Bulavin Rebellion, 1707–09.
During the reign of Peter the Great, who pursued an aggressive foreign policy, large sums were needed to maintain the army. To replenish the treasury, Peter I transferred the salt springs—the main source of income for the Don Cossacks—to the Izyum Regiment, i.e., into state possession. This step by Peter caused enormous dissatisfaction among the Cossacks and provoked a rise in revolutionary sentiment within this estate.
Another important factor behind the outbreak of the rebellion was the tsar’s decree ordering the return of peasants who had fled to Cossack stanitsas from harsh conditions—heavy taxes and the oppression of landlords. Because of the Great Northern War, which lasted 21 years, by the tsar’s order all men were subject to conscription. Peasant labor was also used in the construction of defensive fortifications and the navy. Runaway peasants joined the Cossack hosts and constantly replenished their ranks. Under the decree, the Don Cossacks were obliged to assist the authorities in capturing peasants.
The immediate trigger for the uprising was the actions of the punitive detachment of Prince Yu. V. Dolgorukov, sent to the Don to search for and return fugitives. On the night of October 9, 1707, more than 200 men led by Bulavin near the Shulginsky settlement on the Aidar River destroyed one of the punitive parties.