The Decembrist uprising is a unique event in the history of Russia. The noble officers of the guard attempted a coup d'etat, and they declared the need to abolish serfdom and overthrow the autocracy. Despite the fact that their actions were not successful, the uprising itself had a huge resonance in Russian society and greatly influenced the subsequent history of the country. Experts argued about what the motives of the Decembrists really were and what caused their failure.

Questions:

Who were the Decembrists?

Oksana Kiyanskaya

Those who created the movement were young Russian nobles who went through the war. You could say they are veterans of the war with Napoleon. When they returned to Russia victoriously, they saw that they were cogs in the state machine. Meanwhile, they were accustomed to the fact that the outcome of the most important battles and most important campaigns depended on their personal courage, on their personal qualities. They are accustomed to looking at themselves as characters in history. They could not come to terms with the position of the cog and wanted to change the way of life in Russia.

Alexander Zakatov

The Decembrists belonged to the nobility, the elite of Russia at that time, but they wanted to achieve some results for themselves not through honest public service, but to seize power through extremist means. Therefore, they represented, in my opinion, the worst part of the aristocracy of that time.

What goals did the Decembrists pursue?

Oksana Kiyanskaya

They wanted a revolution, a change in formation. Despite the fact that they, of course, had different slogans at different stages, different leaders of the Decembrists saw the future differently, but they had a common position in all their programs and throughout their activities. This is a demand for equality. Moreover, legal equality, equality of all before the law. This demand was based on self-interest. They wanted to be politicians, they wanted equal rights for themselves. The same as, say, those who were higher than them in class, in structural affiliation. Widely understood equality led them to be supporters of the abolition of serfdom. This was a common point that existed throughout all the years of the Decembrist movement. Moreover, the point was not that they sympathized with the serfs. Some of them had such an opportunity, but none of them let their peasants go. It was important for them not to improve the condition of the unfortunate peasants, but it was the idea of ​​​​universal equality of opportunity that was important.

Alexander Zakatov

The ideology of the Decembrists combined a rather chaotic set of different ideas that then existed in Europe and in Russia. But if you analyze the complex of their ideas, it becomes clear that the main thing for them was still the desire to seize power. The beautiful slogans were only a cover, because as soon as we see their specific political programs, we find that all these beautiful slogans fade into the background. In addition, they were all landowners, they all had serfs, and the main slogan - the abolition of serfdom - could have been implemented by them in a completely peaceful way if they had freed their own peasants, taking advantage of the decree on free cultivators of Emperor Alexander I. In this way they would set an example for the rest, would be a living reproach for all the other serf owners who continued to exploit the peasants. They, however, did not do this; not one of them freed the peasants. This shows the insincerity of their beautiful slogans.

What could happen if the Decembrists won?

Oksana Kiyanskaya

Firstly, most likely, after the victory, a dictatorship would have been established, as Pavel Ivanovich Pestel wanted. There would be an attempt to carry out tough reforms: the abolition of serfdom, the elimination of autocracy, the introduction of universal equality. Of course, this attempt would cause resistance, because not everyone would be ready to accept the new way of government. It would be possible for the intervention of European powers associated with the Russian Tsar, say, the same Holy Alliance and obligations to help in the event of revolutions. There would, of course, be war, there would be blood. But it seems to me that after some time the reforms would seriously affect life, the way of life in Russia, this is obvious. Serious changes would occur.

Alexander Zakatov

In my opinion, at that moment their victory was excluded. Of course, if they had not acted so ineptly politically, they could, perhaps, have seized power in the country for some time if, for example, they had managed, as they intended, to kill Emperor Nicholas I and other members of the imperial house, demoralizing, of course, thereby the rest of the state apparatus. But they would not have remained in power - Russia was plunged into civil war and bloody chaos.

How did contemporaries evaluate the Decembrists?

Oksana Kiyanskaya

Contemporaries assessed it differently. The ideas of equality were not only among the Decembrists. Many young people of that era thought the same. For many, the defeat of the Decembrists was a personal tragedy. In addition, most of the main figures of secret societies still had relatives and friends, many of them were in the high society of St. Petersburg. The middle-class nobility were rather perplexed - they did not understand who it was, what it was, why someone suddenly decided to encroach on the life of the sovereign-emperor. As for the common people, the common people were glad that “they began to hang the bar and send them to hard labor.”

Alexander Zakatov

Of course, they perceived it differently. A certain positive myth has developed about the Decembrists as fighters for a bright future, for freedom. Of course, outstanding figures of that time also played a role in this, including Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin, who no longer shared their political views, but sympathized with many of them as his friends. For the intelligentsia, they were a kind of sacrificial model, although this does not always correspond to truth and truth. But this image emerged. Indeed, in the 19th century, at the beginning of the 20th century, the Decembrists were perceived as victims who, at least, were pitied. But at the same time, we must remember the very beautiful and very precise words of Tyutchev, who was also not a big fan of Emperor Nicholas I and also shared many of the ideas and prejudices of the intelligentsia of his time. It was about the Decembrists that he wrote: “The people, shunning treachery, vilify your names - and your memory is buried for posterity, like a corpse in the ground.” These words probably accurately reflect the true attitude that should have been towards these people.

