26 Dec 1825
The Decembrist Revolt was carried out by the small elite of military officers. It failed. It was the first revolutionary uprising for freedom and constitution against monarchy in Russia.
“The Decembrist Revolt at the Senate Square on December 14, 1825” by Vasily Timm (1853)
Background
Officers of the great Alexander I army had travelled all the way to Paris and seen, how backward Russia was in terms of human rights and politics.
Several secret societies were formed to discuss politics. Some members of the Imperial Guards formed the Union of Salvation, whose goal was constitution.
In 1825, when Alexander I died, everyone expected his liberal brother Konstantin to become the next tsar. It was not known to the public that he had abdicated in favour of his younger brother Nicholas. Confusion lasted for 20 days when nobody was sure if Nicholas was the rightful heir or not.
Although they had no plan for action nor appointed leaders, The Union of Salvation decided to depose the tsar.
Decembrist Revolt
On the morning of 26 December 1825, a group of officers with 3,000 men assembled in St. Petersburg Senat Square and refused to obey to the new tsar.
They expected the whole army to join, but it did not happened. 9,000 loyal soldiers surrounded them. Shooting followed in which nearly 1,000 men died. The rebellion was put down ruthlessly with cannons.
Results
5 of the leaders, among them Pavel Pestel, Kondraty Ryleyev, Sergey Muravyov-Apostol and Mikhail Bestuzhev-Ryumin, were publicly hanged. Their supporters were sent to Siberia and their wives were allowed to joined them later on.
Konstantin Pavlovich Romanov
Decembrist Revolt
26 Dec 1825
The Decembrist Revolt was carried out by the small elite of military officers. It failed. It was the first revolutionary uprising for freedom and constitution against monarchy in Russia.
“The Decembrist Revolt at the Senate Square on December 14, 1825” by Vasily Timm (1853)
Background
Officers of the great Alexander I army had travelled all the way to Paris and seen, how backward Russia was in terms of human rights and politics.
Several secret societies were formed to discuss politics. Some members of the Imperial Guards formed the Union of Salvation, whose goal was constitution.
In 1825, when Alexander I died, everyone expected his liberal brother Konstantin to become the next tsar. It was not known to the public that he had abdicated in favour of his younger brother Nicholas. Confusion lasted for 20 days when nobody was sure if Nicholas was the rightful heir or not.
Although they had no plan for action nor appointed leaders, The Union of Salvation decided to depose the tsar.
Decembrist Revolt
On the morning of 26 December 1825, a group of officers with 3,000 men assembled in St. Petersburg Senat Square and refused to obey to the new tsar.
They expected the whole army to join, but it did not happened. 9,000 loyal soldiers surrounded them. Shooting followed in which nearly 1,000 men died. The rebellion was put down ruthlessly with cannons.
Results
5 of the leaders, among them Pavel Pestel, Kondraty Ryleyev, Sergey Muravyov-Apostol and Mikhail Bestuzhev-Ryumin, were publicly hanged. Their supporters were sent to Siberia and their wives were allowed to joined them later on.
Konstantin Pavlovich Romanov