Participants in the December uprising of 1825. Decembrist uprising (briefly)

The Decembrist uprising was a forceful attempt by young representatives of the highest aristocracy of the Russian Empire, mainly active and retired officers of the guard and navy, to change the political system. The uprising took place on December 14 (therefore Decembrists) 1825 in St. Petersburg, on Senate Square and was suppressed by troops loyal to the authorities

Causes of the Decembrist uprising

Disappointment of noble intellectuals with the failure of the liberal reforms declared by Emperor Alexander I upon his accession to the throne.
Dissatisfaction with the gradual return of power to a reactionary, protective domestic policy
European education and upbringing received by representatives of the St. Petersburg Light, which made it possible to more sensitively grasp liberal Western ideas.

Most of the Decembrists studied in cadet corps, land, sea, page, and cadet corps were then hotbeds of general liberal education and were least of all similar to technical and military educational institutions *

The difference in the orders of European and Russian, learned from their own experience by officers who returned from foreign anti-Napoleonic campaigns
The unjust structure of Russian society: slavery, disrespect for individual rights, contempt for public interests. savagery of morals, rigidity of the people, the difficult position of the Russian soldier in military settlements, indifference of society

Kuchelbecker, during interrogation by the investigative commission, admitted that the main reason that forced him to take part in the secret society was his grief over the corruption of morals discovered among the people as a consequence of oppression. “Looking at the brilliant qualities with which God has endowed the Russian people, the only one in the world in glory and power, I grieved in my soul that all this was suppressed, withering and, perhaps, would soon fall, without bearing any fruit in the world *”

Decembrists

Prince, colonel, duty staff officer of the 4th Infantry Corps S. Trubetskoy (1790 - 1860)
Prince, Major General, commander of the 19th Infantry Division S. Volkonsky (1788 - 1865)
Collegiate assessor I. Pushchin (1798 - 1859)
Officer (retired) of the Guards Jaeger Regiment M. Yakushkin (1793 - 1857)
Poet K. Ryleev (1795 - 1826)
Commander of the Vyatka Infantry Regiment, Colonel P. Pestel (1793 - 1826)
Retired lieutenant Pyotr Kakhovsky (1799-1826)
Second Lieutenant of the Poltava Infantry Regiment M. Bestuzhev-Ryumin (1801 - 1826)
Lieutenant Colonel S. Muravyov-Apostol (1796 - 1826)
Captain of the Guards General Staff N. Muravyov (1795 - 1843)
General A. Muravyov (1792 - 1863)
Poet W. Küchelbecker (1797 - 1846)
General M. Fonvizin (1787 - 1854)
Retired Lieutenant Colonel M. Muravyov-Apostol (1793-1886)
Lieutenant Colonel of the Life Guards M. Lunin (1787 - 1845)
Ruler of the chancellery under St. Petersburg Governor General F. Glinka (1786 - 1880)
Scientist V. Steingel (1783 - 1862)
Naval officer, director of the museum at the Admiralty N. Bestuzhev (1791 - 1855)
Naval officer, galleon commander K. Thorson (1793 - 1851)
Konstantin Petrovich Thorson participated as a midshipman in the battle with the Swedes in the Gulf of Finland in 1808. As a lieutenant on the sloop "Vostok" he circumnavigated the world. In 1824 he was promoted to captain-lieutenant - a brilliant career, a favorite of the fleet, close to the highest circles of the empire. After the defeat of the December uprising, in 1826, he was sentenced to hard labor. In the Nerchinsky mines, in the Petrovsky casemate, he pondered a program for the development of the productive forces of Siberia. While in eternal exile in Selenginsk, he set himself the goal of being useful to the region by introducing machines, and he himself built a threshing machine. He was engaged in melon growing. During his voyage to Antarctica on the sloop Vostok, Bellingshausen named the island after him, which was then renamed Vysoky
Lieutenant of Railways G. Batenkov (1793 - 1863)
Naval officer V. Romanov (1796 - 1864)
General Staff Officer N. Basargin (1800 - 1861)
Naval officer, teacher of the Naval Cadet Corps D. Zavalishin (1804-1892) ………

Goals of the Decembrist uprising

Among its leaders they were vague. “When going out into the streets, (the leaders) did not carry with them a specific plan for government; they simply wanted to take advantage of the confusion at court in order to call society to action. Their plan is this: if successful, contact the State Council and the Senate with a proposal to form a provisional government... The provisional government was supposed to manage affairs until the meeting of the Zemstvo Duma... The Zemstvo Duma, as a constituent assembly, was supposed to develop a new state structure. Thus, the leaders of the movement set themselves the goal of a new order, leaving the development of this order to the representatives of the land, which means that the movement was caused not by a specific plan for the state structure, but by more boiling feelings that encouraged them to somehow direct the matter along a different track.”*

