “carries out” cash desks and shops. Moishe also adopts revolutionary rhetoric. Now he not only robs, but expropriates for the needs of the revolution and the working class. He organizes a large revolutionary detachment of Jewish self-defense.
The story of the robbery of a gambling club by his gang became a textbook. Yaponchik's people were dressed in the uniform of revolutionary sailors. The proceeds were notable: 100 thousand from horses and 2000 thousand from visitors. One of the club's visitors literally died on the spot when he saw a crowd of armed people in front of him.
The “bandit-tramp element” played a big role in the life of Odessa. And if it was impossible to suppress it, then it was necessary to lead it, putting your own man in the place of the “king”. Yaponchik secured serious financial and organizational support from the Bolsheviks and became the commander of a detachment of the Red Army.
His regiment was assembled from Odessa criminals, anarchist militants and mobilized students. Before sending the regiment to the front against Petliura, a chic banquet was arranged in Odessa, at which Mishka Yaponchik was solemnly presented with a silver saber and a red banner.
However, reliability and revolutionary awareness from the people of Yaponchik was not to be expected. Of the 2202 people of the detachment, only 704 people reached the front. The thieves also did not want to fight for a long time and quickly "fought". On the way back to Odessa, Yaponchik was shot dead by Commissar Nikifor Ursulov, who received the Order of the Red Banner for his "feat".
Grigory Kotovsky
Kotovsky was born in 1881 into a noble family. His parents were not rich, his mother died when Grisha was only two years old. He did not finish the vocational school, left the agricultural school and worked as an intern on the estate of Prince Kantakouzin.
From here it started glorious days Grishki-Cat. The princess fell in love with the young manager, her husband, having learned about this, whipped Grishka and threw him into the field. Without thinking twice, the offended Kotovsky killed the landowner, and he himself disappeared into the forest, where he gathered a gang of 12 people.
Glory thundered - Kotovsky was afraid of all Bessarabia, newspapers wrote about him, calling him another Dubrovsky. There is somewhere in Pushkin: “The robberies are one more wonderful than the other, they follow one after the other. The head of the gang is famous for his intelligence, courage and some kind of generosity ... ". The generosity of Grigory Kotovsky, in the end, with all the palette of personal qualities, became the main one for the public audience, creating the halo of Robin Hood for Cat.
However, for that same "people" Gregory was often a "benefactor". So, Kotovsky and his 12 associates saved the peasants arrested for agrarian unrest, persecuted in the Chisinau prison. They rescued loudly, one of the escorts left a receipt: "Grigory Kotovsky released the arrested."
Kotovsky had to visit places of detention twice. And run free twice. For the first time, a woman and bread helped Gregory. The wife of one of the chiefs of the Kishinev prison, who visited the hero at rest, gave Kotovsky a loaf and smoke, in other words, opium, browning, a rope and a file.
Grishka got out, however, he walked for less than a month. Then he went to Siberia for 10 years. Gregory fled two years later. While Kotovsky ran, the myth of his nobility grew stronger. It was said that during a raid on the apartment of one of the owners of the bank, Kotovsky demanded a pearl necklace from the entrepreneur's wife. Mrs. Circassian did not lose her head and, taking off her jewelry, broke the thread. Kotovsky pearls did not raise, smiled at female resourcefulness.
Grigory Kotovsky definitely had an administrative streak, and if it weren’t for a love adventure with Princess Kontaktuzino, Kotu would not be a red commander, but an enemy of the proletariat. Kotovsky liked to manage: after another escape, having taken possession of someone else's passport, Kotovsky again served as the manager of a large estate. Kotovsky had another weakness - he wanted fame. Having given money to some fire-fighter, the manager said: “Build up again. Come on thanking, Kotovsky is not thanked.
In 1916, Kotovsky was sentenced to death. The military field court agreed that there was no revolution in Kotovsky's actions, they condemned him as a bandit nobleman. Rescued Bessarabian Robin Guda woman and writer. Nothing is known about General Shcherbakova, and the friendship between the writer Fedorov and Kotovsky continued for a long time. The revolution gave Kotovsky freedom. Somewhere in Odessa, he underwent military training, and then climbed into Romania.
Calling himself exclusively an anarchist, Gregory independently formed cavalry regiments. The regiments of Kotovsky were formed from those who were close in spirit earlier. The former criminal, they say, served bravely, received two award crosses, was reputed to be merciful - he was loved by the Jews and five thousand rescued white officers.
Being at the crosses, at the zenith of glory, preparing the entry of the Red Army into Odessa, Grishka, disguised as a colonel, took out jewelry from the basement of the state bank. It took him three trucks to vacate the premises. However, this feat of Grigory Ivanovich did not destroy his military career.
