DECEMBRIST REVOLT

 


The Decembrist Square, the symbol of the first Russian Revolution, the Decembrist Revolt of 1825, formerly known as Peter's Senate Square, in St. Petersburg, Russia.

The Decembrist uprising was a failed military revolt against Tsar Nicholas I in Russia on December 14, 1825 (Old Style; Dec 26 New Style). Liberal army officers and nobles sought to end autocracy, abolish serfdom, and establish a constitutional government. The revolt stemmed from secret Northern and Southern Societies, formed by veterans of the Napoleonic Wars, influenced by Enlightenment ideas and Western constitutions. Confusion over succession after Alexander I's death in 1825—between brothers Constantine and Nicholas—provided the spark, as rebels initially swore loyalty to Constantine, who renounced the throne. 3,000 troops gathered in St. Petersburg's Senate Square, refusing to oath to Nicholas and demanding reforms, but poor leadership and hesitation doomed them. Loyalist forces under Nicholas used artillery to disperse the rebels, killing dozens; a simultaneous Southern uprising by the Chernihiv Regiment was crushed days later. Nicholas I's investigation led to 3,000 arrests; five leaders—Pestel, Ryleev, Muraviev-Apostol, Bestuzhev-Ryumin, and Kahovsky—were hanged in 1826, while others faced Siberian exile or hard labor. Wives of many exiles followed them. Though unsuccessful, the Decembrists inspired later Russian reformers and revolutionaries, marking Russia's first organized challenge to absolutism and serfdom.

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