Russia's First Revolutionaries: The Decembrists (All Parts)

Summary

The script recounts the Decembrist uprising in Russia, a pivotal moment in 19th-century Russian history. Following Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo and the subsequent redrawing of Europe's map, a group of Russian officers, inspired by Enlightenment ideals, sought to overthrow the autocratic Tsarist regime. The Decembrists, as they came to be known, planned a revolution to establish a constitutional monarchy and abolish serfdom. Despite initial support, their revolt in St. Petersburg in 1825 was crushed, leading to the execution of five leaders and the exile of others to Siberia. The uprising, though a failure, sowed the seeds of future reform and became a symbol of resistance against tyranny in Russian history.

Takeaways

• 🏰 The Decembrist revolt was an organized political rebellion against Tsarist autocracy in Imperial Russia, aiming to implement liberal reforms and end serfdom.
• ❄️ It took place on December 26, 1825, in Senate Square, St. Petersburg, triggered by confusion following the death of Emperor Alexander I and the reluctance of his brother Constantine to take the throne.
• 🗡️ The rebellion was led by a group of military officers and nobles, known as the Decembrists, who were inspired by Enlightenment ideals and the desire for constitutional government.
• 🤝 The Decembrists formed secret societies like the Union of Salvation and the Union of Prosperity, which later split into the Northern and Southern Societies to strategize and prepare for the uprising.
• 📜 They drafted plans for constitutional reforms, such as the 'Green Book' and 'Russkaya Pravda', advocating for the abolition of serfdom, establishment of a parliamentary system, and a federal structure for Russia.
• 💣 The revolt was poorly executed, with key leaders failing to appear at the uprising, leading to disorganization and lack of clear command among the rebels.
• 🛡️ Tsar Nicholas I, who declared himself Emperor, swiftly crushed the revolt with military force, resulting in many casualties and the arrest of the Decembrist leaders.
• ⚖️ In the aftermath, Nicholas I conducted a thorough investigation, leading to the execution of five leaders and the exile of over 80 Decembrists to Siberia for life.
• 🔗 Despite its failure, the Decembrist revolt sowed the seeds for future reform movements in Russia, influencing later generations of revolutionaries and intellectuals.
• 🌟 The Decembrists are remembered as martyrs and visionaries in Russian history, their legacy still debated and celebrated for its impact on the country's path to modernization.
• 🎨 The story of the Decembrists has been captured in various forms of art and media, reflecting their enduring influence on Russian culture and politics.

Q & A

What significant event occurred at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 according to the script?

The Battle of Waterloo marked the final defeat of French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, ending two decades of war in Europe.

What was the 'Holy Alliance' and what was its purpose?

The 'Holy Alliance' was a pact overseen by Emperor Alexander of Russia, created to ensure that no more revolutions threatened Europe's established order.

How did the Russian Empire change after the wars against Napoleon?

The Russian Empire emerged more powerful than ever after the wars against Napoleon, but it also faced internal discontent from a group of young army officers who dreamed of a different future for Russia.

What was the main issue with the Russian political system that the Decembrists found inefficient and unjust?

The main issue was serfdom, where approximately 80% of Russians were serfs with no rights, freedom, or hope of betterment, and their status was passed down to their children.

What was the Union of Salvation and what were its goals?

The Union of Salvation was the first secret political society of the Decembrists, founded in 1816 by young officers of the Russian army. They aimed to abolish serfdom and introduce a constitutional monarchy through armed revolt during the next emperor’s succession to the throne.

Why did the Decembrists feel the need to act against Emperor Alexander's rule?

The Decembrists felt alienated by Emperor Alexander's refusal to implement reforms, such as a constitution and the abolition of serfdom, and his preference for maintaining autocratic rule.

What was the immediate trigger for the Decembrist revolt in St. Petersburg on December 14th, 1825?

The immediate trigger for the revolt was the sudden death of Emperor Alexander I, which left a power vacuum and an unclear line of succession, providing an opportunity for the Decembrists to act.

How did the Decembrists plan to seize control of the Russian capital during their revolt?

The Decembrists planned to use troops loyal to their cause to seize key government buildings, such as the Winter Palace and the Peter and Paul Fortress, and to present their manifesto to the Senate, demanding the establishment of a new Provisional Government.

What was the outcome of the Decembrist revolt, and how did Emperor Nicholas I respond to it?

The Decembrist revolt was crushed by Emperor Nicholas I, who mobilized loyalist forces and used artillery to disperse the rebels. The leaders were arrested, and some were sentenced to death or hard labor in Siberia.

How did the Decembrist movement influence future generations in Russia, despite its failure to achieve immediate goals?

The Decembrist movement served as an inspiration for future reformists and revolutionaries in Russia, symbolizing action against tyranny and setting the stage for later debates on the nation's political direction and the need for reforms.

Outlines

00:00

🏰 The End of Napoleon and the Rise of Russian Autocracy

The Battle of Waterloo in 1815 marked Napoleon Bonaparte's final defeat, concluding two decades of war in Europe. The victorious powers convened in Vienna to reshape Europe's political landscape. Russia, under Emperor Alexander, emerged stronger but internally conflicted. A group of officers envisioned a different future involving radical reforms and even the abolition of the Tsarist rule. Despite the autocratic rule and the serfdom system, some Russian aristocrats, inspired by constitutional monarchies in Europe, aspired for similar changes in Russia. Emperor Alexander initially showed promise for reform, but his commitment wavered, especially after the invasion by Napoleon, leading to disillusionment among the officers.

05:00

🤝 The Holy Alliance and the Suppression of Reform

Emperor Alexander's creation of the 'Holy Alliance' aimed to prevent revolutions in Europe. His initial reformative zeal, which included the establishment of a 'Council of State' and the drafting of a constitution, was thwarted by anti-reformist factions and the influence of his sister, Grand Duchess Ekaterina Pavlovna. The dismissal of Mikhail Speransky and the invasion by Napoleon led Alexander to view liberal reforms as a path to anarchy. His promise of a constitution for Poland, which he had no intention of honoring, further alienated the officers who sought change. The formation of secret societies like the Union of Salvation and the Union of Prosperity indicated a growing desire for reform among the military officers.