Chronology of the Decembrist uprising of 1825

1816 - A secret society was formed in St. Petersburg from guards officers of the general staff under the leadership of Nikita Muravyov and Prince Trubetskoy. Called the “Union of Salvation”, it had a vague goal - “to assist the government in good endeavors in eradicating all evil in government and in society.”
1818 - the “Union of Salvation” expanded and took the name “Union of Welfare”; the goal is “to promote the good endeavors of the government”
1819, March - The author of liberal ideas M. Speransky was sent as governor of Siberia
1819 - summer - riots in military settlements in Ukraine
1820, January 17 - Alexander approved instructions for managing universities. The basis is religion and education of obedience
1820, June - a commission was created to develop new censorship rules
1821 - due to the diversity of opinions of the participants, the “Union of Welfare” broke up into two revolutionary societies. The Southern Society in Kyiv was headed by P. Pestel; Northern, in St. Petersburg - Nikita Muravyov.
1822, January 1 - decree banning secret societies in Russia
1823, January - a political program was adopted at the congress of southern society. called by its author Pestel “Russian Truth”

According to Russkaya Pravda, Russia was supposed to become a republic. Legislative power belonged to the unicameral People's Assembly. Executive power was exercised by the State Duma. control functions belonged to the Supreme Council, the complete abolition of serfdom was assumed

1825, December 14 - uprising on Senate Square
1825, December 29 - 1826, January 3 - uprising of the Chernigov regiment, led by S. Muravyov-Apostol and M. Bestuzhev-Ryumin
1825, December 17 - a Commission was established to investigate malicious societies.
1826, July 13 - In the morning, at the very time when physical execution was carried out over those condemned to death, civil execution over other Decembrists, convicted sailors - two captain-lieutenants - K. P. Thorson and N. A. Bestuzhev, eight lieutenants, three midshipmen were sent from the Peter and Paul Fortress to Kronstadt.
At the fortress pier they were loaded onto two twelve-oared whaleboats, on which they could pass under the low St. Isaac's Bridge. The schooner "Experience" was waiting for them behind the bridge. The Emperor personally ordered that the sailing schooner be doubled by a steamship, “so that in the event of adverse winds there could be no interruption in delivering the criminals to Kronstadt to the admiral’s ship without fail at the appointed time.”
At six in the morning on July 13, 1826, the convicts were lined up on the deck of the flagship "Prince Vladimir", where, by a signal shot, representatives from all ships of the squadron (both officers and sailors) were called, who were also lined up on the deck of the flagship, on the mast of which a black flag was raised . The convicts wore uniforms with epaulettes. Above them they broke their swords, tore off their epaulettes and uniforms, and threw it all overboard to the beat of drums.
Many of the officers and sailors standing in the square around cried without hiding their tears …

Why did the uprising happen on December 14, 1825?

“Emperor Alexander was childless; the throne after him, according to the law on April 5, 1797, should have passed to the next brother, Konstantin, and Konstantin was also unhappy in his family life, divorced his first wife and married a Polish woman; since the children of this marriage could not have the right to the throne, Constantine became indifferent to this right and in 1822, in a letter to his elder brother, renounced the throne. The elder brother accepted the refusal and, with a manifesto of 1823, appointed the brother next to Konstantin, Nikolai, as heir to the throne. (However) this manifesto was not made public or even brought to the attention of the new heir himself. The manifesto was placed in three copies in Moscow in the Assumption Cathedral, in St. Petersburg in the Senate and in the State Council with the sovereign’s own inscription: “Open after my death”*.

On November 19, 1825, Alexander traveled to the south of Russia and died in Taganrog from typhoid fever. This death led to confusion: Grand Duke Nicholas took the oath to Konstantin, and in Warsaw the elder brother, Konstantin, took the oath to the younger, Nicholas. Communication began, which took a lot of time given the roads of that time.

The Northern Secret Society took advantage of this interregnum. Nicholas agreed to accept the throne, and on December 14 the oath of troops and society was appointed. The day before, members of the secret society decided to act. The initiator was Ryleev, who, however, was confident in the failure of the business, but only insisted: “we still need to start, something will come of it.” Prince S. Trubetskoy was appointed dictator. Members of the Northern Society spread in the barracks, where the name of Constantine was popular, the rumor that Constantine did not want to give up the throne at all, that a violent seizure of power was being prepared, and even that the Grand Duke had been arrested.”

