The uprising of the Decembrists on Senate Square is one of the greatest and tragic events in the history of Russia. The emergence of revolutionary movements began long before the start of the overthrow of the imperial dynasty. This was the first time people had gathered in such a large scale to attack the imperial dynasty. This uprising was supposed to lead to a change of power. To the destruction of the Russian Empire and the construction of a new, liberal-democratic state. We will consider the causes of the Decembrist uprising, its course and results.

background

After the Patriotic War in 1812, the people did not calm down and began to organize an uprising. Then various secret societies began to form, which should have once led to the emergence of a new revolution. This is what happened in December 1825.

The revolution could not begin without preparation, and the revolutionaries began to prepare in advance. They worked a careful plan, the result of which was to be not something, but the formation of a new state.

According to their plan, Nicholas I was to abdicate. After that, a provisional government would ascend the throne, which was to be headed by Count Speransky.

After that, the reorganization of state power would begin. The Russian Empire was to become a constitutional monarchy or a republic. The entire royal family was planned to be killed or sent abroad to Fort Ross.

But none of this was destined to happen, the uprising was crushed by the strength of the imperial army. How did everything happen?

Causes of the uprising

The causes of the December Uprising of 1825 include the following factors:

Prerequisites

Organized various alliances with insurgent activities. They actively grew and developed. Despite numerous arrests and resistance from the counterintelligence of imperial soldiers, many revolutionaries died or abandoned the idea of ​​seizing power, however, new ones took their place. They were waiting for the perfect moment to launch their offensive. Such a moment was the ambiguous situation of the ascension to the throne of Nicholas, the brother of the emperor after the death of Alexander I.

Interregnum

Konstantin Pavlovich, Alexander's older brother, was supposed to inherit the throne after him, since he had no children. But there was a secret document that confirmed the refusal of Constantine from the throne. He signed it during Alexander's lifetime. This gave chances for the throne to the younger brother Nikolai Pavlovich. However, he was extremely unpopular among the highest ranks and close associates of the royal family.

There was a twofold situation of reign, when Constantine was persuaded to ascend the throne, while Nicholas was also persuaded to sign a renunciation of it. What happened: Nicholas, under pressure, abdicates the throne, giving his place to the legitimate ruler Constantine. But he still refuses the place offered to him and re-signs the abdication, explaining at the meeting his decision in favor of his brother.

Only on December 14, after long deliberations, the Senate recognized the rights to the throne of Nikolai Pavlovich, after which he immediately took the oath.

This situation led to the fact that the throne seemed to be passed from hand to hand, which shook the social strata of society and the revolutionaries could not help but take advantage of this, since this was the ideal moment for an uprising.

Rebellion plan

At this time, the participants in the December uprising were already planning their attack. Their primary goal was to prevent Nicholas from ascending the throne. And for this, all methods were used. The Winter Palace had to be captured by killing the soldiers guarding it. They planned to transfer close associates of the royal family to their side, and if they refused, they would be sent abroad or killed. The royal family was decided to be imprisoned or killed.

Sergey Trubetskoy became the head of the uprising. Active politician and Grand Duke. After the capture, it was necessary to create a new provisional government. And its main legislative body is a special assembly. The main legal act is the Constitution.

On the night of December 14, according to the plan, an assassin was supposed to enter the palace to eliminate the new Emperor Nicholas. However, Kakhovsky, appointed to the role of the murderer, refused to carry out the order to kill the tsar. It was also planned to attack the Izmailovsky regiment on the Winter Palace, but Yakubovich refused to lead his troops.

Thus, by the morning of December 14, Emperor Nicholas was alive, and the revolutionaries managed to bring only about 800 agitated soldiers to the square to the winter palace. And their plan of rebellion was not fully realized, but only partially.

Members

Of the famous personalities who were in the conspiracy can be noted:

Uprising in Senate Square

Nicholas I was warned about a possible planned attack. The plans of the Decembrists were laid out to him by one of the members of the secret society, who considered participation in the uprising against the tsar unworthy of a noble title. Yakov Ivanovich Rostovtsev was a man of honor and told the tsar about the event planned by the revolutionaries, which could lead to the death of the Russian Empire.

At seven in the morning, Nicholas was already proclaimed emperor.. At this time, the Senate Square was completely occupied by the soldiers of the rebels. In addition, seeing the events taking place on the streets of St. Petersburg, ordinary people came out, who gladly joined the uprising. People turned into an unbridled crowd of angry residents.