10:01

🛡️ The Formation of the Decembrist Movement

The Union of Salvation and the Order of Russian Knights merged to form the Union of Prosperity, which aimed to educate the public about Enlightenment ideals. The society's inner circle harbored more radical goals, such as securing a constitution and ending serfdom. However, the tightening of censorship and the watchful eye of the Emperor's allies made the members cautious. The Union eventually dissolved, leading to the formation of the Northern Society and the Southern Society, both of which continued to work towards political change through secret meetings and discussions.

15:01

🗣️ The Influence of Ryleyev and the Call for Republican Revolution

Kondraty Ryleyev, a war veteran and poet, became a prominent figure in the Northern Society, advocating for a republican revolution. His influence led to the formation of a radical wing within the society. Meanwhile, the Southern Society, led by Colonel Pavel Pestel, drafted a more radical constitution called 'Russkaya Pravda', which called for the complete reorganization of the state and the establishment of new laws, including the abolition of serfdom and universal male suffrage.

20:03

🔄 The Shift in Power and the Decembrist Uprising

The sudden death of Emperor Alexander in 1825 presented an opportunity for the Decembrists to act during the succession of a new Tsar. However, confusion over the identity of the new Tsar and the rapid declaration of Emperor Nicholas I's reign caught the Decembrists off guard. Despite this, they decided to proceed with their plans for a coup, aiming to seize control of the capital and establish a new government based on the principles of liberty and constitutional rule.

25:09

⚔️ The Decembrist Coup and Its Aftermath

The Decembrist leaders, including Ryleyev, planned a coup in St. Petersburg, intending to seize key locations such as the Winter Palace and the Peter and Paul Fortress. However, the plan began to unravel with key figures losing their nerve or failing to appear. Despite some initial support from the Moscow Life-Guards Regiment, the coup lacked leadership and failed to gain widespread support. The government forces, led by loyalist officers, quickly moved to suppress the uprising, leading to a violent confrontation in Senate Square.

30:12

🌆 The Crushing of the Decembrist Revolt

The revolt in St. Petersburg was met with brutal force by Emperor Nicholas I, who used artillery to disperse and subdue the rebels. The lack of a clear leader among the Decembrists and the government's swift response led to the failure of the uprising. Meanwhile, in the south, Sergei Muravyov-Apostol attempted to lead a separate uprising but was also quickly arrested and suppressed. The revolts were over within days, and the leaders were rounded up and arrested.

35:16

🏛️ The Trial and Punishment of the Decembrists

Following the failed uprisings, the Decembrist leaders were interrogated by Emperor Nicholas himself before being imprisoned in the Peter and Paul Fortress. A Commission was established to investigate the conspiracy, resulting in the arrest of 579 suspects. The Commission's verdict led to the acquittal of 290 individuals and the conviction of 289, with 121 considered the greatest offenders. The punishments ranged from demotion and service in the Caucasus to hard labor in Siberia for life. Five leaders were sentenced to death by quartering, later commuted to hanging.

40:18

🎨 Life in Exile and the Legacy of the Decembrists

The Decembrists sent to Siberia faced a life of hard labor but were not subjected to extreme conditions. Some were accompanied by their wives who chose to renounce their privileges to be with them. The exiles engaged in various activities to combat boredom, such as painting and teaching. They hoped for a pardon, which eventually came in 1856 after the death of Emperor Nicholas. The Decembrist uprising, despite its failure, marked the first organized political revolt in Russian history and inspired future reformers and revolutionaries, leaving a lasting impact on Russian society and politics.

45:24

📽️ The Contested Legacy of the Decembrists in Modern Russia

The legacy of the Decembrists remains a subject of debate in Russia. While some view them as a warning, others see them as an inspiration. Their story has been depicted in films and has influenced the renaming of public spaces, such as Decembrist Square. The Decembrists' ideals, such as the abolition of serfdom and the establishment of a constitution, were eventually realized in Russia, albeit in a form that the Decembrists themselves might not have envisioned.

Keywords

💡Battle of Waterloo

The Battle of Waterloo was a pivotal conflict that marked the end of the Napoleonic Wars and Napoleon Bonaparte's reign. It is a key event in the script as it signifies the end of two decades of war in Europe and the beginning of a new era in which the victorious powers reshaped Europe's political landscape. The script mentions Napoleon's underestimation of Russian resolve, leading to his infamous retreat from Moscow and eventual defeat.

💡Vienna Congress

The Vienna Congress refers to the meeting of the victorious powers after Napoleon's defeat to decide the future of Europe. It is a central concept in the script as it illustrates the redrawing of national frontiers and the political reconfiguration of Europe. The Congress is depicted as a time when Emperor Alexander of Russia added 'King of Poland' to his titles and the 'Holy Alliance' was created to maintain the established order.

💡Holy Alliance

The Holy Alliance was a pact formed by European monarchs after the fall of Napoleon, aiming to preserve the status quo and prevent revolutions. In the script, it is mentioned as a creation overseen by Emperor Alexander to ensure no further revolutions would threaten Europe's established order, reflecting the conservative reaction to the changes brought by the Napoleonic Wars.

💡Russian Empire

The Russian Empire, as depicted in the script, was a major power that emerged stronger after the wars against Napoleon. However, it was also a place of internal discontent, particularly among young officers who envisioned a different future for Russia. The script describes the empire as an autocratic state with no political opposition or constitution, and a society where serfdom was prevalent.

💡Serfdom

Serfdom was a system of agriculture labor that bound peasants to the land they worked on, with no legal rights or freedoms. In the script, it is highlighted as a significant issue within the Russian Empire, where approximately 80% of Russians were serfs, and it was a system that many Russian aristocrats and officers, inspired by European reforms, sought to abolish.

💡Decembrists

The Decembrists were a group of Russian revolutionaries who sought to implement radical reforms in Russia, including the abolition of serfdom and the establishment of a constitutional government. The script describes their formation of secret societies, their dreams of a different Russia, and their ultimate failed uprising in 1825, which marked the first organized political revolt in Russian history.

