Bezdna Unrest

Bezdna or Biznä Unrest was an unrest of former serfs after the Emancipation reform of 1861 in Russia in April, 1861. The events took place in the Spassky Uyezd of Kazan Governorate and the center of unrest was a village Biznä (Tatar Cyrillic: Бизнә, Russian: Бездна).

The leader of the unrest was a literate peasant Anton Sidorov. The insurgents decided that the reform was interpreted incorrectly and after the private freedom reforms should declare every desyatina in possession of peasants. The insurgents also declared that they refused to continue payments to their landlords landlords and suspend all works at their lots.

About 5000 peasants from 130 villages in the area joined the unrest. Military forces were sent to subdue the riot under general-mayor A.S. Apraksin. Soldiers opened gun-fire, and 57 peasant were killed, more than 350 were injured.

After the massacre the Kazan intelligentsia held a commemoration service in the Kurtina Church, where university lecturer Afanasy Shchapov delivered a revolutionary speech. Later, Shchapov was exiled by the tsarist government to Siberia.

References

*TES| Biznä krästiännäre quzğalışı/Бизнә крәстияннәре кузгалышы