When the emperor with troops approached the palace, they began to throw stones at him with curses and threats. The rebels were surrounded by a ring of soldiers near the palace, and with the second ring they stood at the entrance to the square, preventing the newly arrived citizens from joining the uprising, who were already crowding and trying to get to the center of events.

Members of the imperial dynasty took refuge in the palace, but in the event of the defeat of the tsarist troops, a retreat plan was prepared and a carriage was prepared that would take the emperor to shelter in Tsarskoe Selo.

Nicholas sent an ambassador to offer peace and negotiate an agreement on the conditions for ending the uprising. They became Metropolitan Seraphim. However, the people did not listen to him, saying that he swore an oath to two kings in a week. Another person who tried to clean up the mess was Governor General Mikhail Miloradovich.

During the negotiations, he was badly wounded, and later he died. After the revolutionaries opened fire on the people sent for negotiations, the soldiers of the imperial army opened fire on the revolutionaries with grapeshot. The crowd was dispersed.

The rebels were surrounded by government troops, four times the number of revolutionaries gathered in the square. When, under a hail of shots, the assembled rushed to flee, they realized that they could not break through the ring of government troops. They rushed to the Neva in order to cross the ice to Vasilyevsky Island. However, the ice collapsed, many died in the water. Those who managed to get closer to the island were already met by artillery fire from its shores. By nightfall, the uprising was completely crushed.

Results

On this day, Petersburg spilled the blood of its citizens. On the streets everywhere were scattered the corpses of rebellious soldiers, ordinary people, united in a crazy crowd, and the royal guards, who bravely defended the Senate Square from the attack.

Wounded rebels were afraid to go to the hospital for help, as they could be arrested and sued for their revolutionary activities. Many died from gunshot wounds already at home, deprived of help and hope of salvation. Others went to the bottom during the passage along the Neva, trying to swim to the shore of Vasilevsky Island in icy water, many died from frostbite.

In total, 277 soldiers from the Grenadier Regiment and 371 from the Moscow Regiment were arrested. And also more than fifty sailors from the sea crew were put on trial. They were taken to the royal palace, where the emperor himself acted as a judge.

The court was conducted by the highest judicial body for criminal cases. The five main participants in the uprising were sentenced to death. The rest, it was decided to send into exile to hard labor in Siberia, where there were the most difficult living conditions.

On December 17, Nicholas I decided to establish a new commission, the main purpose of which was to identify secret societies, find hiding revolutionaries, and eliminate underground anti-government movements. War Minister Alexander Tatishchev became the leader of the new commission.

Briefly about the uprising: dates

• 1816 - the emergence of secret organizations with revolutionary currents (Trubetskoy and Muravyov).
• 1818 - transformation of the organization into the Union of Welfare expansion of the state, an increase in the size of the organization.
• 1819 - poisoning of Speransky, the leader of liberal movements.
• June 1819 - riots in military settlements.
• January 17, 1820 - reform in the universities. The introduction of religious beliefs into the strata of society, the education of humility.
• June 1820 - reform in the rules for the publication of literary works. Tightening censorship.
• January 1, 1825 - the prohibition in Russia of any secret organizations. Persecution and persecution of different communities.
• 1823 - The Southern Society, led by Pestal, releases a new program "Russian Truth".
• December 14, 1825 - Decembrist uprising.
• 1825 - the uprising of the Chernigov regiment.
• 1825 - creation of a special commission to persecute revolutionaries underground.
• July 13, 1826 - the trial of the revolutionaries. Enforcement of the judgment.

The Decembrist uprising is of great importance in the history of Russia. This is one of the largest revolutionary movements in history. Despite the failure of the rebels, one cannot ignore the danger factor that the Russian Empire was exposed to.

The Decembrists lost this war, but the idea of ​​changing society into a new system did not subside in the minds of people. Only a century later, in 1917, it can be said that the plans of the Decembrists were fully implemented. After all, their followers took into account all the mistakes and shortcomings of the 1825 uprising. Thus, we can say that it was at that time that the real Civil War began, which lasted more than one century and led to very tragic consequences.

Looking at the West, where serfdom was abolished long ago and a constitution was introduced, it became clear that the conditions in which serfs live are simply terrible. Their owners mocked them, regularly increasing dues and corvee, and in case of disobedience, they were exiled to Siberia, with the support of the tsar himself.

