The Plague riot in 1771

In 1771, the Plague Riot occurred in Moscow (this is the last plague epidemic in Europe). People did not trust doctors and hospitals, believing that none of those who were quarantined did not get out alive. In addition, a factory worker appeared who assured that he had seen the Virgin in a dream. According to his “revelation”, the city was punished because no one had served prayers at the Bogolyubsky Icon of the Mother of God at the Barbarian Gate for 30 years, and at first the Lord generally wanted to punish Moscow with a stone rain.

A ladder was spontaneously assigned to the icon. A terrible pandemon reigned around. In order to prevent the spread of infection, Moscow Archbishop Ambrose (Zertis-Kamensky) tried to remove the stairs and ban mass crowds, and seal the box for offerings in front of the icon. All of this was interpreted as the deity. The crowd seized the Donskoy Monastery with an attack, dragged the bishop out of the gate and tore it apart.

The spontaneous rebellion turned into pogroms. The rebels smashed the monasteries where quarantines were established. Doctors were beaten. Miraculously, the famous scientist, the founder of epidemiology in Russia, Daniil Samoilovich, survived. He voluntarily came to Moscow to fight the plague, and was in charge of the plague hospitals. Brutally beaten by rebels, he escaped only because he assured the crowd: he was not a doctor, but a sub-doctor (that is, an assistant doctor).

By the way, the murdered Archbishop Ambrose ordered the priests to exhort the parishioners to fast, to confess and partake of the Holy Mysteries after two days of preparation. But he also suggested some new measures: to confess infected people without personal contact with them, if possible through a door or window, standing at a distance. He ordered the dead to be buried on the same day, not bringing to church, but to perform the funeral service in the temple. He did not approve of mass gatherings for prayers. All these innovations were not forgiven him.

Priest Valery Dukhanin