Pugachev the Great | Yemelyan Pugachev
Episode description
Our story begins with Tsar Peter III of Russia being overthrown by his own wife, the infamous Catherine the Great, only to be declared deceased soon after for vague medical reasons. Years later, Yemelyan Pugachev, a peasant who claimed to be the late Peter III, emerges. Pugachev's Rebellion, also known as the Cossack Rebellion, gained support from various social groups, including peasants and some nobles who opposed Catherine's rule. Their goal was to dethrone her and reinstate "Peter III," despite the fact that their "Peter" was just an imposter, probably with bad teeth. Whether his supporters didn’t care that he was a fraud or simply were oblivious to the truth, Pugachev managed to disrupt Russia with his attempts to seize the throne and champion the peasants and serfs who have suffered under Catherine's reign. However, evading arrest can only be accomplished so many times.