After the war, the industry recovered quite quickly, but it could not compete with the industry of European countries, since in Russia it was based on manufactories, and those, in turn, on manual labor. To establish production, a huge number of peasants had to be attracted. The landowners did not hesitate to take away their lands and attach them to their own, making the amount of quitrents incredibly high. The peasants refused to pay dues, and as a result, anti-serfdom movements began.

Military officers who had been abroad were frankly afraid that soon a revolt would begin among the masses of the people, and it would engulf the whole country. Many began to become disillusioned with the state activities of the emperor, as he was a supporter of repressive methods of influencing the serfs.

The Decembrists believed and dreamed of democracy and freedom of speech. The main role model was France, where a revolution took place recently. The Decembrists also insisted on the distribution of power by branches, and not its concentration in one hand.

Decembrist uprising on Senate Square in St. Petersburg.

In 1825, the Decembrists went to Senate Square, it happened on December 14. Governor-General Miloradovich tried to calm the Decembrists, but one of the participants in the uprising wounded him. In the process, the Decembrists receive news that the army officers have long sworn allegiance to the new emperor, and they have no choice, they will have to surrender their weapons and be defeated. The Decembrists decide to die, still hoping that reinforcements are somewhere nearby. At this time, a struggle is started between them and the tsarist artillery. Cannons fired at the rebels. Some of the soldiers took to their heels.

After the suppression of the uprising, all participants were awaited by the trial. Three dozen officers were sentenced to death, 17 people were exiled to Siberia for eternal hard labor. The rest were demoted to soldiers or sent to hard labor for a certain period.

Consequences and results of the Decembrist uprising.

The historical significance of the Decembrist uprising is incommensurably high. The uprising of the Decembrists was the first association against the tsarist government. Thanks to him, the unshakable tsarist regime nevertheless shook, it contributed to the future development of the opposition in Russia.

The Decembrist uprising is a unique event in the history of Russia. The noble officers of the guard attempted a coup d'etat, and they declared the need to abolish serfdom and overthrow the autocracy. Despite the fact that their actions were unsuccessful, the uprising itself had a huge resonance in Russian society and greatly influenced the subsequent history of the country. Experts argued about what the Decembrists' motives really were and what caused their failure.

Questions:

Who were the Decembrists?

Oksana Kiyanskaya

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

Alexander Zakatov

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

What were the aims of the Decembrists?

Oksana Kiyanskaya

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

Alexander Zakatov

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

What could happen if the Decembrists won?

Oksana Kiyanskaya

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

Alexander Zakatov

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

How did contemporaries evaluate the Decembrists?

Oksana Kiyanskaya

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

Alexander Zakatov

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

Why did the Decembrist uprising fail?

Oksana Kiyanskaya

This is my old dispute with colleagues. Many believe that the Decembrists did not have a chance, because a strong army loyal to the tsar, because it is difficult to say how much the Decembrists would have been able to propagate this army, the society was not ready, and so on. But it seems to me that in the form in which this coup was planned by the Decembrists - also relying on the army, relying on discipline, also with elements of palace coups - the Decembrists had chances. Because the army is really accustomed to unity of command, and the one who would first give a certain order could become the winner. In addition, the army was very dissatisfied, it was one of the most problematic social groups in the early 19th century. If we talk about the main reasons for the failure of the uprising, it seems to me that here it is the human factor. Because throughout the history of secret societies within these societies there was a struggle for leadership. They could not agree on who was in charge: who was the main ideologist, who was the main practitioner, who would become the head of state in case of victory. All this exploded on December 14, when it was not even possible to create a unified plan of action. Everyone had their own plan. And now we see the fragments of these plans on Senate Square.

Alexander Zakatov

The fact is that it, of course, was completely unprepared. The mood of the absolute majority of the people did not correspond to the desire of the Decembrists to overthrow the Romanov dynasty and replace the state system with either a completely symbolic monarchy or a republic. They could not be supported by the majority of the people, including the peasants. The people shied away from treachery. And the deceit that was allowed when they explained to the lower ranks that they allegedly defended the legitimate emperor Constantine, whom they also really wanted to kill, and what they called for the constitution, and when the soldiers asked who the constitution was, they said, that the wife of Constantine. That is, in everything they had a lie. And this lie ruined them, because if they were honest people, then they might have fought for their ideals, perhaps even resorted to some kind of such radical actions, but still they would have kept more or less in within the framework of the law, their dialogue with the authorities could have developed differently. They were let down by lies. Because they were insincere.

