The peasants refused to drink, or Tresenitsa riots in Russia in 1858-1860 years

About the silent war textbooks, though it was a real war, with gunfire, dead and captured, with winners and losers, with the trial of the defeated and the victorious celebration and received an indemnity (compensation for losses related to war). Battle of the unknown war unfolded on the territory of 12 provinces of the Russian Empire (from Kovno in the West to Saratov in the East) in the years 1858-1860.

This war historians often call "trezvinsky riots", because the peasants refused to buy wine and vodka, gave a vow not to drink the whole village. Why did they do it? Because I didn't want to at the expense of their health profited from the tax farmers — those 146 people, in whose pockets the money came from the sale of alcohol from all over Russia. Vodka tax farmers literally imposed; if anyone wanted to drink, he still had to pay for it: such then established rules...

In those years, in our country there was a practice: every man was attributed to a particular tavern, and if he didn't drink his "norm" and the amount from the sale of alcohol was insufficient, gleaning money kavatcite charged with courtyards area, subject to the tavern.

Vintners, entering into the taste, inflated prices: to 1858 the bucket of booze instead of three rubles began to sell for ten. Eventually the peasants got tired of feeding the parasites, and they spontaneously began to boycott the wine merchants.

That could do the vintner? They reduced the price. Working people did not respond to "kindness." Taverners to knock tresenitsa mood, announced free distribution of vodka. And that people didn't take the bait, responding firm: "do NOT DRINK!"

For example, in the Balashov district, Saratov region, in December 1858 4752 man refused alcohol. To all pubs in Balashov had a guard from the people to observe that, nobody bought the wine. Violated the vow by sentence of people's court fined, or subjected to corporal punishment.

The growers were joined by the citizens: workers, officials, and nobles. Supported sobriety and priests, blessed the congregation to the rejection of drunkenness. It is not a little frightened winemakers and merchants potion, and they complained to the government.

In March 1858, the Ministers of Finance, internal Affairs and state property issued orders for their departments. The essence of those decrees was to ban sobriety. Local authorities were instructed to prevent the organization of temperance societies, and existing convictions about abstinence from wine to destroy and prevent.

Then, in response to the ban of sobriety in Russia and a wave of pogroms. Beginning in may 1859, on the West of the country, in June, the rebellion reached the banks of the Volga. The peasants attacked the pubs in Balashov, Atkarsk, Hvalynsk, Saratov and many other counties.

All their investigative Commission had condemned only one indication of the tavern inmates, slandered the defendants in the embezzlement of wine (trashing taverns, the rebels did not drink wine, and poured it on the ground), without backing their accusations with evidence. Historians have noted that it is not fixed any case of theft, the money was stolen by employees of pubs, writing off the loss on the rebels.

From 24 to 26 July at the Volska County was broken 37 drinking houses, and each of the peasants took large fines for the restoration of taverns. In the documents of the Commission of inquiry preserved the names of convicted fighters for sobriety: L. Maslov and S. Khlamov (the peasants of the village of Sosnovka), M. Kostyunin (s. Tersa), P. Vertepov, A. Volodin, M. Volodin, V. Sukhov (S. Donguz). Participated in tresenitsa the movement of soldiers by the court was ordered "deprived of all property rights, and the lower ranks, medals and stripes for excellent service, anyone have any, be punished shpitsrutenami through 100 people by 5 times and exiled to hard labor in factories for 4 years".

Just as in Russia in prison, and was sent to prison 11 thousand people. Many died from bullets: the rebellion was pacified, the troops were ordered to shoot at the rebels. Across the country was the massacre of those who had the courage to protest against soldering people.

It was required to consolidate the success. How? The government, like the heroes of a popular Comedy, so I said, "Who hinder us, that we can help". Taxed system for the sale of wine was canceled, instead it imposed the excise tax. Now anyone who wants to produce and sell wine could, by paying a tax to the Treasury, to cash in on the soldering of their fellow citizens.

This is a Chapter from the book of Saratov local historian, member of the Union of writers of Russia of Vladimir Ilyich Vardugina.