On January 13, 1822, the activities of all secret societies and Masonic lodges were banned in Russia, and in 2007 the most mysterious organization in the world reopened its lodge in Russia. Today it already includes about 400 people. The review of the site "Culturology" contains facts about Masons in Russia. We invite readers of IA "Amitel" to familiarize themselves with them.

Freemasonry, whose history goes back 300 years, remains the most closed organization today. Masons are credited with untold wealth, incredible influence in the world, secret conspiracies, revolutions and the overthrow of rulers.

History of Freemasonry

Freemasonry was born in London on June 24, 1717. On that day, 4 lodges, which included artisans and which were named after the taverns where artisans gathered - "Apple", "Crown", "Grape brush", "Goose and baking sheet" - united and became the Grand Lodge of London. Later, the nobility, merchants and the intelligentsia began to join the brotherhood of "free masons". This day and today the members of the lodge celebrate as the main Masonic holiday.

Some historians argue that Freemasonry appeared in Russia in the middle of the 18th century, and its founders were Peter I and his associates Franz Lefort and Patrick Gordon. But this version has no documentary confirmation.

Freemasonry is closed to women

It is known that the Russian Masonic Lodge meets once a month. A candidate for Masons should have recommendations of 2-3 "brothers". A prerequisite is to pass the "survey under the bandage" (in front of the eyes). The main question that is asked of the applicant is his motives for joining the lodge. Voting takes place with white and black balls. If the candidate scored 3 black balls, then access is closed for him not only to the Masonic, but also to any other secret lodge.

At a meeting of the lodge, its current members read reports of a moral and philosophical nature, the so-called "architectural works". After the official part - agapa (dinner). Masons always raise the first toast to Russia, the second to the President of Russia, and the third to the lodge. Women are not accepted as "freemasons".

Masonic symbols are associated with the construction theme

Masonic symbols are mostly associated with construction topics: a ruler and a plumb line - a symbol of the equality of classes, a hammer - a symbol of the fact that members of the lodge do not refuse profane life, a compass - a symbol of the public, a protractor - a symbol of justice. In addition, five-pointed and six-pointed stars, a triangle with an all-seeing eye placed inside, a round hat, a coffin, a skull, bones, a stone, and so on, are considered Masonic symbols.

Masonic symbols can be seen on Russian medals and coins of tsarist times. It is believed that the coat of arms the USSR contains several Masonic symbols at once. The hammer is one of the main attributes of Freemasonry, the sickle is a symbol of death, and the intersection of these two symbols is interpreted as establishing and maintaining the power of the Freemasons with the help of the most cruel and bloody repressions. The adherents of this version interpret wheat ears as a symbol of wealth, money and prosperity.

If we talk about other countries, then the Masonic sign is also on the US dollar bill. However, the affiliation of most American presidents to Freemasonry today is beyond doubt.

On the Ukrainian banknote of 500 hryvnia - "The All-Seeing Eye". This element is part of the "Pythagorean Triangle" drawing by the Ukrainian poet and philosopher Hryhoriy Skovoroda. On the Ukrainian 1 hryvnia coin (issue of 2001) there is an acacia, which is a sacred tree of Masons and means immortality.

In the Russian capitals, you can conduct an excursion tour of Masonic sights

Connoisseurs of Moscow architecture are sure that it is quite possible to organize a tour "Masonic Moscow" in the Russian capital. Until our time, buildings with Masonic symbols, erected in the 18th century by the architect-Mason Vasily Bazhenov, have survived: the Tsaritsyno estate and the Tsar's Traveling Palace on Leningradskoye Shosse. There are Masonic signs on the mansion of the famous Freemason Prince Gagarin in Gagarinsky Lane, and on the old building of Moscow State University on Mokhovaya.

But still the most Masonic city in Russia is St. Petersburg. Even today, several thousand Masonic artifacts have been preserved in the cultural capital of Russia: the Stroganov Palace, the Kazan Cathedral, the Mikhailovsky Castle, the domes of the Trinity Cathedral - each of these buildings has Masonic signs and symbols.

Masons have secret signs

None of the Masonic lodges will accept a visiting Mason without a letter of recommendation or a phone call from the "fraternal lodge". Having found a stranger in their circle, the Masons, warning each other, say: "It's raining." The call of the world pioneer organization "Be ready!" - a purely Masonic motto.

Freemasons call non-Masons "profane"

The word "profane" in relation to non-members of the secret lodge Masons use in its original sense - "pro fane", which means "standing at the threshold." This indicates that the person is not initiated into the mysteries of the Order. Therefore, "profane" among the Masons is not an offensive word. Yes, and Ozhegov's dictionary interprets this word as "ignorant in any area."

Among the Russian Freemasons were Pushkin and Kerensky

There is no algorithm by which it is possible to calculate a person's belonging to the Masonic lodge. This secret organization keeps the lists of its members in the strictest confidence. If the person himself has not openly confirmed that he is a member of the lodge, then it is impossible to get a reliable answer to the question about Freemasonry.

According to unconfirmed information, Pushkin, Kutuzov, Radishchev, Suvorov, Fonvizin, Karamzin, Muravyov-Apostol, Ryleev, artist Bryullov, Petliura, composer Rimsky-Korsakov, princes Volkonsky, Golitsyn, Vyazemsky, Trubetskoy, Kurakins, Razumovsky were Masons.

Interesting fact
Masons' favorite composer is Mozart. According to legend, he was poisoned because he revealed Masonic secrets in his Magic Flute. When The Magic Flute is performed at the Vienna Opera, several dozen people in the hall are sure to get up - these are Freemasons.

On August 13, 1822, Tsar Alexander I signed the rescript "On the prohibition of secret societies and Masonic lodges." Masonic lodges in Russia arose in the first half of the 18th century. They were banned under Catherine II and Paul I, but they continued their activities. Alexander's government initially allowed Freemasonry in Russia, trying to control and even use them for their own purposes.

However, Alexander soon realized that the goals of the Freemasons were radically at odds with the national interests. Conspiratorial lodges of the "higher degrees" began to emerge in the Russian Empire, and Freemasonry itself turned out to be closely connected with the activities of subversive structures, including the "Decembrists". The activities of the Masons harmed the state and Orthodoxy. Therefore, Emperor Alexander tried to stop the activities of secret structures in the empire.

The official date of the appearance of Masonic lodges is considered to be the middle of the 18th century. Although some researchers believe that secret organizations began to develop the territory of Russia as early as the 17th century, Peter I and his associates Franz Lefort and Patrick Gordon are called among the founders of Freemasonry in the Russian state. In 1731 Lord Lovell, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of London, appointed Captain John Philips Provincial Grand Master for the Russian state. Initially, most of the members of Masonic lodges in Russia were foreigners - officers and merchants. But then the number of Russians in the Masonic lodges increased significantly. In the 1750s, a lodge operated from the capital of the empire under the leadership of Count R. I. Vorontsov (an active participant in the palace coup of 1741, one of the richest people in the empire).

In 1772, Ivan Perfilievich Elagin became the Provincial Grand Master. He transformed the lodges that existed by that time in the Russian Empire into a single system (it included up to 14 lodges). Freemasons operated in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Vladimir, Arkhangelsk and other cities. In the 1770s, another system of Masonic lodges arose in Russia - the “Swedish” or “Zinnendorf system” (it was founded by P.-B. Reichel). In 1777, the Swedish king visited St. Petersburg, who, together with his brother, was at the head of the Swedish Freemasons. The Swedish monarch attended meetings of Russian Freemasons and initiated Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich into Freemasonry. In the 1770s, in Masonic circles under the leadership of Count N.I. Panin, the idea was born to establish a constitutional monarchy in Russia according to the English model. For this, it was supposed to overthrow and kill Catherine II.

In the early 1780s, Moscow became an important center of freemasonry. The main role in the history of Moscow Freemasonry was played by two outstanding personalities - N. I. Novikov and I. Schwartz. Freemasons under the leadership of Novikov developed a vigorous activity in the distribution of Masonic and other "enlightenment" literature. Empress Catherine II began to suspect Masons of subversive activities. She ordered to conduct several searches, to study the books of the Masons for danger to the state. In 1786, school and hospital business was taken away from the Masons, and some of the suspicious literature was banned. Masonic literature was considered more dangerous than the publications of the French encyclopedists. However, Novikov continued to publish Masonic books. After the appointment of Prince Prozorovsky in Moscow, the activities of the Masons were taken under strict control. In 1791 the Printing Company was liquidated. The following year, books were sealed, some of which were banned and published and sold in defiance of the authorities' ban. Freemasonry was banned in 1794. Novikov was arrested, he was kept in Shlisselburg until 1796. The rest of the Masons were punished very mildly. So, Prince Trubetskoy and Turgenev were exiled to their own villages, with a ban on moving. Others generally escaped with a slight fright. Freemasonry fell silent for a while.

Sovereign Pavel in many ways acted in defiance of the reign of his mother, therefore, initially he pursued a liberal policy towards Freemasonry. Novikov was released, supervision was removed from Lopukhin, Tatishchev and Trubetskoy were allowed free movement, etc. Many Masons were awarded. The emperor himself "flirted" with the Order of Malta, trying to "play" according to European rules. However, he did not allow the resumption of the activities of the order of freemasons in the empire. It must be said that almost all the main participants in the assassination of Emperor Paul I were Freemasons or associated with them. Paul, despite his games with European Freemasonry, began to pursue a nationally oriented policy, challenged England, which is why he was eliminated.

