SOPHIA LVOVNA PEROVSKAYA

(1853-1881)

The revolutionary-populist. Member, Land and Freedom ", since 1879 a member of the executive committee of the People′s Will", organizer and participant in the assassination of Alexander II. Hanged in St. Petersburg April 3, 1881.

In the depths of Engineering dusty streets of snow royal train. The first horsemen galloped up to the corner of the convoy. Following - coach. For her - sled with protection. Sonya snatched from the clutches a handkerchief and put her to face him, and waved like a flag. Right now the train will roll on the channel! . . Horse . . . trace - coach . . . Here they are already speeding along the embankment.

Between the upper and the coach flashed red hat Rysakova. Well! . . And cannon shot exploded near the wheels, was shrouded in cloud of smoke all around.

When the smoke cleared and dreary day in March revealed what was happening, Sonia, as if in a dream, she saw a broken carriage. For a moment was poignant silence. Suddenly the door opened, and the emperor went down to the black snow, and rushed him to the ranks of security and together they went to Rysakova, which tenaciously holding the soldiers.

Now the hope was only Grinevitsky. But where is he? Somewhere ponabezhalo lot of people, all they had lost a tight ring around the emperor. Grinevitsky stood to one side, clinging to the bars and holding his hands behind his back. And only she, Sonia, with her place on the other side of the channel was clear that he hides behind the white package, the same disastrous bundle, which Perovskaya morning she gathered as the Easter "gift" the Emperor.

Alexander II in the meantime returned to the sledge. Dare I Grinevitsky? Time does not remain . . .

And he stepped. Tore himself away from the fence and, still holding his hands behind his back, took a step . . . and more . . . slowly . . .

They met almost right. I flew up his hands with a bomb! And a crash, pulled, reared up, black acrid cloud closed. And . . .

1 March 1881 explosion at the channel shook the whole of Russia. Emperor Alexander II died a martyr′s death. And for Sophia Perovskoj it happened to her life, the cause to which she devoted so much effort. It was the seventh attempt on the king, and, finally, it failed.

Studying the biography Perovskoj suffers bewilderment: what caused the girl to choose such an unusual way. She grew up in a wealthy family of the capital′s governor, received regular home-schooling for girls and was modest, nothing particularly outstanding.

Photo — «Sophia Lvovna Perovskaya»

Perhaps affected by the alienation between the parents? His father, a hard campaigner, little was at home, children almost never worked and had a heavy, suspicious character, bordering on tyranny. Sonya early to start an independent life, quarreled with his father. At sixteen, she entered the women′s courses in high school, where he breathed on her new winds of emancipation, nihilism and materialism. There are new friends, romantic dreams about changing the world and contempt for the "fathers". And then it was a glorious summer, when his parents left for foreign fashionable resort, leaving them alone with her brother. Then it appeared in their house, friends and comrades of the revolutionary group "Tchaikovsky".

Father upon his arrival, he saw that her daughter became suspicious acquaintances, tried to prevent its free life, but it was too late. Sonia left the house. Of course, many in his youth rebelling against the established order of things which seem unfair to them, many pass time of protest. But as a person becomes convinced of a terrorist? As the murder could be a matter of life? And especially for women? This phenomenon is difficult to explain, even writing off part of the reason for a temporary situation.

There were many - women terrorists - some of them even became famous throughout Russia. Vera Zasulich, for example, shot himself in the general Trepov, and the court acquitted her, because she avenged the insulted honor of their comrade. But we decided to talk only about Sophia Perovskoy, because even the terrorists among men it is a remarkable tenacity and conviction. And also because, like human beings want to understand this poor victim of political harangues, so recklessly threw his life into the maelstrom of revolutionary ideas.

Circle "Tchaikovsky" became the first school of its illegal activities, but as long as Sonya only dreamed about, dreamed about while many among them - to go to the people, to educate the peasants. Soon, however, the government initiated a massive campaign to identify and suppress the activities of revolutionary groups. Together with friends in the network police came and Sonya, a time she sat in jail, but then she was released pending trial. Four years passed consequence of the famous "Case of 193-x. Perovskaya eventually acquitted, but it was during the process of the girl took the revolutionary ideas. She tearfully listened to the speech of Peter Alekseev and ran with her friends in a remand home, expressing solidarity with those who languish in their cells.

