Terror acts in St. Petersburg from the time of the Russian Empire to the present day

It is believed that in recent years, the number of terrorist attacks has increased significantly. Compared with the relatively quiet times of the USSR, this is true, but the average number of victims and terrorist attacks (especially if we take into account the whole world) is still at the same level.

Revolutionary Terrorism: Terrorist Attacks in the Russian Empire

The first terrorist attacks in St. Petersburg occurred back in the time of Tsarist Russia. In the Russian Empire, terrorism was mostly of an individual character and was directed against representatives of government and high-ranking officials. Often, ordinary people, casual passers-by suffered, who were not lucky enough to be close to the place of planned or perfect murder.

At the end of January 1878 Vera Zasulich committed an attempt on the life of the St. Petersburg mayor, the criminal was acquitted by the jury. Two years later, in the Winter Palace, the Narodovoltsian blew up a bomb, attempting to assassinate the life of Emperor Alexander II. Then, 11 officers were killed who carried the guard. The next attempt on Alexander II was successful for terrorists: the emperor was killed by a bomb in 1881.

The acts of terrorism in St. Petersburg did not cease: the inspector of the St. Petersburg Department of Protection (1883), the Minister of Internal Affairs (1904), the head of the prison (1907), the head of the security department (1909) became victims of the Social Revolutionaries, Narodnik revolutionaries and people's volunteers. In St. Petersburg in 1907, an attempt was made on Peter Stolypin, an explosion killed twenty-seven people, more than one hundred random witnesses and officers were injured.

Were there terrorist acts in the Soviet Union?

The acts of terrorism in St. Petersburg, as well as in the republics under Soviet rule, were relatively rare. Most of the attacks were committed by supporters of separatist movements in order to flee the USSR. Several terrorist acts were recorded during the years of the Bolsheviks' coming to power, since the 1970s, activity has increased significantly.

Separately stand out in the chronology of terrorist acts committed in Russia (RSFSR), the events of June 1970, which received the name "Leningrad aircraft business." Then an attempt was made to capture the aircraft by a group of citizens who wanted to emigrate from the USSR. Several members of the underground Zionist group in Leningrad hoped to prompt the world authorities to exert pressure on the Soviet Union and obtain permission for the Jews to freely leave for Israel.

All participants in the alleged terrorist act were arrested in front of the plane's ramp. They are charged with anti-Soviet agitation, treason (group activities and illegal migration) and attempted theft in especially large amounts (referring to a passenger plane).

The organizers were first given the highest penalty, the other participants in the theft received from 4 to 15 years of imprisonment. Relatives of the members of the group, who to some extent contributed to the commission of the crime, were not held accountable. Intervention by major political figures of many countries and numerous protests around the world forced to replace the death sentence handed down earlier to the organizers by fifteen years of imprisonment. The deadlines were also lowered for other participants.

Terrorism in Russia: The Chechen War and Banditations from the North Caucasus

Terrorist acts in Russia are largely related to internal conflicts. The attacks in St. Petersburg were relatively rare: Moscow, Dagestan, the Stavropol Territory, Kabardino-Balkaria, North Ossetia, Ingushetia became frequent targets of terrorists and bandit formations.

Terrorist attacks in St. Petersburg in recent years

Despite the next round of activation of the international fight against terrorism, the number of attacks and the number of victims of terrorists in recent years has increased insignificantly. In 2007, there was a terrorist attack in St. Petersburg in the metro (more precisely, at the lobby of the station "Vladimirskaya"). In general, the metro, train stations or public transport stops are often chosen by terrorists as targets because of a large number of people.

The act of terrorism in St. Petersburg on October 8, 2015 also dealt without casualties, but an elderly woman was seriously injured, in her bag an explosive device was found. Then Russia intervened in the Syrian war, and by analogy with the conflict in the North Caucasus that day many expected terrorist attacks.

Another attack of 2015, which significantly affected St. Petersburg, occurred with a flight 9268 over Sinai. The liner collapsed near the town of El-Arisha. On that fateful day, all the passengers and crew members who were on board were killed. Most of them lived in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region.

More recently, there was another event, seemingly, foreshadowing the terrorist attack in St. Petersburg. November 2016 could be another fateful date for the northern capital. At the end of October, a random passer-by received a note from an elderly Asian woman. A scrap of paper said: "A terrorist attack in the metro area" Kirovsky Prospect. "Two weeks later, FSB officers detained a group of people who planned to carry out large-scale terrorist attacks on Ligovka and Nauka Prospect. Victims.