In the reign of Emperor Alexander I, the activities of Masonic lodges were restored. In St. Petersburg, the "Grand Lodge of Astrea" was founded (it was created according to the English model - following the example of the Grand Lodge of England). Count VV Musin-Pushkin became its Grand Master. Among the Freemasons were many future "Decembrists", including the head of the Southern Society of Decembrists - Pavel Pestel. By the time of its closure in 1822, the Grand Lodge of Astrea had 19 lodges, and its competitor, the Provincial Grand Lodge, had 7 lodges. The essence of Freemasonry in Russia is well shown by the uprising of December 1825 (Masons predominated among the leaders of the rebels). Contrary to the opinion imposed on Soviet and Russian residents about the "Decembrists, as" knights without fear and reproach, "they were real" enemies of the people ". They planned not only to turn Russia into a weak decentralized state (constitutional monarchy or republic), but also to dismember it into a federation (or confederation) of several independent, separate territories. The royal dynasty was subject to destruction. Russia in the event of the victory of the "Decembrists" would be turned into an easy prey for the Western colonial empires.

In the future, the activities of Freemasonry went underground, moving into the cultural sphere. Only during the reign of Tsar Nicholas II, their activities were legalized. This was another mistake of the government of Nicholas II. A significant part of the high-ranking participants in the February Revolution ("Februaryists") were Freemasons. They dreamed of remaking Russia after the model of England or France. Their activities led to the collapse of the empire and millions of victims.

Everyone has heard about the Masons and their mysterious lodges, which allegedly control power around the world. About what was their real influence on politics in the Russian Empire, is described in the article by Yuri Kondakov.

In the XVIII - early XX century, a wide range of secret societies of various kinds operated in Russia. These include sects, Orders, Masonic lodges, political organizations. In addition, at various times in Russia there were secret societies, whose members hid their activities because of their inconsistency with moral standards. These included the “Evin Club” that existed under Catherine II and the “Pigs” society under Alexander I. Undoubtedly, similar organizations were active at the beginning of the 20th century. Clubs, student and trade unions could have a secret character. However, there is no need to talk about any of their influence on politics. Secret nationalist organizations that fought for the independence of the various peoples of Russia stand apart. Political tasks were set by the Orders of the Templars, Rosicrucians, Jesuits, and revolutionary organizations. The worldview of statesmen could be influenced by their long-term participation in Masonic lodges and sects. It is these secret organizations that will be at the center of this essay.

Under the conditions of the monarchy, influence on the country's politics could be achieved by influencing the emperor and major government officials. There was another way - the organization of social movements or the creation of certain moods among the masses. Revolutionary organizations, some sects and religious societies followed this path. Masonic lodges and Orders used both methods in their practice. The results of this activity in Russia are to be assessed.

The growth in the number of secret organizations in Russia began in the second half of the 18th century. At this time, a number of "national" sects appeared in Russia - Dukhobors, eunuchs, whips. Although some of the sects, such as the Doukhobors, may have been organized by Quakers, they had no further connection with the outside world. Their followers set themselves purely religious tasks and acted in the lower strata of society. At the same time, Alexander I, who favorably treated the sectarians, personally visited the head of the eunuchs, Kondraty Selivanov. Persons from the emperor's entourage were part of the sect of N.F. Tatarinova, who practiced elements of the practice of whips. At a certain stage, the indulgence of the authorities led to the expansion of the influence of sects. A somewhat different situation developed in Russia around sects, which included German subjects, who often held prominent positions. Hernguters played a significant role in this respect. In 1764, Catherine II donated a house in St. Petersburg to sectarians who came to Russia, they also received land on the Volga (the colony of Sarepta). At Moscow University, the Hernguters acted simultaneously with the Rosicrucians. Gernguter I.I. Wiegand recalled that he was hired by the university under the patronage of the Rosicrucian I.G. Schwartz, who, before his death, expressed a desire to become a Hernhuter. 1 In the 19th century, Count K.A. Liven, a trustee of the University of Dorpat, was a political opponent of the Minister of Spiritual Affairs and Public Education A.N. Golitsyn. The clash happened precisely on religious grounds. In the last years of the reign of Alexander I, a number of high-ranking officials belonged to the sect of I.E. Gossner, which operated in St. Petersburg. At the beginning of the century, the society of "spirit seers" "People of God" in the capital was formed by Count T. Leshchits-Grabyanka. Although he himself was arrested and died in prison, one of his followers - Prince A.N. Golitsyn - continued the meetings of the society. Quite unexpectedly, the Grabyanka Society or the People of God continued its work under Nicholas I until the natural death of its members. Despite the fact that the above-mentioned sects were of foreign origin and involved large officials in their ranks, their members did not set themselves political tasks. There could be no talk of any unity of the sectarians. Each direction considered only itself "God's chosen ones" and criticized competitors.

A different picture is presented by political organizations pursuing revolutionary goals. One of the first to enter the Russian arena were the Decembrist organizations "Union of Salvation", "Union of Welfare", "Northern" and "Southern" societies. Their task was to change the political system in the country through a military coup. During the reign of Alexander II, the largest revolutionary organizations were "Land and Freedom", "Black Repartition", "People's Reprisal". At the end of the 19th century, underground political parties appeared in Russia, aiming to overthrow the monarchy. In a number of cases, opposition political movements received support from abroad. The theory has already become a classic, according to which a common control center stood behind the revolutionary organizations. Most often, the guiding force is called Masons.

Masonic lodges, the Orders of the Templars and the Rosicrucians began to operate actively in Russia from the middle of the 18th century. Standing apart was the Order of the Jesuits, whose goal was to protect the Catholic Church, including from Masons. The Jesuits infiltrated Masonic organizations and tried to impose Christian dogma on them. Until now, there is an opinion that the Jesuits were involved in the creation of the Orders of the Neo-Thamliers and the Golden Rosicrucians. The Jesuits also took part in political intrigues. In 1762, the Order was banned in France, and in 1767 the King of Spain announced the abolition of the Order. Catherine II allowed the Jesuits in the territory of the Russian Empire to continue their work. The Jesuits tried to influence the political situation in Russia under Paul I and Alexander I. According to legend, on the day before the assassination of Paul, the Jesuit General Gruber did not have time to sign a decree with him subordinating the ROC to the Pope. It is believed that before his death, Alexander I sent his adjutant Michaud de Boretour to the Pope for the same purpose. However, the increasing seduction of the Orthodox into Catholicism led to the fact that in 1815 the Order was expelled from the capital of the Russian Empire, and in 1820 from the country. At this time, the Pope had already resumed the activities of the Jesuits in Europe. They wrote many anti-Masonic writings. The largest of them was the works of Augustin Barruel (1741-1820) - "The Voltairians, or the story of the Jacobins, revealing all the anti-Christian evil intentions and sacraments of the Masonic lodges that have an impact on all European powers" in 12 volumes and their abridged version - "Notes on Jacobins, revealing all the anti-Christian evil intentions and the sacraments of the Masonic lodges, which have an influence on all European powers”, translated and published in Russia. Most likely, the Jesuits compiled a document that was kept in the archives of Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich. He was cited in his article “Decembrist Freemasons” by Semevsky: “Freemasons should increase and multiply in the shadow of a secret and repeat terrible oaths about the right to take revenge even with a weapon for breaking a promise to keep it, but in society a rule should be set that they do not do anything contrary to the law of religion and mores. And this secret of the greatest importance should be kept only in a lodge of the 5th degree, composed of only architects, intended to manage and restore the building of Solomon's temple. All the rest will be told only that in our society it is especially advised to provide assistance and mercy to each other. How plausible this passage is from an unknown Masonic document will be seen from the following brief review of the history of Masonic lodges and Orders.

The Masonic movement that came to Russia in the 18th century was never united. Fierce competition reigned between the various currents. In Russia, in its development, the Masonic systems followed in the European mainstream. The first Russian lodges worked according to the "English" system under the leadership of I.P. Elagin. Their work passed only in three degrees, were simple and practically not documented. The foreign lodge, from which work permits and installation documents were obtained, controlled only the compliance of the work with the Masonic charters. Yelagin did not receive any orders from abroad.

Everything changed with the advent of higher degree systems in Russia. The most influential of these was the "strict surveillance" charter, which concealed the restored Knights Templar. In 1754, the charter was introduced in Germany by Baron K. Hund. The main idea was that the Knights Templar survived in Scotland and continued to keep the secret rites and relics of the Jerusalem Temple. By their efforts, allegedly, Freemasonry was created, which they also controlled. The leadership of the Order was called "secret chiefs". Already in the sixth degree, an initiate became a Knight Templar. Strict discipline reigned in the Order and the obligatory obedience of the younger to the elders, only Christians were accepted. The Templars dreamed of reviving the Order in full and returning land to it. In this regard, directives were sent to various Provinces of the Order (in different countries), designed to consolidate the efforts of the knights. In Russia, the German and Swedish Provinces of the Order opened their lodges. In 1763-1765, I.A. Shtark opened a chapter of the system of “strict surveillance” in St. Petersburg. In 1779 the Berlin lodge of the Three Globes (strict observation) opened a lodge of the Three Banners in Moscow.