To be able to freely visit the prison, Sonia called itself the bride of one of the buddies, Tikhomirova. Then the idea was born - and not get married if they really? After all, if Tikhomirova sent to Siberia, in which case it will be able to go with him and deal with the device shoots. Love, of course, between them was not overheated, but for such a marriage, it has not mattered much. While Sonia wrote a letter to his mother, yet together they devised a plan to get permission from her father, with whom Perovskaya not communicating, Tikhomirova convicted and sent to the Kuban to the parents. The need to sacrifice marriage disappeared.

December 6, 1876 at the Kazan Square demonstration occurred most. It was first raised the banner embroidered on it with the words "Land and Freedom". This motto and subsequently became the name of the new organization, which has been an active member of Perovskaya. The wave of political killings swept Russia. With sympathy for the played Sonya watched the battle between the lone assassin and the state machine. Their organization aimed a blow at the most difficult - the physical destruction of the king. It is difficult today to understand the logic of people who staked his own life. What they sought? They wanted to plunge the society into a state of fear? Achieve the secret of power and to dictate to the state? In any case, the terrorists played the dangerous game.

Alexander II had returned from the south. In that case, the killers thought through several versions of the crime. Zhelyabov preparing to blow up a train in Alexandrov, and in case of failure a few miles from Moscow, a group of revolutionaries digging tunnel to invest in it mine. Mistress of the apartment where it started in the subfield deadly tunnel was Sophia Perovskaya. When you learn about the difficulties that accompanied the work of terrorists, can not help but think that adults either crazy, or playing some ridiculous game. Pit flooding with water, once in a nearby barn had a landslide, and the plotters were close to the exposure. Only resourcefulness Perovskoy, which was released with the images of the crowd, which tried to break into the house, saved the situation.

Efforts were in vain. In Aleksandrov the electrical circuit, which was supposed to trigger the bomb, did not work. A near Moscow prevented the accident. Imperial train was to go second after a train suite, as it allowed the first. As always in such cases, no deaths of innocent people, and the emperor only strengthened in the belief that it protects the Lord God.

Photo — «Sophia Lvovna Perovskaya»

Perovskaya hiding in a safe house in St. Petersburg, and the newly maturing plans for the new attempt. But now they are developing it together with her husband, Andrei civil Zhelyabovs. Sonya, of course, dearly loved Zhelyabova, and besides, they connected the common goal.

The following year Perovskaya went to Odessa, to prepare for the murder of Alexander, when he will leave for the next summer vacation. However, Providence is again saved the king. Suddenly, the Empress is dying, and the trip is canceled because of the mourning in the highest family.

Attempted Khalturina, carried out directly in the Winter Palace, also ended in failure. From what was to come into a rage and believe in mysticism, though the terrorists, of course, professed materialism. King really started talking as if, miraculously avoided deaths.

But now they seized gambling hunter, drive their game and get a taste of blood. They could not stop.

The decisive attack was being prepared especially carefully. Perovskaya many days personally studied the routes of the king, developed a plan of murder. In the case of the first setbacks were prepared, three more bombs, but if and it is absolutely incredible, does not work, then Zhelyabov was to be the emperor with a knife. But her husband Perovskoj was arrested a few days before the assassination, and then Sophia took the lead in organizing a terrorist act.

A few days after the assassination of Alexander II Perovskaya was caught and identified. Her partner gave Risakov. The verdict in the case Pervomartovtsi endured prosecutor Nikolai Ants - playmate Sony. In Pskov, they lived in adjacent homes and families were friends, and now from his mouth, she heard the words: ". . . to the death penalty by hanging . . . "

At the prison, sentenced planted in two infamous black chariot. The first to the bench, his back to the driver, were tied trotters and Zhelyabov. On the second - Perovskaya Kibalchich, Mikhailov. All the way to Semenovski parade ground, accompanied by their racking, chilling drumming. The solid dark, motionless mass of people muffled rumbled in the square. Gallows was six, one intended for Hessia Helfman, which pardoned because of her pregnancy. Condemned said goodbye to each other and with everyone.

Perovskaya ascended the scaffold third.