💡Union of Salvation

The Union of Salvation was a secret society formed by officers from Russia’s prestigious Guards regiments, which later merged with another society to form the Union of Prosperity. In the script, it is mentioned as a key organization through which the Decembrists began to plan their revolution, reflecting the growing discontent and desire for change among the Russian military elite.

💡Napoleonic Wars

The Napoleonic Wars were a series of conflicts involving Napoleon's French Empire and various European coalitions. The script refers to the wars as a period of great sacrifice for the Russian Empire and a catalyst for the desire for reform among Russian officers, who were inspired by the constitutional changes in other European countries.

💡Emperor Alexander I

Emperor Alexander I of Russia is a central figure in the script, initially seen as a potential reformer but later as a conservative force against change. His rule is depicted as a time of transition and turmoil, with his early enthusiasm for reform giving way to a staunch defense of the autocratic order and traditional values after the invasion by Napoleon.

💡Constitutional Monarchy

A constitutional monarchy is a form of government where a monarch acts as head of state within the parameters of a written or unwritten constitution. In the script, the Decembrists envisioned Russia transforming into a constitutional monarchy with a system of checks and balances, as illustrated by Nikita Muravyov's draft constitution that was influenced by the US constitution of 1787.

💡Uprising

The term 'uprising' in the script refers to the armed rebellion led by the Decembrists on 14th December 1825, in an attempt to overthrow the autocratic rule of Emperor Nicholas I and establish a new government with liberal reforms. The uprising, however, was poorly planned and executed, leading to its swift and brutal suppression.

Highlights

The Battle of Waterloo marked Napoleon Bonaparte's final defeat and ended two decades of war in Europe.

The Congress of Vienna led by Austria, Britain, Prussia, and Russia decided the fate of Europe with redrawing of national frontiers.

Emperor Alexander of Russia added 'King of Poland' to his titles and created the 'Holy Alliance' to prevent further revolutions.

Russian Empire emerged more powerful post-Napoleonic wars, but internal dissatisfaction grew among some officers.

Young Russian officers envisioned a different future for Russia with new forms of government and radical reforms.

Napoleon's invasion of Russia in 1812 was met with underestimated Russian resolve, leading to his infamous retreat from Moscow.

Imperial Russia was an autocracy with no political opposition, constitution, freedom of speech, or right to trial.

Approximately 80% of Russians were serfs with no rights, contributing to the growing desire for reform.

Russian officers, inspired by European constitutions, dreamed of similar reforms for Russia.

Emperor Alexander initially showed enthusiasm for reform, passing a decree allowing landowners to free their serfs.

Mikhail Speransky, as Alexander's advisor, created a 'Council of State' and began working on a Russian constitution.

Alexander's reform efforts ended after 1812 due to anti-reform factions and Napoleon's invasion.

The Union of Salvation and the Order of Russian Knights formed the Union of Prosperity, aiming to educate the public on Enlightenment ideals.

The Union of Prosperity had a charter, the 'Green Book', outlining its organization and commitment to moral citizenship.

Emperor Alexander's advisor, General Alexey Arakcheyev, was known for ruthless efficiency and enforcing strict discipline in the army.

The Decembrist movement, led by officers like Nikita Muravyov and Sergei Muravyov-Apostol, planned a revolution for a constitutional Russia.

The Decembrists' uprising in St. Petersburg on 14th December 1825 was a failed attempt to seize control of the capital and establish a new government.

The Decembrist leaders were arrested, and many were sentenced to hard labor in Siberia, with five executed for their roles in the uprising.

Despite the failure of the uprising, the Decembrists' ideals influenced future generations, including Russia's liberal intelligentsia and revolutionaries.

The Decembrist movement's legacy remains contested, with some viewing them as an inspiration and others as a warning.

Transcripts

1815.

At the Battle of Waterloo, French  Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte suffers  

his final defeat, and two decades  of war in Europe come to an end.

The victorious powers – led by Austria,  

Britain, Prussia and Russia – meet at  Vienna to decide the fate of Europe.

The frontiers of nations and empires are  redrawn, while Emperor Alexander of Russia  

adds ‘King of Poland’ to his list of titles.  He also oversees creation of a ‘Holy Alliance’…  

to ensure that no more revolutions  threaten Europe’s established order.

The Russian Empire, after many great  sacrifices in the wars against Napoleon,  

emerges more powerful than ever.

But not everyone in Russia is pleased  with the new state of affairs.

A group of young army officers dream  of a different future for Russia...  

a new form of government... radical  reforms… even, a Russia without a Tsar.

In 1812, Napoleon had invaded Russia with  the largest army Europe had ever seen.

It was a defining moment in his reign.  But he underestimated Russian resolve.

Four months later, the remnants of his army  began its infamous retreat from Moscow.

The Russian army and its Coalition allies  then drove Napoleon’s forces back across  

Europe… fighting giant battles in Germany… and  finally arriving in the streets of Paris itself.

Napoleon’s abdication was a moment of triumph  for Emperor Alexander, and for Russia.

For many young Russian officers, it  was also an eye-opening experience.

Imperial Russia was an autocracy – ruled by an  Emperor with no checks upon his power. There  

was no political opposition, or constitution.  There was no freedom of speech or right to trial.

Approximately 80% of Russians were  serfs – peasants with no rights,  

freedom or hope of betterment, their  status passed down to their children.

The inefficiency, not to mention  injustice of such a system,  

was increasingly apparent even  to many Russian aristocrats.

In Europe, serving as  officers in the Russian army,  

they’d visited countries where serfdom had  been swept aside by war and revolution...

And where monarchs had granted  constitutions that limited their  

power, protected freedoms, and  acknowledged the rule of law.

Many were inspired, and began to  dream of similar reforms in Russia.

But few placed faith in Emperor  Alexander to aid their cause...

On the night of 11th March  1801, Alexander’s father,  

Emperor Paul, was strangled to death by  a group of disaffected army officers.

Alexander succeeded to the throne aged just 23.

The ineffectiveness and chaos of his father’s rule  

had appalled him. In 1797  he’d written to his tutor:

“To speak plainly, the well-being of the state  is not at all considered in the administration  

of affairs; there is only absolute power which  does everything wrong and at cross purposes.  