Progress of the uprising. Briefly

- On December 14, 1825, part of the Moscow Guards Regiment, part of the Guards Grenadier Regiment and the entire Guards naval crew (about two thousand people in total) refused to take the oath. With banners flying, the soldiers came to Senate Square and formed a square. The “dictator” Prince Trubetskoy did not appear on the square, and they looked for him in vain; Ivan Pushchin was in charge of everything, and Ryleev was partly in charge. “The rebel square stood inactive for a significant part of the day. Grand Duke Nicholas, who gathered around himself the regiments that remained loyal to him and located near the Winter Palace, also remained inactive. Finally, Nicholas was persuaded of the need to finish the matter before nightfall, otherwise another December night would give the rebels the opportunity to act. General Tol, who had just arrived from Warsaw, approached Nicholas: “Sovereign, order the square to be cleared with grapeshot or abdicate the throne.” They fired a blank volley, it had no effect; They shot with grapeshot - the square dissipated; the second salvo increased the body count. This ended the movement of December 14th.”*
- On December 29, 1825, the uprising of the Chernigov regiment began, led by S. Muravyov-Apostol and M. Bestuzhev-Ryumin. On January 3 it was suppressed. 121 members of secret societies were sentenced in various ways: from execution to exile to Siberia for hard labor, to settlement, demotion to soldiers, deprivation of ranks, and deprivation of the nobility.

Pestel, Ryleev, Sergei Muravyov-Apostol, Bestuzhev-Ryumin and Kakhovsky were sentenced to death and hanged on July 13 under Art. Art. 1826 in the Peter and Paul Fortress

The significance of the Decembrist uprising

- “The Decembrists woke up Herzen. Herzen launched revolutionary agitation. It was picked up, expanded, strengthened, and strengthened by raznochintsy revolutionaries, starting with Chernyshevsky and ending with the heroes of “Narodnaya Volya.” The circle of fighters became wider and their connection with the people became closer. “Young navigators of the future storm,” Herzen called them. But it was not yet the storm itself. The storm is the movement of the masses themselves. The proletariat, the only fully revolutionary class, rose at their head and for the first time raised millions of peasants to open revolutionary struggle. The first onslaught of the storm was in 1905. The next one begins to grow before our eyes."(V.I. Lenin. From the article “In Memory of Herzen” (“Sotsial-Demokrat” 1912)

- The historian V. Klyuchevsky believed that the main result of the Decembrist uprising was the loss by the Russian nobility and, in particular, the guard, of political significance, political power, the power that it had in the 18th century, overthrowing and elevating Russian tsars to the throne.

*IN. Klyuchevsky. Russian history course. Lecture LXXXIV

Decembrist revolt

Prerequisites

The conspirators decided to take advantage of the complex legal situation that had developed around the rights to the throne after the death of Alexander I. On the one hand, there was a secret document confirming the long-standing renunciation of the throne by the brother next to the childless Alexander in seniority, Konstantin Pavlovich, which gave an advantage to the next brother, who was extremely unpopular among the highest military-bureaucratic elite to Nikolai Pavlovich. On the other hand, even before the opening of this document, Nikolai Pavlovich, under pressure from the Governor-General of St. Petersburg, Count M.A. Miloradovich, hastened to renounce his rights to the throne in favor of Konstantin Pavlovich.

On November 27, the population swore an oath to Constantine. Formally, a new emperor appeared in Russia; several coins with his image were even minted. But Constantine did not accept the throne, but also did not formally renounce it as emperor. An ambiguous and extremely tense interregnum situation was created. Nicholas decided to declare himself emperor. The second oath, the “re-oath,” was scheduled for December 14. The moment the Decembrists had been waiting for had arrived - a change of power. The members of the secret society decided to speak out, especially since the minister already had a lot of denunciations on his desk and arrests could soon begin.

The state of uncertainty lasted for a very long time. After the repeated refusal of Konstantin Pavlovich from the throne, the Senate, as a result of a long night meeting on December 13-14, 1825, recognized the legal rights to the throne of Nikolai Pavlovich.

The plans of the conspirators. Southern and Northern societies negotiated on coordination of actions and established contacts with the Polish Patriotic Society and the Society of United Slavs. The Decembrists planned to kill the Tsar at a military review, seize power with the help of the Guard and realize their goals. The performance was scheduled for the summer of 1826. However, on November 19, 1825, Alexander I suddenly died in Taganrog. The throne was supposed to pass to the deceased’s brother Konstantin, because Alexander had no children. But back in 1823, Constantine secretly abdicated the throne, which now, according to the law, passed to the next senior brother - Nicholas. Unaware of Constantine's abdication, the Senate, guard and army swore allegiance to him on November 27. After clarifying the situation, they re-sworn the oath to Nikolai, who, due to his personal qualities (pettiness, martinet, vindictiveness, etc.) was not liked in the guard. Under these conditions, the Decembrists had the opportunity to take advantage of the sudden death of the tsar, the fluctuations in power that found themselves in an interregnum, as well as the hostility of the guard towards the heir to the throne. It was also taken into account that some senior dignitaries took a wait-and-see attitude towards Nicholas and were ready to support active actions directed against him. In addition, it became known that the Winter Palace knew about the conspiracy and arrests of members of the secret society, which in fact had ceased to be secret, could soon begin.