The luck of the red commander was deceived once, but with extreme fatalism. On August 6, 1925, at the state farm Chebanka, Grigory Kotovsky was shot dead by Meyer (Mayorchik). There was a lot of talk about murder. They said that Mayorchik, in love with Olga Kotovskaya, eliminated his friend, they said that they killed him on orders from "above". The death of the commander gave rise to a lot of rumors, nevertheless, without obscuring the posthumous luck of Grishka Kota. On August 11, 1925, a daughter was born to Grigory Kotovsky.
Lenka Panteleev
Lenka Panteleev (real name Leonid Pantelkin) was born in 1902, at the age of 17 he joined the Red Army, fought with the Whites, after the Civil War he got a job in the Pskov Cheka, from where he was soon dismissed. According to one version, “to reduce staff,” according to another, because he showed extreme unreliability by starting to steal during the search.
Then Panteleev moved to St. Petersburg, where he first tried to find a job, and then set foot on the path of banditry - he put together a gang and began to "rob the loot." The raids by the Panteleev gang were extremely successful and theatrical. The leader flew in first and introduced himself: “Everyone, keep calm! This is Lenka Panteleev!
Of course, there was a hunt for Panteleev, but the operatives over and over again remained with the nose ... Today this is explained very simply - Panteleev was an undercover agent. This indirectly confirms the fact that Lenka's gang included another former Chekist and former commissar of the Red Army battalion, a member of the RCP (b). In addition, Panteleev's gang has never robbed a state institution, private entrepreneurs have always become victims.
In the fall of 1922, while trying to rob a shoe store, the Panteleev gang was ambushed. Lyonka and his accomplices were arrested. The court sentenced them to death, but the next night they escaped from Kresty (the only successful escape from this prison in its entire history). How Panteleev managed to do this - history is silent ...
For a long time, however, Panteleev did not walk free. Already in February 1923, having resisted arrest, he was shot dead by GPU operatives.
People stubbornly believed that Panteleev was alive. To dispel this myth, by order of the authorities, the corpse was put on public display in the city morgue. Thousands of people came to look at the body, but his family and friends did not identify him. Yes, and it was impossible to do this - the bullet hit in the face.
Between two robbers- an expression describing the nature of the death of Jesus Christ, whose cross, according to the Gospels, was erected between the crucifixions of the criminals Dismas and Gestas, who received the nickname of the Prudent and Mad Thieves.
In a figurative sense - a person who finds himself in a dishonoring situation (company), but at the same time retains his positive qualities.
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Gospel description
| Led with Him to death and two villains. And when they came to the place called Skull, there they crucified Him and the evildoers, one on the right, and the other on the left… One of the hanged villains reviled Him and said: "If you are the Christ, save yourself and us". |
On the contrary, in short stories both thieves reproached about this in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark Jesus (Matt., Mk.).
The repentant thief received in the Christian tradition the nickname " Reasonable And, according to legend, he was the first to enter paradise. The robber is remembered in Orthodox chants of Great Friday when reading twelve gospels: « Thou hast vouchsafed the prudent thief in one hour of heaven, O Lord”, and his words on the cross became the beginning of the Lenten following of the pictorial:“ Remember me, Lord, when you come into your kingdom».
Interpretation in Christianity
The difference between the text of the Evangelist Luke and the texts of other synoptics is explained by the fact that at first the future Prudent Thief also participated in the blasphemy of Christ, but then repented.
It is traditionally believed that the Prudent Thief was the first saved person from all those who believed in Christ and was the third inhabitant of paradise from people (after Enoch and Elijah, taken to heaven alive). The story of the Prudent Thief's entry into heaven is not just an illustration of the villain's remorse. It is interpreted by the church as God's willingness to grant forgiveness to the dying even at the very last moment.
The question of the pious thief was examined in most detail by John Chrysostom in his conversation “ About the cross and the thief, and about the second coming of Christ, and about unceasing prayer for enemies". The saint, studying the repentance of the robber and the church tradition that he was the first to enter paradise, draws the following conclusions:
- Christ, being crucified, insulted, spit upon, vilified, dishonored, performs a miracle - he changed the vicious soul of the robber;
- The greatness of the thief's soul Chrysostom derives from his comparison with the Apostle Peter: when Peter renounced the valley, then the thief confessed grief". At the same time, the saint, without blaming Peter, says that the disciple of Christ could not endure the threat of an insignificant girl, and the robber, seeing how the people scream, rage and blaspheme the crucified Christ, did not pay attention to them, but with the eyes of faith " know the Lord of heaven»;
- Chrysostom draws attention to the fact that the pious robber, unlike other people, " I did not see the resurrected dead, nor the exorcised demons, I did not see the obedient sea; Christ told him nothing about the kingdom or hell", but at the same time he" confessed Him first».