Why did the Decembrist uprising fail?

Oksana Kiyanskaya

This is a long-standing dispute between me and my colleagues. Many believe that the Decembrists had no chance because they had a strong army loyal to the Tsar, because it is difficult to say how much the Decembrists would have been able to propagandize this army, society was not ready, and so on. But it seems to me that in the form in which the Decembrists planned this coup - also relying on the army, relying on discipline, also with elements of palace coups - the Decembrists had a chance. Because the army was really accustomed to unity of command, and the one who was the first to give a certain order could become the winner. In addition, the army was very dissatisfied; it was one of the most problematic social groups of the early 19th century. If we talk about the main reasons for the failure of the uprising, it seems to me that this is the human factor. Because throughout the history of secret societies, there was a struggle for leadership within these societies. They could not agree on who was in charge: who was the main ideologist, who was the main practitioner, who would head the state in case of victory. All this exploded on December 14, when it was not even possible to create a unified action plan. Everyone had their own plan. And now we see the wreckage of these plans on Senate Square.

Alexander Zakatov

The fact is that it, of course, was completely unprepared. The mood of the absolute majority of the people did not correspond to the desire of the Decembrists to overthrow the Romanov dynasty and replace the political system with either a completely symbolic monarchy or a republic. They could not be supported by the majority of the people, including the peasantry. The people shunned treachery. And the deception that was allowed when they explained to the lower ranks that they were allegedly defending the legitimate Emperor Constantine, whom they actually also wanted to kill, and that they were calling for the constitution, and when the soldiers asked who the constitution was, they said, that Konstantin's wife. That is, they had lies in everything. And this lie ruined them, because if they had been honest people, then perhaps they would have fought for their ideals, maybe even resorted to some kind of radical action, but they would still have held on more or less in within the framework of the law, their dialogue with the authorities could have turned out differently. They were let down by lies. Because they were insincere.

Decembrist revolutionary secret uprising

The uprising of December 14, 1825 is the starting date for the beginning of the revolutionary liberation struggle in Russia. Before the Decembrists, spontaneous uprisings of peasants or performances of lone revolutionaries took place in Russia, the most prominent of whom was A.N. Radishchev. For the first time in the history of Russia, the Decembrists created revolutionary organizations, developed political programs, prepared and carried out an armed uprising. It was the culminating event and at the same time the result of the Decembrist movement. All previous activities of the Decembrists, starting with their first secret organization of the Union of Salvation, were subordinated to the ideological and organizational preparation of a revolutionary action against the autocratic serfdom system in Russia. The uprising of December 14 was a serious test for the Decembrists, a test of their revolutionary capabilities. It, as if in focus, reflected all the strengths and weaknesses of their noble revolutionism: courage, boldness, self-sacrifice of the Decembrists, but at the same time the hesitations characteristic of a noble revolutionary, the lack of decisiveness and consistency in actions, the ability to master the “art of rebellion,” but most importantly - lack of connection with the masses, even fear of the revolutionary initiative of the masses. The Decembrists were afraid of the “riot of the crowd,” “senseless and cruel.”

Let's look at these events in chronological order.

In the first quarter of the 19th century. A revolutionary ideology arose in Russia, the bearers of which were the Decembrists. Disillusioned with the policies of Alexander I, part of the progressive nobility decided to put an end to the causes of Russia's backwardness.

The advanced nobility, who became acquainted with the political movements of the West during the liberation campaigns, understood that the basis of the backwardness of the Russian state was serfdom. Reactionary policies in the field of education and culture, the creation of military settlements by Arakcheev, and Russia’s participation in the suppression of revolutionary events in Europe added confidence in the need for radical changes; serfdom in Russia was an insult to the national dignity of an enlightened person. The views of the Decembrists were influenced by Western European educational literature, Russian journalism and the ideas of national liberation movements.

In February 1816, the first secret political society arose in St. Petersburg, the goal of which was the abolition of serfdom and the adoption of a constitution. It consisted of 28 members (A.N. Muravyov, S.I. and M.I. Muravyov-Apostles, S.P. Trubetskoy, I.D. Yakushkin, P.I. Pestel, etc.)

In 1818, the Union of Welfare organization was created in Moscow, which had 200 members and had councils in other cities. The society propagated the idea of ​​abolishing serfdom, preparing a revolutionary coup using the forces of the officers. The “Western Union” collapsed due to disagreements between the radical and moderate members of the union.

In March 1821, the Southern Society arose in Ukraine, headed by P.I. Pestel, who was the author of the program document “Russian Truth”.

In St. Petersburg, on the initiative of N.M. Muravyov, the “Northern Society” was created, which had a liberal action plan. Each of these societies had its own program, but the goal was the same - the destruction of autocracy, serfdom, estates, the creation of a republic, the separation of powers, and the proclamation of civil liberties.

Preparations for an armed uprising began.

The death of Alexander I in November 1825 prompted the conspirators to take more active action. It was decided on the day of taking the oath to the new Tsar Nicholas I to seize the monarch and the Senate and force them to introduce a constitutional system in Russia.