The "Swedish" system, brought in 1777 by A.B. Kurakin, had a strong influence on the situation in Russian Freemasonry. Her arrangement was reminiscent of "strict surveillance" and also included the grades of the Knights Templar. At the time when the "Swedish" system came to Russia, its head, Duke Karl of Südermanland, entered into an agreement with the system of "strict supervision" and became the grand master of a number of provinces (he reformed the "Swedish" system along the lines of "strict supervision"). Following this, the duke announced that Russia was subordinate to the Swedish province he headed. Russian lodges were required to report on their work, transfer funds and appoint foreigners to leadership positions. In 1780, the Duke of Südermanland led the Swedish fleet in the war with Russia. The contacts of Russian Freemasons with Sweden provoked the indignation of Catherine II. Police checks of lodges began, some of them had to close. Feeling the fragility of their position, the leaders of the three lodges of mothers of different subordination, A.P. Tatishchev, N.N. Trubetskoy and N.I. Novikov, agreed in Moscow to get rid of Swedish rule. The actions of the Duke of Südermanland were also dissatisfied in Germany. Duke Ferdinand of Brunswick, head of the Scottish lodges of the "strict surveillance" system, announced the convening of a Masonic convention in Wilhelmsbad to discuss the further development of the system. The convention was originally scheduled for 1781, but took place in the summer of 1782. The Russian "brothers" of the united three lodges of mothers sent I.G. Schwartz to Berlin, who convinced F. Braunschweigsky to represent their interests at the convention. Despite the fact that the Wilhelmsbad Convention ruled that the Templars were not the founders of Freemasonry and established a new system, the "Swedish" system in Russia continued to exist intermittently in Russia until the ban of the lodges in 1822.

At different times, other systems operated in Russia - "Melissino", "Reicheleva", "amended Scottish charter". Despite the fact that each of them was popular in its time, they had no consequences for the Russian Masonic movement and were no longer practiced in the 19th century (with the exception of individual lodges). The situation was completely different with the "Rosicrucian" system brought by I.G. Schwartz from Berlin in 1782. The order of the golden and pink cross appeared in Austria and Germany in the middle of the 18th century. Its leaders claimed that their brotherhood had been operating secretly since ancient times and was known in Europe under the name of the Rosicrucians. The order had a complex structure and was bound by strict discipline. The main occupation of the Rosicrucians was alchemy, but they also had political goals. The Order assumed that in 1856 the Second Coming should take place and it was necessary to prepare the world for this event. The Rosicrucians tried to draw the crowned heads into their ranks, enter their circle and direct policy. In 1782, the center of the Order was in Berlin, headed by the Prussian Freemasons J.H. Welner, J.R. Bischofswerder and J.H. Teden. It was they who supervised the new Russian section. Instructions, directives, informational messages flowed from Berlin to Russia. Soon the Russian branch of the Order was headed by Baron G.Ya. Schroeder sent from Berlin. In a short period of time, the Rosicrucians were able to establish control over most of the Russian lodges and came into contact with the heir to the throne, Pavel Petrovich. Such activity frightened Catherine II, and repressions fell upon the Russian Freemasons. In 1786, following an unspoken ban by the empress, almost all the lodges stopped working. However, the Rosicrucians did not obey the ban and continued their meetings in a "close circle". The result in 1792 was the arrest of their leaders and the imprisonment of N.I. Novikov in the Shlisselburg fortress.

With the accession of Paul I, the prohibitions against the Rosicrucians were lifted, some of them were rewarded and brought closer to the throne. But the new emperor did not allow the lodges to resume work. Freemasons again began to meet openly only under Alexander I. During this period, the leaders of the "Swedish" and "French" statutes came to the fore. Freemasonry became a fashion and spread widely in high society. In the 19th century, the Rosicrucians did not manage to restore their influence, since their leaders N.I. Novikov and I.A. Pozdeev could not divide power among themselves. During this period, Russian Freemasons did not have active ties with foreign centers. Danger came from the other side. Secret organizations created in the army and guards (Decembrists) took the structure of Masonic lodges as a basis and even tried to use some of the lodges for their own purposes. The result was a series of complaints to the emperor from the leaders of the Masons, who called for putting things in order in the movement. In 1822 lodges and secret societies were banned in Russia. Officials gave a subscription no longer belong to them. Since the ban had passed, it was not possible to formally stop the meeting of lodges or prevent the uprisings of the Decembrists.

After 1822, only the Rosicrucians continued to work in Russia. Their Moscow group lasted until the beginning of the 20th century. There were no major officials and politicians among the Rosicrucians of that time, so they could only exert a moral and cultural influence on society. In the second half of the 19th century, Masons appeared among Russians who were initiated in European countries. In 1906-1910, with the approval of the Grand Orient of France, lodges opened work in Russia. This Masonic organization proclaimed an orientation towards the protection of liberal values, the fight against autocracy and admitted atheists into its ranks. Most of the Russians who joined the ranks of Freemasons (mostly professors) did not want to be actively involved in revolutionary work, limiting themselves to moral and ethical quests. For this reason, the radical leaders of the movement in February 1910 announced the euthanasia of the Masonic lodges in Russia. As a result, only 37 people out of 97 Freemasons entered the new organization "Great East of the Peoples of Russia". The cadet N.V. Nekrasov became the head, in the new lodges they used a simplified ritual, made political reports and discussed political issues. Everything related to the “preparation by the Masons of the February Revolution” cannot yet be documented. It is believed that already in 1916 they prepared the composition of the new government. The "Great Orient of the Peoples of Russia" united diverse political forces under its leadership. The military, grand dukes, writers, socialists were members of various lodges at the leadership level. Taking advantage of the collapse of the autocracy, the Freemasons managed to bring their own people (some of the members of the Provisional Government) to power in Russia. Further collapse followed. I would like to note that, unlike the Bolsheviks, the Masons did not cooperate with the Germans, the enemies of Russia. On the contrary, they were staked by the allies, who were interested in Russia continuing the war (and no less in ensuring that Russia was not among the victorious countries). However, it was the Freemasons, and not the Bolsheviks, who did everything to end the monarchy. I would like to believe that these people were blinded by hopes for a new democratic future of the country and overestimated their own strength. Until the early 1930s, disparate Masonic groups continued to exist in the USSR, until the OGPU put an end to them.

From the beginning of the 18th century, Freemasonry began to spread in Europe. From the very beginning, this caused a negative reaction from the official churches and monarchs. In 1738, Pope Clement XII issued an edict against Freemasonry. Catholics were forbidden to join lodges under pain of excommunication. In subsequent years, Freemasonry was banned in Spain (1740), Portugal (1743), Austria (1766), in the latter case, the ban also applied to the Rosicrucians. Despite the repressive measures, the European aristocracy continued to actively participate in the work of Masonic lodges. The fashion for Freemasonry became so stable that European monarchs took part in the movement, and sometimes even tried to lead it. In Sweden, the Duke Karl of Südermanland (later the Swedish king) became the head of the Freemasons. In Prussia, Frederick II's brother, Duke Ferdinand of Brunswick, led the Scottish lodges of the strict observation charter. In France, the Duke of Orleans, Louis-Philippe I, became the great master of the "Great Orient of France". The Rosicrucians made the "biggest acquisition". They managed to attract the heir to the Prussian throne, Friedrich Wilhelm II, who in 1786 became the Prussian king, into the order. The leaders of the Rosicrucians Welner, Bischofswerder, Du Bosac became the ministers of the new government. Their reign was short-lived and unproductive. After the death of the king in 1797, they lost their positions, and with them their influence on politics.

Similar processes took place in Russia. Under Elizabeth Petrovna, the government turned its attention to the Masonic lodges and waged a fight against them. However, already Peter III, as a zealous follower of the Freemason Frederick II (an outstanding statesman and military leader), opened a lodge in Oranienbaum. The reign of the new emperor did not last long, and Catherine II, who removed him from the throne, undertook an investigation into her husband's Masonic activities (it is not known how it ended). The Empress should have been unpleasantly struck by the fact that the associate of Lieutenant V.Mirovich A.Ushakov turned out to be a Freemason (who drowned in the river and did not take part in the attempt to free Ivan Antonovich). It seems that it is no coincidence that in the first years of the reign of Catherine II, Russian Masons were headed by her protege and confidant I.P. Elagin. At first, the Empress treated the Freemasons calmly, especially since the “enlighteners” she loved were also in the lodges. Everything changed when high-level systems began to come to Russia. Already in the directives received by the Russian Freemasons from Charles of Südermanland, it was ordered to pay special attention to the heir to the throne, Pavel Petrovich, it was supposed to elect him the head of the Russian Freemasons. The empress was not going to pass the throne to her son. Major Freemasons were those close to Pavel Petrovich A.B. Kurakin, N.I. Panin, N.V. Repnin. The head of the "Phoenix" chapter, Beber, in his note on Freemasonry, said that the "Swedish" system aroused the suspicions of Catherine II. She ordered the publication in Russia of a French satirical pamphlet about Freemasons, The Repugnant Society. Then the chief police chief, himself a freemason, advised the "brothers" to close their lodges. The leaders of the "Swedish" system A.B. Kurakin and G.P. Gagarin were removed from St. Petersburg. 2

The next round of participation of Russian Freemasons in politics was associated with the introduction of the Rosicrucian Order in Russia. So far, no instructions have been found sent to Moscow from Berlin, but it is possible to trace the main directions in the development of the Russian section of the Order. Even before the adoption of Rosicrucianism, N.I. Novikov and his comrades rented a university printing house and arranged for the translation, publication and distribution of Masonic literature. The Translation and Philological Seminaries were opened, where university students studied. One by one, magazines were opened and various societies were created. By decision of the Wilhelmsbad Convention, N.I. Novikov and his comrades received the monopoly right to open lodges of the “Corrected Scottish Rite” in Russia. They formed the governing bodies "Province" and "Capital". The place of the Provincial Grand Master was left vacant, in the hope that the heir to the throne, Pavel Petrovich, would deign to accept him. 3 The Rosicrucians managed to take control of most of the leaders of the Russian Masonic lodges. They paid special attention to Pavel Petrovich and his entourage. The structures of the order included those close to the Grand Duke S.I. Pleshcheev and N.V. Repnin. The architect V.I. Bazhenov kept in touch with Pavel Petrovich himself.

