Trial of the 21

the last major political trial of the revolutionary Narodniki (Populists). It was held in the St. Petersburg Military District Court from May 26 (June 7) to June 5 (17), 1887. The main defendants were G. A. Lopatin (after whom the trial is sometimes called the Lopatin Trial), P. F. Iakubovich, N. P. Starodvorskii, N. M. Salova, V. I. Sukhomlin, P. L. Anto-nov, S. A. Ivanov, and V. P. Konashevich. They had attempted to reestablish the People’s Will after the rout of 1881–83, and this was the main charge brought against them. Starodvorskii and Konashevich were also charged with the murder of G. P. Sudeikin, the head of the department of political investigation. The defendants, with the exception of the two renegades El’ko and Geier, conducted themselves heroically.

Five persons were sentenced to hard labor for life, eight to four to 20 years’ hard labor, four to exile in Siberia, and one to a prison term. Three persons were acquitted. The trial provoked little public response because of a temporary decline in the revolutionary struggle and the absence of publicity.