Prince Trubetskoy was elected as the political leader of the uprising, but at the last moment he refused to participate in the uprising.

On the morning of December 14, 1825, the Moscow Life Guards Regiment entered Senate Square. He was joined by the Guards Marine Crew and the Life Guards Grenadier Regiment. In total, about 3 thousand people gathered.

However, Nicholas I, notified of the impending conspiracy, took the oath of the Senate in advance and, gathering troops loyal to him, surrounded the rebels. After negotiations, in which Metropolitan Seraphim and the Governor-General of St. Petersburg M.A. Miloradovich (who was mortally wounded) took part on the part of the government, Nicholas I ordered the use of artillery. The uprising in St. Petersburg was crushed.

But already on January 2 it was suppressed by government troops. Arrests of participants and organizers began throughout Russia.

579 people were involved in the Decembrist case. Found guilty 287. Five were sentenced to death (K.F. Ryleev, P.I. Pestel, P.G. Kakhovsky, M.P. Bestuzhev-Ryumin, S.I. Muravyov-Apostol). 120 people were exiled to hard labor in Siberia or to a settlement.

The reasons for the defeat of the Decembrist uprising were the lack of coordination of actions, the lack of support from all layers of society, which was not ready for radical changes. This speech was the first open protest and a stern warning to the autocracy about the need for a radical restructuring of Russian society.

Figure 1 shows a brief chronology of events that occurred during a given period of time.

Figure 1 - Brief description of the Decembrist uprising

Decembrist uprising (briefly)

A Brief History of the Decembrist Uprising

In the first quarter of the nineteenth century, revolutionary sentiments flared up every now and then in Russia. According to historians, the main reason for this was that the progressive part of society was disappointed with the rule of Alexander the First. At the same time, a certain part of people sought to end the backwardness of Russian society.

During the era of liberation campaigns, having become familiar with various political movements in the West, the advanced Russian nobility realized that it was serfdom that was the reason for the backwardness of the state. Russian serfdom was perceived by the rest of the world as an insult to national public dignity. The views of the future Decembrists were greatly influenced by educational literature, Russian journalism, as well as the ideas of Western liberation movements.

The very first secret political society was organized in St. Petersburg in the winter of 1816. The main goal of the society was the abolition of serfdom and the adoption of a Constitution in the state. There were about thirty people in total. A couple of years later, the Union of Welfare and the Northern Society were formed in St. Petersburg, pursuing the same goals.

The conspirators were actively preparing for an armed uprising and very soon, after the death of Alexander, the opportune moment for this came. The Decembrist uprising occurred in 1825 on the day of the oath of the new ruler of Russia. The rebels wanted to capture both the monarch and the Senate.

So, on the fourteenth of December, the Life Guards Grenadier Regiment, the Life Guards Moscow Regiment, and the Guards Marine Regiment were on Senate Square. In general, there were at least three thousand people in the square itself.

Nicholas the First was warned in advance about the Decembrist uprising and swore in the Senate in advance. He then gathered loyal troops and ordered them to surround Senate Square. Thus negotiations were started, which, however, did not bring any results.

During this, Miloradovich was mortally wounded, after which, on the orders of the new king, artillery was used. Thus, the Decembrist uprising of 1825 was extinguished. A little later (December twenty-ninth) the Chernigov regiment also rebelled, the rebellion of which was also suppressed in two weeks.

Arrests of the organizers and participants of the uprisings took place throughout Russia and as a result, more than five hundred people were involved in the case.

April 5th, 2015

I'm almost done posting more topics. This is already the ninth and penultimate topic. There were practically no volunteers to cover the second ten topics in the post, but the authors of the topics, in principle, can present them in the next vote.

So, today we have the topic of alternative history from a friend kisyha_74. The concept may not be entirely accurate, but there is certainly a certain current and direction that calls into question the official version of many historical events. History in general has always been a complex matter. And the further it goes into the depths of centuries, the more complicated it becomes. All these are just serifs and outlines for further independent study for those interested.

What claims are made against the well-known official version? On December 26, 1825, the Decembrist uprising broke out in St. Petersburg.

If you peel away the shavings of Soviet mythology, you can see a lot of interesting things.

1. The king is not real

In fact, the coup d'état took place not on December 26, but on November 27, 1825. On this day in St. Petersburg, the death of Emperor Alexander in Taganrog was announced and Konstantin Pavlovich, 2nd in seniority after the childless Alexander, was declared the new emperor. The Senate, the State Council and the entire capital hastily swore the oath to him. True, Constantine had no rights to the throne, since back in 1823 he abdicated the throne in favor of Nicholas, which was also formalized in Alexander’s spiritual will. Nikolai also took the oath to Konstantin under pressure from the military governor Miloradovich.

However, on December 3, Constantine renounced the crown. Either in St. Petersburg everyone decided to replay the game, or because Konstantin was afraid to share the fate of his father Paul I, he allegedly said: “They will strangle you, just like they strangled your father.” Nicholas was declared the legal heir to the throne. Everything that happened, of course, took place in an atmosphere of strict secrecy and gave rise to a lot of rumors.

