Pervomartovtsi

Pervomartovtsi ("Первомартовцы" in Russian; a compound term; translated into English, it means "those who did something on March 1"), Russian revolutionaries, members of Narodnaya Volya, planners and executors of the assassination of Alexander II of Russia (March 1, 1881) and attempted murder of Alexander III of Russia (March 1, 1887, also known as "The Second First of March").

The assassination in 1881 was planned by Narodnaya Volya's Executive Committee. Andrei Zhelyabov was the main organizer. After his arrest on February 27, he was replaced by Sophia Perovskaya.

Alexander II of Russia was killed on March 1 1881 by a bomb, thrown by Ignacy Hryniewiecki (who died at the scene, as well). All of the accomplices - Zhelyabov, Perovskaya, Nikolai Kibalchich, Gesya Gelfman, Timofei Mikhailov, Nikolai Rysakov - were tried by the Special Senate Committee ("Особое присутствие Правительствующего Сената" in Russian, or Special Tribunal of the Ruling Senate) on March 26-29 and sentenced to death by hanging. On April 3, 1881 all of the Pervomartovtsi were hanged (except for Gelfman, whose execution had been postponed due to her pregnancy and later exchanged for katorga for indefinite period of time).

The second "First of March" was planned by members of the "terrorist faction" of Narodnaya Volya, including Aleksandr Ulyanov. On March 1 1887, they came to St.Petersburg's Nevsky Prospekt with bombs and waited for the Tsar's carriage to pass by. However, they were arrested on the spot before his arrival. All of the 15 accomplices - Aleksandr Ulyanov, Petr Shevyrev (main organizers), Pakhomiy Andreyushkin, Vasili Generalov, Vasili Osipanov (bombthrowers) and ten other people - were tried by the Special Senate Committee on April 15-19 and sentenced. The first five were hanged on May 8, 1887, the rest were sentenced to prison, banishment, or katorga.

Narodnaya Volya's intentions to rid Russia of autocracy relied solely on its theory of the tsar being the "root of all evil". Their attempts to change the course of history turned futile, because they didn't rely on the masses and left ordinary people - generally considered as the true force of any revolution - out of the picture. Their trial, however, drew a lot of attention from all over Russia and even abroad.