The Decembrist uprising is one of the most famous events in Russian history, and one of the most misunderstood.

Who are these Decembrists? Romantics who challenged the autocracy? Noble madmen who sacrificed themselves for a brighter future? Why did the nobility need to destroy the feudal system? Are they heroes or terrorists?

Decembrists

Most of the Decembrists are guards officers, many of whom went through the 12-year war. People are brave, determined, able to take risks. Many were fully fed by the authorities: generals, colonels. Of course, there were few of them. The main forces are junior officers: lieutenants, second lieutenants, captains. Many military men had ambitions and a desire to prove themselves in the political life of the country. But in the foundations of autocracy, this is impossible to do.

The emergence of freethinking did not begin by chance. The history of the movement lasted more than one year starting from 1814, although numerous prerequisites appeared in the second half of the 18th century, when a wave of palace coups swept across Europe.

On the example of these coups, the Russian nobility understood one thing unpleasant for the authorities. To oppose the monarch to whom you swore allegiance is a sin. But if for the benefit of the country, then you can. And this was proved by numerous coups in other countries.

There was a split in consciousness. On the one hand - the Fatherland, on the other - the Sovereign.

For the sake of a higher goal, for the sake of the Fatherland, the sovereign can be removed. Many Decembrists, when they were interrogated, in the course of the investigation, quite sincerely answered that they swore allegiance not to the tsar, but to Russia.

The French Revolution and, in general, campaigns in Europe played a big role in shaping public opinion. Enlightened, educated people saw that a system in which there is no serfdom, no despotism and silence is possible. It is quite possible to live without a monarch. At the same time, plants and factories are functioning and developing, trade is going on, no one is exiled to Siberia.

All this gave rise to a desire to catch up with Europe in political, economic and moral development. Being military people, the Decembrists saw one way to achieve their goals, but they did not want blood, as was the case in the French Revolution. We know the expression of Lieutenant Colonel Sergei Muravyov-Apostol, one of the leaders of the movement, who said: "Our revolution will be made military, and will not cost a single drop of blood."
.

The conspiracy has been around for a long time. Beginning in 1814, the Decembrist movement constantly organized secret societies and movements:

➤ Order of Russian Knights (1814-1817)

➤ Salvation Union (1816-1817)

➤ Welfare Union (1818-1821)

➤ Southern Society (1821-1825)

➤ Northern society (1821-1825)

➤ Practical Union (1825)

It is worth noting the prominent figures of the movement. Those who went all the way: Colonel of the Guard Sergei Petrovich Trubetskoy, Colonel Pavel Ivanovich Pestel, Captain of the General Staff Nikita Mikhailovich Muravyov, poet Kondraty Fedorovich Ryleev, philosopher Mikhail Sergeevich Lunin, hero of the Patriotic War of 1812 Sergei Grigorievich Volkonsky.

Many nobles with entire families, including several generations, entered into societies. For example, contemporaries joked that "seven Muravyovs from one anthill" took part in the movement.

The Decembrists put forward clear, well-formulated demands.

The main goals of the uprising:

➤ Abolition of the monarchy.

➤ establishment of a provisional government.

➤ Introduction of the constitution.

➤ Legal equality, that is, the abolition of serfdom.

There were other demands regarding democratic freedoms. The need to introduce jury trials was discussed. Military people did not bypass military service, wanting to make it mandatory for all classes.

December 14, 1825 - coup attempt

The main events took place on December 14, 1825 in St. Petersburg on Senate Square. This day was not chosen by chance. On this day, Grand Duke Nikolai Pavlovich was to become the emperor of the Russian state. He had been waiting for this day for a long time, and preparing for it. Such was the will of his late brother, Emperor Alexander I.

Nicholas I was a man whom his contemporaries described briefly: "Martinet, outside and inside." He was distinguished by pedantry, discipline, and personal courage.

Of course, information about unrest in the ranks of the military reached the authorities, but no specific protest was put forward. This is not surprising either. The Decembrists planned to start an uprising the following year, 1826. They wanted to coincide with the performance to coincide with the anniversary - the 25th anniversary of the reign of Alexander I. But the emperor died earlier, and the conspirators decided to take advantage of this opportunity.