2. Who is pulling the strings?

The oath of office to the new emperor was scheduled for December 14 (26). The Decembrists, who had previously not identified themselves in any way, timed their performance to coincide with the same date. They did not have a clear program, the idea was this: to bring the regiments to Senate Square that day in order to prevent the oath of allegiance to Nicholas. The main conspirator, Prince Trubetskoy, who was appointed dictator, did not come to the square at all; it is quite possible that the appointment happened retroactively. There was practically no coordination, Ryleev rushed around St. Petersburg, “like a sick man in his restless bed,” everything was done at random. It looks quite strange for a secret society that has been operating for several years, covering a significant part of the military elite, and having an extensive network throughout the country.

3. Orange technologies

Classic technologies were used to withdraw troops; today they would be called orange. So Alexander Bestuzhev, having arrived at the barracks of the Moscow regiment, already ready to take the oath, began to assure the soldiers that they were being deceived, that Tsarevich Konstantin had never abdicated the throne and would soon be in St. Petersburg, that he was his adjutant and was sent ahead by him on purpose, etc. . Having captivated the soldiers with such deception, he led them to Senate Square. In the same way, other regiments were brought to the square. At this time, thousands of people gathered on the square and near the embankment of St. Isaac's Cathedral. They worked easier with the common people; they spread a rumor that the legitimate Emperor Constantine was already on his way to St. Petersburg from Warsaw and was taken under arrest near Narva, but soon the troops would free him, and after a while the excited crowd shouted: “Hurray, Constantine!”

4. Provocateurs

Meanwhile, regiments loyal to Emperor Nicholas arrived on the square. A confrontation arose: on the one hand, the rebels and the incited people, on the other, the defenders of the new emperor. Trying to persuade the rebels to return to the officers' barracks, the crowd threw logs from a dismantled woodpile near St. Isaac's Cathedral. One of the rebels, the hero of the Caucasian War Yakubovich, who came to Senateskaya and was appointed commander of the Moscow regiment, cited a headache and disappeared from the square. Then he stood in the crowd near the emperor for several hours, and then approached him and asked permission to go to the rebels to persuade them to lay down their arms. Having received consent, he went to the chain as a parliamentarian and, approaching Kuchelbecker, said in a low voice: “Hold on, they are severely afraid of you,” and left. Today on the Maidan he would be considered a titushka.

5. “Noble” shot

However, soon it came to clashes. General Miloradovich went to the rebels for negotiations and was killed by a shot from Kakhovsky. The hero Kakhovsky, if you look at him through a magnifying glass, turns out to be a very interesting person. A Smolensk landowner, lost to smithereens, he came to St. Petersburg in the hope of finding a rich bride, but he failed. By chance he met Ryleev and he pulled him into a secret society. Ryleev and other comrades supported him in St. Petersburg at their own expense. And when the time came to pay the benefactors’ bills, Kakhovsky, without hesitation, fired. After this, it became clear that it would no longer be possible to reach an agreement.
6. Pointless and merciless

In Soviet times, a myth was created about the unfortunate sufferers - the Decembrists. But for some reason no one is talking about the real victims of this senseless riot. While few were killed among the members of the secret societies who stirred up this mess, the full charm of buckshot was felt by the common people and the soldiers drawn into the massacre. Taking advantage of the indecision of the rebels, Nikolai managed to transfer artillery, shot at the rebels with grapeshot, people and soldiers scattered, many fell through the ice and drowned while trying to cross the Neva. The result is deplorable: among the mob - 903 killed, minors - 150, women - 79, lower ranks of soldiers - 282.

7. Everything is secret...

Recently, the following version of the reasons for the rebellion has been gaining momentum. If you look closely, all the threads lead to Konstantin, in whom you can see the true customer. The Decembrist revolutionaries, who kept papers in their desks about the reconstruction of Russia, the adoption of a constitution, and the abolition of serfdom, for some reason began to force the soldiers to swear allegiance to Constantine. Why did people opposed to the monarchy do this? Maybe because they were directed by someone who benefited from it. It is no coincidence that Nikolai, having begun the investigation into the uprising, and he was personally present during the interrogations, said that they should not look for the guilty, but give everyone the opportunity to justify themselves, since he probably knew who was behind it, and did not want to wash dirty linen in public. Well, one more conspiracy theory and eloquent fact. As soon as Konstantin left Warsaw after the next Polish uprising and ended up in Vitebsk, he suddenly fell ill with cholera and died a few days later.

What other points are not only questioned, but perhaps more “not discussed”?

First of all, regicide.

Moreover, as S. G. Nechaev, the head of the “People’s Retribution” society, later said, “with the entire great litany” (today they would say “the entire payroll”) the august family, including the grand duchesses extradited abroad and their offspring, had to die. So that no one can lay claim to the throne.

The thought of the immorality of such a step, of course, occurred to the leaders of the conspiracy. And if they themselves were ready to step over mental anguish, then neither the crowd, nor numerous ordinary participants, nor even a number of high-ranking brethren, for example, Prince S.P. Trubetskoy, shared their bloodthirsty aspirations.