During the investigation, N.I. Novikov said that V.I. Bazhenov brought him a record of his conversation with Pavel Petrovich. Novikov considered the material delivered to him so dangerous that he immediately wanted to burn it, but rewrote it and sent it to the Berlin leadership. A note compiled by Bazhenov was presented by Catherine II to the Grand Duke. Pavel Petrovich replied in writing: “On the one hand, this document is a heap of meaningless words, on the other hand, it is clearly drawn up with malicious intent.” 4 The Empress agreed that the "note" contained slander. As the memoirs of G.Ya. Schroeder show, the leadership of the Rosicrucians in Berlin was very interested in Pavel Petrovich and his entourage. Catherine II was frightened by the contacts of Masons with the Grand Duke. She closely followed what was happening in Prussia around Frederick William II. The Empress was indignant at the fact that the new king was being fooled by his Rosicrucian advisers (they called the spirit of his father). The result was an unspoken ban imposed on the work of lodges in Russia in 1786. The police authorities went around the premises of the lodges and warned their masters that if they did not stop working, the articles of the "Charter of Deanery" would be applied to them. The lodges closed, but the Rosicrucians continued their meetings. The result was the arrest of N.I. Novikov and the involvement of his comrades in the investigation.

The end of the 18th century became the scene of a fierce struggle between supporters of various Freemasonry systems. There is no need to talk about any general management of secret organizations during this period. The exposure of the Order of the Illuminati caused a special resonance, as a result, its name became a household name. Even in the 19th century, Russian Rosicrucians warned their followers about the intrigues of the Illuminati. A striking example of the struggle among the Freemasons is the message of the Rosicrucian lodge "Frederick to the Golden Lion" to the Wilhelmsbad Convention in 1782. The "Brothers" attacked their former comrades, who had broken away from the Rosicrucians and created their own Order of the Knights of the True Light. The Rosicrucians called the "knights of light" "satanic disciples, copying God in their miracles." They were convinced that the "knights of light" would infiltrate the convention and interfere with its work. 5 Another example is the reviews of I.P. Elagin about the followers of the “Carlsbad system” (as he called the Rosicrucians). The main accusations against the "Carlsbad system" were the following: the self-interest of its members, superstition, the involvement of high-ranking officials, the prohibition of Masons from other systems from joining lodges. Among the characteristic features of the society of I.G. Schwartz, Elagin pointed out that its members are instructed to “constantly” read the Old and New Testaments, open schools where “brothers” teach. Elagin compared the "Carlsbad system" with the Order of the Jesuits. 6 The arrangements in the Rosicrucian lodges were severely criticized by the rhetorician of the Three Banners lodge, I.F. Vigelin. In a letter to an unknown person, he condemned the hypocrisy and self-interest of the "brothers". “Now the brothers were prescribed prayer, fasting, mortification, and other exercises. Dreams, superstitions, miracles, folly around the adepts became the order of the day. Reason was rejected, war was declared on it; those who clung to him were pushed aside and even persecuted with hatred. The most vulgar, most absurd tales were being circulated; the air was saturated with the supernatural; they only talked about the appearance of ghosts, divine influence, the miraculous power of faith,” wrote Wegelin. 7 After the exposure of the Order of the Illuminati, the leadership of the Rosicrucians in Berlin sent out orders that the secret ciphers, passage words and slogans of the first three degrees of the Order fell into the hands of the Illuminati. In addition, some Rosicrucians crossed into the ranks of the Illuminati, passing on the secrets of the Order to them. It was prescribed for all those who would use the old ciphers and signs to be considered Illuminati and to be torn out of communication. Anyone joining the Order of the Illuminati was to be expelled from the Rosicrucian Order. eight

Very typical for covering the topic of the influence of secret societies on politics is the situation with Freemasonry in the reign of Paul I. After his accession, first Yu.N. M. M. Kheraskov received the same rank in 1796. I.P. Turgenev was appointed director of Moscow University and State Councilor. I.V. Lopukhin became a State Councilor and Secretary of State. S.I. Pleshcheev was promoted to vice admiral and appointed to be under the emperor, N.V. Repnin became field marshal general. Z.Ya.Karnaev and A.A.Lenivtsev received promotions. The Rosicrucian M.M. Desnitsky was made presbyter of the court church in Gatchina. Most of all, the new reign affected the fate of N.I. Novikov, M.I. Bagryanitsky and M.I. Nevzorov. The former were released from the Shlisselburg fortress, and the latter from the lunatic asylum. However, the characteristics of the personality of Pavel Petrovich did not allow the Masonic movement to unfold again and the Rosicrucians to fully revive. F.V. Rostopchin recalled that, realizing the danger of Masons, he took advantage of a trip in the emperor’s carriage and “opened his eyes” to the Order. He talked about the connections of the Martinists with Germany, their desire to kill the empress and selfish goals. "This conversation dealt a mortal blow to the Martinists," Rostopchin said. 9 It is difficult to believe such a report, since Rostopchin's "Note" bizarrely intertwined empty rumors and real facts. The “Note on the Masons of the Special Office of the Ministry of Police” indicated that Pavel Petrovich, having arrived in Moscow for the coronation, gathered the leaders of the Masonic lodges and demanded that they not gather until his special order. 10 Masons obeyed the will of the emperor, but the Rosicrucians began the revival of the lodges even before the murder of Pavel Petrovich.

During the reign of Catherine II, among the Russian Freemasons were major government officials. According to G.V. Vernadsky, the Imperial Council in 1777 included four Masons, and in 1787 - three. Masons were in the Senate and the court staff (1777 - 11 chamberlains, in 1787 - six). 11 The lodges included high-ranking military men, such as S.K. Greig and N.V. Repnin (led the "marching" lodge). Among the Freemasons there were many representatives of the titled nobility and officials of the “middle hand”. It is necessary to mention the curator of the Moscow University M.M. Kheraskov, the chairman of the Moscow Provincial Criminal Chamber I.V. Lopukhin, the commander-in-chief in Moscow Z.G. Chernyshev, who served under his command S.I. Gamaleya and I.A. Pozdeev. These people could provide protection to the Masons, but they did not have enough strength to influence big politics.

The authorities tried to control the activities of the Masons. Police checks in lodges are known in 1780 and 1786. During the investigation, N.I. Novikov spoke about attempts to introduce police agents into the lodges. It was about accepting an official of the secret office V.P. Kochubeev (the future Minister of the Ministry of Internal Affairs V.P. Kochubey) as a Freemason. “There was no search on our part or any intention at this, I truly say, as before God, there was no; but we thought that he was ordered to do this by the commander-in-chief, in order to know what was happening in our boxes ... By this very guess, we decided to introduce him to all the degrees that depended on us to give, so that he could see and know everything, ”showed Novikov. 12 Thus, the alleged police agent was introduced into the fifth degree of the "Theoretical degree of the Solomonic sciences."

A completely different situation developed in Russia during the reign of Alexander I - during the "golden age" of Masonic lodges. At this time, lodges of the "French" and "Swedish" systems were widely spread. Freemasonry became a fashion, and the nobles en masse entered the lodges. The Rosicrucians were still the most active. Information about their attempts to influence officials has been preserved. I.A. Pozdeev became the Masonic mentor of the Razumovsky brothers (A.K. Razumovsky - from 1810 the Minister of Public Education) and subjugated the young leaders of the Masons S.S. Lansky and M.Yu. Vielgorsky. I.V. Lopukhin for some time took care of M.M. Speransky, N.I. Novikov and A.F. Labzin led D.P. Runich. Among the advice given by the Rosicrucians to their wards, we see mainly moral recommendations. Politics mentors concerned only in the case when it came to the situation in Freemasonry. For example, in 1810, when the reform of the Masonic lodges was being prepared and A.K. Razumovsky joined the Committee developing it, Pozdeev gave him appropriate recommendations. Pozdeev was afraid of the official permission of the lodges, since random people could “gush” into Freemasonry en masse. He dreamed of a tacit resolution of Freemasonry and the creation in Moscow and St. Petersburg of two independent control centers - the Provincial Lodges. However, the reform was never carried out. The rivalry between the two leaders of the Rosicrucians - N.I. Novikov and I.A. Pozdeev - did not allow the Order of the Golden and Pink Cross to be fully restored in Russia.

The closest friend of Alexander I, Prince A.N. Golitsyn, was involved in the "Avignon Society". For a decade, the freemason R.A. Koshelev became the ideologist of reforms in the spiritual sphere. With his direct participation in Russia, events were carried out that are very reminiscent of the actions of the Rosicrucian ministers in Prussia. The English "Bible Society" was attracted to Russia. Membership in it has become almost mandatory for officials. In 1817, the Ministry of Spiritual Affairs and Public Education was established, headed by A.N. Golitsyn, who received the nickname "extinguisher of education." The main problem is that no one has been able to prove the fact that A.N. Golitsyn was accepted into the Freemasons, and R.A. Koshelev had no Masonic connections after coming into power. Golitsyn was the ideal executor of the emperor's will. He tried not to interfere in the affairs of the Russian Orthodox Church and took care of improving the welfare of the clergy and raising their prestige. There are cases when Freemasonry served as an obstacle to the career of persons who served under Golitsyn. So D.P. Runich did not get the position of director of the department, since it turned out that he was a member of the Dying Sphinx Lodge.