Although most of the conspirators considered the act of killing the emperor unacceptable, a plan was developed according to which Peter Kakhovsky was to change into a prepared Life Guards uniform, enter the Winter Palace and kill Nicholas I. True, Kakhovsky refused to do this on the day of the uprising.

It was decided to act according to the developed plan of Trubetskoy. Three squads had to perform certain captures. One detachment went to the Winter Palace, the second captures the Peter and Paul Fortress, the third detachment goes to the Senate and forces the senators to sign a manifesto to the Russian people announcing that everything has changed.

But here, too, things went wrong. Yakubovich and Bulatov refused to lead their detachments to Zimny ​​and Petropavlovka. Historians say that Yakubovich's personal ambitions and grievances against Count Trubetskoy played a big role in this refusal.

Members of the secret society were left to campaign in the barracks. By 11 o'clock about 800 people were brought to the Senate Square. Then the Grenadier Regiment and sailors joined the rebels. In total, about 30 officers and 3 thousand soldiers.

But in the officer corps there was discord and inconsistency in actions. Prince Sergei Trubitskoy, who was supposed to become a dictator and the first president of Russia, did not appear at all on the square. And although this hero was not a coward, he apparently understood that there would be no victory.

Nicholas I could only guess about the scale and number of the rebel regiments. After all, at the time the riot began, only the Horse Guards and the Preobrazhensky Regiment managed to swear allegiance to him.

By order of Nicholas, the Preobrazhenians loaded their guns and advanced behind the emperor to the Senate Square. Nikolai walked under the bullets of the rebels on foot, like a simple foot officer. Such an act speaks both of his personal courage and of his desperate situation.

It must be said that the new emperor by all means, through negotiations, tried to reason with people who were confused in the political situation.

At first, Count Mikhail Andreevich Miloradovich tried to reason with the military, but he was pushed back for a long time, persuaded to leave. In the end, Kakhovsky fired and mortally wounded Miloradovich.

Kakhovsky, who refused to shoot at the king, according to the first conceived plan, seemed to take revenge. Being in the midst of a crowd of rebels, he shot at Nikolai Styurler, who was trying to bring the rebels into obedience. Also mortally wounded.

The younger brother of Nicholas I, Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich, was also on the square.

The new emperor tried to use all the levers of influence on the recalcitrant rebels. He sent Metropolitan Seraphim and Metropolitan Eugene of Kyiv to the people. But their persuasion was in vain.

During the incomprehensible standing in the cold for five hours, Nicholas I managed to assess his strength and took the initiative into his own hands. His military forces outnumbered the rebels by no less than four times.

What could the conspirators do? Attacking is pointless. Maneuvering is impossible. The rebels had only one hope - to wait for darkness.

The fact is that among the attackers, many sympathized with the rebels, and under the cover of darkness they had a chance to leave the area with virtually no losses.

But when it was already getting dark, government troops rolled out cannons and loaded them with grapeshot. The distance between the square of the rebels and the battery was no more than a hundred meters. The guns fired point-blank, into a dense soldier formation. Six shots were enough to overturn the battle formations of the rebels. Soldiers and sailors rushed to retreat across the Neva. But the cannons rolled out onto the Embankment and the buckshot, breaking the ice, hit the fleeing. Those who managed to reach the opposite bank were cut down by the cavalry.

The uprising was crushed!

Reasons for the defeat of the Decembrists

Arrest and trial

All three thousand rebel soldiers, under the leadership of officers, who are now commonly called Decembrists, were practically destroyed.

All instigators were arrested. It must be said that here appeared honour , so glorified by Russian writers and poets. Those who could flee abroad did not, considering such an act a betrayal of their comrades.

Then the investigation began, during which the prisoners behaved very differently. The revolutionaries of the first time did not previously agree on how to behave during the investigation. After all, they were sure that they would either win or die. They didn't protect themselves or their friends. They were confident in their rightness, in caring for the Fatherland, and willingly testified.

By order of Nikolai Pavlovich, the so-called code of the Decembrists was compiled. This set was a hint to the emperor what was tedious to correct in the country.

Separately, one can note the testimony of Pavel Ivanovich Pestel. He spoke as if he was addressing his descendants through his head, giving explanations for his actions.

In the end, the decision was made. The five instigators were hanged.

The rest were sent to Siberia, to hard labor and exile for various periods. But that's another story!