Therefore, the so-called “act of retaliation” had to be carried out. “doomed cohort” - a detachment of several people who knew in advance that they were sacrificing themselves. They undertook to kill representatives of the royal house, and then the new government of the republic would execute them, dissociating itself from the bloody massacre. So, A.I. Yakubovich promised to shoot Grand Duke Nikolai Pavlovich, and V.K. Kuchelbecker - Mikhail Pavlovich. As the latter later told his brother: “The most amazing thing is that they didn’t kill us.”

The logic is well known: what is the death of one family compared to the happiness of millions? But the extermination of the reigning house seems to give a free hand for bloody atrocities in the rest of the country. The punitive authorities, the creation of which Pestel envisaged, were supposed to number 50 thousand people. Later, 4 thousand served in the Corps of Gendarmes, including the lower ranks - essentially internal troops. Why did Pestel need so much? In order to “persuad” compatriots who do not agree to a republic. So the royal family would be followed not by great, but numerous families. Is it only nobles? Experience of the beginning of the 20th century. shows that it is not far away.

How they handed over their

Historians are now studying internal strife in the circle of conspirators and know that at the Moscow Congress of 1821, for the first time in Russian history, the question of predatory expropriations - money for the revolution - was raised. That spying on each other and opening letters were not alien to the heroes of December 14th. Their behavior after their arrest in the fortress is so shocking to novice researchers that they had to come up with two mutually exclusive myths. The nobleman answers the first request, so the arrested did not hide anything, called their comrades, and told everything they knew.

Another option: the Decembrists wanted to give the impression of a large organization so that the government would be scared and make concessions. Thus, Prince S.G. Volkonsky, at the very first interrogation, listed the names of 22 members of the society, some of whom turned out to be completely uninvolved. That is, he slandered people.

Letters of repentance were written to the emperor, services were offered to reveal “all the hidden sides of the conspiracy.” In the hope of saving themselves, they confessed almost in a race. Perhaps K. F. Ryleev showed more than anyone. Although no methods of physical coercion were used against those arrested. I would very much like to find similar facts in early Soviet historiography. But alas...

And torture was prohibited by law. And the sovereign and the investigators are not cut out for this. Of course, people are not sinless, but there is a line beyond which the authorities at that time did not go. As they wrote then:

“Frightened boys found themselves in the Peter and Paul Fortress, who had been grabbed by the hand after the “festival of disobedience,” and who were now repeating: we won’t do it again.”

Here are excerpts from the book by Prof. Gernet "History of the Tsar's Prison", published by the Bolsheviks.

“... Leparsky, an exceptionally kind man, who created a tolerable life for them, was appointed head of the Chita prison and the Petrovsky plant, where all the Decembrists were concentrated. This was probably done by the Tsar deliberately, because... he personally knew Leparsky as a devoted, but gentle and tactful person.” “In the absence of government work,” wrote the head of the convict prison in Chita, “I keep them busy with earthworks in the summer, 3 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the afternoon, and in the winter they will be for themselves and grind government-issued rye for factory stores.” “In fact, for any “shops” there was no need for the work of the Decembrists. Leparsky solved this problem by turning work into a walk or a picnic with useful gymnastics.”

The Decembrists did not need anything financially. During the 10 years of their stay in hard labor, the prisoners received from relatives, not counting countless parcels of things and food, 354,758 rubles, and their wives - 778,135 rubles, and this is only through official means; undoubtedly, they managed to receive money secretly from the administration.”

“The new Chita prison was divided into four rooms, warm and bright.” “In 1828, the shackles were removed from the Decembrists. In the same year, Leparsky “authorized the building of two small houses in the courtyard: in one they placed carpentry, lathe and bookbinding machines for those wishing to engage in crafts, and in the other - a piano.” “Hard labor soon became something like gymnastics for those who wanted it. In the summer they filled up the ditch, which was called the “Devil’s Grave,” the watchmen and servants of the ladies scurried about, carried folding chairs and chessboards to the place of work. The guard officer and non-commissioned officers shouted: “Gentlemen, it’s time to go to work! Who's coming today? If interested, i.e. those who were not said to be sick were not enough, the officer said pleadingly: “Gentlemen, please add someone else! Otherwise the commandant will notice that there is very little!” One of those who needed to see a comrade living in another casemate allowed himself to beg: “Well, I guess I’ll go.” The watchmen carried shovels. Led by an officer and guarded by soldiers with guns, the prisoners set off on their journey. To the sound of shackles, they sang their favorite Italian aria, the revolutionary “Our Fatherland suffers under your yoke,” or even the French Marseillaise. Officers and soldiers walked rhythmically to the beat of revolutionary songs. Arriving at the place, we had breakfast, drank tea, and played chess. The soldiers, having put their guns in the trestles, settled down to rest and fell asleep; The non-commissioned officers and guards were finishing the prisoners’ breakfast.”

A new building with 64 rooms was waiting for them in Petrovskaya. Singles - one, married - two.