We have no information about the connections of the Masonic lodges of the 19th century with European centers. As before, the lodges were self-financed and lived off membership dues and money contributed for initiation and promotion in degrees. There is no information about the receipt of money by Russian Freemasons from abroad, on the contrary, in the 18th century, the leadership of the "Swedish" and "Rosicrucian" systems demanded that part of the acceptance fee be sent to Stockholm and Berlin. The paths of government officials to lodges were different. Often they joined in their youth, before they took high positions, often followed the dictates of fashion. In this regard, the box of the "French" system "United Friends" is typical (in its list, compiled by A.I. Serkov, there are more than 500 members). The lodge included Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich, Duke Alexander of Wirtemberg, Count Stanislav Pototsky, Count Alexander Osterman, Major General N.M. Borozdin, I.A. (Minister of Police). The police authorities gave the lodge the following characteristic: "acts of teaching had little, but no object and purpose." 13 Another remarkable phenomenon is the “Polar Star” Lodge, created by the direct order of Alexander I, called to St. Petersburg by the Freemasonry reformer I.A. Fessler. The lodge included officials of the Commission for the drafting of laws M.M. Speransky, M.L. Magnitsky, A.I. Turgenev, P.D. etc. It is curious that the short time spent in the lodge led Speransky to the fact that he wrote works on Masonic topics all his life. In the same way, in their youth, D.P. Runich, P.D. Markelov, Yu.N. Bartenev, F.I. Pryanishnikov, V.N. Having long ceased attending lodges and having taken major government posts, they continued to study Masonic literature in their spare time and even write their own Masonic writings. An even more interesting example is the student and pupil of I.V. Lopukhin A.I. Kovalkov. He was not officially a member of the lodges, but left behind the deepest alchemical writings (he ended his service as a privy councillor). There is no need to talk about any influence of Freemasonry on the service activities of all these people.

No matter how favorable the liberalism of Alexander I was for the Masons, they never received official permission for their work. Moreover, in 1822, the only decree in Russian history was issued that banned the activities of Masonic lodges and secret societies (repeated by Nicholas I). Some leaders of the Freemasons also insisted on the introduction of the ban, concerned that revolutionary elements were infiltrating the lodges. Indeed, the Decembrists tried to use some lodges as branches of a secret society ("United Friends", "Chosen Michael"). However, they abandoned their plans, preferring to create their societies in the form of lodges. The researcher V.I. Semevsky compared the statutes of the Russian lodge "Astrea" with the "Old Masonic Duties or Fundamental Laws" of 1723 and came to the conclusion that the Freemasons of the lodge "Astrea" were "faithful slaves of the Russian government." The researcher wrote that the statutes of the Astrea lodge demanded the immediate expulsion of any "brother who rebelled against the state." The old English laws, on the contrary, did not provide for exclusion from the lodge for political opinions (although it was prescribed not to approve of "indignation"). Covering the conservative and pro-government views of Russian Freemasons, Semevsky wondered how the Decembrists could join them, even if only for a short time.

In fact, lodges in Russia have never been secret organizations. Most often they worked under the direct permission of the authorities. At the first request, they provided their acts for verification. The secrecy was largely formal. Indeed secret were the meetings of the "circles" of the Rosicrucians. Bits of information have been preserved about their activities. All of them testify that it was a religious and not a political organization.

The proportion of Freemasons in the bureaucratic environment of Alexander's reign was great. At the same time, Masonic officials in their official activities were guided by personal and official, and not at all Masonic interests. This fact is most convincingly proved by the subscriptions collected from the Masons under the decrees of 1822 and 1826. In both cases, the collection of information about Freemasons, officials and the military was of a formal nature (the authorities did not believe that they posed a danger to the state). Many of them withheld information about membership in lodges and higher Masonic structures and did not bear responsibility. Even Nicholas I, who almost lost his throne as a result of the Decembrist uprising, calmly tolerated Masons in ministerial positions. He allowed A.N. Golitsyn to gather Masons in a special office of the Postal Department and gave them important assignments. No repressive measures were taken against the Rosicrucians who were gathering in Moscow, although there were police reports to that effect. It must be assumed that the Russian emperors did not believe in the possibility of a worldwide Masonic conspiracy. They paid tribute to the business qualities of Masonic officials, "turning a blind eye" to their original hobbies.

The October Manifesto of 1905 opened the possibility of legal party and parliamentary activity in Russia. Under the conditions of the World War, the Russian society managed to introduce the idea that the country cannot win under the rule of Nicholas II. Opposition to the monarchy has developed in almost all sectors of society (especially in the politicking "elite"). However, it was very difficult for the liberal Duma leaders, the generals, the grand dukes and socialists, who equally desired the fall or change of the monarch, to unite and work out a common line. It was possible to find a point of contact for heterogeneous political forces thanks to Freemasonry. Until now, there are disputes whether the "Great East of the Peoples of Russia" was a regular Masonic lodge. This organization was actually devoid of ritual, the "brothers" pursued political goals, no documentation was kept. The network of lodges that united groups of Russians of different social, professional and political affiliations made it possible to coordinate the activities of the opposition. fourteen

Masons-Duma leaders were guided by the political program of the parties to which they belonged, the military were in a completely different position. The very critical situation required them to leave the political struggle until the conclusion of peace. However, generals M.V. Alekseev, N.V. Ruzsky, A.S. Lukomsky played a central role in the abdication of the emperor. In the event that these people were participants in the conspiracy, their act has no justification. It seems that membership in Masonic lodges played a key role in the political struggle of the period of the Provisional Government. “Dual power” was artificially maintained in the country until A.F. Kerensky became the head of the government. At a certain moment, this leader ceased to suit the "brothers", and then the persons united by the "February conspiracy" - M.V. Alekseev, A.M. Krymov, N.V. Nekrasov - united against him. They used L.G. Kornilov to remove the unpopular head of government from power and cleanse Petrograd of socialist elements. 15 The failure of their enterprise predetermined the coming to power of the Bolsheviks.

The question of the influence of Masonic lodges on the individual, society and politics has been repeatedly discussed in the literature. The influence of Freemasonry on each individual who joined the lodge was very selective. For example, N.V. Suvorov or N.M. Karamzin, who entered Freemasonry in their youth, later did not participate in the work. The situation was different with people who had been visiting lodges for many years, changing systems and receiving high degrees. Among the Rosicrucians S.I. These people lived the deepest spiritual life, practically giving up everything material. The statement of Metropolitan Platon (Levshin) is quite applicable to them: “I pray to the all-generous God that there are Christians like Novikov all over the world.” 16 Other cases can be cited. Priest Job (Kurotsky), who joined the Dying Sphinx Lodge, went mad and desecrated his church. According to the testimony of Archimandrite Photius (Spassky), the head of the lodges of the “French” system, A.A. Zherebtsov, committed suicide. Freemason I.F. Wolf, according to the memoirs of S.T. Aksakov, went crazy and starved himself to death. Some were repressed for their passion for Freemasonry: N.I. Novikov and M.I. Bagryanitsky spent four years in a fortress, M.I. Nevzorov spent the same amount in a lunatic asylum, his friend V.Ya. In exile A.F. Labzin, A.P. Dubovitsky spent many years in prison in a monastery (for organizing a sect).

The influence of Freemasonry on Russian society is visible to the "naked eye". N.I. Novikov, A.F. Labzin, M.I. Nevzorov and other lesser-known Masonic publishers and translators did a lot to promote and disseminate Masonic ideas. At the end of the 18th, beginning of the 19th and 20th centuries, Masonic literature was actively introduced in Russia, and after that the fashion for Freemasonry spread. A.S. Pushkin became a vivid example of such influence. Just before the prohibition of Freemasonry, he joined the Ovid Lodge, which had not yet received official permission to work. Obviously, the influence on the work of the “sun of Russian poetry” was made not by fleeting participation in the lodge, but by a circle of friends where Masonic motifs were fashionable. Anti-Masonic literature also had an impact on society. Already from the end of the 18th century, the thesis of a worldwide Masonic conspiracy began to spread in Russia. In some respects, such propaganda also drew attention to Freemasonry as to a phenomenon. Masons have traditionally been distinguished by wide religious tolerance (in the 18th - early 19th centuries in relation to various areas of Christianity). It led some of them to sects.

It is easy to see that when the English lodges of I.P. Elagin came to Russia, they practically had no influence on society. Things went differently after the establishment of the Orders of the Templars and the Rosicrucians. They established lively contacts with foreign centers, tried to attract officials and the heir to the throne. At the beginning of the 19th century, conspiratorial revolutionaries took advantage of the Masonic movement, and the result was the uprising of the Decembrists. In the third coming of Freemasonry to Russia, it already had a bright political connotation and, according to some researchers, became the basis of a conspiracy that led to a coup d'état.

To the layman, the Masonic movement often appears as one. In fact, both in the 18th and 19th centuries, and today, there are many trends that do not recognize each other. By their constitutions, regular lodges (of three degrees) should not be concerned with political and religious matters. Until the beginning of the 20th century, this was the case in Russia. However, such restrictions were not imposed on themselves by members of organizations adjacent to Freemasonry - irregular lodges and Orders. It was they who most often participated in the political struggle. The political activity of regular Freemasons was not connected with their Masonic activity. Each of them was guided by his own calculations and reasons in his official activity. The one who joined the lodge already had established views, and further “works” allowed him to develop in the desired direction (“Freemasonry makes good people even better”). Those who did not like the Masonic “works” could leave the lodge as a bad experience and no longer remember this page of their life. In other words, Masons-officials were free in their political activities. The legends that he missed Napoleon from Russia due to his Masonic sympathies, or that Admiral P.S. Nakhimov (whose Freemasonry is not confirmed) deliberately lost the Crimean War on the instructions of the Masonic "center", are a funny anecdote. In fact, during the hostilities, Masons could pick up and save the wounded "brother" of the enemy (as was the case with G.S. Batenkov), but this is no longer a political, but a moral step.

