The 1831 Cholera Riots in Staraia Russa

Abstract: As the first detailed study of the townspeople of Staraia Russa in the two cholera riots of July 1831, this article draws on the previously unexplored records of the military investigative commission that reported on 25 November. That commission tried some 139 individuals, whose motives, actions and ultimate fate are considered along with the attitude of the authorities towards them. Merchants were punished more severely than townsmen. While the revolts were triggered by unpopular measures taken to contain the cholera, they also revealed a wider dissatisfaction with billeting and the behaviour of the urban police after the town became a centre of military colonies in 1825. Looking further back, the article concludes by suggesting that popular discontent may have reflected a deeper scepticism towards the state authorities, brewing since the time of the Napoleonic wars.