Nadezhda Sigida
Encyclopedia
Nadezhda Konstantinovna Sigida (née Malaksiano) (1862 - 1889) was a Russian revolutionary, heroine of the Kara katorga
tragedy of 1889.
family in the city of Taganrog
in 1862. She graduated from the Taganrog Mariinskaya Girls Gymnasium
, and gave lessons in a church school. The family lived in a house on Gogolevski Street 8, next to Anton Chekhov
's family house. Nadezhda Malaksiano became involved with a Narodnaya Volya group, being one of its activists in Taganrog
's underground printshop in 1885-1886 on Glushko Street 60. She made a sham marriage
with Akim Sigida (1868-1888) for conspiracy work at the printshop.
, she was arrested along with other organization members. The special hearing for her case was held in the Senate December 8–9, 1887 and was referred to as The Don Process (Донской процесс). At court, Nadezhda Sigida used the tactics of Narodnaya Volya, refusing to testify and only acknowledging her membership to the revolutionary organization. She was sentenced to death penalty. Sigida appealed for pardon following the request of Malaksiano family, and the death penalty was replaced by 8 years of katorga
on Kara river in Transbaikalia.
sentenced her to 100 birch-rods. But no one would fulfill the order for corporal punishment
of a political prisoner who was a woman as it was banned. An inquiry was made to the attention of Pyotr Nikolayevich Durnovo
, Russian Minister of Internal Affairs who in his turn reported to Alexander III of Russia
. The tsar
's response was Flog her!. Pyotr Durnovo filed a second report, stipulating that Sigida was an educated woman with poor health. The tsar's resolution was the same: 100 birchrods.
The sentence was executed on November 7, 1889. In protest to corporal punishment of a woman, Nadezhda Sigida and 29 other political prisoners of Kara katorga
took poison and seven of them, including Nadezhda Sigida, died.
.
As a consequence, Kara katorga
was closed, and the corporal punisment for imprisoned women and dvorianins (nobility) was abolished by the law of March 28, 1893.
Kara katorga
Kara katorga was the name for a set of katorga prisons of extremely high security located along the Kara River in Transbaikalia and part of the system of Nerchinsk katorga.It existed from 1838 to 1893...
tragedy of 1889.
Background
Nadezhda Malaksiano was born into a GreekGreeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
family in the city of Taganrog
Taganrog
Taganrog is a seaport city in Rostov Oblast, Russia, located on the north shore of Taganrog Bay , several kilometers west of the mouth of the Don River. Population: -History of Taganrog:...
in 1862. She graduated from the Taganrog Mariinskaya Girls Gymnasium
Mariinskaya Gymnasium
The Mariinskaya Gymnasium in Taganrog on Chekhov Str. 104 - currently school No. 15 of the North Caucasus Railway – originated from two oldest educational establishments in the South of Russia: the Mariinskaya Gymnasium for Girls and the Railway Vocational School.- History of Gymnasium :The...
, and gave lessons in a church school. The family lived in a house on Gogolevski Street 8, next to Anton Chekhov
Anton Chekhov
Anton Pavlovich Chekhov was a Russian physician, dramatist and author who is considered to be among the greatest writers of short stories in history. His career as a dramatist produced four classics and his best short stories are held in high esteem by writers and critics...
's family house. Nadezhda Malaksiano became involved with a Narodnaya Volya group, being one of its activists in Taganrog
Taganrog
Taganrog is a seaport city in Rostov Oblast, Russia, located on the north shore of Taganrog Bay , several kilometers west of the mouth of the Don River. Population: -History of Taganrog:...
's underground printshop in 1885-1886 on Glushko Street 60. She made a sham marriage
Sham marriage
A sham marriage or fake marriage is a marriage of convenience entered into with the intent of deceiving public officials or society about its purpose. Arranging or entering into such a marriage to deceive public officials is itself a separate violation of the law of some countries...
with Akim Sigida (1868-1888) for conspiracy work at the printshop.