1 Timoshuk V.V. Pastor Wiegand// Russian antiquity. 1892. No. 6. S. 560-562.
2 Pypin A.N. Freemasonry in Russia. M., 1997. S. 150.
3 Longinov M.N. Novikov and the Moscow Martinists. SPb., 2000. S. 194-195.
4 Shumigorsky E.S. Emperor Paul I and Freemasonry // Freemasonry in its past and present. M., 1991. T. 2. S. 148.
5 Lanskoy's album // IRLI. D. 4880. L. 142.
6 Pekarsky P.P. Additions to the history of Freemasonry in Russia in the 19th century. SPb., 1869. S. 100-104.
7 Letter from I.F. Vegelin to an unknown person// Kiselev N.P. From the history of Russian Rosicrucianism. SPb., 2005. S. 335-345.
8 Pypin A.N. Freemasonry in Russia. M., 1997. S. 313.
9 Note on the Martinists// Russian archive. 1875. Part III S. 78-79.
10 Note on the Freemasons of the Special Office of the Ministry of Police// Collection of historical materials extracted from the archives of His Imperial Majesty's own office. SPb., 1901. Issue. 11. S. 302.
11 Vernadsky G.V. Russian freemasonry in the reign of Catherine II. SPb., 1999. S. 128.
12 Materials on the persecution of Novikov, his arrest and investigation // Novikov N. I. Izbr. op. M.; L., 1951. S. 659.
13 Freemasonry in its past and present. SPb., 1991. S. 159.
14 Kerensky L.F. Russia at a historical turn. Memoirs. M., 1993. S. 62-63.
15 Kondakov Yu.E. On the way to dictatorship: L.G. Kornilov, A.M. Krymov, M.V. Alekseev // Revolution of 1917 in Russia: New approaches and views. SPb., 2009. S. 53-60.
16 Longinov M.N. Novikov and the Moscow Martinists. SPb., 2000. S. 442.

Masonic initiation ritual

What secret societies existed in our country? Who was a member of the lodge of Russian Freemasons and who patronized it? How were Pushkin and the Decbrists connected with them? Why did Paul I patronize the Jesuits and why did Emperor Alexander I subsequently persecute the "Society of Jesus"?

Secret societies in tsarist Russia

In any history textbook you will find the phrase that secret societies - the predecessors of the Decembrists - appeared in Russia after the Foreign Campaign of 1812-1814. The military youth, they say, picked up everything in the "Europe" and transferred it to their native soil, not thinking about the consequences.

It cannot be said that this statement is completely untrue. The "boom" of secret societies did indeed occur in the period from 1815 to 1826, but the first sprouts began to appear even before the outbreak of the War of 1812. And if we talk specifically about Masons, then in general in the middle of the 18th century (Russian Masons themselves, however, trace their history back to Peter).

As for political secret societies, here too Russia can boast of its quite distinctive traditions - it is enough to recall that the 18th century in the history of Russia, by analogy with Roman history, could rightfully be called the "age of soldier empresses" .

Three successful coups d'état (and this is not counting the unsuccessful ones, such as the attempt by Lieutenant of the Smolensk Infantry Regiment Mironovich to rescue John Antonovich from Shlisselburg) legalized in the minds of the most educated part of the Russian nobility the very idea of ​​a conspiracy as a form of participation in politics.

Of course, they could not do without European trends - the Russian nobility could not help but be inspired by the French political clubs, from the depths of which the leaders of the Great Revolution came out, or by the communities of the Italian Carbonari (this word in the Russian pre-revolutionary political lexicon became a synonym for a conspirator and a revolutionary for a long time), but at the same time they always remembered their roots.

Although the secret societies of the Decembrists were created on the model of Masonic lodges, they tried to use the same force as the armed arm for their failed revolution, which was used by all the organizers of the palace coups of the 17th century - the regiments of the guard stationed in St. Petersburg.

All our secret societies of the beginning of the 19th century can be conditionally divided into three groups: political (including mystical-political), religious sects, and "others." This division is not contrived - on the contrary, it is absolutely natural, and secret societies in each of these categories were not only close in their tasks and mode of action, but in fact copied each other even in external forms.

So the first organizations of our Russian "Carbonari", which are sometimes also called "proto-Decembrist" during their creation, copied the external forms and rituals of the Masons, simply because they had no other role model.

Russian sectarianism, although it grew out of Orthodox heresies of the 16th and 17th centuries, but, having become the property of the nobility, especially the court part, acquired all the features of Protestant "Christian societies" - again, because this model was closer and more understandable.

As for the third group - "others" - it includes such a motley variety of organizations created for entertainment, out of a desire to follow the general fashion for secret societies, or just for fun, to find in them any common features, in principle , impossible. These societies also largely copied their European counterparts, mainly German student corporations.

Political and mystical-political secret societies.

Masons

Probably a small separate library was written about Russian Freemasonry. There is everything for every taste - serious historical research, apologetics, outright "tabloid" and insane conspiracy theories that put Freemasonry on a par with the Jewish conspiracy and the invasion of intelligent killer slugs from Proxima Centauri and laying responsibility for everything without exception on "freemasons" sharp turns in Russian history.

Of course, the Masonic lodges, being ideologically and organically connected with the movement and philosophy of the Enlightenment, sought to some extent to influence the policies of those states in which they were based. But "influencing" does not mean "conducting" - no one can manage history.

The role of the Masonic lodges was different - they created a system of horizontal connections parallel to the high society. The lodge successfully competed with the aristocratic salon for the role of a place for informal communication between the "brothers" equalized by the Masonic charter.

And the fact that behind the doors of the box one of the "brothers" was, say, Vice-Chancellor A.M. Golitsyn, and the other - looking for a new appointment as a young and promising offspring of the nobility, made Freemasonry even more attractive. At the same time, membership in the famous "English Club" assumed property and "family" qualifications, but in the Masonic lodge - no.

The first flowering of Russian Freemasonry happened during the reign of Catherine II. Actually, it took shape at the same time - before that, only separate scattered lodges existed on the territory of the Empire, and then, for the most part, they included foreigners living in Russia.

Drawing with a set of symbols used in the Swedish Rite. The inscription on the picture "From darkness to light."

And no matter how our Freemasons tried to defend their antiquity, starting the history of lodges from Peter I, dedicated by Lefort and Gordon, but before the appearance of the first "Elagin" and "Swedish" systems of lodges, Freemasonry in Russia was mostly amateur in nature.

And under Catherine, their first defeat took place, the main target of which was the famous Moscow book publisher and educator N.I. Novikov. Emperor Paul, although he himself at one time passed a Masonic initiation, was not at all going to give the lodges the opportunity to act legally, but, incidentally, did not put much pressure on them.

The conspiracy against him from this point of view generally looked extremely funny - of the trinity of regicides, only Zubov was a freemason, who delivered a fatal blow to Paul's temple, and both organizers and inspirers (Palen and Benigsen) were not Freemasons.

After that, you can indulge in any reasoning about the secret springs of Russian history. The current historians of Freemasonry, by the way, declare that they could have killed much earlier, but the freemason Suvorov categorically forbade it, emphasizing precisely the initiation of the emperor into the sacraments: a brother-mason should not raise his hand against his brother!

Under the new Emperor Alexander, Russian freemasonry experienced its second brief dawn. In 1815, the "Grand Lodge of Astrea" was created in St. Petersburg, headed by the discoverer of "The Tale of Igor's Campaign" Count Musin-Pushkin.

Freemasonry became fashionable again - many aspired to join the number of "free masons". In the "golden" Pushkin edition of the lyceum, almost everyone after a few years became a member of one or another lodge, which, in general, is not surprising, because they studied at the institution created by the Masons Speransky and Engelhardt, with Masonic teachers and from books written by Masons .

Alexander Sergeevich himself, however, got acquainted with Freemasonry, as they say, by the hand as early as childhood - in the library of the parental home, reading Novikov's almanacs lying there, Gamaleya's Masonic magazines, Labzin's Zion Herald, and the writings of the French Masonic philosopher Saint-Martin known throughout Europe and Rosicrucian journals.

Masonic banquet. France, 1840

It is not surprising that, having barely left the "gardens of the Lyceum" that he praised, the 19-year-old Pushkin tried to join the St. Petersburg lodge of the "Three Virtues". True, then he was refused - because of an overly violent lifestyle. Pushkin will succeed in becoming a Freemason only during his exile in Chisinau in 1820-23.

The lodge "Ovid", in which he was finally admitted, was considered rather seedy, and the character of the poet was, to put it mildly, unsuitable for a Masonic career. But all this did not prevent him from abundantly equipping his poems of that time with images and symbols of "free masons":

In smoke, in blood, through clouds of arrows

Now your way;

But you foresee your fate,

Our coming Quiroga!

And soon, soon the abuse will stop

Among the slave people

You take a hammer in your hand

And you will call: freedom!

I praise you, O faithful brother!

O venerable mason!

O Chisinau, O dark city!

Rejoice, enlightened one!

("To General Pushchin, 1821")

As a memento of his membership in the lodge, Pushkin got three clean inventory from the office of "Ovid" with Masonic symbols on the covers. The poet used them as drafts, hence the term “Masonic notebooks”, which was fixed in Pushkin studies, arose.

In general, Russian Freemasonry by the time the rescript was issued on August 1 had assumed such a comprehensive character that it was included in the title of this document in a separate line: "On the prohibition of secret societies and Masonic lodges."