In addition, this precedent formed the basis of the Catholic concept of Baptism of Desire (Baptismus Flaminis), which is interpreted as follows: if someone wished to be baptized, but could not, due to insurmountable circumstances, be properly baptized, he can still be saved by the grace of God.
The faith of the prudent thief, as a model for all Christians to follow, is one of the oldest in church sermons (the earliest was written no later than 125 by Saint Aristides).
Prophecies
Apocryphal stories
The origin of the robbers
Unlike the Gospels, which do not give details about the people between whom Christ was crucified, the apocryphal literature contains an extensive set of traditions.
Apocrypha "Word of the Cross Tree" includes a description of the origin of the two robbers: during the flight to Egypt, the Holy Family settled in the desert next to the robber, who had two sons. But his wife, who had only one breast, could not nurse them both. The Virgin Mary helped her in feeding - she fed that child, who was then crucified on the right side of Christ and repented before death:
A common legend about Mysterious drop tells that the Holy Family was captured by robbers, and Mary, seeing the dying baby in the arms of the robber's wife, took him, and only a drop of her milk touched his lips, he recovered.
"Word of the Cross Tree" does not give the names of these robbers, unlike "Gospel" of Nicodemus who calls them Dijman- a prudent robber, and Gesta- blasphemed Christ. Also in this "Gospels" contains a description of the astonishment of the Old Testament righteous, who were led out of hell by Christ and saw the thief, who had entered paradise before them. The author of the apocrypha gives the following story of Dijman:
... I was a robber, doing all sorts of evil deeds on earth. And the Jews nailed me to the cross along with Jesus, and I saw everything that was done by the cross of the Lord Jesus, on which the Jews crucified Him, and I believed that He is the creator of all things and the Almighty King. And I asked Him: “Remember me, Lord, in Your Kingdom!” And immediately accepting my prayer, He said to me: “Amen, I tell you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” And He gave me the sign of the cross, saying: “Carry this, going to paradise.”.
In medieval art, the Prudent Thief is sometimes depicted as accompanying Jesus during the Descent into Hell, although this interpretation is not based on any of the surviving texts.
Cross of the Prudent Thief
There is an apocryphal version of the origin of the tree for the cross of the Prudent Thief. According to legend, Seth received from an angel not only a branch from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, but also another one, which he later lit on the banks of the Nile and which burned with unquenchable fire for a long time. When Lot sinned with his daughters, God told him to atone for planting three firebrands from that fire and watering them until a large tree grew. It was from this tree that the cross of the pious robber was then made.
The Cross of the Prudent Robber, according to the traditional version, was installed by Empress Elena on the island of Cyprus in 327. A particle of the Life-Giving Cross and one of the nails with which the body of Christ was pierced were embedded in it. This cross is reported by St. Daniel in his "Walk of Abbot Daniel"(XII century):
Daniil repeats the earliest record about the Stavrovouni monastery, preserved from 1106, which tells about a cypress cross supported in the air by the Holy Spirit. In 1426, the robber's cross was stolen by the Mamelukes, but a few years later, as the monastery legend says, it was miraculously returned to its original place. However, then the shrine disappeared again and remains unfound to this day.
A small particle of the Cross of the Prudent Thief is preserved in the Roman Basilica of Santa Croce in Jerusalemmme. Her appearance in Rome is associated with Empress Elena.
Cross of the Mad Robber
The history of the material for the cross on which the Mad Robber was crucified is contained in the Russian apocrypha “ Word of the Cross Tree» (-XVI century). According to him, the cross was made of a tree planted by Moses at the bitter-salty spring of Merra (Ex.) from three branches of a tree woven together, brought from paradise during the global flood. During the excavations of St. Helena in Jerusalem, three crosses were found for her " one is blessed, on which Christ hung, and the others, on which two thieves were crucified and died". However, the cross of the Mad Robber was not recognized as a relic and his further fate unknown.
The names of the robbers
The names of the Prudent and Mad Robbers are known from Apocrypha, which, however, call them differently:
Discreet Robber Dismas
Dizhman and Gesta(in the western version - Dismas and Gestas (Dismas and Gestas)) - the most common form of the names of robbers in Catholicism. The name "Dismas" is derived from the Greek word for "sunset" or "death". Spelling options are Dysmas, Dimas and even Dumas (Dumas).
The feast day of St. Dismas is celebrated on March 25th. A city in California, San Dimas, is named after him. Saint Dismas is the patron saint of prisoners; many prison chapels are dedicated to him.
