Decembrist revolt

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PHJ № 4 (48) 2025 — P. V. Ilyin. MEMOIRS OF THE “SURVIVING” PARTICIPANTS OF THE DECEMBRIST MOVEMENT: FEATURES OF A RETROSPECTIVE VIEW

This represents a novel approach in historiography, whereby the memoirs of participants in clandestine societies and rebellions of 1825 who evaded a court sentence are regarded as a distinct category of Decembrist memoir sources. The diaries and memoirs published by members of the movement who were subjected to extrajudicial repression, released from punishment, or not involved in the investigation (F. N. Glinka, P. Kh. Grabbe, F. P. Litke, S. P. Shipov, and others) contain various kinds of descriptions or references to the previous Decembrist experience of memoirists. The article, in its concise form, underscores the author’s perspective on the memoirs of the “survived” Decembrists. These memoirs make references or omit information regarding participation in clandestine organisations, as well as involvement in the investigation into the political movement during the era of Alexander I. The article provides commentary on the concealment of their affiliation with such organisations, along with other distortions and omissions that are characteristic of memoirists within this series. The article employs a chronological approach to grading the memoirs, meticulously categorising them based on the time of their creation. This systematic grading method ranges from notes that emerged during the events of 1825–1826 to subsequent autobiographical recollections. Following an initial analysis, conclusions are drawn about the attitude of the “surviving” members of the Decembrist movement to their political past. This ranges from denial or concealment to recognition of belonging to secret societies and the conspiracy of 1825.

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PHJ № 4 (48) 2025 — V. A. Shkerin. A DISPUTE BETWEEN TWO GENERALS ABOUT SERFDOM

Those who participated in the Decembrist movement from its inception and disassociated themselves from it no later than the dissolution of the Union of Welfare (1821) were, in general, not subjected to retribution. Those who were released during the investigation (frequently even without personal participation in it) or emerged from the trial completely cleared of suspicion accounted for half of all the defendants (290 people). It is evident that a considerable proportion of individuals belonging to the secret society who evaded retribution and were subsequently punished indicates that one of the primary outcomes of the Decembrist movement was the edification of liberal-oriented figures during the second quarter and the middle of the 19th century. The article examines the attitudes of two generals and major administrators of the Nicholas I era towards the problem of exploitation of the labour of serfs. One such individual is V. A. Glinka, the chief head of the Ural mining plants, who, during his youth, was a member of the Decembrist Union of Prosperity society. The second is the director of the Imperial Military Academy and proprietor of metallurgical enterprises in the Urals, I. O. Sukhozanet, who is most renowned for personally directing the artillery bombardment of the Decembrist rebels on 14 December 1825. Sukhozanet advanced the argument that the manufacturer’s right to “baptised property” should be defended, proposing that for enlightened nobles, the management of serfs constituted a form of public service, an obligation to “direct the masses of uneducated people to strict subordination”. Glinka, however, was diametrically opposed to this. Without delving into the broader discourse on the prospects of serfdom, he advocated for stringent legislative oversight of the duties and rights of factory workers, thereby curtailing the prerogatives of the breeders.

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PHJ № 4 (48) 2025 — Yu. V. Kim. LANDOWNER, ARISTOCRAT, DECEMBRIST, DREAMER: V. A. MUSIN-PUSHKIN IN THE CONTEXT OF PRESCRIBED STATUSES AND NEW ROLES