The choice of officials is entirely a matter  of favouritism; merit counts for nothing...  

The farmer is plagued; commerce is hindered;  personal liberty and well-being are reduced  

to nothing. There you have the picture of  Russia; judge how my heart must suffer.”

The young Alexander displayed a great  enthusiasm for reform – an encouraging  

sign to Russian aristocrats who wished  to see a more modern Russian state.

In 1803, he passed a decree that gave  land-owners the right to free their serfs.  

Many hoped it was a first step  towards the abolition of serfdom.

In 1808, the brilliant and liberal-minded Mikhail  Speranksy became Alexander’s chief advisor.

He created a new ‘Council of  State’ to advise the Emperor,  

and even began working on a Russian constitution.  

But in 1812, Alexander’s appetite  for reform ended abruptly.

First, an anti-reform faction,  led by the Emperor’s sister  

Grand Duchess Ekaterina Pavlovna,  engineered Speransky’s dismissal.

Then, Napoleon invaded Russia.

In this moment of supreme crisis,  Alexander was seized by religious fervour,  

a sense of personal mission, and national destiny.

The burning of Moscow, he  declared, had illuminated his soul.

Liberal reforms, he could now see, were  only the road to anarchy and chaos. They  

were an intolerable risk to  Russia’s holy institutions.

In 1815, any officers returning  from Europe harbouring hopes of  

reform were to be severely disappointed.

Alexander added insult to injury by granting  a liberal constitution not to Russia,  

but to his new kingdom, Poland – not  one, it turned out, he planned to honour.

Three years later, when Alexander raised  the possibility of a Russian constitution  

based on this Polish ‘experiment’  – it proved an empty promise.

Idealistic young officers,  more alienated than ever,  

decided that if the Emperor would not take  up their cause, they must act themselves.

They began to organize secret  societies, and to plan a revolution.

Many Russian military officers  already belonged to a secret society.  

Freemasonry had been imported from Europe in the  18th century, and was popular among army officers.

But in 1816, officers from Russia’s  prestigious Guards regiments,  

based in St. Petersburg, formed a new  secret society - the Union of Salvation.

Four of its founding members  would play a leading role  

in a revolutionary movement that  became known as the Decembrists.

Nikita Muravyov, a Captain in the Guards  division staff, aged 31 at the time of  

the Decembrist revolt. He would draft one of  their major plans for constitutional reform.

Lieutenant-Colonel Sergei Muravyov-Apostol,  aged 30 at the time of the revolt.  

He would lead the Decembrist uprising in Ukraine.

Colonel Prince Sergei Trubetskoy, aged 36 at the  

time of the revolt. A war hero from one  of Russia’s most distinguished families,  

Trubetskoy would be chosen to lead  the Decembrist coup in St.Petersburg.

And Colonel Pavel Pestel of the Vyatka Infantry  Regiment, aged 33 at the time of the revolt.  

Also a decorated war hero, badly wounded at  Borodino. He was a brilliant if uncompromising  

officer, and one of the most active  and radical members of the Union.  

He would argue for the Emperor’s death  and creation of a Russian republic.

The Union of Salvation soon merged with another  secret society, the Order of Russian Knights,  

to form the Union of Prosperity,  with more than 200 members.

Its charter, known as the ‘Green Book’,  set out how the Union was to be organised.  

It also spelled out its commitment to educating  

the public about Enlightenment ideals  of virtuous, moral citizenship.

This, it was hoped, would generate wider  support for reform among Russia’s elite.

Only a trusted inner circle was  privy to the Union’s more radical,  

long-term goals, of securing a  constitution, and ending serfdom.

The leaders of the Union of  Prosperity were wise to be wary…

Alexander had tightened censorship laws,  

while allies kept him informed about  Russia’s supposedly secret societies.

For the moment, he tolerated  them, telling one courtier:

"You, who have served me since the  beginning of my reign, know that  

I have shared and encouraged all these dreams  and delusions. It is not for me to be strict.”

His new closest advisor, General Alexey  Arakcheyev, felt no such restraint.  

Arakcheyev had masterminded the organisation of  Russian artillery during the Napoleonic Wars,  

and was famed for ruthless efficiency, a violent  temper and absolute loyalty to the Emperor.

He loathed almost anything  to do with western Europe.  

“You don’t get things done by talking  softly in French”, he once remarked.

Arakcheyev was put in charge of the Emperor’s  latest idea, the so-called ‘military settlements’.  

The plan was to cut the cost of Russia’s  huge army, by having soldiers and serfs  

live side-by-side, in new villages organised  like military camps, with strict discipline.

It was a harsh policy, even by the standards  of Russian autocracy, and led to misery,  

riots, and rising resentment against the regime.

Arakcheyev also enforced strict new standards  of discipline and conduct in the army.

The soldiers who had defeated Napoleon were now  subjected to endless parades and inspections.

Small infractions were brutally punished.

Officers who spoke out on behalf  of their men were dismissed.

In 1820, a protest by the  Semyonovsky Lifeguard Regiment,  

one of the army’s senior units, led  to even more savage punishments.

To the Decembrist leaders,  

it proved that even elite regiments  had fallen out of love with the regime.

They themselves would be acting  in a strong Russian tradition – of  

palace coups led by army officers to  secure dynastic and political change.

The crucial task - was to be  ready when the moment came...

By 1821, the number of new members  joining the Union of Prosperity made  

its founders suspicious of  infiltration and discovery.

So they dissolved the Union. Its most  trusted and committed members formed  

two new groups, each with around 20 to 30 members:

The Northern Society was based in  the Russian capital St.Petersburg,  

and was initially the more moderate organisation.

The more radical Southern Society  was based in Tulchyn, Ukraine,  

where several Decembrist officers  were stationed with their regiments.

Both societies spent their time holding  secret meetings at the apartments of their  

members. They would stay up late into  the night discussing political ideas,  

reading aloud from banned literature,  drafting manifestos and resolutions.

The Northern Society adopted a draft  constitution by Nikita Muravyov as its aims.

His moderate document would make Russia a  constitutional monarchy, but was otherwise  

heavily influenced by the US constitution of  1787. He too called for a ‘division of power’  

between executive, legislature and judiciary, with  each imposing ‘checks and balances’ on the others.