Prudent Rogue Rach
"Rah"- the name of the robber, most often found in Orthodox iconography. Domestic researchers cannot find literary sources for the origin of this name. Possibly an evolution of the name Barbarian-Varah-Rah. The icon with his image was placed on the northern altar doors of the iconostasis.
Iconography
Art historians note that robbers on the sides of Christ in the scenes of the Crucifixion appeared starting from the 5th-6th centuries (the earliest known image is an icon from the monastery of St. Catherine, dating from the 6th century).
The prudent thief was crucified on the right side of Christ (right hand), so the head of the Savior is often written bowed to this side. This indicates his acceptance of the repentant criminal. In Russian icon painting, the sloping crossbar under the feet of Jesus is also usually directed upwards towards the Prudent Thief. The prudent thief was written with his face turned towards Jesus, and the Mad one - with his head turned away or even his back turned.
Artists sometimes emphasized the difference between Jesus and the thieves on both sides of him, as well as the difference between the two criminals:
| Jesus Christ | Rogues | |
|---|---|---|
| cloth | loincloth | perisoma |
| cross | life-giving cross, clear geometric shapes |
ugly, wild, curved trunks, T-cross |
| fastening | nails | tied with ropes |
| hands | straight, stretched | tied behind the cross |
| pose | peaceful | writhe |
| shins | kept intact | slaughtered by warriors who brandish hammers |
You can also trace the differences between the two robbers, the Prudent and the Mad: in the first centuries of Christianity, when the memory of the ancient beardless ideal of male beauty was still preserved, the Prudent robber had no beard, and the Mad was bearded. But with the development of the Christian worldview, the beard became one of the important signs of the image of Christ in man, and therefore the beard became an attribute of positive characters (Jesus and the Prudent Thief), and the third executed person turned into a beardless one.
In Russian icon painting, the image of the Prudent Robber, in addition to the traditional compositions of the Crucifixion of Christ, is also placed:
- in the scene of the descent into hell (associated with an illustration of the apocryphal tales “The Word about the entry of John the Baptist into hell” and “On the robber who suffered with Christ”). The scene of the dialogue of the Pious thief with the prophets Elijah and Enoch is depicted at the gates of paradise, guarded by a fiery cherub;
- on the north door of the altar leading to the altar. The robber is depicted on a white background, surrounded by paradisiacal attributes (flowers, birds, plant shoots), which symbolically indicates his stay in paradise. A cross is traditionally placed in the hands of the Pious Thief. In the middle of the 19th century, it was widely believed that the placement of this image on the northern doors of the altar was an Old Believer tradition, but this is probably due to the transfer of ancient icons to Old Believer churches and prayer rooms after the reforms of Patriarch Nikon.
veneration
The Orthodox Church reveres the Prudent Thief as an example of true repentance (see the "" section for more details). A prudent robber does not have a separate day of remembrance in the month-word. Its history is reflected in hymnography (especially in the hymns of Good Friday; the most famous is the luminary " Thou vouchsafed the prudent thief in a single hour of paradise ...”), and the words of the robber, addressed to Jesus Christ, became a refrain to the troparia on the blessed. Also, the mention of the Prudent Thief is contained in the prayer read before communion, in which the repentance of the robber and his confession of Jesus Christ are contrasted with the betrayal of Judas: “ not for your enemy we will sing a secret, nor kiss thee ladies, like Judas, but like a thief I confess you».
Robbers have always existed in Russia. Among them were those who were known among the people as bloodthirsty villains, others became famous as noble fighters for freedom. Some have become heroes of legends, and now it is already difficult to find out where the truth is in their biography and where is fiction.
Ermak
Before joining the Siberian Khanate to the Russian state and glorifying his name in songs and folk tales, Yermak hunted robbery on the Volga, plundering merchant caravans and Tatar khans. The exact date and place of birth of the Cossack chieftain has not been established - presumably, he was born in 1540. According to one version, Yermak's grandfather, a Suzdal townsman, went in search of a better life to the Ural merchants Stroganovs and settled on the Chusovaya River. There his grandson Vasily was born, later nicknamed Yermak. Having headed the Cossack squad, Yermak led a free life for 20 years in the region of the Dniester and the Volga, and then, according to some reports, took part in the Livonian War, restrained the onslaught of the Crimean Khan Davlet-Girey on Moscow. In 1577, the merchants Stroganovs offered Yermak to return with his Cossack squad to Siberia to protect their patrimony from the raids of Khan Kuchum, who changed his friendly policy, refused to pay tribute and tried to oust the Stroganovs from Siberia. Having successfully defended the Stroganov's possessions from Kuchum, Yermak went beyond the Urals, conquering small settlements of local peoples, imposing tribute on them in exchange for protection from the raids of Khan Kuchum. By 1583, Yermak annexed the entire territory of the Lower Ob region to the Russian state, for which Ivan the Terrible granted the ataman the title of Prince of Siberia. According to some reports, Yermak was distinguished by a stern disposition, brutally dealt with the conquered peoples and established the strictest discipline in his squad. He is credited with iron willpower, courage and exceptional leadership talent.