“The rooms were large,” writes Tseitlin, “for married people, they soon took on the appearance of rooms in an ordinary apartment, with carpets and upholstered furniture.” Russian and foreign newspapers and magazines were produced. The Decembrist Zavalishin estimates the total book fund of the Petrovsky prison at 500,000 titles. Prof. Gernet considers this number possible, taking into account the huge library of Muravyov-Apostol.” "Book Trubetskoy and Prince. Volkonskaya lived outside the prison, in separate apartments, each with 25 servants.” “We worked a little on the road and in the gardens. It happened that the officer on duty asked to go to work when there were too few people in the group. Zavalishin describes the return from these works as follows: “returning, they carried books, flowers, sheet music, delicacies from the ladies, and behind them government workers carried picks, stretchers, shovels... they sang revolutionary songs.” “The Decembrists actually did not carry out hard labor, with the exception of a few people who worked in the mine for a short time,” Prof. himself admits. Gernet.

They woke up Herzen

It is to A.I. Herzen, a talented journalist who worked in England, that we owe the Decembrist myth. Later, the picture only became more complicated, but did not change in essence.

The printing house of “The Bell” and “The Polar Star” was located in London. England, after the Napoleonic Wars, is the largest heavyweight player on the European stage. The most dangerous enemy of the Russian Empire. Therefore, support for the opposition journalist was always provided. For example, Nikolai Turgenev, one of the then “Decembrist” defectors, was hiding in London. Master of high dedication. The man whom Alexander I was afraid to arrest at home, simply writing to him: “My brother, leave Russia” (by the way, this phrase is disputed). But Nicholas I demanded extradition.

Where would we be without the Masons?

Here is another version:

The entire ideological basis of both the first Russian secret political alliances that arose after the Patriotic War and the later ones is not Russian, foreign. All of them are copied from foreign samples. Some researchers of the history of the Decembrist uprising claim that the charter of the “Union of Welfare” was copied from the charter of the German “Tugendbund”. But most likely, the origins of the political ideas of the Decembrists must be sought in the political ideas of European Freemasonry and in the ideas of the “Great” French Revolution, which again lead us to Masonic ideas about “universal brotherhood, equality and freedom.”

“In the Guard,” reported the deputy French ambassador, Count Boileconte, on August 29, 1822, “the extravagance and slander have reached the point that one general recently told us that sometimes it seems that all that is needed is a leader for a rebellion to begin. Last month, the Guard openly sang a parody of the famous tune “I wandered around the world for a long time,” which contained the most criminal attacks on His Majesty personally and on His trips and congresses: this parody was sung by many officers. Then, what happened in the meeting of young guards officers shows so clearly the spirit reigning among them that it is impossible not to report it.” “Excited by previous heated and intemperate disputes regarding political events, the 50 officers present at this meeting ended with getting up from the table, they walked one by one past the portrait of the Emperor and cursed at him.”

From the same letter from Count Boileconte we learn who the instigators of these rebellious sentiments were. These were the Freemasons, of whom, as we remember, the army abounded.

Many of the Decembrists passed through Masonic lodges. In the charter of the Union of Salvation, Tseitlin rightly points out, “Masonic features are clearly visible, and subsequently one can trace the secret underground streams of Freemasonry in the political movement of those years”. Tseitlin is a Jew and he knew what he was writing.

N. Berdyaev also admits that the Decembrist conspiracy grew ideologically from Masonic ideas.

There is no way to list the names of everyone who, after the end of World War II, were members of Masonic lodges of all kinds. Freemasonry pursued, as before, two goals: to undermine Orthodoxy, the basis of the spiritual identity of the Russian people and the source of its spiritual strength, and to completely undermine the autocracy.

In order to overthrow the autocracy, officers who were members of Masonic lodges began preparations for the destruction of the autocracy. The Decembrist uprising was the realization of the plans of the Freemasons, for which it had been preparing for decades. The Decembrist uprising is essentially an uprising of the Freemasons.

Here is another series of versions for those who might be interested: "Murka" from MUR. Two versions, here it is. Many people argue, is it really? and here . Let's also remember about, as well as The original article is on the website InfoGlaz.rf Link to the article from which this copy was made -

The whole point is that historically the Decembrists in Russia were the first who dared to oppose the power of the Tsar. It is interesting that the rebels themselves began to study this phenomenon; they analyzed the reasons for the uprising on Senate Square and its defeat. As a result of the execution of the Decembrists, Russian society lost the very best of enlightened youth, because they came from families of the nobility, glorious participants in the War of 1812.

Who are the Decembrists

Who are the Decembrists? They can be briefly characterized as follows: these are members of several political societies fighting for the abolition of serfdom and a change in state power. In December 1825 they organized an uprising, which was brutally suppressed. 5 people (leaders) were executed, shameful for officers. Decembrist participants were exiled to Siberia, some were shot in the Peter and Paul Fortress.

Causes of the uprising

Why did the Decembrists revolt? There are several reasons for this. The main one, which they all, as one, reproduced during interrogations in the Peter and Paul Fortress - the spirit of freethinking, faith in the strength of the Russian people, tired of oppression - all this was born after the brilliant victory over Napoleon. It is no coincidence that 115 people from among the Decembrists were participants in the Patriotic War of 1812. Indeed, during military campaigns, liberating European countries, they did not encounter the savagery of serfdom anywhere. This forced them to reconsider their attitude towards their country as “slaves and masters.”