The executive was the Emperor, ‘Supreme  Official of the Russian Government’,  

who would command the armed forces, lead foreign  policy, and had the power to veto legislation.

The legislature: a People’s Veche, or  assembly, composed of a Supreme Duma,  

or senate, and a House of Representatives.

Serfdom would be abolished, and there  would be equality before the law.

The right to vote would be restricted to  those who owned a certain amount of property,  

thus excluding the very poorest Russians.

The Russian Empire was also to  become a federal state of 15 regions,  

each with their own executives and assemblies.

However in 1823 a new member would take the  Northern Society in a much more radical direction.

27-year-old Kondraty Ryleyev was another war  veteran and a famous poet: he was passionate,  

eloquent, and devoted to the cause of revolution.

He was known for his satire of  the hated General Arakcheyev,  

secretly circulating amongst Russian liberals:

“All fear, tyrant! For evil and treachery, Thou shalt be condemned by Thy posterity!”

Ryleyev despised monarchy in all its forms.  

"There are no good governments in the  world except in America,” he declared.

He proved a highly influential figure,  and soon, a radical wing of the Northern  

Society formed around him, taking up his  argument for a republican revolution.

A friend described a meeting at  his apartment around this time:

“There must have been more than a dozen  people in the room, but at first I could  

not distinguish anything, because of the  dense blue haze of pipe and cigar smoke.  

They were sprawling on sofas and on  the deep windowsills. Young Alexander  

Odoevsky and Bestuzhev sat cross-legged,  Turkish fashion on a Persian carpet...

An intense youth, with a pale  complexion and prominent forehead,  

lifts a glass - "Death to the Tsar!"  

The toast is received with emotion. Ryleyev's  jet-black eyes light up with an inner flame...  

They sing to the death of the Tsar...the rhythmic  

chant flows through the open  windows for all to hear.”

The leading figure of the Southern Society,  based in Ukraine, was Colonel Pavel Pestel.  

He provided the group with its own  constitution, ‘Russkaya Pravda’, Russian Truth.

This lengthy, unfinished treatise was much  more radical than Muravyov’s constitution.  

There was no place for an  Emperor in Pestel’s new Russia:

“The former Supreme Power has already  sufficiently proved its hostile feelings  

towards the Russian People… the  current order will cease to exist.”

Pestel called for a revolution, spearheaded  by a Provisional Supreme Council,  

that would implement gradual but sweeping change.

“The two main needs for Russia are clear: a  complete reorganisation of the state order  

and structure and the publication  of a completely new code of laws,  

while preserving everything that is useful  and destroying everything that is harmful.”

Serdom would be abolished, land  redistributed to the peasants,  

class privileges abolished, and the  vote given to all Russian male citizens.

The Northern and Southern Societies  remained in close contact,  

despite major differences of opinion  between and within both societies.

There was still much that bound them: all desired  the abolition of serfdom and conscription, the end  

of autocratic government, the establishment of  new rights and freedoms for the Russian people.

What’s more, they felt themselves to  be in step with a “spirit of the age”,  

as revolutions and conspiracies spread  across Europe in the name of liberty.

Such events reaffirmed their conviction that  

change in Russia must come from direct  action – a coup d’etat, or revolution.

In 1825, Pavel Pestel learned  that the following spring,  

Emperor Alexander and his entourage would travel  to Ukraine to inspect troops of the 2nd Army.

Pestel formed a plan to assassinate the Emperor,  and launch a coup to establish a Russian republic.

The date was set: 12th March 1826.

After urgent communications with  the Northern Society, Ryleyev’s  

faction agreed to launch a simultaneous  uprising in the capital, St.Petersburg.

But in December, unexpected news  threw all their plans into disarray.

That winter, Emperor Alexander  visited southern Russia,  

where it was hoped the climate would  improve his wife’s frail health.

Instead, Alexander himself became seriously  ill. He died at Taganrog, aged 47.  

Typhus was the most likely cause.

Alexander’s sudden death  was a shock to all Russia.

The Decembrists had agreed that the best time to  

force political change was at  the succession of a new Tsar.

Now was their moment.

But no one was quite sure who the new Tsar was.

Alexander had died without legitimate  offspring. By the law of succession,  

he should have been succeeded by the eldest of  his younger brothers, Grand Duke Konstantin.

But Konstantin was terrified at the prospect  of becoming emperor. "I will be strangled  

just as my father was strangled," he  would say when the subject came up.

So three years before his death, Alexander signed  

a secret document making his younger  brother, Grand Duke Nicholas, his heir.

But when Alexander suddenly died, the  new order of succession was still secret,  

known only to a few members  of the imperial family.

All of Russia assumed Konstantin  was their new Emperor. 

Patriarchs, politicians and  troops swore new oaths of loyalty.

Even Grand Duke Nicholas swore an  oath, judging it better to observe  

the usual customs, until Alexander’s  secret document could be made public.

Konstantin, based in Warsaw in his role  as Commander-in-Chief of the Polish army,  

had no intention of taking the throne.

Nicholas urged his brother to come to  

St.Petersburg and publicly renounce  the throne, to end the confusion.

But Konstantin refused. "I cannot accept  your request to come to St.Petersburg,  

and warn you that I shall move even  further away unless everything is  

settled in accordance with the  will of our late sovereign.”

Meanwhile, the Decembrists in  St.Petersburg were meeting daily.

They had been caught off-guard by  Alexander’s death. But the chaos of  

the interregnum provides perfect cover for them.

They recruit more officers to their  cause, sound out the rank and file,  

work out who can be relied on, and who cannot.

Ryleyev works without pause. All  are fired with a wild enthusiasm.

That December, rumours, confusion and fake  news swirl around the Russian capital.

Grand Duke Nicholas knows he is not  popular with the troops – they regard  

him as another martinet, overly  fond of inspections and parades.

Now he is told that unknown army officers  are actively conspiring against him.

He decides to act first.

In the early hours of 14th December 1825,  Nicholas declares himself Emperor of Russia. He  

will require an oath of loyalty, that morning,  from all officials and troops in St.Petersburg.