Yermak died on the night of August 6, 1585 during a sudden attack by Kuchum. The wounded ataman drowned trying to cross the Irtysh in heavy chain mail, which he got as a gift from Ivan the Terrible. According to legend, the body of Yermak was found by the Tatars, who shot arrows at him for six weeks. His armor, which was attributed to mystical properties due to the unprecedented military successes of Yermak, went to the noble murza Kaydaul. Now Yermak's chain mail is stored in the Armory in Moscow.
KUDEYAR
In Russian folklore, there are legends about ataman Kudeyar, the leader of a band of robbers who hunted during the time of Ivan the Terrible. Nekrasov presents him as a people's avenger, legends as a model of prowess, Saratov, Rostov, Lipetsk, Belgorod and Tambov regions are fighting for the right to consider Kudeyar their hero. According to one version, Kudeyar was the brother of Ivan the Terrible, born to the exiled wife of Vasily III, who intended to marry Elena Glinskaya, the mother of Ivan the Terrible. According to this version, Kudeyar is Prince Georgy Vasilyevich. According to another legend, Kudeyar was called Prince Gabor-George, son of Zsigmond Bathory, prince of Transylvania, nephew of the Polish king. Kudeyar, having quarreled with his father, fled to the Dnieper, joined the Cossacks and later became the royal guardsman. Finally, the third version considers Kudeyar Tishenkov, the son of a boyar from Belev, who committed treason, to be a robber: he showed the troops of the Crimean Khan Davlet-Girey the approaches to Moscow. Many researchers believe that "Kudeyar" could be used as a common noun to refer to several particularly dashing robbers.
There are numerous legends about the stolen treasures of Kudeyar. According to them, more than a hundred robber treasures have been preserved in southern Russia, especially a lot of them in Voronezh region. Kudeyarovsky treasures are distinguished by special signs: over the stones, under which the treasures are hidden, lights flash, and twice a week, exactly at midnight, you can hear the cry of a child.
VANKA-KAIN
Russian thief number one Ivan Osipov, nicknamed Vanka-Cain, was born in 1718 in the Yaroslavl province and at the age of 13 was brought to Moscow to serve the merchant Filatiev. Four years later, tired of starvation and beatings, Ivan fled from Filatyev, having previously robbed the merchant, for which he nicknamed him Cain. After several years spent with a gang of robbers on the Volga, Vanka-Kain returned to the capital and began to win the glory of the Russian Kartush. Starting with a pickpocket, he continued his “career” by raiding rich houses, fairs and entire factories. Later, Ivan became an informer to the police, for which all charges were dropped from him. According to his instructions, 32 people were arrested in just one day, and in total 300-500 thieves went to prison. Basically, he caught petty thieves, sheltering big businessmen and extorting money from them. Having given bribes to officials, Vanka-Cain opened a gambling house, which brought huge profits. He kept the entire Moscow police and the entire thieves' world under his control: under his leadership, the number of thieves, robbers and other criminals in Moscow increased several times, which led to robberies and fires throughout the Mother See. In this regard, General Tatishchev was sent to Moscow, who headed the commission of inquiry into the Vanka-Cain case. From 1749 to 1755, an investigation was conducted, as a result of which Vanka-Kain was sentenced to death penalty, but then the sentence was mitigated, replacing the execution with hard labor in Siberia, where he died, leaving a memory of himself not only as a malicious thief, but also as a daring, dashing, resilient person.
KARMELUK
Nicknamed the Ukrainian Robin Hood, Ustim Yakimovich Karmelyuk was born into a peasant family in the Vinnitsa region and at the age of 17 he was given a 25-year service in the tsarist army. After an unsuccessful attempt to desert, Karmelyuk was sent to a penal battalion, from where he successfully escaped. A year later, he led a peasant uprising against the Russian nobility, for which he was sentenced to death, which was replaced by 25 lashes and 10 years of hard labor in Siberia, to which Karmelyuk did not reach, having escaped from the Vyatka transit camp. He rejoined the rebellion and was again captured. This time Karmelyuk went to Siberia: he spent two years on his way to Tobolsk. In 1825, the Ukrainian Robin Hood made his most famous escape: at night, during a strong storm, he collected the shirts of all the convicts, tied them into a long rope and, tying a heavy stone to one end, threw it over the prison fence. On such a suspension bridge, Karmelyuk and his cellmates escaped from prison. A few more times the robber was arrested, but in the end he managed to escape. From 1830 to 1835, Karmelyuk led an uprising, which was joined by more than 20 thousand people, mostly Ukrainians, Poles and Jews. Karmelyuk and his associates plundered the rich landowners' houses, distributing money to the poor. According to the remaining testimonies, the head of the uprising was distinguished by great physical strength, a sharp mind, and was fluent in Polish and Russian without any accent. In 1835, the Ukrainian Robin Hood was killed; to intimidate the rebels, his body was taken to many villages.