The rescript itself, in fact, consisted of three parts: one required the immediate self-liquidation of already existing organizations, the other - increased supervision on the ground, but the third ordered all military and civilian officials to neither more nor less - to publicly admit membership in a secret society or in the lodge, and then renounce them in writing.

It was a knight's move - Freemasonry suddenly lost all its brilliance and was pushed to the sidelines of public life. And at the same time it became completely unambiguously associated with disloyalty to the throne. On August 11, 1822, Musin-Pushkin officially informed the St. Petersburg military governor-general that the "Grand Lodge of Astrea" and all the junior lodges under its jurisdiction were now dissolved. Russian freemasonry goes into the shadows for a long time.

What made Alexander, brought up by the Freemason La Harpe and himself in his youth passed the Masonic initiation, take up arms against the "freemasons"? Most of the current authors argue that the main reason was the reports coming from the Third Department about the activities of the secret societies of the Decembrists and their connections with the lodges.

This explanation looks too easy and primitive. Until the day of the announcement of the rescript, the Masons took an active part in the internal politics of the Empire, while being on both sides. Paul's murderers were not affected in any way by the former initiation of the emperor himself, nor by active membership in the lodge of one of them.

The same can be said about the Decembrist uprising. Yes, among them there were many both former and current Freemasons, but after all, the gendarme Benckendorff, who was a member of the United Friends lodge along with Griboyedov and Chaadaev, was also a Freemason.

And to participate in the work of the Supreme Criminal Court, Nicholas I invited not just anyone, but the freemason Speransky. And how did Freemasonry influence the fate, political or personal moral choice of each of them? During the years of the existence of the Astrea Lodge, up to 90% of the nobles who belonged to the highest secular circle and were in the public service were initiated into various degrees of Freemasonry, as a result, some became Decembrists, others became their stranglers, and still others remained on the sidelines.

The Decembrist secret societies, as mentioned earlier, took only external forms from Freemasonry. But the very idea of ​​a conspiracy was categorically at odds with the charter of the lodge, which, in particular, spoke of "piety and unwavering loyalty to the sovereign and the fatherland and the strict implementation of the laws existing in the state."

Most likely, the reason for such a sharp "divorce" of Alexander I with Freemasonry lies in the conservative-protective turn that began in the second half of his reign, headed by Count Arakcheev and A.N. Golitsyn.

S. G. Volkonsky with his wife in a cell in the Petrovsky prison. Drawing by N. A. Bestuzhev, 1830

This "trend" in principle was not going to tolerate any "systems" capable of competing with the bureaucratic vertical and the Church Synod, even if they were created with the best of intentions. For conservative empires, any horizontal connections not controlled by the state (especially within their administrative and military elites) are like a sharp knife in the hands of a child - too dangerous a toy.

Proceeding from the same principle "whatever happens," the Romans at one time mercilessly dealt with the early Christian communities, seeing in them not spiritual competitors to the official pantheon, but the embryos of a "state within a state", which, moreover, united people of very different social status according to a completely incomprehensible principle.

In addition (and once again) the attitude towards the philosophy of the Enlightenment, the main ideas of which were shared by Freemasonry, changed. If before the war with Napoleon the progressive Speransky almost spent the night in the tsar's office, now all these "freedom-equality-brotherhood" began to be perceived as a threat to the foundations of the foundations.

In pronouncing his sentence on Russian Freemasonry, Alexander was actually trying to put another fence in the way of the "corrupt influence of the West" - that is, the ideas of constitutionalism, the replacement of dynastic empires with nation-states, the erosion of estates and the election of chiefs.

Jesuits

The "Society of Jesus" in Russia was actively planted by Paul I. At the beginning of his reign, Alexander also treated their activities more or less favorably, seeing in the Jesuits, as well as in the Masons, a barrier to the spread of atheism and other radical ideas.

But immediately after the war of 1812, a literal 180-degree turn took place in relations with them - now the order began to be clamped down in every possible way. According to the "official version" - due to the fact that the Jesuits in the occupied territories did not leave their homes and did not leave with the rest of the Russian Orthodox population, which gave reason to accuse them of collaborating with the French.

In fact, the reason most likely lay in the unconditional loyalty of the order to the Roman throne, which from now on was not going to be tolerated. Back in 1807, on the instructions of the President of the Academy of Sciences N.N. Novosiltseva, A.I. Turgenev wrote a complete history of the Jesuits in Russia and concluded it with a conclusion about the need for their complete expulsion. After the war, the authorities began to systematically and methodically put this idea into practice.

The first persecution began as early as 1915 - the Jesuit College was closed in St. Petersburg, and all members of the order living in both capitals were deported to Polotsk within a day with the confiscation of all their property. In 1820, the final cleansing took place: the Jesuits were expelled from the Russian Empire, again with confiscation of property, and the passport charter was supplemented with a menacing-sounding clause:

"Jesuits under no guise and name are not allowed into Russia. Russian Missions and Consulates, whenever issuing passports to spiritual people traveling to Russia, must require them to declare in writing that they do not belong and did not belong to the Jesuit order for anything, and about such to be mentioned in announcements not only in reports to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but also in the passports themselves. The Jesuits expelled from Russia, even if they presented evidence of their abandonment of the Jesuit order, are completely forbidden to issue passports for return to Russia.

Latin translation of the Four Books, Paris, 1687. Portrait of Confucius against the background of an allegorical image of the Imperial Academy with his books and tablets in honor of his students

The rescript on secret societies was, among other things, intended to complete the task of uprooting the remnants of the order wherever they were hiding, first of all from the education system, where the positions of the Jesuits were traditionally the strongest.

Just at that time, the Ministry of Spiritual Affairs and Public Education, created in 1817, together with the "Bible Society" completed the process of total Christianization of educational institutions (the notorious "Law of God" appeared in all curricula and became mandatory in 1819) and competitors in this matter they didn't need it.

Early Decembrist organizations

The secret societies of the "proto-Decembrists" can hardly be called revolutionary organizations; rather, they were something like political discussion platforms. In addition to attracting like-minded people, their main occupation was the development of numerous projects of "Russian truths" and "constitutions". For most secret societies, this is usually how it ends.

"Choka" (1810-1812) is perhaps the oldest organization of "proto-Decembrists" known to us today, whose goal was to capture the island of Sakhalin with the subsequent establishment of a democratic republic there according to the patterns of Rousseau's "Social Contract".

It was headed by Nikolai Muravyov, in addition to him, Artamon Muravyov and Matvey Muravyov-Apostol, brothers Lev and Vasily Perovsky, in total - 7 people were in the ranks of the organization. The ritual of greeting comrades adopted in the group looked most interesting: “It was supposed to take the neck with the right hand and stamp the foot; then, shaking the comrade’s hand, crush his palm with the middle finger and mutually pronounce the word “Choka” in each other’s ear.

The word "Choka" meant "Sakhalin". It all reminded me either of a children's game of "Stirlitz", or all the same rituals of Masonic lodges, and most likely, it was written off from them. And there is an even simpler explanation - at the time of the creation of the group, the oldest of its members was 18 years old.

Then the war began and the children had to fasten their adult uniforms on themselves, send living people to their deaths and stand without bending under bullets and buckshot. After returning from the foreign campaign, "Choka", of course, was forgotten. The children played enough, but did not calm down.

"Sacred Artel" (1814-????) - is considered the successor of "Chokie". It arose as a political discussion club of A.N. Muravyov and I.G. Burtsev. In 1815, after the second trip abroad, the collections of "artels" moved to the house of General's wife Khludova on Gryaznaya Street, where members of the circle rented apartments for themselves.

At the same time, part of the lyceum students from the "Pushkin" edition joins the "Artel": Pushchin, Delvig, Volkhovsky and Kuchelbecker. In total, according to various sources, the organization consisted of no more than 10-11 people. Perhaps due to this, as well as due to the observance of the elementary principles of conspiracy, all her activities went almost unnoticed by the Third Section, and at the same time remained unknown to us.

Carl Kolman. Decembrist revolt

In general, the very name "artel" does not yet speak of a secret club of conspirators. "Artels" during the foreign campaign were called informal officer clubs, whose members settled together, dined, read and discussed books, and had fun. In his memoirs, the Decembrist Yakushin wrote:

“In the Semyonovsky regiment, an artel was set up: about 15 or 20 officers formed up to be able to dine together every day ... After dinner, some played chess, others read foreign newspapers loudly and followed events in Europe - such a pastime was decidedly an innovation. .. The regimental commander of the Semenovsky regiment, General Potemkin, patronized our artel and sometimes dined with us; but a few months later, Emperor Alexander ordered Potemkin to stop the artel in the Semenovsky regiment, saying that he really did not like this kind of gathering of officers.

Some modern researchers believe that the officer "artels" influenced the forms of the Decembrist movement even more than the Masonic lodges.

"Order of Russian Knights" (aka "Order of the Knights of the Russian Cross", 1814-1818) - the name alludes not only to the games of Paul I with the Order of Malta, but also to the Rosicrucians, and therefore to Freemasonry, which itself is in the highest "initiations considers the Templars to be the heirs.

Indeed, one of the founders of the order was too freedom-loving even by the standards of "masons" freemason M.A. Dmitriev-Mamonov, by the way, is a direct descendant of Vladimir Monomakh in the male line. He was known for the fact that, when taking an oath upon joining the lodge, he deleted from the text the words about loyalty to "law, government and the fatherland", and after the promise "to help his neighbors" he inserted "and suffering humanity." However, here in a nutshell can not tell.

The "Orden" is perhaps the most mysterious of all the "proto-Decembrist" organizations. According to one version, it was just a political circle for a few people, which included, among other things, the future fear and horror of all oppositional Russia, N. Benckendorff.

