The Decembrist uprising of 1825 was an attempted coup. It was undertaken in St. Petersburg, at that time the capital of the Russian Empire. More about who these are the Decembrists, and about the events on Senate Square will be discussed below.
Purpose of the rebellion
The organizers of the uprising are a group of like-minded nobles, many of whom were guards officers. They tried to use the forces of the guard units to prevent the accession of Nicholas I on the throne. Their goal was to abolish the autocratic system and abolish serfdom.
It radically differed from the goals of those conspiracies that took place in the era of palace coups. The uprising received the most resonance in Russian society and had a great influence on the subsequent socio-political life.
The war of 1812 and the foreign campaigns committed by the Russian army significantly affected all aspects of the life of the Russian Empire. This led to hopes for change. And, in the first place, it was the hope that serfdom would be abolished. Its liquidation was associated with the need for constitutional restrictions in monarchical rule. The Decembrists became the head of the struggle for these changes.
The first secret societies
Considering the question of who these are the Decembrists, it is necessary to say about the beginning of their activity.
In 1813-1814 "artels" were created, uniting on an ideological basis guards officers. Two of them at the beginning of 1816 were united in the Union of Salvation. Its purpose is the reform of government and the liberation of the peasants. Disagreements arose among its members. They dealt with the question of whether it is possible to kill the king during the coup. This led to the dissolution of the union in the fall of 1817.
In January 1818, he was replaced by a new one, called the "Union of Welfare", which was created in Moscow. It included about 200 members. One of his goals is to form a liberal movement based on the creation of advanced social thought. It was assumed that the members of the union would directly, most actively participate in the life of society, strive to take up positions in the government and its institutions, in the army.
It became known that the government was aware of the alliance through scammers, and it was decided to dissolve it formally.
The formation of two associations
The first in the reorganization was the creation of the "Southern" society of the Decembrists. This happened in Ukraine in 1821. The second was the “Northern” society of the Decembrists, whose center was in St. Petersburg. The year of its formation is the 1822nd. In 1825, the "Society of the United Slavs" was annexed to the "South".
In the "Northern" society, one of the main roles was played by the Decembrist Nikita Muravyov. Another prominent figure was Sergei Trubetskoy. Later, Kondraty Ryleev, the Decembrist, who rallied the fighting republican wing around himself, began to advance to the first roles. At that time he was a rather famous poet.
In the southern association, the leader was the Decembrist Pavel Pestel, who bore the rank of colonel.
Prerequisites for the presentation
In 1825, after the death of Alexander I, a difficult legal situation developed around the rights to the Russian throne. Earlier, his brother, Konstantin Pavlovich, signed a secret document in which he refused the throne. This gave an advantage to another brother, Nikolai Pavlovich. However, the latter was extremely unpopular among senior officials and the military. Even before the secret renunciation of Konstantin was discovered, Nikolai, under pressure from Count Miloradovich, the governor of St. Petersburg, in turn, refused the royal crown in favor of his older brother.
On November 27, 1825, the people swore allegiance to Konstantin, and a new emperor appeared in Russia on a formal basis. But in fact, he did not accept the throne, but did not refuse it. Thereby reigned kingdom. Then Nicholas decided that he would declare himself emperor. Another oath was appointed on 12/14/1825. The change of power was the moment that the Decembrists expected, and they were ready to speak.
The situation of uncertainty lasted quite a while. After Konstantin Pavlovich repeatedly refused the throne, on the 14th of the Senate recognized the right to the throne for Nikolai Pavlovich.
Rebellion plan
Representatives of the "Southern" and "Northern" society of the Decembrists decided to disrupt the oath to the new tsar by the Senate and the troops.
The troops of the rebels were to capture the Winter Palace, and after him the Peter and Paul Fortress. At the same time, it was planned to take the imperial family under arrest, and under a certain set of circumstances, take her life. To lead the uprising, they chose a dictator, Sergey Trubetskoy became them.
The Decembrists' plans included the publication by the Senate of a popular manifesto. He proclaimed "the destruction of the former government" and the creation of a revolutionary Provisional Government. The deputies were supposed to approve the constitution. If the Senate disagreed with the promulgation of the Manifesto, it was decided to force him to take this step.
What the Decembrists fought for, they included in the text of the Manifesto, which contained paragraphs o (v):
- the establishment of a revolutionary government on an interim basis;
- the abolition of serfdom;
- the equality of everyone before the law;
- the establishment of democratic freedoms (press, religion, labor);
- the establishment of a jury;
- the introduction of compulsory military service for all classes;
- the election of the bureaucracy;
- abolition of poll taxes.
Further, the plans were to convene a Popular Council, otherwise referred to as the Constituent Assembly. He was called upon to solve the question of choosing a form of government — a constitutional monarchy or a republic. If the second option were chosen, the royal family should have been sent abroad. Decembrist Ryleyev, in particular, proposed sending Nikolai to the Russian fortress of Fort Ross in California.