In the current situation, the Decembrists planned to raise the Guards regiments, gather them on Senate Square and force the Senate “good” or at the threat of arms to publish a “Manifesto to the Russian People,” which proclaimed the destruction of the autocracy, the abolition of serfdom, the establishment of a Provisional Government, political freedoms, etc. Some of the rebels were supposed to capture the Winter Palace and arrest the royal family, and it was planned to capture the Peter and Paul Fortress. In addition, P.G. Kakhovsky took upon himself the task of killing Nikolai before the start of the speech, but never decided to carry it out. Prince S.P. was elected leader of the uprising (“dictator”). Trubetskoy.

Uprising plan

The Decembrists decided to prevent the troops and the Senate from taking the oath to the new king. The rebel troops were supposed to occupy the Winter Palace and the Peter and Paul Fortress, the royal family was planned to be arrested and, under certain circumstances, killed. A dictator, Prince Sergei Trubetskoy, was elected to lead the uprising.

After this, it was planned to demand that the Senate publish a national manifesto, which would proclaim the “destruction of the former government” and the establishment of a Provisional Revolutionary Government. It was supposed to make Count Speransky and Admiral Mordvinov its members (later they became members of the trial of the Decembrists).

Deputies had to approve a new fundamental law - the constitution. If the Senate did not agree to publish the people's manifesto, it was decided to force it to do so. The manifesto contained several points: the establishment of a provisional revolutionary government, the abolition of serfdom, equality of all before the law, democratic freedoms (press, confession, labor), the introduction of jury trials, the introduction of compulsory military service for all classes, the election of officials, the abolition of the poll tax.

After this, a National Council (Constituent Assembly) was to be convened, which was supposed to decide on the form of government - a constitutional monarchy or a republic. In the second case, the royal family would have to be exiled abroad. In particular, Ryleev proposed exiling Nicholas to Fort Ross. However, then the plan of the “radicals” (Pestel and Ryleev) involved the murder of Nikolai Pavlovich and, possibly, Tsarevich Alexander. [source not specified 579 days]

Progress of the uprising. From the early morning of December 14, officers-members of the “Northern Society” campaigned among soldiers and sailors, convincing them not to swear allegiance to Nicholas, but to support Konstantin and “his wife “Constitution”.” They managed to bring part of the Moscow, Grenadier regiments and the Guards naval crew to Senate Square (about 3.5 thousand people in total). But by this time the senators had already sworn allegiance to Nicholas and dispersed. Trubetskoy, observing the implementation of all parts of the plan, saw that it was completely disrupted and, convinced of the doom of the military action, did not appear on the square. This in turn caused confusion and slowness of action.

Nicholas surrounded the square with troops loyal to him (12 thousand people, 4 guns). But the rebels repulsed the cavalry attacks, and Governor-General Miloradovich, who tried to persuade the rebels to surrender their weapons, was mortally wounded by Kakhovsky. After this, artillery was brought into action. The protest was suppressed, and in the evening mass arrests began.

Uprising in Ukraine. In the South, they learned about the events in the capital belatedly. On December 29, the Chernigov regiment led by S. Muravyov-Apostol rebelled, but it was not possible to raise the entire army. On January 3, the regiment was defeated by government forces.

In details

Ryleev asked Kakhovsky early in the morning of December 14 to enter the Winter Palace and kill Nikolai. Kakhovsky initially agreed, but then refused. An hour after the refusal, Yakubovich refused to lead the sailors of the Guards crew and the Izmailovsky regiment to the Winter Palace.

On December 14, officers - members of the secret society were still in the barracks after dark and campaigned among the soldiers. By 11 a.m. on December 14, 1825, the Moscow Guards Regiment entered Senate Square. By 11 a.m. on December 14, 1825, 30 Decembrist officers brought about 3,020 people to Senate Square: soldiers of the Moscow and Grenadier regiments and sailors of the Guards naval crew.

However, a few days before this, Nikolai was warned about the intentions of the secret societies by the chief of the General Staff I. I. Dibich and the Decembrist Ya. I. Rostovtsev (the latter considered the uprising against the tsar incompatible with noble honor). At 7 o'clock in the morning, the senators took the oath to Nicholas and proclaimed him emperor. Trubetskoy, who was appointed dictator, did not appear. The rebel regiments continued to stand on Senate Square until the conspirators could come to a common decision on the appointment of a new leader.

