Vasily Surikov. Stepan Razin.
1903–1907.
Oil on canvas. 318 x 600.
The State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia.
In 1887, Surikov’s wife died. Her death caused a deep depression: he gave up painting, turned to religion, and left with his children for Siberia. The atmosphere, familiar from childhood, and the caring attitude of his friends restored him to life.
The impressions brought from Siberia, have inspired him on new pictures.
The big canvas, devoted to Cossacks is Stepan Rasin (RAH-zin), which depicts the moment of the Cossacks return from a successful campaign against Persia.
Stepan Razin (ste-PAHN RAH-zin) (c. 1630- 1671), Donskoy Cossack, ataman (commander). In 1662-63, he headed the Cossacks in the campaigns against the Crimean Tatars and Turks, in 1668-69 – against Persia.
Sailing into the Caspian Sea, he ravaged the Persian coasts from Derbend to Baku, massacred the inhabitants of the great emporium of Rasht, and in the spring of 1669 established himself on the isle of Suina, off which, in July, he annihilated a Persian fleet sent against him. Stenka Razin, as he was generally called, had now become a potentate with whom princes did not disdain to treat.
In August 1669 he reappeared at Astrakhan, and accepted a fresh offer of pardon from tsar Aleksey Mikhailovich there; the common people were fascinated by his adventures. The lawless Russian border region of Astrakhan, where the whole atmosphere was predatory and many people were still nomadic, was the natural milieu for such a rebellion as Razin's.
In 1670-71, Razin headed the Cossack revolt against tzarism in the South of Russia, the Volga region. Thousands of serfs and local nations joined the revolt. The rebel army counted up to 10 thousand, they captured and burnt many towns and estates. After the defeat at Simbirsk, some other atamans betrayed Razin and gave him up to the authorities. Razin was executed in Moscow in 1671.
Stenka Razin is the hero of a popular Russian folk song (lyric is by Dmitri Sadovnikov (Дмитрий Николаевич Садовников) 1883, music is folk).
From beyond the wooded island
To the river wide and free
Proudly sailed the arrow-breasted
Ships of Cossack yeomanry.
On the first is Stenka Razin
With his princess by his side
Drunken holds in marriage revels
With his beauteous young bride
From behind there comes a murmur
"He has left his sword to woo;
One short night and Stenka Razin
Has become a woman, too."
Stenka Razin hears the murmur
Of his discontented band
And his lovely Persian princess
He has circled with his hand.
His dark brows are drawn together
As the waves of anger rise;
And the blood comes rushing swiftly
To his piercing jet black eyes.
"I will give you all you ask for
Head and heart and life and hand."
And his voice rolls out like thunder
Out across the distant land.
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Volga, Volga, Mother Volga
Wide and deep beneath the sun,
You have never seen such a present
From the Cossacks of the Don.
So that peace may reign forever
In this band so free and brave
Volga, Volga, Mother Volga
Make this lovely girl a grave.
Now, with one swift mighty motion
He has raised his bride on high
And has cast her where the waters
Of the Volga roll and sigh.
"Dance, you fools, and let's be merry
What is this that's in your eyes?
Let us thunder out a chantey
To the place where beauty lies."
From beyond the wooded island
To the river wide and free
Proudly sailed the arrow-breasted
Ships of Cossack yeomanry.
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