Star.
London, England, 1831-09-09 00:00:00

THE RUSSIAN MILITARY COLONIES.

In the Tamps of Sunday bit there is a statement (which
will be found in our French extracts), that the French Go-
vernntent had received accounts of an insurrection having
broken out in the military colonies of Russia. Accounts to
the stone erect have been received by our Government,
though, from what we can leant, the insurrection was not
so formidable in its character as might be supposed from
the French statement, and it ham been in a great degree sup-
pressed. The first who communicated information on the
subject of these colonic, in this country was Dr. Lyall. in
his " Travels in Russia," and at more length in a separate
pamphlet. From the following brief but interesting account
of them, by a Gentleman alto furnished us with several in-
wresting communications on the subject of the war with
Poland, which we extract from an article on the Russian
Army in The United Service Journal for September, it
will be seen that oppression has more than once led the un-
fortunate colonists to revolt :

Amongst all the institutions of the Russian em-
pire, there is none, perhaps, more despotic than
that of the military colonies. The project of this
establishment was conceived bra general officer
of artillery, Count Araktshejew, a man whose
name was once but too notorious throughout Rus-
sia, and whose memory is destine.' to share the
distinction of an unenviable longevity. The Count
commenced his career as a private soldier, and
served till he WAS promoted to the rank of an offi-
cer. His severe system of discipline attracted the
attention of Paul the First, when that Sovereign,
who was then but Grand Duke, resided in his
chateau of Gatschina, and daily occupied himself
in exercising a few soldiers, who were one diy to
serve as models fur the whole army. Count
Araktshejew and Baron Diebitsch, the father of
the late Field Marshal, were at the parades at
Gatschina, the companions in arms of Paul. The
gratitude of the Emperor recompensed the services
rendered to the Grand Duke. Without the slight-
est knowledge of war, Araktshejew was created
General, and was promoted to the first military
dignities, without having faced any other foe than
the common enemy of every despot—that love of
liberty and justice implanted b.• nature in the
breast of man.

the reign of Catherine the Second, the pro►-
jeets of aggnuulisement formed by the Russian
Government assumed a decided shape. in order
to tit); ain the key to Germany, the heart of Europe,
it male necessary to conquer Poland. Finland was
to be subjugated that St. Petersburgh might be
prat cttd against a coup-de-main from the Swedes,
who would thus be deprived of all inclination to re-
conquer the precinces of the Baltic. The pusses-

PRICE SEVENPENCE.

dons on the Black Sea were to be further extend-
ed, that from North to South a united front mitzht
be opposed to the Powers of the West of Europe
one which, by advancing both whers, inight em-
brace the entire of Europe. The conquests in the
I Caucasus were to pave the way for that of Asi •
Minor, in order that the new Greek Throne of the
seodern Constantine might be more easily esti-
bliehed in Constantinople. This long• formed pro-
of Catherine was never lost sight of •by the
ian Government, and the policy of the other
Powers had nearly crowned it with success. Eng-
land first introduced the Russian fleets into the
Mediterranean, and AWOL-them to combat ;
Austria and Prussia participated in the spoil of
' Poland; France remained a tranquil spectator of
the giant's progress. Russia felt thoroughly ; er-
suaded that her ambitious designs could be
thwarted only by England and Austria, and by
the influence of both those Powers over Turkey
and Sweden. Menaced on these two points,
Russia was aware that she would be driven
back into her ancient limits, along the same
route through which she had extended her power.
The object of her dread was therefore a coalition be-
tween Turkey and Sweden, supported by England
and Austria, and on this point of view was her sit-
tuition fixed when she established her Military Co-
lonies. The Colonies of the South, whose strength
consisted in their cavalry, were destined to act
against Hungary and Turkey ; the Colonies of the
north, which were composed of infantry, were to
direct their operations against Sweden. In the
Centre were the reserve colonies, in the vicinity of
the head-quarters of the First Army, from which
reinforcements were to be detached, and sent to
such places as might stand in need of their aid.
Having made the foregoing remarks on the politi-
cal object of this military establishment, we now
proceed to examine it in detail.
The colonisation of regiments takes place only
in the territories appertaining to the crown, and
whenever there is a scarcity of timber for building,
or of peasants, the government purchases the for-
mer from different proprietors, or takes the latter
in exchange for other lands, which on account of
their situation are not included in the general plan
of colonisation. The colonies cost the government
an annual sum exceeding twenty-eight millions of
roubles. The villages are constructed of new ma-
terials, on a new and regular plan, and resemble
extensive barracks, surrounded with pleasure-
grounds and kitchen gardens. Straight highways
lead from one village to another, and in all the
same regulations are observed as in time of war,
no individual being allowed to pass the barrier
without undergoing the examination of the guard.
Several villages are assigned to every regiment
destined to form part of the military colonies ;
the population of these villages being proportioned to
the number of men in the regiment, the commanding
officer of which becomes the sole head of his district.
From that moment all the other authorities cease
to exercise their functions, and no Judges are re-
cognised except the Members of the Military
Council. A soldier is quartered upon each peasant,
who, with his wife, children, end all that he ;as-
sesses, is at the disposal of his unbidden guest.
An accurate list is taken of his goods, horses, and
other cattle, and without the permission of the
Captain, the unfortunate man dares not dispose of
a single article. He cannot even venture to eat an
egg, kill a fowl, or bake a loaf without the consent
of his new master, and instructor in the art of war.
He is obliged to shave his hair and beard (and for
the latter the Russians entertain a superstitious
predilection); he is dressed in a sort of uniform,
compelled to perform the most fatiguing duties,
and required to exercise daily, as well as to impart
to his military guest his own knowledge of agri-
culture. Against acts of oppression such as we
have enumerated, it may well be supposed that the
luckless peasants at first revolted. Accordingly,
wherever the military colonies were established,
serious insurrectionary movements broke out ; hut
after the application of the knout to a few hundreds
of the rebels, and the banishment of others to the
mines of Siberia, the rest became submissive, and
made a virtue of dire necessity.
At present there are 60,000 men in the colonies
the mass of the peasants belonging to which
amounts to 280,000.