Inflicting a mortal wound on M. A. Miloradovich on December 14, 1825. Engraving from a drawing belonging to G. A. Miloradovich

Hero of the Patriotic War of 1812, St. Petersburg military governor-general, Count Mikhail Miloradovich, appearing on horseback in front of the soldiers lined up in a square, “said that he himself willingly wanted Constantine to be emperor, but what to do if he refused: he assured them that he himself saw the new renunciation and persuaded them to believe it.” E. Obolensky, leaving the ranks of the rebels, convinced Miloradovich to drive away, but seeing that he was not paying attention to this, he easily wounded him in the side with a bayonet. At the same time, Kakhovsky shot the Governor General with a pistol (the wounded Miloradovich was taken to the barracks, where he died that same day). Colonel Sturler and Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich tried unsuccessfully to bring the soldiers into obedience. Then the rebels twice repulsed the attack of the Horse Guards led by Alexei Orlov.

A large crowd of St. Petersburg residents gathered on the square and the main mood of this huge mass, which, according to contemporaries, numbered in tens of thousands of people, was sympathy for the rebels. They threw logs and stones at Nicholas and his retinue. Two “rings” of people were formed - the first consisted of those who came earlier, it surrounded the square of the rebels, and the second ring was formed of those who came later - their gendarmes were no longer allowed into the square to join the rebels, and they stood behind the government troops who surrounded the rebel square. Nikolai, as can be seen from his diary, understood the danger of this environment, which threatened great complications. He doubted his success, “seeing that the matter was becoming very important, and not yet foreseeing how it would end.” It was decided to prepare crews for members of the royal family for a possible escape to Tsarskoye Selo. Later, Nikolai told his brother Mikhail many times: “The most amazing thing in this story is that you and I weren’t shot then.” [source not specified 579 days]

Nicholas sent Metropolitan Seraphim and Kyiv Metropolitan Eugene to persuade the soldiers. But in response, according to the testimony of Deacon Prokhor Ivanov, the soldiers began shouting to the metropolitans: “What kind of metropolitan are you, when in two weeks you swore allegiance to two emperors... We don’t believe you, go away!..” The metropolitans interrupted the soldiers’ conviction when the Life Guards appeared on the square Grenadier Regiment and Guards Crew, under the command of Nikolai Bestuzhev and the Decembrist Lieutenant Arbuzov.

But the gathering of all the rebel troops occurred only more than two hours after the start of the uprising. An hour before the end of the uprising, the Decembrists elected a new “dictator” - Prince Obolensky. But Nicholas managed to take the initiative into his own hands, and the encirclement of the rebels by government troops, more than four times larger than the rebels in numbers, was already completed. In total, 30 Decembrist officers brought about 3,000 soldiers to the square. According to Gabaev’s calculations, 9 thousand infantry bayonets, 3 thousand cavalry sabers were collected against the rebel soldiers, in total, not counting the artillerymen called up later (36 guns), at least 12 thousand people. Because of the city, another 7 thousand infantry bayonets and 22 cavalry squadrons, that is, 3 thousand sabers, were called up and stopped at the outposts as a reserve, that is, in total, another 10 thousand people stood in reserve at the outposts.

Nikolai was afraid of the onset of darkness, since most of all he feared that “the excitement would not be communicated to the mob,” which could become active in the dark. Guards artillery appeared from the Admiralteysky Boulevard under the command of General I. Sukhozanet. A volley of blank charges was fired at the square, which had no effect. Then Nikolai ordered to shoot with grapeshot. The first salvo was fired above the ranks of the rebel soldiers - at the “mobs” on the roof of the Senate building and the roofs of neighboring houses. The rebels responded to the first volley of grapeshot with rifle fire, but then they began to flee under a hail of grapeshot. According to V.I. Shteingel: “It could have been limited to this, but Sukhozanet fired a few more shots along the narrow Galerny Lane and across the Neva towards the Academy of Arts, where more of the curious crowd fled!” Crowds of rebel soldiers rushed onto the Neva ice to move to Vasilyevsky Island. Mikhail Bestuzhev tried to again form soldiers into battle formation on the ice of the Neva and go on the offensive against the Peter and Paul Fortress. The troops lined up, but were fired at by cannonballs. The cannonballs hit the ice and it split, many drowned.

Arrest and trial

Main article: Trial of the Decembrists

By nightfall the uprising was over. Hundreds of corpses remained in the square and streets. Based on the papers of the official of the III Department, M. M. Popov, N. K. Shilder wrote: After the cessation of artillery fire, Emperor Nikolai Pavlovich ordered the Chief of Police, General Shulgin, that the corpses be removed by morning. Unfortunately, the perpetrators acted in the most inhumane manner. On the night on the Neva, from the Isaac Bridge to the Academy of Arts and further to the side of Vasilievsky Island, many ice holes were made, into which not only corpses were lowered, but, as they claimed, also many wounded, deprived of the opportunity to escape from the fate that awaited them. Those of the wounded who managed to escape hid their injuries, afraid to open up to doctors, and died without medical care.

371 soldiers of the Moscow Regiment, 277 of the Grenadier Regiment and 62 sailors of the Sea Crew were immediately arrested and sent to the Peter and Paul Fortress. The arrested Decembrists were brought to the Winter Palace. Emperor Nicholas himself acted as an investigator.