The Don Process
In January 1886 following the disclosure of Narodnaya Volya's printers in TaganrogTaganrog
Taganrog is a seaport city in Rostov Oblast, Russia, located on the north shore of Taganrog Bay , several kilometers west of the mouth of the Don River. Population: -History of Taganrog:...
, she was arrested along with other organization members. The special hearing for her case was held in the Senate December 8–9, 1887 and was referred to as The Don Process (Донской процесс). At court, Nadezhda Sigida used the tactics of Narodnaya Volya, refusing to testify and only acknowledging her membership to the revolutionary organization. She was sentenced to death penalty. Sigida appealed for pardon following the request of Malaksiano family, and the death penalty was replaced by 8 years of katorga
Katorga
Katorga was a system of penal servitude of the prison farm type in Tsarist Russia...
on Kara river in Transbaikalia.
The Kara katorga tragedy
Sigida arrived at the time of disorders in prison and demands of political prisoners to remove the prison's chief, V.P.Masyukov, being guilty of brutal treatment towards the inmates. Nadezhda Sigida slapped the prison's chief Maksyutov in the face. This resulted in her transfer into the criminal section of the prison, and the governor-general Andrei KorfAndrei Korf
Andrei Nikolaevich Korf was an Imperial Russian baron of Baltic German descent and an infantry general of the Imperial Russian Army. The names of the village of Korf and the Korfa Gulf commemorate him....
sentenced her to 100 birch-rods. But no one would fulfill the order for corporal punishment
Corporal punishment
Corporal punishment is a form of physical punishment that involves the deliberate infliction of pain as retribution for an offence, or for the purpose of disciplining or reforming a wrongdoer, or to deter attitudes or behaviour deemed unacceptable...
of a political prisoner who was a woman as it was banned. An inquiry was made to the attention of Pyotr Nikolayevich Durnovo
Pyotr Nikolayevich Durnovo
Pyotr Nikolayevich Durnovo was an Imperial Russian lawyer and politician.-Biography:Durnova was born in Moscow in 1845. He was a graduate of the Imperial Naval School and Military/Naval Law Academy...
, Russian Minister of Internal Affairs who in his turn reported to Alexander III of Russia
Alexander III of Russia
Alexander Alexandrovich Romanov , historically remembered as Alexander III or Alexander the Peacemaker reigned as Emperor of Russia from until his death on .-Disposition:...
. The tsar
Tsar
Tsar is a title used to designate certain European Slavic monarchs or supreme rulers. As a system of government in the Tsardom of Russia and Russian Empire, it is known as Tsarist autocracy, or Tsarism...
's response was Flog her!. Pyotr Durnovo filed a second report, stipulating that Sigida was an educated woman with poor health. The tsar's resolution was the same: 100 birchrods.
The sentence was executed on November 7, 1889. In protest to corporal punishment of a woman, Nadezhda Sigida and 29 other political prisoners of Kara katorga
Kara katorga
Kara katorga was the name for a set of katorga prisons of extremely high security located along the Kara River in Transbaikalia and part of the system of Nerchinsk katorga.It existed from 1838 to 1893...
took poison and seven of them, including Nadezhda Sigida, died.
Aftermath
This event stirred public response. Reports on the events of 1889 were published in major Russian and European newspapers, including two articles in the British newspaper The TimesThe Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
.
As a consequence, Kara katorga
Kara katorga
Kara katorga was the name for a set of katorga prisons of extremely high security located along the Kara River in Transbaikalia and part of the system of Nerchinsk katorga.It existed from 1838 to 1893...
was closed, and the corporal punisment for imprisoned women and dvorianins (nobility) was abolished by the law of March 28, 1893.
See also
- Kara katorgaKara katorgaKara katorga was the name for a set of katorga prisons of extremely high security located along the Kara River in Transbaikalia and part of the system of Nerchinsk katorga.It existed from 1838 to 1893...
- Narodnaya Volya