▁remained ▁in ▁Az ov ▁as ▁a ▁g arrison . ▁In ▁ 1 6 9 7 , ▁however , ▁the ▁four ▁reg iments ▁of ▁St rel ts y ▁were ▁unexpected ly ▁sent ▁to ▁Vel iki ye ▁Lu ki ▁instead ▁of ▁Moscow . ▁On ▁their ▁way ▁there ▁they ▁were ▁star ving ▁and ▁carrying ▁their ▁ord n ance ▁by ▁themselves , ▁due ▁to ▁lack ▁of ▁horses . ▁In ▁March ▁ 1 6 9 8 , ▁ 1 7 5 ▁St rel ts y ▁left ▁their ▁reg iments ▁and ▁fled ▁to ▁Moscow ▁to ▁file ▁a ▁compla int . ▁They ▁secret ly ▁established ▁contact ▁with ▁Soph ia ▁Ale k se ye v na , ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁in car cer ated ▁at ▁the ▁Nov ode v ich y ▁Mon aster y , ▁and ▁hoped ▁for ▁her ▁med iation . ▁The ▁run away ▁St rel ts y , ▁despite ▁their ▁resistance , ▁were ▁sent ▁back ▁to ▁their ▁reg iments , ▁giving ▁rise ▁to ▁dis content ▁among ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁them . ▁ ▁U pr ising ▁On ▁ 6 ▁June , ▁the ▁St rel ts y ▁removed ▁their ▁command ing ▁officers , ▁chose ▁four ▁elect ives ▁from ▁each ▁regiment , ▁and ▁made ▁their ▁way ▁to ▁Moscow , ▁getting ▁ready ▁to ▁pun ish ▁the ▁boy ars ▁and ▁foreign ▁advis ers ▁and ▁bl aming ▁them ▁for ▁all ▁advers ities . ▁The ▁reb els ▁( approx . ▁ 2 , 3 0 0 ▁men ) ▁intended ▁to ▁install ▁Soph ia ▁or , ▁in ▁case ▁of ▁her ▁ref us al , ▁her ▁alleg ed