Who and Why was E.I. Pugachev Afraid of? Reconstruction of Fears the Leader of the Popular Uprising of 1773–1775

An analysis of emotions as they relate to historical events and figures, specifically within the 20 century, reveals a new dimension of historical understanding. As the field of historical science has continued to emerge and develop, an increased amount of attention has been directed towards the emotions of prominent historical figures. Emotions, in many ways, prompt a person towards action, and thus, in order to understand the reasoning behind the action, one must engage in an effort to decode the emotions themselves. This study examines the fears of the leader of one of the largest uprisings in the history of Imperial Russia- Ye. I. Pugachev. A key feature of this study lies within the analysis of various testimonies from interrogations which reveal both latent and overt fears. The foundation of this study is based upon the sources used, in particular, the investigation materials and testimonies of eyewitnesses of the Pugachev Rebellion.