Assassination of Tsar Alexander II of Russia by Narodnaya Volya

Background. Narodnaya Volya, a revolutionary socialist organization, emerged in 1879 from the split of Zemlya i Volya. The group viewed regicide as the highest form of political action. The Executive Committee formally sentenced Alexander II to death in August 1879, hoping his assassination would precipitate a social revolution. Previous attempts, including a bombing of the Winter Palace in 1880, had failed to kill the Tsar.

The Attack. On 13 March 1881, Alexander II was returning to the Winter Palace from the Mikhailovsky Manège in a closed carriage. The assassination was planned by the Executive Committee, chiefly by Andrei Zhelyabov. The attack took place in Saint Petersburg, a location distinct from the Winter Palace itself, correcting the legacy data's location error.

Aftermath. The assassination marked the high-water mark of Narodnaya Volya's political influence. The sentence passed by the Executive Committee was carried out on 15 April 1881. The Church of the Savior on Blood was later built on the site of the assassination, though construction began in 1883 under Alexander III.