VASILY CHURKIN
The famous robber, Guslitsky Robin Hood Vasily Churkin was born in the village of Barskoy near Orekhovo-Zuyevo. This area was known in Russia as Guslitsy - Old Believers hiding from persecution settled there. In the Guslitsky regions, they managed to preserve their original culture and ancient Slavic writing, but at the same time, horse theft, forgery of icons and theft flourished there. In addition, Guslitsy was one of the centers of counterfeiting in Russia, and the Guslyaks had a reputation for people without conscience and honor. Vasily Churkin became the most famous criminal in this area. There is not much reliable information about his personality. Folklore has preserved legends that Churkin's gang operated over a large territory - from Moscow to Vladimir: they robbed rich merchants and raided factories. Pretty soon, Churkin was caught, but was able to make an escape that became a legend in the Russian underworld. The staff of the prison where the robber was kept was in a state of drunkenness when his wife and girlfriend came to visit Churkin. They brought him women's clothes in which he was able to escape. It was extremely difficult for the police to catch him again: the whole area was covered with a “just criminal”, who always shared the loot with the poor. Until now, there are legends in Guslitsy about the existence of caches and treasures hidden by Churkin's gang. Despite the fact that Vasily Churkin, according to many historians, is just an ordinary robber, a former factory worker, in folk legends he appears as a noble fighter for justice who helped the poor. According to legend, the dying Churkin admitted that he decided to kill only once - he took the life of the village headman Peter Kirov.
Sea robbers, "trying their luck." These are them, desperate lovers of adventure and sea battles, with an indomitable will in character and a bottle of rum in their hands, everyone imagines at the mere mention of the word "pirates". The best writers of the world wrote about them, the world's most talented directors and actors created bright masterpieces of cinematography about the difficult and, at the same time, enchanting life of recalcitrant pirates. Seas and oceans, ships and captains, treasure maps and treasure chests - that's it, their life. But each of them had his own special life path, his own colorful and difficult fate.
"Cruel" Henry Morgan
Henry, who lived in the seventeenth century, became the most famous pirate. The Englishman, who was born into a wealthy family of landowners, was a restless child from childhood, had no interest in continuing his parental work, and in his early youth he was hired to serve as a cabin boy on a ship. When the ship landed on the island of Barbados, Henry was successfully sold into slavery. After working there for several years and paying the owner a ransom, Henry moved to the island of Jamaica, where he made a gang of thugs and a small capital, bought his first ship, on which he was unanimously chosen as the captain. First, the pirates robbed the ships of Spain, the enemy state. Then a brilliant idea comes to Morgan's head - to attack coastal cities. The very first such attack brought him unprecedented fame as a leader, other pirate ships began to join his team. Having such a flotilla with several hundred pirates, Morgan no longer enjoyed plundering single ships at sea.
The capture of cities began, which gave a significant profit to the treasury of the extracted treasures. However, this treasury both replenished and descended instantly. Returning from raids on Jamaica, the pirates spent days and nights, staggering from tavern to tavern, drinking and eating from golden dishes, having fun with the most expensive courtesans. And then they again went to sea, in new raids.
Pirate Admiral Henry Morgan managed to combine not only success in the corsair craft, but also the talent of a military leader, commander in chief navy Jamaica, and the wisdom of a politician, Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica. With his help, England gained control of the entire Caribbean. Morgan's whole life was filled with bright victories, no one could defeat him, except for his beloved rum and, as a result, cirrhosis of the liver, from which Henry died. Henry Morgan was buried as a nobleman. However, the sea soon reminded the world that he was, is and remains a gentleman of the sea. After the earthquake, the grave of the Cruel Admiral plunged into the depths of the sea.
Spooky Fiend Edward Teach
Another Englishman who did not know the joys of childhood. Very early, Edward had to become an adult and start serving as a cabin boy on a warship. Life in the Navy gave him intelligence and insight, the talent of a navigator, but at the same time an unbridled character, a terrible temper and a love of alcohol. Edward Teach pushed away from him more and more, people did not want to sail with him on the same ship. Thus ended the naval career of Edward Teach and the independent life of the formidable robber Blackbeard began. His beard grew from the very eyes and was an eerie blue-black color. He liked to inspire horror from his appearance, for this he braided ignition wicks into his beard, set them on fire and appeared in front of his enemies in clouds of smoke, like Satan from the underworld.