Of the year. The uprising was organized by a group of like-minded nobles, many of them were officers of the guard. They tried to use the guards to prevent the accession to the throne of Nicholas I. The goal of the conspirators was the abolition of autocracy and the abolition of serfdom. The uprising was strikingly different from the conspiracies of the era of palace coups in terms of its goals and had a strong resonance in Russian society, which significantly influenced the socio-political life of the era of the reign of Nicholas I that followed it.

Decembrists

Prerequisites for an uprising

The conspirators decided to take advantage of the difficult legal situation that 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 of the brother, Konstantin Pavlovich, who followed the childless Alexander in seniority, which gave an advantage to the next brother, extremely unpopular among the highest military and bureaucratic elite 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 was sworn in 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 he did not formally renounce it as emperor. An ambiguous and extremely tense position of interregnum was created. Nicholas decided to declare himself emperor. On December 14, the second oath was appointed - "re-oath". The moment that the Decembrists were waiting for came - a change of power. The members of the secret society decided to speak, especially since the minister already had a lot of denunciations on the table 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 session on December 13-14, 1825, recognized the legal rights to the throne of Nikolai Pavlovich.

Rebellion plan

The Decembrists decided to prevent the troops and the Senate from taking the oath to the new tsar. The insurgent troops were 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 chosen to lead the uprising.

After that, it was planned to require the Senate to publish a popular manifesto, which would proclaim the "destruction of the former government" and the establishment of the Provisional Revolutionary Government. It was supposed to make Count Speransky and Admiral Mordvinov its members (later they became members of the court over the Decembrists).

The deputies had to approve a new basic law - the constitution. If the Senate did not agree to promulgate 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, the equality of all before the law, democratic freedoms (press, confession, labor), the introduction of a jury, the introduction of compulsory military service for all classes, the election of officials, the abolition of the poll tax.

After that, the All-People's Council (Constituent Assembly) was to be convened, which was supposed to decide on the form of government - constitutional monarchy or republic. In the second case, the royal family would have to be sent abroad. . In particular, Ryleev suggested that Nikolai be sent to Fort Ross. However, then the plan of the "radicals" (Pestel and Ryleev) involved the assassination of Nikolai Pavlovich and, possibly, Tsarevich Alexander.

Events December 14

However, a few days before this, Nikolai had been warned about the intentions of 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). Senators already at 7 o'clock in the morning 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 unified decision on the appointment of a new leader. . .

A large crowd of residents of St. Petersburg gathered on the square and the main mood of this huge mass, which, according to contemporaries, numbered tens of thousands of people, was sympathy for the rebels. They threw logs and stones at Nicholas and his retinue. Two “rings” of the people formed - the first consisted of those who came earlier, it surrounded the square of the rebels, and the second ring was formed from those who came later - their gendarmes were no longer allowed into the square to the rebels, and they stood behind the government troops that surrounded the rebellious square. Nikolai, as can be seen from his diary, understood the danger of this environment, which threatened with 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 carriages for members of the royal family for a possible flight to Tsarskoye Selo. Later, Nikolai told his brother Mikhail many times: “The most amazing thing in this story is that you and I were not shot then.”

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

But the gathering of all the rebel troops took place only more than two hours after the start of the uprising. An hour before the end of the uprising, the Decembrists chose a new "dictator" - Prince Obolensky. But Nikolai managed to take the initiative into his own hands and the encirclement of the rebels by government troops, more than four times the number of the rebels, was already completed. . In total, 30 Decembrist officers brought about 3,000 soldiers to the square. . According to Gabaev's estimates, 9,000 infantry bayonets, 3,000 cavalry sabers were assembled against the rebel soldiers, in total, not counting the artillerymen called later (36 guns), at least 12,000 people. Because of the city, another 7,000 infantry bayonets and 22 squadrons of cavalry, that is, 3,000 sabers, were called in and stopped at the outposts as a reserve, that is, in total, another 10 thousand people were 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 be active in the dark. From the side of the Admiralteisky Boulevard, guards artillery appeared under the command of General I. Sukhozanet. A volley of blank charges was fired at the square, which had no effect. Then Nikolay ordered to shoot with buckshot. The first volley was fired above the ranks of the rebellious soldiers - on the "mob" on the roof of the Senate building and the roofs of neighboring houses. The rebels responded to the first volley with buckshot with rifle fire, but then, under a hail of buckshot, the flight began. According to V. I. Shteingel: “It was possible to limit this already, but Sukhozanet fired a few more shots along the narrow Galerny Lane and across the Neva to the Academy of Arts, where more of the curious crowd fled!” . Crowds of rebellious soldiers rushed to the Neva ice to cross to Vasilyevsky Island. Mikhail Bestuzhev tried on the ice of the Neva to again form soldiers into battle formation and go on the offensive against the Peter and Paul Fortress. The troops lined up, but were fired from cannons with cannonballs. The cores hit the ice and it split, many drowned. .