The Decembrists know that if  the troops swear that oath,  

their cause is lost. There might not be  another opportunity like this in decades.

14th December becomes do or  die for the revolutionaries.

And before the day is out, the streets of  the Russian capital will run with blood.

14th December 1825. St.Petersburg.

The Decembrists’ Northern Society has  its headquarters at the offices of the  

Russian-American Company, where one of its  key members, Ryleyev, is a major shareholder.

Decembrist leaders have been  working feverishly, day and night,  

to put everything in place for a coup.

Ryleyev is the chief organiser,  despite being unwell.

Before dawn, they learn that the new  Emperor has ordered all troops and  

officials in the capital to swear an  oath of loyalty to him that morning.

They must act immediately. Once the troops  swear the oath, it will be too late.

Most Decembrists are officers in the Life-Guards  regiments, stationed in St.Petersburg.

They plan to tell their men that Nicholas – known  

and disliked by the troops – is usurping  the throne from his brother Konstantin,  

to whom the soldiers swore an  oath of loyalty just 17 days ago.

There is no plan to involve the Russian  people in their revolt. These young  

aristocrats fear that this would only lead  to the bloody chaos of the French Revolution.

Instead, they will rely on  their social connections,  

and the unquestioning trust of  the men under their command.

They will then use these troops to seize control  of the capital, the emperor and the government.

They will form three groups: the first will  be led by Captain Alexander Yakubovich,  

a distinguished veteran of the Caucasus  War with a reputation for courage.

His men will seize the Winter Palace, and  secure Emperor Nicholas and his family.

Some Decembrists want to keep the Emperor  prisoner, but Ryleyev secretly entrusts his  

assassination to 28-year-old Pyotr Kakhovsky,  an officer recently retired due to ill health.

As a cadet officer in the  Life-Guards Jaeger Regiment,  

Kakhovsky had been demoted for  rudeness, debt and laziness.

He is a loner, without friends or money,  but dedicated to the cause of liberty,  

and imagines himself a slayer of tyrants.

A second detachment will be commanded by  32-year-old Colonel Alexander Bulatov,  

a hero of the Napoleonic Wars and Ryeleyev’s  childhood friend. He’s recruited just a few  

days before the revolt, as the Decembrists  seek to involve more senior officers.

His unit will seize the Peter and Paul Fortress,  

which contains the city’s arsenal  and dominates the city centre.

Colonel Prince Sergei Trubetskoy has been  appointed ‘dictator’, or leader of the coup.  

He is another officer of proven  courage, from a distinguished family.

He will command the main force,  expected to number nearly  

10,000 men, which will assemble in Senate Square.

Trubetskoy will then enter the Russian  Senate and demand that it issues the  

Decembrists’ ‘Manifesto to the Russian People’.

The document announces the establishment of  a new Provisional Government until elections  

can be held, the freedom of the press,  and of worship, equality before the law,  

the introduction of jury trials, and the  abolition of serfdom and military settlements.

Two well-known and respected politicians,  Nikolai Mordvinov and Mikhail Speransky,  

would lead the new government, to  provide continuity and reassurance.

The Decembrists, drawing on  their military experience,  

have come up with a realistic plan to  seize control of the Russian capital.

But almost immediately, the  conspiracy begins to unravel.

On a bitterly cold morning, Kakhovsky and  Yakubovich come to Ryleyev’s apartments,  

where the Decembrists have been meeting.

Kakhovsky has lost his nerve, and is  no longer willing to kill the Emperor.

At the last minute, Yakubovich has also decided  he cannot shed the blood of Russian soldiers,  

and refuses to lead troops  against the Winter Palace.

Bulatov, who is supposed to  lead his troops against the  

Peter and Paul Fortress, does not even show up.

The Decembrists are in a race against  time. There are several Guards regiments  

in St.Petersburg. They must win over  enough of them to secure the capital,  

before the regime understands what’s  going on, and moves against them.

But they learn that the Senate and Preobrazhensky  

Life-Guards have already sworn  the oath of loyalty to Nicholas.

This painting was based on sketches made  later by the Emperor himself. It shows  

the Preobrazhensky Life-Guards 1st battalion  arriving at the Winter Palace that morning.  

It’s an act of loyalty for which  Nicholas will always be grateful.

A battalion of the Moscow Life-Guards Regiment  comes over to the Decembrists’ cause, thanks to  

the efforts of Captains Schepin-Rostovsky, Mikhail  Bestuzhev and his brother Alexander Bestuzhev.

But the regime is moving  much faster than expected.

Officers loyal to Nicholas, now aware of the  unfolding coup, arrange for the Izmailovsky,  

Semyonovsky and Pavlovsky Life-Guards Regiments,  

and the Life-Guards Horse Regiment,  to swear the oath to Nicholas.

700 men of the Moscow Life-Guards  Regiment leave their barracks,  

and march through the icy  streets to Senate Square.

Their rallying cry is “For  Konstantin and Constitution!”

The men of the Moscow Life-Guards  Regiment take position in Senate Square,  

near the famous bronze statue of Peter the Great.  

They are joined by several Decembrist  leaders, including Ryleyev and Kakhovsky.

Captain Alexander Bestuzhev ostentatiously  sharpens his sabre on the base of the statue.

Officers and men look resplendent  in full dress uniform.

But Trubetskoy, the leader of the coup, who is to  present the Decembrist manifesto to the Senate,  

is nowhere to be seen. And the members  of the Senate have already gone home.

Ryleyev leaves to find him.

Crowds of spectators begin to  gather around Senate Square.  

The general mood is one of  support for the Decembrists.

This watercolour was painted by Carl  Ivanovich Kollman, an eyewitness,  

and is considered one of the most  realistic depictions of the day.

Around noon, Count Mikhail Miloradovich,  

Governor-General of St Petersburg and a  famous war hero, arrives in the Square.

He rides straight up to the Moscow Life-Guards  Regiment and asks, “Who among you was with me at  

Kulm, Lützen and Bautzen?”, recalling  the great battles against Napoleon.

He tells the men they have been lied to,  that Konstantin has renounced the throne,  

and they must swear the oath to Nicholas.

