Darya Saltykova (1730-1801) was infamous for torturing and murdering the serfs who worked on her estate. Her story shocked society, and highlighted the grave injustices many nobles inflicted on serfs at the time. For those of you tuning in for the first time, welcome! Here’s the deal: Every weekday, we highlight the stories of iconic women in history you may not know about, but definitely should. We’re talking about women from around the world and throughout history. Each month is themed. This month we’re talking about troublemakers–from women who made “good trouble” to women who thrived in illicit industries to villains in the truest sense of the word.
This month, we're talking about troublemakers–from women who made “good trouble” to women who thrived in illicit industries to villains in the truest sense of the word.
History classes can get a bad wrap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Womanica. On this Wonder Media Network podcast we explore the lives of inspiring women in history you may not know about, but definitely should.
Every weekday, listeners explore the trials, tragedies, and triumphs of groundbreaking women throughout history who have dramatically shaped the world around us. In each 5 minute episode, we’ll dive into the story behind one woman listeners may or may not know–but definitely should. These diverse women from across space and time are grouped into easily accessible and engaging monthly themes like Educators, Villains, Indigenous Storytellers, Activists, and many more. Womanica is hosted by WMN co-founder and award-winning journalist Jenny Kaplan. The bite-sized episodes pack painstakingly researched content into fun, entertaining, and addictive daily adventures.
Womanica was created by Liz Kaplan and Jenny Kaplan, executive produced by Jenny Kaplan, and produced by Liz Smith, Grace Lynch, Maddy Foley, Brittany Martinez, Edie Allard, Lindsey Kratochwill, Sundus Hassan, Adesuwa Agbonile, Carmen Borca-Carrillo, Taylor Williamson, and Ale Tejada. Special thanks to Shira Atkins.
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Hello! From Wonder Media Network, I’m Jenny Kaplan and this is Womanica.
If you’re tuning in for the first time, here’s the deal. Every weekday, we’re telling the stories of women from around the world and throughout history who you may not know about, but should. Each month is themed.
This month, we’re talking about Troublemakers and Villains. We’re covering stories from across a spectrum, from women who made “good trouble” to women who thrived in illicit industries to villains in the truest sense of the word.
Today’s episode is about a villain. If you’re listening with young children you may want to sit this one out.
Our subject today became infamous for torturing and murdering the serfs who worked on her estate. Her story shocked society, and highlighted the grave injustices many nobles inflicted on serfs at the time.
We’re talking about Darya Saltykova.
Darya was born in March of 1730 to an affluent Russian family. She was the third of five daughters.
As a young woman, she married a nobleman named Gleb Saltykov. The Saltykov family was well-known and well-connected in Russian high society.
Darya’s life changed suddenly in the mid-1750s when her husband died from unknown causes. At the age of 25, Darya now found herself in charge of 600 serfs. She became the master of an estate called Troitske about 20 miles south of Moscow.
For the next seven years, Darya lashed out. She violently beat and tortured the serfs who worked for her. During her reign of terror, Darya killed as many as 138 people — almost all of them young women, some of them pregnant.
By some accounts, she was angry at their inability to keep the house as clean as she wanted. Though, she also made up many of the so-called offenses. Darya felt as though she was powerful because of her social status, and thus why shouldn’t she wield that power?
Societal power is also how Darya got away with her crimes for so many years. If the peasants attempted to report her, they faced her wrath. This was common at that time.
Eventually, two of the serfs were able to secretly get a letter to the empress herself, Catherine the Great. In it, they detailed the crimes they had experienced and seen. One of the serfs, a man, watched Darya kill his first wife. Then his second wife. And then his third wife. She threatened his own life if he were to try to report it.
In 1762, Darya was arrested and held in custody. The authorities performed a thorough investigation that lasted six years.
In 1768, Darya was found guilty of killing 38 people. As part of her sentence, she was chained to a platform in the public square with a sign that read “This woman has tortured and murdered.” The story of her crimes was well-known among the public, and crowds of people came to look at her.
Darya was then forced to live in a convent for the remainder of her life.
This was a common sentence for women of the time, but Darya’s was especially harsh. She was isolated and forced to live in perpetual darkness. She got a candle with her meals that was taken away when she finished eating.
Darya refused to repent for her crimes. By 1779, she was moved to a different cell. This one had a window. When people walked by or came near the window, she spat and shouted at them.
Darya died imprisoned on November 2, 1801.
What Darya did was horrific. It was also emblematic of the ways noble people treated their serfs at the time. Serfdom was technically different from slavery in that the wealthy could buy serfs’ labor, but not serfs themselves. In practice though, the two forms of forced servitude were very similar. Serfs were forced to work, and the conditions were almost universally bad. They also had no legal rights or any way to leave. Many estate owners had their own jails on their property where they would torture prisoners. Darya was no exception.
Darya became a well-known villain in Russia. She gained the nickname: Saltychikha. While the nickname doesn’t have an exact meaning, just the fact that she, a noblewoman, was known by this nickname was a coup. It’s likely the serfs gave it to her, a small act of rebellion that has become part of her legacy.
All month, we’re talking about villains and troublemakers.
Special thanks to Liz Kaplan, my favorite sister and co-creator.
Talk to you tomorrow!