Ovchinnikov, Andrei

Ovchinnikov, Andrei Afanas’evich 

Born 1739; died Aug. 25 (Sep. 5), 1774, near Chernyi Iar, in what is now Astrakhan Oblast. Iaik Cossack; comrade-in-arms of E. I. Pugachev.

Ovchinnikov took part in the uprising of Iaik Cossacks in 1772. He joined Pugachev in September 1773 near Iaitskii Gorodok. At a war council, Ovchinnikov was elected campaign ataman. He led the insurgents in a number of important operations, including the rout of General Kar’s corps in November 1773, the siege of Iaitskii Gorodok, and the capture of Gur’ev Gorodok. He fought with distinction in 1774 in battles near Kazan, Saratov, and Tsaritsyn. Pugachev made Ovchinnikov a field marshal in August 1774. He was killed in the final battle at Solenikova Vataga near Chernyi Iar.

REFERENCES

Pugachevshchina, vols. 1–3. Moscow-Leningrad, 1926–31.
“Dopros E. Pugacheva v Moskve v 1774–1775 gg.” Krasnyi arkhiv, 1935, nos. 69–70.
Dubrovin, N. F. Pugachev i ego soobshchniki, vols. 2–3. St. Petersburg, 1884.