The relevance of the topic of the article is due to the lack of special publications in historiography, which provide, in particular, a scientific analysis of Pugachev/Peter III’s mythical travels in the period after the removal of Emperor Peter Fedorovich from power as a result of the palace coup of 1762 and before the appearance of the imaginary sovereign among the Yaik Cossacks under his name. The object of the study is the history of the imposture of Yemelyan Pugachev. The subject of the study is the argumentation system by which Yemelyan Pugachev tried to convince potential supporters that he was the “true tsar”. The main attention is paid to the comparative analysis of the so-called “royal marks” and the stories of the “Emperor of the Cossacks” about his legendary wanderings. The purpose of the article is to clarify the question of the degree of persuasiveness of Pugachev’s “royal marks” and sacred travelogues for the Yaik Cossacks. It is precisely about the first Cossacks, who met the declared “tsar-father” at the Talovy coaching inn in August-September 1773. To achieve this goal, the article uses a comparative historical research method. The scientific novelty of the work lies in the fact that the problem under consideration for the first time in historiography becomes the subject of special scientific study. The reliability and verifiability of the conclusions is ensured by the involvement and comparison of a wide range of sources, including published and, mainly, unpublished documents from the Russian State Archive of Ancient Acts. Among them are the interrogation protocols of all participants in the meeting with Yemelyan Pugachev at Talovy coaching inn in August-September 1773.
Key words: imposture, Yemelyan Pugachev, Yaik Cossacks, “royal marks”, mythical travels.
Мауль-1-30Citation link: Maul V.Ya., Lazareva O.V. "Royal marks" and mythical travels in the system of arguments of Pugachev/Peter III // Humanities researches of the Central Russia. – 2024. – №1. – P. 20-28.
DOI: 10.24412/2541-9056-2024-130-20-28