The robbers, led by Blackbeard, robbed every ship they came across, they were extremely cruel, for which they were soon hunted down and very big money was promised for the head of Edward Tich. The lieutenant of the English fleet sent Tich to the other world during a boarding battle, firing five bullets at him and inflicting twenty stab wounds. Blackbeard's head was cut off, his body hung on a yardarm, and so ended the short career of the pirate Edward Teach.
Fortune's Favorite Francis Drake
Francis was born into a family of a priest, but instead of becoming an exemplary Christian, at the young age of eighteen he became the captain of a pirate ship. His crew ruthlessly plundered Spanish ships, the most famous capture of the Silver Caravan, which brought 30,000 kilograms of silver, he was in charge. But Francis was more interested in robberies in those places in the world where no human foot had ever set foot.
Drake was always attracted to unknown countries and it is not surprising that he went on a secret journey to South America, thanks to which the British recognized and tasted an exotic potato vegetable. After such a voyage, England received for its treasury an income that was three times the annual budget. For this, Drake was knighted and given the rank of admiral right on board the ship. History has no analogues of such a case. All his life, fortune was next to Drake and only once turned away. During the next trip to the shores of America, he so absurdly picked up a tropical fever, which is why he died.
Pirate Woman Mary Reid
And even sea corsairs cannot boast that there have never been women among them. Despite the fact that a woman on a ship is a bad omen, among the fair sex there were desperate pirates who, along with men, are rightfully included in the most famous in the world.
The girl Mary was born later than her deceased brother. The mother was never able to come to terms with the loss of her son, so she saw only him in her daughter, since childhood, Mary did not know dresses and bows, she was always dressed in boyish clothes. Therefore, it is not surprising that from the age of fifteen the young girl served in the army, took part in the fighting in the cavalry regiment and then, dressed in men's clothing, went to the ship to serve as a sailor. This ship fell into the hands of the pirates and Mary went over to their side, becoming traveling wife captain. But this did not give her absolutely any indulgences and privileges, she participated in battles on an equal basis with men, always wore men's attire and weapons. Once in the life of a girl there was a stormy romance with an artisan who helped the pirates. She even thought for a moment about women's happiness, family and a child, she wanted to formalize the marriage with her beloved and break with piracy forever. But the pregnant Mary Read was caught by the authorities. They did not hang a woman in this position, and she was waiting for her shameful death in a prison in Jamaica. But a strong fever dealt with the beauty earlier, not giving her a chance to be hanged and become a mother even for a moment.
Rogue, dashing people have always attracted attention. They became heroes of legends and legends, songs and poems were composed about them. In the popular mind, the robber was rarely bad, because he robbed the rich and shared with the poor.
Kudeyar The most legendary Russian robber is Kudeyar. This person is semi-mythical. There are several versions of his identification. According to the main one, Kudeyar was the son of Vasily III and his wife Solomeya, who was exiled to a monastery for childlessness. According to this legend, during the tonsure Solomonia was already pregnant, she gave birth to a son, George, whom she handed over "in safe hands", and announced to everyone that the newborn had died. It is not surprising that Ivan the Terrible was very interested in this legend, since according to it Kudeyar was his older brother, which means he could claim power. This story is most likely folk fiction. The desire to "ennoble the robber", as well as to allow oneself to believe in the illegitimacy of power (and therefore the possibility of its overthrow) is characteristic of the Russian tradition. In our country, every ataman is a legitimate king. With regard to Kudeyar, there are so many versions of his origin that would be enough for half a dozen atamans
Dmitry Silaev Dmitry Silaev is a very real person. In the detective case of 1844 in the village of Rzhevtsy, Smolensk district, he is mentioned as the leader of the robbers who, among other things, “robbed the house of the landowner F.M. Belkin.
The raid on the landowner's house, as they say, made a rustle, it was reported to the tsar himself. Five years before this incident, another robber, Trishka-Sibiryak, was caught. The safety of the landowners was at stake - measures had to be taken. And they were accepted. Silaev was caught and exiled to Siberia, from where, however, he escaped with two accomplices. However, with the arrest and exile of Silaev, everything is not so simple. In the criminal case, it says that "he fled six years before", that is, the robber was in exile back in 1838, then he escaped and lived in Elninsk district with "various peasants who did not make consciousness of him", that is, not reported on the escaped convict.