It was obvious that serfdom had outlived its usefulness. Fighting side by side with the common people, communicating with them, the future Decembrists came to the idea that people deserve a better fate than a slave existence. The peasants also hoped that after the war their situation would change for the better, because they shed blood for the sake of their homeland. But, unfortunately, the emperor and most of the nobles firmly clung to the serfs. That is why, from 1814 to 1820, more than two hundred peasant uprisings broke out in the country.

The apotheosis was the revolt against Colonel Schwartz of the Semenovsky Guards Regiment in 1820. His cruelty towards ordinary soldiers crossed all boundaries. Activists of the Decembrist movement, Sergei Muravyov-Apostol and Mikhail Bestuzhev-Ryumin, witnessed these events, as they served in this regiment. It should also be noted that a certain spirit of freethinking was instilled in most of the participants at the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum: for example, its graduates were I. Pushchin, V. Kuchelbecker, and the freedom-loving poems of A. Pushkin were used as inspired ideas.

Southern Society of Decembrists

It should be understood that the Decembrist movement did not arise out of nowhere: it grew out of world revolutionary ideas. Pavel Pestel wrote that such thoughts go “from one end of Europe to Russia”, even covering such opposite mentalities as Turkey and England.

The ideas of Decembrism were realized through the work of secret societies. The first of them are the Union of Salvation (St. Petersburg, 1816) and the Union of Welfare (1818). The second arose on the basis of the first, was less secretive and included a larger number of members. It was also dissolved in 1820 due to differences of opinion.

In 1821, a new organization emerged, consisting of two Societies: Northern (in St. Petersburg, headed by Nikita Muravyov) and Southern (in Kyiv, headed by Pavel Pestel). Southern society had more reactionary views: in order to establish a republic, they proposed killing the king. The structure of the Southern Society consisted of three departments: the first, along with P. Pestel, was headed by A. Yushnevsky, the second by S. Muravyov-Apostol, the third by V. Davydov and S. Volkonsky.

Leaders of the Decembrists: 1.Pavel Ivanovich Pestel

The leader of the Southern Society, Pavel Ivanovich Pestel, was born in 1793 in Moscow. He receives an excellent education in Europe, and upon returning to Russia begins service in the Corps of Pages - especially privileged among the nobles. The pages are personally acquainted with all members of the imperial family. Here the freedom-loving views of young Pestel first appear. Having brilliantly graduated from the Corps, he continues to serve in the Lithuanian Regiment with the rank of ensign of the Life Guards.

Pavel Pestel

During the War of 1812, Pestel was seriously wounded. Having recovered, he returns to service and fights bravely. By the end of the war, Pestel received many high awards, including a golden award weapon. After World War II, he was transferred to serve in the Cavalry Regiment - at that time the most prestigious place of service.

While in St. Petersburg, Pestel learns about a certain secret society (the Union of Salvation) and soon joins it. Paul's revolutionary life begins. In 1821, he headed the Southern Society - in this he was helped by magnificent eloquence, a wonderful mind and the gift of persuasion. Thanks to these qualities, in his time he achieved unity of views of Southern and Northern societies.

Pestel's Constitution

In 1823, the program of the Southern Society, compiled by Pavel Pestel, was adopted. It was unanimously accepted by all members of the association - future Decembrists. Briefly it contained the following points:

• Russia must become a republic, united and indivisible, consisting of 10 districts. State administration will be carried out by the People's Assembly (legislatively) and the State Duma (executively).
• In resolving the issue of serfdom, Pestel proposed to immediately abolish it, dividing the land into two parts: for peasants and for landowners. It was assumed that the latter would rent it out for farming. Researchers believe that if the 1861 reform to abolish serfdom had gone according to Pestel’s plan, the country would very soon have taken a bourgeois, economically progressive path of development.
• Abolition of the institution of estates. All the people of the country are called citizens, they are equally equal before the law. Personal freedoms and inviolability of person and home were declared.
• Tsarism was categorically not accepted by Pestel, so he demanded the physical destruction of the entire royal family.

It was assumed that "Russian Truth" would come into force as soon as the uprising ended. It will be the fundamental law of the country.

Northern Society of Decembrists

Northern society begins to exist in 1821, in the spring. Initially, it consisted of two groups that later merged. It should be noted that the first group was more radical in orientation; its participants shared Pestel’s views and fully accepted his “Russian Truth”.

Activists of the Northern Society were Nikita Muravyov (leader), Kondraty Ryleev (deputy), princes Obolensky and Trubetskoy. Ivan Pushchin played not the least role in the Society.

The Northern Society operated mainly in St. Petersburg, but it also had a branch in Moscow.

The path to uniting Northern and Southern societies was long and very painful. They had fundamental differences on some issues. However, at the congress in 1824 it was decided to begin the process of unification in 1826. The uprising in December 1825 destroyed these plans.

2. Nikita Mikhailovich Muravyov

Nikita Mikhailovich Muravyov comes from a noble family. Born in 1795 in St. Petersburg. Received an excellent education in Moscow. The War of 1812 found him in the rank of collegiate registrar at the Ministry of Justice. He runs away from home for the war and makes a brilliant career during the battles.