Count V. A. Musin-Pushkin (1798–1854), a representative of the “young” generation of Decembrists, did not participate in the war with Napoleon or the foreign campaigns of the Russian army due to his age. The subject’s environment was that of an aristocratic family (his father being Catherine’s nobleman, archaeographer Count A. I. Musin-Pushkin). The material well-being that surrounded the count from childhood predetermined the range of occupations and spheres of activity of the young man from a wealthy family. Notwithstanding, V. A. Musin-Pushkin defiantly diverged from the conventional mores of the noble aristocracy, manifesting an unabashedly libertarian disposition and forging an autonomous trajectory for himself. The article, which is based on unpublished sources from Russian archives (namely, the Russian State Archive of Ancient Acts, the Russian State Historical Archive, the State Archive of the Yaroslavl Region, and the Central State Archive of the City of Moscow), reveals the material conditions of V. A. Musin-Pushkin, his family atmosphere, and a picture of his daily activities, interests, and inclinations. The article also traces the fate of the young man after his release from arrest in the Decembrist case. In the challenging environment of supervision, V. A. Musin-Pushkin encountered his future wife and attained personal contentment despite the presence of impediments and adversity. Following the matrimony, the count and countess took up residence in the estate known as “Borisogleb” in the Mologsky district of the Yaroslavl province. The article discusses the activities of the Musin-Pushkin spouses in the management of the estate, as well as markers of the economic status and estate life.

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PHJ № 4 (48) 2025 — V. S. Parsamov. REPUBLICAN PROJECTS IN THE DECEMBRIST MOVEMENT

The political projects of the Decembrists concerning the future structure of Russia were diverse, yet all were predicated on the establishment of a republican system in Russia. The tradition of contrasting the constitutional projects of P. Pestel and N. Muravyev as republican and constitutional-monarchical is the result of the transfer of later ideas to the Decembrists’ era. Within the political thought of the early 19th century, both projects were regarded as republican, with the primary distinction lying in the nature of the republican system itself. The two systems under discussion are Pestel’s parliamentary republic and Muravyev’s presidential one. In addition to the two projects previously described in detail in the works of their respective authors, there were at least two other projects that were not described in detail, but can be reconstructed from indirect evidence. The concept of a presidential republic, as outlined by N. Turgenev, deviates from Muravyov’s proposal by virtue of the heightened authority bestowed upon the president, in contrast to the imperial republic of the Order of Russian Knights, a concept elaborated upon within the milieu of M. A. Dmitriev-Mamonov and M. F. Orlov.

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PHJ № 4 (48) 2025 — E. V. Koren. DECEMBRISM IN THE ASPECT OF THE EVOLUTION OF THE CIVIC CONSCIOUSNESS OF RUSSIAN SOCIETY

The article demonstrates that the mentality of the Decembrists, representing the noble intelligentsia, evolved in conjunction with the development of the political culture of society, the establishment of civil concepts of the fatherland, state and law, service, honour and duty. The Decembrist movement emerged in the context of the patriotic upsurge caused by the Patriotic War of 1812, contributing to the development of feelings of belonging to the people and the fatherland among educated military youth. The phenomenon of Decembrism was indicative of the transition of Russian society from the consciousness of subjects to that of citizens. The fundamental purpose of secret societies was to eliminate absolutism and serfdom, establish a constitution, and ensure the equality of citizens. The Decembrists demonstrated their revolutionary inclinations during the crisis of the interregnum of 1825. Conclusions were drawn: 1) the phenomenon of Decembrism is indicative of the advancement of Russian civic consciousness in the early 19th century, to the extent that it was able to challenge the prevailing power structure; 2) the Decembrists were unambiguous in their articulation of a civic position, representing an alternative to the prevailing autocratic-serf ideology; 3) the actions of the noble revolutionaries demonstrated an understanding of patriotism and service to the fatherland, with a focus on national interests; 4) Decembrism represented the first large-scale movement of the intelligentsia. The intelligentsia were those who defended civil law values and assumed historical responsibility for the fate of the country and the people. The findings of this study have the potential to inform future research on Decembrism, the mentality of the intelligentsia, and the civic development of Russian society.

PHJ № 1 (37) 2023 — M. S. Belousov. Polish conspiracy on the day of accession to the throne of Nicholas I: the version of the Spanish diplomat Paez de la Cadena

The article is devoted to the problem of the genesis of the mythologeme about the conspiracy of secret societies among the Russian authorities and the political establishment. As appendices, are published reports of the Spanish diplomat Paez de la Cadena, who witnessed the Decembrist uprising and recorded in detail the rhetoric of the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry: according to Nesselrode’s initial statement, a riot of Polish officers took place in the capital and the purpose was to plunge the empire into anarchy and confusion.