By decree of December 17, 1825, a Commission was established for research into malicious societies, chaired by Minister of War Alexander Tatishchev. On May 30, 1826, the investigative commission presented Emperor Nicholas I with a report compiled by D. N. Bludov. The manifesto of June 1, 1826 established the Supreme Criminal Court of three state estates: the State Council, the Senate and the Synod, with the addition of “several persons from the highest military and civil officials.” A total of 579 people were involved in the investigation. On July 13, 1826, Kondraty Ryleev, Pavel Pestel, Sergei Muravyov-Apostol, Mikhail Bestuzhev-Ryumin, and Pyotr Kakhovsky were hanged on the roof of the Peter and Paul Fortress. 121 Decembrists were exiled to Siberia for hard labor or settlement.

Reasons for the defeat of the Decembrist uprising

Narrow social base, orientation towards military revolution and conspiracy.

Insufficient secrecy, as a result of which the government knew about the plans of the conspirators.

Lack of necessary unity and coordination of actions;

The unpreparedness of the majority of educated society and the nobility for the elimination of autocracy and serfdom;

Cultural and political backwardness of the peasantry and the rank and file of the army.

Historical meaning

Having been defeated in the socio-political struggle, the Decembrists won a spiritual and moral victory, showed an example of true service to their fatherland and people, and contributed to the formation of a new moral personality.

The experience of the Decembrist movement became the subject of reflection for the fighters against autocracy and serfdom that followed them, and influenced the entire course of the Russian liberation movement.

The Decembrist movement had a huge impact on the development of Russian culture.

However, based on the specific historical situation, the defeat of the Decembrists weakened the intellectual potential of Russian society, provoked an increase in government reaction, and delayed, according to P.Ya. Chaadaev, development of Russia for 50 years.

The Decembrist uprising on Senate Square in December 1825 was an attempt at a coup d'etat and transformation of the Russian Empire into a constitutional state. It became one of the most significant events of the 19th century after the Patriotic War of 1812.

Who are the Decembrists?

In what year the Decembrist uprising forever changed the course of subsequent revolutionary uprisings is known to everyone. But who is called that and why? The Decembrists are members of opposition movements and secret societies that appeared in Russia at the beginning of the 19th century, who took part in the anti-government uprising in 1825. They were named after the month of their uprising. The Decembrist movement originated among noble youth, who were strongly impressed by the Great French Revolution. To better understand the goals of the participants in the revolutionary movement of that period, you need to have an idea of the reasons for its beginning and the prerequisites that pushed the young noble officers to such a radical attempt to change power. It is difficult to briefly and succinctly describe the Decembrist uprising; this topic is too broad and interesting.

1812 - influence on minds

The Patriotic War against Napoleonic Army and the liberation campaign of 1813-1815 played a decisive role in shaping the worldview of the future Decembrists. The overwhelming majority of the first Russian revolutionaries were officers who took part in the War of 1812. A long stay in Europe as part of the liberation army became a real revelation for the future Decembrists.

Until the time of their foreign campaigns, the nobles thought little about the humiliating position of the main part of the population. From birth, accustomed to seeing the horrors of serfdom, they did not even think that the slave position of the same human being was simply unacceptable. Visiting European capitals and resorts also did not provide any tangible difference between Russia and the West. Everything changed when, as part of the Russian liberation army, young officers walked across Europe. Then the glaring difference between the situation of European and Russian peasants became visible. Decembrist Yakushkin described in his autobiographical notes how foreign campaigns influenced him and other young officers. They were shocked by European civilization, which contrasted strongly with serfdom and disrespect for human rights in Russia.

The Decembrist uprising of 1825 originates from the foreign campaigns of the Russian army also because here the nobles found themselves in close proximity to the people in the form of soldiers. If previously they saw them several hours a week, now they went to liberate Europe in one formation. For the first time in their lives, the noble officers saw that the people were not at all downtrodden and stupid, they deserved a different fate.

The situation in the country on the eve of the uprising

In Russia there has always been a struggle between liberal and conservative trends in domestic politics. Despite the development of productive forces, the steady growth of cities, the emergence of entire industrial regions, the economic development of the Russian Empire was hampered by serfdom. Everything new came into sharp conflict with the old orders and way of life. Usually this state of affairs usually ends in a revolutionary explosion.

The situation was complicated by the fact that many peasants became militias and took direct part in the fight against Napoleon's troops. Naturally, the people felt like liberators and hoped for a quick improvement in their situation. But this did not happen. The country was ruled by the tsar alone, serfdom continued to exist, and the people still remained powerless.