Nikita Muravyov

After the Patriotic War, he begins to work as part of secret societies: the Union of Salvation and the Union of Welfare. In addition, he writes the charter for the latter. He believes that a republican form of government should be established in the country; only a military coup can help this. During a trip to the south he meets P. Pestel. Nevertheless, he organizes his own structure - the Northern Society, but does not break ties with like-minded people, but, on the contrary, actively cooperates.

He wrote the first edition of his version of the Constitution in 1821, but it did not find a response from other members of the Societies. A little later, he will reconsider his views and release a new program offered by the Northern Society.

Muravyov's Constitution

The Constitution of N. Muravyov included the following positions:

• Russia should become a constitutional monarchy: the legislative branch is the Supreme Duma, consisting of two chambers; executive - the emperor (also the supreme commander in chief). It was separately stipulated that he did not have the right to start and end the war on his own. After a maximum of three readings, the emperor had to sign the law. He had no right to veto; he could only delay the signing in time.
• When serfdom is abolished, the landowners' lands will be left to the owners, and the peasants - their plots, plus 2 tithes will be added to each house.
• Suffrage is only for land owners. Women, nomads and non-owners stayed away from him.
• Abolish the institution of estates, level everyone with one name: citizen. The judicial system is the same for everyone. Muravyov was aware that his version of the constitution would meet fierce resistance, so he provided for its introduction with the use of weapons.

Preparing for the uprising

The secret societies described above lasted 10 years, after which the uprising began. It should be said that the decision to revolt arose quite spontaneously.

While in Taganrog, Alexander I dies. Due to the lack of heirs, the next emperor was to be Constantine, Alexander's brother. The problem was that he secretly abdicated the throne at one time. Accordingly, the reign passed to the youngest brother, Nikolai. The people were in confusion, not knowing about the renunciation. However, Nicholas decides to take the oath on December 14, 1825.

Nicholas I

Alexander's death became the starting point for the rebels. They understand that it is time to act, despite the fundamental differences between Southern and Northern societies. They were well aware that they had catastrophically little time to prepare well for the uprising, but they believed that it would be criminal to miss such a moment. This is exactly what Ivan Pushchin wrote to his lyceum friend Alexander Pushkin.

Gathering on the night before December 14, the rebels prepare a plan of action. It boiled down to the following points:

• Appoint Prince Trubetskoy as commander.
• Occupy the Winter Palace and the Peter and Paul Fortress. A. Yakubovich and A. Bulatov were appointed responsible for this.
• Lieutenant P. Kakhovsky was supposed to kill Nikolai. This action was supposed to be a signal to action for the rebels.
• Conduct propaganda work among the soldiers and win them over to the side of the rebels.
• It was up to Kondraty Ryleev and Ivan Pushchin to convince the Senate to swear allegiance to the emperor.

Unfortunately, the future Decembrists did not think through everything. History says that traitors from among them made a denunciation of the impending rebellion to Nicholas, which finally convinced him to appoint the oath to the Senate in the early morning of December 14.

The uprising: how it happened

The uprising did not go according to the scenario that the rebels had planned. The Senate manages to swear allegiance to the emperor even before the campaign.

However, regiments of soldiers are lined up in battle formation on Senate Square, everyone is waiting for decisive action from the leadership. Ivan Pushchin and Kondraty Ryleev arrive there and assure the imminent arrival of the command, Prince Trubetskoy. The latter, having betrayed the rebels, sat out in the tsarist General Staff. He was unable to take the decisive actions that were required of him. As a result, the uprising was suppressed.

Arrests and trial

The first arrests and executions of the Decembrists began to take place in St. Petersburg. An interesting fact is that the trial of those arrested was not carried out by the Senate, as it should have been, but by the Supreme Court, specially organized by Nicholas I for this case. The very first, even before the uprising, on December 13, was Pavel Pestel.

The fact is that shortly before the uprising he accepted A. Maiboroda as a member of the Southern Society, who turned out to be a traitor. Pestel is arrested in Tulchin and taken to the Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg.

Mayboroda also wrote a denunciation against N. Muravyov, who was arrested on his own estate.

There were 579 people under investigation. 120 of them were exiled to hard labor in Siberia (among them Nikita Muravyov), all were disgracefully demoted from military ranks. Five rebels were sentenced to death.

Execution

Addressing the court about a possible method of executing the Decembrists, Nikolai notes that blood should not be shed. Thus, they, the heroes of the Patriotic War, are sentenced to the shameful gallows...

Who were the executed Decembrists? Their surnames are as follows: Pavel Pestel, Pyotr Kakhovsky, Kondraty Ryleev, Sergei Muravyov-Apostol, Mikhail Bestuzhev-Ryumin. The sentence was read on July 12, and they were hanged on July 25, 1826. The place of execution of the Decembrists took a long time to be equipped: a gallows with a special mechanism was built. However, there were some complications: three convicts fell from their hinges and had to be hanged again.

In the place in the Peter and Paul Fortress where the Decembrists were executed there is now a monument, which is an obelisk and a granite composition. It symbolizes the courage with which the executed Decembrists fought for their ideals.

Peter and Paul Fortress, St. Petersburg

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