In the criminal case, Silaev's appearance is described in sufficient detail: "black eyes, a black beard, a zipun trimmed with satin, always with a pistol in his boot." A rather classic image of a robber, but at the same time without the idealization characteristic of the description of "dashing people". Lyalya Lyalya can be called not only one of the most legendary robbers, but also the most "literary". The poet Nikolai Rubtsov wrote a poem about him "Robber Lyalya". Local historians also found information about him, which is not surprising, since toponyms reminiscent of this dashing man have survived to this day in the Kostroma region. This is Lyalina Mountain and one of the tributaries of the Vetluga River, called Lyalinka.
Local historian A.A. Sysoev wrote: “In the Vetluga forests, the robber Lyalya walked with his gang - this is one of the chieftains of Stepan Razin ... who lived in the mountains near the Vetluga River not far from Varnavin. According to legend, Lyalya robbed and burned the Novovozdvizhensky Monastery on the Bolshaya Kaksha River near the village Chenebechikha". This may be true, since at the end of 1670 a detachment of Razints really visited here. Lyalya with his gang appeared in the Kostroma forests after the suppression of the Razin uprising. He chose a place for a robber camp on a high mountain in order to have a strategic advantage in robbing the carts passing nearby along the winter route. From spring to autumn, along the Vetluga, merchants carried goods on ships, and on the way they often stopped in Kameshnik. The main business of the Lyali gang was the collection of ransoms from merchants, local feudal lords and landlords. Legends draw him, as usual in folklore, strict, harsh and domineering, but fair. His exemplary portrait has also been preserved: "He was a broad-shouldered, muscular man of medium height; a tanned, rough face; black eyes under bushy frowned eyebrows; dark hair." They wanted to catch Lyalya’s gang more than once, but the detachments sent to catch the robber constantly encountered too loyal attitude of local men towards Lyalya - they treated him rather with respect, Lyalya was warned about the appearance of detachments, some village men even joined the gang. However, over time, the gang nevertheless thinned out, and Lyalya became more and more burdened by his craft. Therefore, he decided to bury his wealth - he drowned it in the lake (it is still called the Pantry) and buried it in the mountain. Where are they still kept? Of course, according to the legend.
Trishka-Siberian Trishka-Sibiryak, whom we have already mentioned, robbed in the 30s of the XIX century in the Smolensk district. News of him spread to other regions, bringing the nobles and landowners into a state of awe. A letter from Turgenev's mother, which she wrote to her son in Berlin in February 1839, has been preserved. It contains the following phrase: "Trishka appeared like Pugachev - that is, he is in Smolensk, and we are cowardly in Bolkhov." Trishka was caught the very next month, he was tracked down and arrested in Dukhovshchinsky district. The capture of Trishka was a real special operation. Knowing about the caution of the robber, he was caught under the guise of pursuing another person. Almost no one knew about the true purpose of the search - they were afraid to frighten them off. As a result, when the arrest nevertheless took place, a message appeared in Smolenskiye Vedomosti about this as an event of extreme importance. However, until the 50s of the 19th century, the legends about Trishka the Sibiryak continued to excite the nerves of the landlords, who were worried that someday Trishka would get in their way, or get into their house. The people loved Trishka and composed legends about him, where the robber appeared as a defender of the destitute. Vanka-Cain The story of Vanka-Cain is dramatic and instructive. He can be called the first official thief of the Russian Empire. He was born in 1718, at the age of 16 he met a famous thief named "Kamchatka" and loudly left the landowner's house, where he served, robbing him, and writing on the manor gates everything he thinks about work: "Work the devil, not me ".
Several times he was taken to the Secret Order, but each time he was released, so rumors began to circulate that Ivan Osipov (that was Cain's real name) was "lucky". Moscow thieves decided to choose him as their leader. A little time passed, and Vanka was already "in command" of a gang of 300 people. So he became the uncrowned king of the underworld. However, on December 28, 1741, Ivan Osipov recovered to the Detective Order and wrote a "repentant petition", and even offered his services in catching his own associates, became the official informer of the Detective Order. The very first police operation on his tip covered a thieves' gathering in the deacon's house - a catch of 45 people. On the same night, 20 members of the gang of Yakov Zuev were taken in the house of the archpriest. And in the Tatar baths of Zamoskvorechye, 16 deserters were tied up and the underground with weapons was opened. However, Vanka Cain did not live in peace. He had a penchant for extravagance and chic, and got burned on the kidnapping of the 15-year-old daughter of "retired serviceman" Taras Zevakin, on corruption and banal racketeering. The case dragged on for 6 years, until in 1755 the court issued a verdict - flogged, wheeled, beheaded. But in February 1756 the Senate softened the sentence. They gave Cain whips, pulled out his nostrils, branded him with the word V.O.R. and exiled to hard labor - at first to the Baltic Rogervik, from there to Siberia. Where did he die