Arrest and trial

By nightfall, the uprising was over. Hundreds of corpses remained on the square and streets. Based on the papers of the official of the III Department M. M. Popov, N. K. Schilder wrote:

Upon the cessation of artillery fire, Emperor Nikolai Pavlovich ordered the Chief of Police, General Shulgin, that the corpses be removed by morning. Unfortunately, the performers ordered the most inhumane way. On the night on the Neva, from St. Isaac's Bridge to the Academy of Arts and further to the side of Vasilyevsky Island, many holes were made, into which not only corpses were lowered, but, as they claimed, 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, being afraid to open themselves to doctors, and died without medical help.

S. N. Korsakov from the Police Department compiled a certificate on the number of victims during the suppression of the uprising.

During the outrage on December 14, 1825, the people were killed: generals - 1, staff officers - 1, chief officers of different regiments - 17, lower ranks of the Life Guards - 282, in tailcoats and overcoats - 39, women - 79, minors - 150, mob - 903. Total - 1271 people.

371 soldiers of the Moscow regiment, 277 of the Grenadiers and 62 sailors of the Naval 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.

Decree December 17, 1825 established a Commission for research on malicious societies, chaired by Minister of War Alexander Tatishchev. On May 30, 1826, the Commission of Inquiry submitted to Emperor Nicholas the most subservient report compiled by D. N. Bludov. The Manifesto of June 1, 1826 established the Supreme Criminal Court of the 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.

Notes

1. , With. eight
2. , With. 9
3. , With. 322
4. , With. 12
5. , With. 327
6. , With. 36-37, 327
7. From the notes of Trubetskoy.
8. , With. 13
9. Decembrist revolt. Reasons for the defeat
10. [Vladimir Emelianenko. Californian dream of the Decembrists]
11. , With. 345
12. V. A. Fedorov. Articles and comments // Memoirs of the Decembrists. northern society. - Moscow: MGU, 1981. - S. 345.
13. , With. 222
14. From the memoirs of Steingel.
15. , With. 223
16. , With. 224
17. N. K. Schilder T. 1 // Emperor Nicholas the First. His life and reign. - St. Petersburg, 1903. - S. 516.
18. Mikhail Ershov. Repentance of Kondraty Ryleev. Secret materials No. 2, St. Petersburg, 2008.
19. V. A. Fedorov. Articles and comments // Memoirs of the Decembrists. northern society. - Moscow: MGU, 1981. - S. 329.

Museums of the Decembrists

• Irkutsk Regional Historical and Memorial Museum of the Decembrists
• Novoselenginsky Museum of the Decembrists (Buryatia)

Movie

Literature

• Academic documentary series "North Star"
• Gordin Ya. The rebellion of the reformers. December 14, 1825. L.: Lenizdat, 1989
• Gordin Ya. The rebellion of the reformers. After the rebellion. M.: TERRA, 1997.
• Memoirs of the Decembrists. northern society/ Ed. V. A. Fedorov. - Moscow: Moscow State University, 1981.
• Olenin A. N. Private letter about the incident on December 14, 1825 // Russian archive, 1869. - Issue. 4. - Stb. 731-736; 049-053.
• Svistunov P. A few remarks on the latest books and articles about the event of December 14 and the Decembrists // Russian archive, 1870. - Ed. 2nd. - M., 1871. - Stb. 1633-1668.
• Sukhozanet I. O. December 14, 1825, the story of the chief of artillery Sukhozanet / Soobshch. A. I. Sukhozanet // Russian antiquity, 1873. - T. 7. - No. 3. - S. 361-370.
• Felkner V.I. Notes of Lieutenant General V. I. Felkner. December 14, 1825 // Russian antiquity, 1870. - Vol. 2. - Ed. 3rd. - St. Petersburg, 1875. - S. 202-230.

see also

Links

	Decembrist revolt at Wikimedia Commons