True, according to the researcher of the history of the Decembrists Nechkina, all members of the Order are unlikely "at least once to sit together at the same table," and in general, there were either 6 or 8 people, and there is nothing to talk about. Say, all that they managed to do for history was to dissolve in the "Union of Welfare" in 4 years.

According to another version, Dmitriev-Mamonov was a brilliant madman, seriously angry at the "Germanized" Romanovs. He was also super-rich - before the war, he made huge charitable contributions to the treasury, and during it he completely supported the cavalry regiment at his own expense, while at his disposal there were 90 thousand acres of land and 15 thousand serf souls.

He compiled many policy documents containing the political doctrine of the Order, which contained "rules" for literally all occasions - from limiting the powers of the monarch to the construction of the Volga-Don Canal and the annexation of Norway to Russia (!!!). But the most interesting question is, did he have a plan?

While most of the Decembrists thought mainly around the "remake" of the palace coups of the XVIII century, Dmitriev-Mamonov planned a full-scale military operation. It is known that he turned his estate Dubrovitsy, 35 miles from Moscow, into a real fortress and mobilized a company of soldiers from the peasants, and they were armed not only with guns, but also with artillery.

All this allowed Nicholas I to later declare Dmitriev-Mamonov insane and appoint guardianship over him, but according to other sources it is known that the master did not just “play soldiers”. Judging by the surviving memories, the fortifications were rebuilt and modernized every year.

The proposed plan might have been to get one of the members of the Order appointed to command a division stationed near Moscow. Having mutinied these troops and using Dubrovitsy as a stronghold, the conspirators were going to attack Nizhny Novgorod or Yaroslavl, in order to then proclaim a new capital with their government in one of these cities. It was also possible to try to capture Moscow, in which, in contrast to Petersburg literally stuffed with guards, there were practically no troops.

Whether this plan actually existed, or everything that was said above can be considered only a purely speculative reconstruction - we will not know. M.F. Orlov, who was supposed to become the "field commander" of the uprising, eventually received his division, but in Chisinau, and there he was already under increased surveillance.

In 1823, Dmitriev-Mamonov was briefly arrested, after which any previous plans lost all meaning. Orlov joined the "Union of Welfare", and Dmitriev-Mamonov, apparently, after a dozen years, really went crazy.

The "Society of United Slavs" (formerly the "Society of Friends of Nature", 1918-1923-1925) is interesting because it arose and took shape completely separately from the Decembrist "mainstream". The "society" was based in the city of Novograd-Volynsky, at the head of it were the officers brothers Borisov and the exiled Polish gentry Lublinsky.

His ideology was based on pan-Slavism, in particular, it was supposed to create a united Slavic federal republic consisting of Russia, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, Serbia, Moldova, Romania, Hungary, and in addition, the destruction of the monarchy and the elimination of estates.

In September 1825, the "Society", which by that time already had 50 members in its ranks, became part of the "Southern Society" of the Decembrists, later most of its members took part in the performance of the Chernigov regiment.

It makes no sense to dwell on the activities of the Union of Welfare and the Union of Salvation in detail, if only because all this is not even on Wikipedia, but in a school history textbook. In addition to the Decembrist and "proto-Decembrist" organizations, there were also similar secret societies of Polish nationalists - the Polish Patriotic Society and the Zoryan Society. All of them, in contrast to more or less law-abiding Freemasons, completely ignored the Alexander "rescript".

sects

The rescript had no effect on all sorts of "ecumenistic mystics" and other sectarians, if only because they were patronized at the highest level. Alexander I's fascination with sectarianism began as early as during the Foreign Campaign as a result of a meeting with Baroness Yu. Krudener.

At various times, all sorts of German "evangelists", pietists and American Quakers received support from the throne. The emperor then rushed to the next hermit, then he sought the truth from eunuchs, Doukhobors or Molokans. He even had his own palace sect - a "spiritual union" led by N. Tatarinova, who converted from Lutheranism to Orthodoxy, who, having changed her faith, suddenly discovered in herself the gift of prophecy.

The rituals of the sect were for the most part borrowed from the whips and eunuchs. In addition to the imperial couple, the Chief Procurator St. Synod, Minister of Spiritual Affairs and Public Education, Prince. A.N. Golitsyn, director of the education department V.S. Popov, Chief Chamberlain R.A. Koshelev, Metropolitan of St. Petersburg Mikhail, Vice-President of the Academy of Arts A.F. Labzin, artist V.L. Borovikovsky.

Rosicrucian Order in Soviet Russia, 1920

Then Krüdener and Tatarinova were replaced by Photius, another symbol of the era. He slept in a coffin and wore chains, and being at court did not miss the opportunity to express his disgust for ladies' hats and gloves, but at the same time "his black-brown fur coat was valued fabulously expensive, from the same fur boots up to several thousand."

The apotheosis of all these mystical quests was the creation of the "Bible Society", which sought through the system of public education under the guise of Orthodoxy to plant a virtually Russian version of Protestantism, moreover, of a sectarian persuasion.

And although the shop was closed in 1824, the "dark mysticism" did not disappear from the emperor's soul. After his death, his sectarian hobbies gave rise to the legend of the wise old man Fyodor Kuzmin, under the guise of which Alexander I himself was allegedly hiding.

Other secret societies

The most ridiculous and harmless of them, perhaps, was the "Society of Cavaliers of the Cork." What they did is clear from the name. In form, it was an attempt to "reconstruct" Peter's "Jestful and Drunkest Cathedral", adjusted for the customs of German student corporations, with which part of the Russian nobility had the opportunity to get acquainted, as they say, by the hand, studying at the Leipzig and Goetingen universities.

The organizer and inspirer of the "cavaliers of the cork" was a well-known St. Petersburg lover of drinking and snacking quantum satis (in sufficient quantities) by the name of Bunin. According to the charter, members of the society were required to wear frock coats with wine corks in their buttonholes, while ladies were supposed to wear a free uniform.

At general meetings, the “cavaliers of the cork” sat down according to the principle of m / f / m / f and so on, in order to make it more pleasant to perform their main ritual - to sing couplets in unison: “Bow neighbor to neighbor, neighbor loves to drink wine. Hug neighbor neighbor, neighbor loves to drink wine. Kiss neighbor neighbor, neighbor loves to drink wine", doing it all at the same moment.

For those who overdid "wine" (this term in Russia at that time meant low-grade home-distilled vodka), a solemn "funeral" was immediately arranged: the body with candles and singing was carried in winter - to the first snowdrift, and in summer - to the nearest haystack, in which it and "buried".

Much less harmless was the story of the first Russian swinger club - the Society of Pigs Brothers. According to a report by a well-known employee of the Third Division of Sherwood, this name appeared after "one lady was persuaded to join a society where they marry for one evening, and not by choice, but par hasard (as it happens)", but "she said with disgust: "Mais c'est une cochonerie (but this is disgusting). "Well, what is cochonerie, - they answered her, - after all, pigs, just like people, are children of nature. Well, we will be freres-cochons, and you - soeurs-cochons (pig sisters)." The lady was satisfied with this answer, and the name "Freres-cochons" remained with the society.

St. Petersburg military governor-general and member of the State Council M.A. Miloradovich

The "pigs" attracted the attention of the third branch to themselves after a high-ranking official addressed the St. Petersburg Governor-General Miloradovich with a complaint that his daughter attended certain meetings, after which she unexpectedly became pregnant.

Miloradovich introduced his agent into the "Society of Pigs" ("the entrance ticket" cost 200 rubles, which was a lot at that time), he received a serial number and went to plunge into the abyss of debauchery. It turned out the following: up to nine couples gathered at the apartment of the French artist Bulan, who first sang the anthem, and then, in accordance with the numbers that fell out to them, indulged in an orgy lasting up to two hours.

It all ended again with the singing of the anthem. Among the "pigs" were noblewomen, pilgrims from the palace church, and wealthy merchants, but the male part of the society consisted almost entirely of foreigners, among whom were: Abbé Justi, professor of music Tzani, clerk Lebrun, provincial secretary Joffre, doctor of medicine Marsille, tutor Rosten, Ph.D. Plantin, and the chairman of the society, the writer May.

The only Russian among them was a certain tradesman Sidorov, who stubbornly locked himself up during the investigation, for which he was flogged and sent to indefinite hard labor. By the way, May, among other things, turned out to be also a Freemason.

At the end of the investigation, all the sisters were rewarded with earrings. Foreigners were expelled from Russia, having been warned that if they try to enter back, they will have to clear snow in Siberia until the end of their days. They decided not to touch the "pigs" - according to legend, when Miloradovich appeared to report to the king, he, after listening to him, simply burned the list of "pigs" in the palace fireplace. This story ended there, because the time for the sexual revolution was not yet ripe.

Dmitry Zavalishin

"Restoration Society". Its creator was the overly loyal Ippolit Zavalishin, brother of the Decembrist Dmitry. After the release of the imperial rescript, he created a secret society "solely in order to betray him."

After several people had gathered in the organization, Zavalishin wrote a denunciation, which Alexander I ignored. But Ippolit did not calm down at that and continued to "knock" - on his own brother, on the fictional "Simbirsk Secret Society" and in general on everyone he knew.

True, it should be noted that informing on his brother, he asked for himself a voluntary exile with him. As a result, Nicholas I was already tired of all this, and for another false denunciation, Ippolit Zavalishin still earned himself a cell in the Peter and Paul Fortress, demoted to the rank and file and exiled to Orenburg. Historians still cannot figure out who he really was: a Decembrist, a scoundrel, an adventurer, or just crazy.

Alexey Baikov