December 14 morning
Early in the morning, Kakhovsky received a request from Ryleyev - to liquidate Nikolai by entering the Winter Palace. At first, Kakhovsky agreed, but then refused. Soon after, Yakubovich also refused to lead the Izmailovsky Regiment and the sailors who were part of the Guards crew to the Winter Palace.
On December 14, still dark, the conspirators conducted propaganda work among the soldiers in the barracks. Decembrist officers at eleven o'clock led the way to the Senate Square about eight hundred soldiers belonging to the Moscow Life Guards Regiment. After some time, the sailors of the Guards crew and part of the second battalion of the Grenadier Regiment joined them. Their number was no less than 2350 people.
Unlike Alexander I, who regularly received reports of the spirit of free-thinking in the troops and of conspiracies directed against him, his brothers did not know about the existence of secret societies in the army. Events in Senate Square shocked them, they were suppressed by the performance of the Decembrists.
Standing on Senate Square
But a few days before the events described, Nikolai was warned of the secret intentions of the conspirators. These were two people. One of them is I. I. Dibich, the chief of the main staff, the second is the Decembrist I. I. Rostovtsev. The latter believed that an uprising directed against the tsarist government could not be combined with noble honor.
At 7 o’clock the senators managed to take the oath to Nicholas, proclaiming him emperor. Trubetskoy, appointed dictator, did not appear on the square. And the regiments of the rebels continued their standing there. They waited for the conspirators to come to a consensus and finally choose a new dictator.
The death of Miloradovich
Talking about who these are the Decembrists, we should also mention this episode of the events of December 14th. Count Mikhail Miloradovich, the military governor of St. Petersburg, the hero of the war of 1812, decided to turn to the soldiers lined up in a square on the square. He appeared before them on horseback, saying that he himself would have liked to see Konstantin Pavlovich as emperor. But what if he abandoned the throne? The general explained that he personally saw the new renunciation, and urged him to believe.
Leaving the ranks of the rebels, E. Obolensky, convinced Miloradovich that he needed to leave, but he did not pay any attention to him. Then Obolensky inflicted a light wound with a bayonet on his side. And then Kakhovsky fired a pistol at the Governor-General. The wounded Miloradovich was taken to the barracks, where he died the same day.
Colonel Sturler and Mikhail Pavlovich, the Grand Duke, unsuccessfully tried to bring the soldiers to obedience. After that, the rebels twice repulsed the attack of the Horse Guards, led by Alexei Orlov.
Further events
A large crowd was formed on the square, consisting of residents of St. Petersburg. According to contemporaries, it totaled tens of thousands of people. This huge mass was seized with a mood of sympathy for the rebels. Stones and logs flew to Nikolai and his companions.
Of the people present, two “rings” formed. The first was made up of those that appeared here earlier. He was surrounded by a square of soldiers. The second was formed from those who came later. The gendarmes did not let them into the square, to the rebels. They were behind the troops loyal to the government, who had surrounded the rebels.
As can be seen from the diary of Nicholas, he understood the danger of such an environment, since it threatened to complicate the situation. He was not sure of his success. It was decided to train crews for members of the royal family. They might be needed if he fled to Tsarskoye Selo. Nicholas later repeatedly told brother Michael that in this story the most surprising thing is that they weren’t shot then.
To convince the soldiers, Nicholas sent Metropolitan Seraphim to them, as well as Eugene, Metropolitan of Kiev. As deacon Prokhor Ivanov testified, the soldiers did not believe the metropolitans, sending them away. They motivated this by the fact that in two weeks they swore allegiance to the two emperors. The priests interrupted their speeches when soldiers of the Grenadier Life Guards Regiment with sailors of the Guards crew left for the square. They were commanded by Nikolai Bestuzhev and Lieutenant Anton Arbuzov.
Initiative lost by rebels
However, the gathering of the rebel forces took place only two hours after the start of the demonstration. A new leader was chosen an hour before the end of the uprising. It was Prince Obolensky. Nikolai managed to seize the initiative. The rebels were surrounded by government troops, which exceeded the former more than four times.
There were about 3,000 rebels in the square; 30 Decembrist officers took them there. They were opposed by 9 thousand infantry bayonets, 3 thousand cavalry sabers, later artillery with 36 guns also pulled itself up. In addition, an additional 7 thousand infantry bayonets, plus 22 cavalry squadrons armed with 3 thousand sabers, were called up as a reserve from outside the city. They were left at the outposts.
End of rebellion
Continuing the conversation about who these are the Decembrists, we should describe the end of the speech on Senate Square. Nikolai was afraid of the onset of darkness, because, according to him, the excitement could sweep the mob, and she could be active. Guards artillery appeared from the Admiralty Boulevard. It was commanded by General I. Sukhozanet. A volley made by blank charges was fired at the square, which did not produce the desired effect. Then Nikolai gave the order to shoot buckshot.
