Anti-Semitic pogroms begin in Southern Russia
- When
- 1881
- Where
- Yelizavetgrad; Kiev; Odessa
- Episodes
- 3
A large-scale wave of anti-Jewish riots swept through southwestern Imperial Russia from 1881 to 1882, with more than 200 anti-Jewish events occurring in the Russian Empire. The violence was triggered by the assassination of Tsar Alexander II, after which some blamed "agents of foreign influence," implying Jewish involvement. The most notable pogroms occurred in Kiev, Warsaw, and Odessa, and the violence continued through the summer across modern-day Ukraine.
Episodes
- Odessa as a Notable Site of the 1881–1882 Wave
Odessa is listed among the most notable pogroms of the 1881–1882 wave and among the historical Odessa pogrom years.
- Pogrom in Yelizavetgrad
A large pogrom occurred on the night of 15–16 April 1881 in Yelizavetgrad, coinciding with Eastern Orthodox Easter.
- Pogrom in Kiev
An even bigger disorder engulfed Kiev on 26 April 1881, considered the worst pogrom of 1881.
Background and detail
Background. The pogroms were triggered by the assassination of Tsar Alexander II on 13 March 1881. Some blamed "agents of foreign influence," implying Jewish involvement. The term "pogrom" became common in English after this wave of anti-Jewish riots swept through southwestern Imperial Russia, including present-day Ukraine and Poland.
Spread of Violence. The pogroms of 1881 continued on through the summer, spreading across the territory of modern-day Ukraine, including Podolia, Volyn, Chernigov, and Yekaterinoslav Governorates. The Kiev pogrom of 1881 is considered the worst incident that took place in that year.
Impact and Aftermath. At least 40 Jews were killed during pogroms between April and December 1881. Across the broader series of Odessa pogroms from 1821 through 1918–1919 — a list that includes 1881 — hundreds of Jewish deaths, thousands of injuries, and destruction of property devastated the community and drove emigration.
Sources
- Pogroms in the Russian Empire Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-11
- Odessa pogroms Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-20
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.