Perovskaya S.L., (1853-1881), revolutionary

Categories / Social Life/Personalia
PEROVSKAYA Sofia Lvovna (1853, St. Petersburg - 1881), Revolutionary Populist. From the aristocratic noble family; father, Lev Nikolaevich Perovsky (1816-1890), was Petersburg Civil Governor in 1865-66. Got home education, from 1869 studied at Alarchinskу Women’s Courses, where she founded a self-education group. In the early 1870s - one of the creators of the Circle of Tchaikovsky. In 1872-73 became acquainted with the life of peasants, worked as a teacher in Tver Province. Since 1878, a member of Land and Freedom Organisation; with discord becoming stronger, she tried to prevent the split of the organisation. In December of 1879 joined People's Will, served as a member of its executive committee, involved in propaganda amongst workers, students and officers. She explained her revolutionary activities by the moral imperative, was characterised as a perfectionist. From July 1880 to 28 February 1881 lived at 17 Second Company (today 15 Second Krasnoarmeiskaya Street). Supervised preparations for the assassination of Alexander II. After the regicide of 1 March 1881, she refused to leave St. Petersburg, hoping to release from prison her common-law husband A. I. Zhelyabov. On 10 March 1881 she was arrested on Nevsky Prospect close to the monument to Catherine II. Sentenced to death, on 3 April 1881 - executed by hanging with four other participants of the First March assassination on Semenovsky Parade Ground (the first woman executed in Russia for a crime against the state). In 1918-91 Malaya Konyushennaya Street was named after Perovskaya.

References: Сегал Е. А. Софья Перовская. М., 1962; Барабанова А. И., Ямщикова Е. А. Народовольцы в Петербурге. Л., 1984.

A. N. Svalov. Alexander II, Emperor
Catherine II, Empress
Perovskaya Sofia Lvovna
Perovsky Lev Nikolaevich
Zhelyabov Andrey Ivanovich
2nd Krasnoarmeiskaya St./Saint Petersburg, city, house 15
Malaya Konyushennaya St./Saint Petersburg, city
Nevsky prospect/Saint Petersburg, city
Сегал Е. А. Софья Перовская. М., 1962
Барабанова А. И., Ямщикова Е. А. Народовольцы в Петербурге. Л., 1984 Alarchin Courses
Zemlya i Volya (Land and Liberty) of 1870s
Narodnaya Volya