In Trubetskoy’s absence, Lieutenant Prince Eugene  

Obolensky becomes de facto leader of  the Decembrists in Senate Square. He  

tells Miloradovich to leave,  but the General ignores him.

Obolensky tries to prick the general’s  horse with a bayonet to drive him away,  

but accidentally stabs the General.

Then Pyotr Kakhovsky steps forward and  shoots Miloradovich at point blank range.

The general, mortally wounded,  is carried away by his horse.

The Life-Guards Grenadier Regiment and Sailors  of the Guard declare for the Decembrists.  

They join the Moscow Life-Guards in Senate Square.

The Decembrists are gathering a  powerful, disciplined force of  

3,000 troops in the heart of the Russian capital.

But Trubetskoy has still not appeared,  and there is little leadership.

They stand and wait in the freezing cold… while  the Emperor begins to mobilise his own forces.

Unbeknownst to the men in Senate Square, Prince  Sergei Trubetskoy had given up all hope of  

success early that morning, as soon as he heard  that the Senate had sworn its oath to Nicholas.

Possibly suffering some form of breakdown,  

he wanders around the city, at one  point passing by Senate Square itself.  

His brilliant military record makes  such behaviour difficult to understand.

A Decembrist later recalled, “His absence had a  decisive influence upon us and the soldiers too,  

for with few epaulets and no military  titles, no one dared take command.”

Ryleyev, meanwhile, exhausted and sick, spends the  

day in a futile search for Trubetskoy,  before he is forced to retire to bed.

The crowd is now several thousand  strong, and their loyalties clearly  

lie with the Decembrists. Some policemen  and patrols are even attacked by civilians.

When Emperor Nicholas arrives, he and his  entourage are pelted with sticks and stones.

But Guards units loyal to  the government are arriving  

at Senate Square in force, and take  up positions surrounding the rebels.

Soon they outnumber the Decembrists three-to-one…  

though not all are willing  to fire on their comrades.

In fact, Isaac’s Bridge is  deliberately obstructed by  

troops of the Finnish Life-Guards Regiment,  whose sympathies lie with the Decembrists.

Others, such as General Orlov, are  outraged by the Decembrists’ actions.  

He orders his Guards Cavalry to charge the rebels.

His men are pelted with stones and timber  thrown by the crowd, and the rebels stand firm.

Some shots are fired, a few men  are hit… and the cavalry withdraw.

Several cavalry charges are made that afternoon,  

with no decisive outcome, and  just a handful of casualties.

Still, no Decembrist officer takes charge of  the situation. There seems to be no plan at all.

It is -10 Celsius, and their men have  been standing motionless for hours.

The commander of the Life-Guards Grenadier  Regiment, Colonel Nikolai Stürler,  

arrives to order his men back to barracks.

Kakhovsky shoots him,  inflicting another fatal wound.

The Metropolitan Bishops of St.Petersburg  and Kiev approach the troops, and tell them  

it is their Christian duty to swear the oath to  Nicholas… but they are mocked and chased away.

The Emperor is deeply alarmed by  the situation in Senate Square,  

though many comment on his calm demeanour.

He later confides to his younger brother,  

“The most amazing thing about this  story is that you and I were not shot."

The short winter day is ending.  

Nicholas fears that if the stand-off continues  into the night, the crowds will turn hostile.

He now has 32 guns of the Guards  Artillery at his disposal.

He sends General Sukhozanet to tell the rebels to  lay down their arms, or they will be fired upon.

It’s a bad choice of emissary.  Sukhozanet is despised by the troops.  

They tell him to get lost.  

As dusk falls, the guns are wheeled forward.

The first volley is blank rounds.

The next is fired over the heads of the rebel  troops, but hits several people in the crowd.

The troops stand firm.

The next volley of grape-shot is fired directly  into their packed ranks. Scores go down.

Under this murderous fire, the troops break  ranks and head out onto the frozen Neva River.

Mikhail Bestuzhev tries to organise  them for an attack on the Peter and  

Paul Fortress, little more than a  1000 metres away across the ice.

But as they form up, they come  under more artillery fire.  

Cannonballs smash the ice. Many drown.  The rest escape as best they can.

After a stand-off lasting several hours,  

the military revolt has been ruthlessly  crushed by Russia’s new Emperor.

The official death toll is just 80.  Eyewitnesses claim it is much higher.

The Decembrist leaders, who all  survive the bloodshed in Senate Square,  

are rounded up and arrested that  night and the following day.

The Decembrist uprising in St.Petersburg is over.

The revolt in the south has yet to begin.

13th December 1825.

Tulchyn, Ukraine.

The day before the St.Petersburg revolt, Pavel  Pestel, leading figure of the Southern Society,  

is denounced by one of his officers and arrested.

The Southern Society’s plans for  an uprising are thrown into chaos.

Sergei Muravyov-Apostol takes over as leader.  He receives news of the disastrous uprising in  

St.Petersburg, but decides to go ahead  with the planned rising in the south.

On 29th December he is arrested himself,  but quickly freed by fellow officers.

The next day, he leads two companies  of the 29th Chernigov Regiment into  

Vasilkov, where they seize money,  weapons, ammunition and supplies.

Three more companies – more  than 400 men – join the rebels.

The next morning, a revolutionary manifesto,  

written by Muravyov-Apostol and Lieutenant Mikhail  Bestuzhev-Ryumin, is read out to the troops.

In the question and answer  form of a religious catechism, 

The document calls for an uprising to  end autocracy, serfdom and conscription.

“Question: What does our holy law order  the Russian people and army to do?

Answer: To repent of our lengthy servitude  and stand against tyranny and wickedness,  

vowing that in heaven and on earth, there  shall be only one Emperor — Jesus Christ.”

By 1st January, Muravyov-Apostol leads  a force of 17 officers and 1,100 men.

He attempts to march on Zhytomyr, to link  up with units of the 8th Infantry Division,  

whose officers are sympathetic  to the Decembrist cause.

But his route is blocked by government  forces. Then on 3rd January at Ustimovka,  

his force is intercepted by  troops under General Geismar.

Muravyov-Apostol hopes the  opposing troops will join him.

Instead, they open fire with grapeshot.

