Zhelyabov A. I. (1851-1881), revolutionary

Categories / Social Life/Personalia
ZHELYABOV Andrey Ivanovich (1851-1881, St. Petersburg), a revolutionary Narodnik (Populist). He was born in a family of serfs. When studying at Novorossiysky University, Odessa, in 1869-71, he was expelled after participating in student unrest. A member of the group of Chaykovsky's Circle in Odessa, he was arrested in 1874 and released before trial in 1875. He was acquitted after being a defendant in the Trial of 193 held in St. Petersburg in 1877-78. He lived illegally in St. Petersburg from 1879. A member of Zemlya i Volya until it was dissolved in August 1879; he became one of the organizers of Narodnaya Volya and a founding member of its Executive Committee. He took part in the meeting in Lesnoy on August 26, 1879 where the members of the Executive Committee passed a capital sentence to Emperor Alexander II. He was the founder and actual leader of the Central Workers' Circle, Student and Military Organizations of Narodnaya Volya. The author of a number of programs and editor of the underground Rabochaya Gazeta in 1880, he had a major influence on revolutionaries. He participated in a number of attempts at the life of Emperor Alexander II including the explosion in the Winter Palace on February 5, 1880 and the mine tunnel in Malaya Sadovaya Street. He often moved from one flat to another in St. Petersburg until he moved to live at 17 2nd Rota (today, 15 2nd Krasnoarmeyskaya Street). He was arrested in the apartment of M.N. Trigoni (66 Nevsky Prospect), a member of Narodnaya Volya, on 27 February 1881. When in prison, he learned that Alexander II had been assassinated and demanded to attach his case to the Case of March 1. He was sentenced to death and hanged on Semenovsky Square (see Pionerskaya Square) on 3 April 1881 together with other 4 members of Narodnaya Volya and buried in secret at Preobrazhenskoe Cemetery. Bolshaya Konyushennaya Street bore the name of Zhelyabov from 1918 to 1991.

Reference: Прокофьев В. А. Желябов. 2-е изд., испр. и доп. М., 1965; Барабанова А. И., Ямщикова Е. А. Народовольцы в Петербурге. Л., 1984.

A. N. Svalov. Alexander II, Emperor
Trigoni Mikhail Nikolaevich
Zhelyabov Andrey Ivanovich
2nd Krasnoarmeiskaya St./Saint Petersburg, city, house 15
Nevsky prospect/Saint Petersburg, city, house 66
Прокофьев В. А. Желябов. 2-е изд., испр. и доп. М., 1965
Барабанова А. И., Ямщикова Е. А. Народовольцы в Петербурге. Л., 1984 Zemlya i Volya (Land and Liberty) of 1870s
Narodnaya Volya
Winter Palace
Memorial Cemetery to the Victims of 9th January