Creation of secret societies

After the War of 1812, officer communities emerged, which later transformed into the first secret societies. At first it was the “Union of Salvation” and the “Union of Welfare”. They existed for several years until its leaders became aware of traitors among its members. After this, the secret societies were dissolved. In their place, two new ones appeared: “Southern”, headed by Pavel Pestel, and “Northern”, led by Prince Trubetskoy and Nikita Muravyov.

Throughout the existence of the secret societies of the Decembrists, Pestel did not stop working on the development of the Constitution of the future republic. It was supposed to consist of 10 chapters. At the same time, Nikita Muravyov also developed his own version of the basic law. But if Pestel was an ardent supporter of the republic and an enemy of autocracy, then the leader of the “Northern” society adhered to the idea of a constitutional monarchy.

Goals of the movement

The Decembrist uprising had its own clear goals. As the situation in the country changed, they gradually changed. We should not forget that most of the revolutionaries were very young people who believed in justice. Initially, the only goal of the movement was the abolition of serfdom. Then the participants in the secret societies decided to seek the establishment of a constitutional system in Russia and the introduction of civil liberties. But gradually, seeing that the tsar was increasingly inclined towards the conservative direction in the development of the country, the future Decembrists came to understand that they would have to act by force. If at the very beginning of the creation of their secret societies the revolutionaries hesitated between introducing a constitutional monarchy and a republic in Russia, then by 1825 the choice was finally made towards the second option.

Now the Decembrists saw the existence of the Romanov dynasty as a threat to the future republic. Thus, a decision was made about a possible regicide. If this happened, power would be concentrated in the hands of the Provisional Revolutionary Government. According to one of the leaders of the movement, Pestel, it was necessary to establish a dictatorship in the country that would last 10-15 years. During this time, it was supposed to restore order and introduce a new form of government. Thus, the Decembrist uprising was prepared for a long time and carefully. The plans of its participants underwent strong changes as disappointment set in from the inaction of the authorities regarding the situation of the peasants.

The main participants in the anti-government protest and their number

The Decembrist uprising on Senate Square in St. Petersburg attracted a large number of people. Of the members of secret societies, about 30 people took direct part in the rebellion. From the documents it is known that almost 600 alleged rebels were under investigation. Of these, 121 people were convicted.

All participants in the mutiny were nobles, most of them officers. Acting for the people and in their name, they refused to involve the lower class in participation in the performance.

The Decembrist uprising is a year of severe upheaval for the country

The unexpected death of Emperor Alexander I in November 1825 forced the members of the “Northern” society to act in a hurry. They had not planned their performance so early; much was still unprepared and unthought out. But in this interregnum the Decembrists saw an opportunity to realize their plans. This was facilitated by the confusion surrounding the succession to the throne. Konstantin Pavlovich, the brother of the deceased emperor, did not want to rule at all, and Nicholas, who was very disliked among the officers, was literally forced by the governor of St. Petersburg Miloradovich to renounce the throne in favor of Constantine. But he, in turn, does not officially accept imperial powers. And then Nicholas schedules a ceremony for December 14 to bring the troops to re-swear the oath, but to him. Such confusion could not but cause a feeling of bewilderment among the people and soldiers about what was happening. The Decembrists decided to take advantage of this.

It was decided to persuade the troops, commanded by members of secret societies, to occupy the square in front of the Senate, where the oath to the new ruler was to be pronounced, and to prevent this. The Decembrists planned to capture two important state objects: the Winter Palace and the Peter and Paul Fortress. Members of the royal family were to be arrested or killed. After this, it was planned to force the Senate to read out a manifesto on the change of government power.

Course of events on December 14

By 11 o'clock in the morning, about 30 Decembrists brought their troops to Senate Square, but Nicholas, notified in advance of the conspiracy, managed to take the oath of office from the Senate early in the morning. Prince Trubetskoy, appointed leader of the uprising, did not find the strength to appear on the square and take responsibility for the possible bloodshed. The Decembrists continued to stand on the square, where Nicholas I appeared with his retinue and government troops. Governor Miloradovich, who arrived at the negotiations, was mortally wounded by Kakhovsky. After this, they opened fire on the rebels with grapeshot. The troops commanded by the Decembrists began to retreat. Those who tried to cross the Neva on the ice were met with cannon fire. By nightfall the uprising was over.

The reasons for the defeat of the first Russian revolutionaries. Reprisals against participants in the uprising

Why the Decembrists’ speech was defeated has long been clarified. They did not trust the people, for whose sake they committed a state crime. A huge crowd gathered in the square that day, sympathizing with the rebels. If they had not been afraid to act together, the outcome of the uprising would have been different. As a result, five Decembrists were executed, more than 120 people were exiled to hard labor.

The Decembrist uprising had another consequence. The rebels' relatives also suffered from it, primarily their wives. Some of them turned out to be incredibly courageous and resignedly went to Siberia after their husbands.