At first, the cannons started firing above the heads of the rebels, on the roofs of neighboring houses and on the roof of the Senate building, where the "mob" was located. The rebels at the first salvo with buckshot answered with rifle fire, but then, under a hail of shots, they faltered and rushed to run. As V.I.Shteingel testified, this could already be limited. However, Sukhozanet ordered another series of volleys. They were directed across the Neva towards the Academy of Arts and along Galerny Lane. It was there that the crowds ran, which mainly consisted of the curious.
The rebel soldiers rushed in large numbers on the Neva ice. They wanted to get to Vasilyevsky Island. Mikhail Bestuzhev made another attempt to line up soldiers in combat order and send them on the offensive at Petropavlovka. The troops lined up, but they were fired at with cannonballs. At the same time, many were drowning, since, hitting the ice, the nuclei split it.
By night, the rebellion was crushed. The streets and squares were covered with hundreds of corpses. Based on data from Division III, N.K. Schilder reported that Emperor Nikolai Pavlovich, after the artillery fire ceased, ordered the Chief Police Officer to remove the corpses in the morning. However, the performers showed cruelty. At night on the Neva River, starting from St. Isaac's Bridge in the direction of the Academy of Arts and further, away from Vasilyevsky Island, a large number of ice holes were made. Not only the corpses were lowered into them, but also many wounded, who did not have the opportunity to escape from a terrible fate. Those of the wounded who managed to escape were forced to hide their injuries from doctors, and died without the help of doctors.
Next will be told about the fate of the Decembrists after the uprising.
Arrest and trial
Immediately after the uprising, arrests were made. The following were sent to the Peter and Paul Fortress:
- 62 sailors serving in the Naval Crew;
- 371 soldiers belonging to the Moscow regiment;
- 277 soldiers from the Grenadier Regiment.
The arrested Decembrists were brought to the Winter Palace. The newly-made Emperor Nicholas I acted as an investigator. By a decree of December 17, 1825, a commission was created to investigate the activities of "malicious societies." It was led by Alexander Tatishchev, Minister of War. 05/30/1826, the commission of inquiry submitted a report to Nicholas I, which was composed by D. N. Bludov.
On 01.06.1826, the Supreme Criminal Court was formed, which consisted of three bodies. These were: the Senate, the Synod and the Council of State. And also they were joined by several senior officials - civil and military. The death sentence was pronounced and executed against five people. This is about:
- Ryleev K.F.
- Kakhovsky P.G.
- Pestele P.I.
- Bestuzhev-Ryumin M.P.
- Muravyov-Apostol S.I.
In total, 579 people were under investigation, of which 287 were blamed. 120 people were exiled to Siberia or the settlement after the Decembrist uprising of 1825.
Memory
In December 1975, 150 years after the uprising, the obelisk at the place of execution of the Decembrists was inaugurated. This place is on an earthen rampart opposite the Peter and Paul Fortress. It is a granite monument that is nine meters high. On its front side there is a bas-relief, with an inscription that on July 13 (25) in 1826 the Decembrists were executed at this place.
At the base of the monument, on a granite pedestal, is a forged heraldic composition made of copper. She depicts a sword, epaulettes and broken chains. The authors of the obelisk are architects Lelyakov and Petrov, as well as sculptors Dema and Ignatiev.
The monument is a compositional center in a small park. In the 90s of the last century, this territory was gradually developed. Here earthen ramparts were strengthened, ducts were cleaned, and a cast-iron fence with cast lanterns was recreated.
Every year on July 13, the descendants of the Decembrists, residents of St. Petersburg and guests of the city come to the obelisk. There they recall terrible events. Flowers are laid at the foot of the monument, literary works, letters, and memoirs are read.
Among the feature films about the Decembrists can be called such as:
- The Decembrists, filmed in 1926.
- "Star of captivating happiness" of 1975.
- The Salvation Union of 2019.
There are also many books on the Decembrist uprising. Literature on this topic is represented, for example, by such works as:
- "Kyuhlya" by Y. Tynyanov.
- "Fencing teacher" A. Dumas.
- The Northern Lights M. Marich.
- "Apostle Sergey" N. Eidelman.
- "Decembrists" M. Nechkina.
- "In voluntary exile" E. Pavlyuchenko.
- The Northern Tale by K. Paustovsky.
- “In the depths of Siberian ores. A. Hesse.
- "The Legend of the Blue Hussar." V. Gusev.
- "Conspiracy of Count Miloradovich" V. Bryukhanov.
- "Chernihiv" A. Slonimsky.
- "Reference Area" M. Pravda.
- "Vladimir Raevsky" F. Burlachuk.