Ivan Dmitrievich Yakushkin is one of the participants in the Decembrist uprising in St. Petersburg in 1825. In history, he remained as the author of autobiographical notes that shed light on the worldview of society at that time. In this article, we will talk about the basic facts of his biography.
Childhood and youth
Ivan Dmitrievich Yakushkin was born in the Smolensk province in 1793. At first he was brought up with his relatives by the Lykoshins. They met with Griboedov, who was his second cousin. Friendship struck up between them.
From 1808 to 1811 he attended Merzlyaev's lectures on Russian literature, and then Kachenovsky at Moscow University.
Military service
In 1811, Ivan Dmitrievich Yakushkin entered the service in the Semenovsky regiment. He took part in the Patriotic War and the foreign campaign, received the St. George Cross.
A trip to Paris had a strong influence on his worldview. At that moment, he first realized the shortcomings of the social structure within his country. Returning to Russia, the serfdom of people seemed to him the only obstacle to rapprochement of estates.
Since 1815, a group of officers was formed in the Semenovsky regiment who read foreign newspapers and discussed the current situation. Among them was Ivan Dmitrievich Yakushkin.
Union of Salvation
In 1816, Yakushkin, together with the brothers Muravyov-Apostles and Prince Trubetskoy, founded the secret society "Union of Salvation". During interrogations, he admitted that the reason was the desire to change the situation, when everyone around them cared only about their personal gain.
In addition to serfdom, they opposed the cruel treatment of soldiers, extortion, and the duration of military service. The purpose of the Union was the establishment of representative government in Russia, the restriction of autocracy was allowed if the emperor refused to meet them.
Soon, the service in the guard became unbearable for Yakushkin under the influence of everything he saw. He transferred to a regiment in the Chernigov province when it became known about a likely war with the Turks. On the way, he stopped by his uncle in the Smolensk province, saying that he was going to free his peasants. He decided that the officer was crazy.
In 1817, the jaeger regiment of Yakushkin was transferred to Moscow. Here he received the charter of the “Union of Salvation” drawn up by Pestel. When the idea came up to end Alexander’s reign by force, the hero of our article suggested sacrificing himself. The very next day, members of the Union of Salvation abandoned this idea, considering it irrational. Yakushkin left society and filed for resignation, returning to it when it was already called the "Union of Welfare."
In the "Union of Welfare"
Being a member of the Union of Welfare, Yakushkin in 1820 drew up a project in which he described all the disasters of Russia. He was going to send him to the emperor. The future Decembrist suggested starting to correct the situation with the convocation of the Zemsky Duma. However, Grabbe dissuaded him from sending the project, as this could ruin the entire secret society.
In 1822, he marries Anastasia Sheremeteva, after which he remains in the estate of his mother-in-law near Moscow for about a year. The retired captain obeyed the advice of his comrades to be careful, since the sovereign already knew about the secret society.
Insurrection
Soon after the death of Alexander I, Yakushkin arrives in Moscow. He meets with members of the Northern Society, goes to meetings. Having learned about the intention of St. Petersburg members not to swear allegiance to the new ruler, Yakushkin proposes to stir up Moscow troops to revolt. However, nothing came of this. As you know, the uprising took place only in St. Petersburg.
Decembrist Ivan Dmitrievich Yakushkin refused to swear allegiance to Nicholas I. He was arrested in Moscow on January 10, 1826.
Consequence
During interrogations, he refused to give the names of other members of the secret society, was amazed that the authorities were aware of his intention to kill the emperor in 1817.
After the first interrogation, Nikolai I met with the Russian captain Ivan Dmitrievich Yakushkin. The emperor told him that he should confess everything if he did not want to destroy his family. In response, the hero of our article retorted that he had given his word not to betray anyone. Nikolai lost his temper, ordering him to be chained. The captain was put in the Alekseevsky ravelin, practically not fed.
On February 13, he nevertheless sent a statement to the commission of inquiry, in which he announced that he was ready to tell everything that was required of him. Heavy shackles, prison and separation from loved ones undermined his stamina. During interrogation, he named the names of those whom he believed were already known to the authorities, as well as General Passek and Chaadayev who had gone abroad by the time he died. In April, his fetters were lifted. Before sentencing was allowed a meeting with the mother-in-law, wife and children.
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In telling a brief biography of Ivan Dmitrievich Yakushkin, it is important to mention the verdict. He was found guilty of an intention to kill the emperor, participation in a secret society. The court sentenced to 20 years of hard labor with subsequent expulsion to the settlement. Later, penal servitude was reduced to 15 years.
Yakushkin was sent to Siberia only in November 1827. A meeting with the family was allowed in Yaroslavl. His wife intended to follow him in exile, but she was forbidden to take children with her. The Decembrist convinced her to stay.
At the end of the year, he reached Chita, where he met with another 60 associates. They were engaged in grinding bread or went to watchmen. In 1828, his wife managed to get permission to go to Siberia with the whole family. But due to the illness of the child, the trip had to be postponed, and then the gendarme chief Benckendorf began to resist in every way.
In 1830, Yakushkin was transferred to the Petrovsky Plant, where he wrote a geography textbook and studied botany. In 1835, by the highest decree, he was released from hard labor, leaving for eternal settlement in the town of Yalutorovsk in the Tobolsk province.
In a brief biography of the Decembrist Ivan Dmitrievich Yakushkin, a dangerous disease, which was discovered in 1854, played a role. He was even allowed to go to the Trans-Baikal Territory for mineral waters. In Irkutsk, his condition worsened, he stayed there for two years. On his feet, scurvy ulcers were found, as well as hemorrhoids and rheumatism.
The manifesto of 1856, Ivan Dmitrievich Yakushkin (1793 - 1857), like all other Decembrists, was released from exile without the right to live in the capital. He settled on the estate of his former colleague Tolstoy in Tver Uyezd. The place was marshy and damp, which finally upset his health. Returning from Siberia, he mainly talked about the need to free peasants.
In June 1857, the eldest son, without permission, brought his father to Moscow for treatment. The state of the hero of our article was terrible. The stomach almost did not digest food, but the trip inspired him.
The chef of the gendarmes allowed him to live in the Moscow province. On August 12, the Decembrist died at the age of 63. He was buried in Moscow at Pyatnitsky cemetery. His memoirs were first published in London in 1862.