Decembrist uprising and Pushkin

This topic is very interesting and still causes controversy. It is not known for certain whether the great Russian poet was privy to the plans of the Decembrists. It is only known that almost all of them were his close friends. Most researchers of the poet’s life are confident that he not only knew about the plans of the Decembrists, but was also a member of one of the secret societies. In any case, when Emperor Nicholas I directly asked Pushkin whether he would take part in the uprising, he replied that all his friends were conspirators - and he could not refuse.

The poet was under investigation for some time, although it was not he, but his brother, who participated in the conspiracy against the authorities. The Decembrist uprising on Senate Square had the most serious impact on Pushkin's life - after the speech, the emperor became his personal censor, and without his permission not a single poem of the poet could be published.

Conclusion

The Decembrist uprising of 1825 in St. Petersburg had a great influence on the development of the revolutionary movement in Russia. It became a serious lesson - the mistakes of the participants in the anti-government conspiracy were taken into account by their followers.

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.

The first open armed uprising against autocracy and serfdom in Russia. Prepared by the Northern Society of Decembrists. From November 27, 1825, when the death of Emperor Alexander I became known in St. Petersburg, meetings were held at the apartment of the head of the Society, K. F. Ryleev (embankment of the Moika River, 72; memorial plaque), to develop a plan for the uprising. On the day of the oath to Nicholas I, guard units under the command of Decembrist officers were supposed to seize the Winter Palace, the Peter and Paul Fortress, surround the Senate and force the senators to publish the “Manifesto to the Russian People” on the overthrow of the autocracy, the introduction of democratic freedoms, the abolition of serfdom and the convening of the Constituent Assembly. Prince S.P. Trubetskoy was elected military leader of the uprising (“dictator”), and Prince E.P. Obolensky was elected chief of staff. The Decembrists hoped to carry with them the Life Guards Izmailovsky, Finlandsky, Grenadier and Moscow regiments, the Guards crew and the Horse Pioneer Regiment (up to 6 thousand bayonets and sabers in total). However, the plan for the uprising could not be fully implemented. From the early morning of December 14, Decembrist officers campaigned among the soldiers and sailors of the St. Petersburg garrison. At about 11 o’clock in the morning, part of the Moscow Regiment (over 670 people, commanders A. A. and M. A. Bestuzhevs and D. A. Shchepin-Rostovsky) came out of the barracks (embankment of the Fontanka River, 90; memorial plaque) onto Senate Square. By this point, the senators had already sworn allegiance to Emperor Nicholas I and dispersed. The “dictator” Trubetskoy did not appear on the square, and the uprising was left without a leader. Later, the Guards crew (about 1,100 people led by N. A. Bestuzhev and A. P. Arbuzov) and the Grenadier Regiment (1,250 people under the command of A. N. Sutgof and N. A. Panov) broke into the square. Muscovites and grenadiers lined up in a square, the Guards crew - in a column to attack opposite the Senate, between the monument to Peter I and the fence of the construction site of St. Isaac's Cathedral. Tens of thousands of citizens who gathered in the area of the square sympathized with the rebels. Government troops (about 12 thousand bayonets and sabers) led by Nicholas I surrounded the square. The cavalry attacks were repulsed by the rebels. Attempts by St. Petersburg Governor General M. A. Miloradovich, Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich, Metropolitan Seraphim, generals A. L. Voinov and I. A. Sukhozanet, Colonel N. K. Sturler and N. D. Durnovo to persuade the rebels to surrender ended in failure (Miloradovich and Sturler were mortally wounded by P. G. Kakhovsky). At about 3 o'clock in the afternoon the rebels elected E. as "dictator". P. Obolensky, but time was lost. At five o'clock in the afternoon, Nicholas I gave the order to open artillery fire (3 guns were stationed at the western facade of the Admiralty, 1 at the Horse Guards Manege). 7 shots of grapeshot at point-blank range scattered the rebels. M. A. Bestuzhev’s attempt to gather the fleeing soldiers on the ice of the Neva and capture the fortress failed. By 5 o'clock in the afternoon the uprising was completely suppressed. According to official (underestimated) data, on December 14, about 80 people were killed and about 60 were wounded. On the evening of December 14, arrests began, and soon all the leaders and participants in the uprising were captured ( cm. Decembrists). In memory of the uprising in 1925, Senate Square was renamed Dekabristov Square, and a memorial plaque was unveiled on building 1 in 1975.

Saint Petersburg. Petrograd. Leningrad: Encyclopedic reference book. - M.: Great Russian Encyclopedia. Ed. board: Belova L.N., Buldakov G.N., Degtyarev A.Ya. et al. 1992 .

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Books

Decembrist revolt. Documentation. Volume 21. Cases of the Supreme Criminal Court and the Investigative Commission, . The XXI volume of the documentary series “The Decembrist Uprising” contains previously unpublished documents of the Investigative Committee on the Decembrist case, dedicated to the uprising of December 14, 1825 on…