Then the hussars charge.

A few men are killed, but most quickly surrender.

895 men and six officers are taken prisoner,  including Muravyov-Apostol, who is badly wounded.

His brother Ippolit, and another  Decembrist officer Anastasy Kuzmin,  

take their own lives to avoid capture.

The Decembrist uprising in the south  is over, crushed in just five days.

In St.Petersburg, the Decembrist leaders are  interrogated by Emperor Nicholas in person,  

before they are sent to the  Peter and Paul Fortress.

The Emperor gives instructions on  how each prisoner is to be treated,  

whether they are to be kept in shackles,  and treated severely, or more gently.

He despises them all – Trubetskoy he describes as  ‘a repellent example of an ungrateful scoundrel’.

Nicholas sets up a Commission to  investigate the plot and its origins.

579 suspects are arrested, and subjected  to repeated interrogations, long periods  

of solitary confinement, hunger and cold,  or feigned sympathy. Many confess freely,  

revealing details of secret societies  and names of co-conspirators.

A few resist defiantly.

Colonel Bulatov, who was to have led the  attack on the Peter and Paul fortress,  

is so wracked by guilt that  he kills himself in his cell.

There are no trials, as such. Five months later,  

the Commission returns its  verdicts to the Emperor:

290 are acquitted. 289 are guilty, with  121 judged to be the greatest offenders.

A Supreme Criminal Court is formed to carry out  sentencing, according to 11 categories of guilt,  

devised by Mikhail Speransky – the man the  

Decembrists had hoped would  lead their new government.

Those found guilty of minor crimes are  demoted, and sent to fight in Russia’s  

long-running war in the Caucasus, along with  the regiments that joined the Decembrists.

Thirty-one of the Decembrists found guilty  of the most serious crimes – conspiracy,  

rebellion, desiring the Emperor’s death  - are to be executed by beheading.

But Nicholas shows mercy, and commutes their  sentence to hard labour for life, in Siberia.

Before they depart, officers are stripped  of their rank and noble privileges,  

and ceremonially disgraced. Their greatcoats  are burned, their swords snapped in half.

This is the punishment handed  out to Nikita Muravyov,  

who drafted the Northern Society’s  constitution for a new, liberal Russia.

And to Prince Sergei Trubetskoy –  the Decembrists’ vanishing leader,  

whose life is only spared  because of his family name.

Five Decembrists will not be spared:

Pyotr Kakhovsky

Sergei Muravyov-Apostol

Mikhail Bestuzhev-Ryumin

Pavel Pestel

And Kondraty Ryleyev.

"A public death for the chief instigators and  conspirators will be their lawful revenge for  

disturbing the public peace," Nicholas  writes to members of the commission.

All five are sentenced to death by quartering – a  brutal punishment involving public dismemberment.

“God and the Sovereign have decided my  fate: I must die, and die a shameful  

death,” Ryleyev writes in a final letter  to his wife. “Pray to God for my soul.”

13th July 1826.

Nicholas commutes the sentence to hanging.

But the execution of the five Decembrists,  

by the ramparts of the Peter and  Paul Fortress, is badly botched.

As the men are hanged, ropes break  and three men fall to the ground.

“What a miserable country - they can’t even  hang us properly”, remarks one survivor.

Spectators appeal for mercy – according to  tradition a man who survives a hanging should  

be spared. Instead, more rope is found,  and the second time, there is no mistake.

More than 80 Decembrists were eventually sent to  Siberia. A few were accompanied by their wives,  

who voluntarily renounced their own noble  privileges to be with their husbands.

Conditions in Siberia were not  as extreme as might be imagined.

Their hard labour was mostly farmwork.  Wealthy prisoners were sent money from home,  

which they used to buy supplies.

For active young men, boredom  was the greatest enemy.  

They took up hobbies, played chess, painted.

These watercolours were painted by  Nikolai Bestuzhev, who on the 14th,  

had led the Imperial Guard  Sailors to Senate Square.

Some formed their own ‘academy’,  

sharing their knowledge, and going on to  teach local children, and set up schools.

They remained hopeful of a pardon,  but it proved a thirty year wait.

Only in 1856, after the death of Emperor Nicholas,  

was an amnesty announced  for surviving Decembrists.

Among them, Prince Sergei Trubetskoy, who returned  to Russia, and is seen here photographed in 1857.

The Decembrist uprising seemed  to have been a total failure…

A wildly optimistic operation, poorly planned,  chaotically executed, doomed from the beginning;  

the loss of life thoughtless and unnecessary.

But the Decembrists had mounted the first  organised political revolt in Russian history.  

As such, their impact would prove far-reaching.

“The recent Conspiracy”, wrote the British  Resident Minister in St.Petersburg, “failed  

from want of management, and want of a head to  direct it, and was too premature to answer any  

good purpose, but I think the seeds are sown which  one day must produce important consequences.”

Emperor Nicholas was never interested in reform:  

the issues of serfdom and a constitution  would be around for decades to come.

For those who took up the cause of reform,  

including Russia’s liberal intelligentsia  and future revolutionaries, the Decembrists  

were an inspiring example - of  action in the face of tyranny.

‘The father of Russian socialism’  Alexander Herzen was their great champion.  

He named his political journal  ‘Polar Star’, after Ryleyev’s own.  

On the cover of its first edition,  the five Decembrist martyrs…

In time, the Decembrists’ aims – the  abolition of serfdom, a constitution,  

even the overthrow of the Tsar – were achieved.

But their brand of 19th century liberalism  was soon overtaken by events in Russia.

The Communists never completely approved of  the aristocratic Decembrists - though in 1925,  

they did allow Senate Square to  be renamed Decembrist Square,  

to mark the hundredth anniversary of the rising.

But the Decembrists’ place in Russian  history remains highly contested to this day.

A 2019 Russian blockbuster film was accused of  trivialising the Decembrists and their aims.  

Others called for the film to be shown in schools.

While in 2008, the St.Petersburg  square where the Decembrists made  

their famous stand was renamed  again, back to Senate Square.

The Decembrists continue to serve as a warning  to some, an inspiration to others. All that is  

certain, is the Decembrists have not  been consigned to history just yet.

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