Razin

Razin most commonly refers to Stepan Razin, also known as Stenka Razin, a Cossack leader and rebel in 17th-century Russia. Razin led a large uprising of peasants and Cossacks against the Tsarist autocracy and the local nobility, centered in the lower Volga region.

From 1670 to 1671 his movement spread along the Volga and Don rivers, attracting disenfranchised peasants and insurgent bands. The rebellion captured several towns and challenged centralized authority, but it was eventually suppressed by Russian forces. Razin was captured and executed in Moscow in 1671; his severed head was displayed on a spike as a warning to would-be rebels.

In Russian culture, Razin became a symbol of popular resistance and is a subject of folk songs and literature. The figure is depicted in works such as the poem "Stenka Razin" by Alexander Pushkin and various folk songs that recount his exploits.

Razin is also used as a surname and place name in Slavic-speaking regions. As a family name, it appears in Russia and other countries of the former Soviet sphere, among individuals in modern times; it is also encountered in toponymy and in the names of institutions or cultural works that reference the historical Razin.