Decembrist movement in Ukraine

At the beginning of the XIX century. in the Russian Empire revived the socio-political movement, one of the varieties of which were Masonic lodges : in Kiev (“United Slavs”) and in Poltava (“Love for truth”), as well as the Decembrist movement. Soon after the formation of the Union of Salvation, the activities of the Decembrists spread to the south of the Russian Empire. Leading Soviet Decembrist Academician M.V. Nechkina ^[1] notes that Ukraine was widely represented in it. These are the clan nests of the Muravyev-Apostles (Poltava province), David and Poggio (Kiev province), the Decembrists Yakubovich, Alexander Ivanovich , Shimkov, Ivan Fedorovich , Andreyevich, Yakov Maksimovich , Krasnokutsky, Semyon Grigoryevich Aleksandrovich Bechasnov also associated with the Poltava province Nikolai Fedorovich; from Chernihiv - Mozgalevsky Nikolay Iosifovich; from Slobozhanshchina - the Borisov brothers. Podolsk province is represented by Yushnevsky, Tizengauzen, P. F. Vygodovsky; Julian Lublinsky lived in Novograd-Volynsky, I. I. Ivanov - in Zhytomyr , J. M. Bulgari - Kharkov . Thus, many of the noble revolutionaries were born and served on Ukrainian soil. But the list of M.V. Nechkina is not exhaustive, it should be supplemented with the names of Volkonsky, Y. Ya. Drahomanov , Kornilovich, Sutgof, I. I. Sukhinov, Usovskiy, Furman, brothers Kapnist, Semyon Vasilyevich and Kapnist, Alexey Vasilievich and others, born or had estates in Ukraine.

Secret Societies

A convincing confirmation of the relationship of the Decembrist movement with Ukraine is not the residence or service of individual Decembrists, but the activities of the Decembrist organizations. In Ukraine, where Russian troops were stationed, many opposition-minded officers, members of secret societies, were in the service.

In 1818, upon arrival at the service in Kiev, General M. Orlov, the city became the center of business meetings of members of the Union of Welfare. In Tulchin there was a branch of the Moscow Union of Welfare. After the liquidation of the Union of Welfare in 1821, most of its members did not stop political activity. In March 1821, the Tulchinsky government decided to create a new organization, which was called the Southern Society. Colonel Pavel Pestel was elected Chairman of the latter.

Members of the society were officers of regiments located in Ukraine. The northern society took shape later, at the end of 1821. ^[2] In addition to the Tulchin council, two more were founded: Kamenskaya — headed by V. Davydov and Volkonsky and Vasilkovskaya, headed by Lieutenant Colonel Muravyov-Apostol. From time to time, secret meetings of societies took place. For this, they used the Kiev contract fair. Autumn meetings of the Decembrists were regularly convened in Kamenka. Of the three secret societies that arose in the early 20s of the 19th century, when the Decembrist movement was at a mature stage of its development, two secret societies existed and carried out revolutionary activities in Ukraine - the Southern Society and the Society of the United Slavs, founded in 1823 in Novograd- Volyn brothers Borisov. Of the five executed leaders, three were leaders of the Southern Society. The chairman of the Southern Pestel Society developed "Russian Truth" - an outstanding program document of the movement.

Kiev Contracts

The congresses of its leaders, which were held annually (the Decembrists called them “Kiev contracts”), became an important form of activity of the Southern society. Decembrists gathered at the beginning of the year, in order to conspire, congresses were timed to coincide with the fair.

  The first congress was held in January 1822 in Kiev at the house of Davidov. 

Pestel, Yushnevsky, Volkonsky, Davydov, S. Muravyov-Apostol participated in his work. Organizational issues were resolved at the congress; the organizational design of the Southern Society was completed. The directors of the company were Pestel and Yushnevsky. The ultimate goal of the struggle was confirmed - the establishment of a republic in Russia and the abolition of serfdom, moreover, the discussion concerned the allocation of land to the peasants. According to the participants in the congress, the revolution should happen with the help of troops. Pestel insisted on the destruction of the royal family.

  The second congress took place in January 1823. 

The congress was attended by last year's participants and M. Bestuzhev-Ryumin. The main issue of the congress is the discussion and adoption of the “Russian Truth”, which was adopted unanimously and became an official document of the Southern Society. Muravyov-Apostol raised the question of rebellion at the congress, proposing to start a speech in the south of Russia. The second congress decided to create in addition to the Tulchinskaya two councils: Vasilkovskaya led by Muravyov-Apostol and Bestuzhev-Ryumin and Kamenskaya headed by Volkonsky and Davydov. The question of the Polish Patriotic Society was also considered. Bestuzhev-Rumin was entrusted with establishing relations with Polish society.

  The third congress was held in January in 1824.

Two important issues were discussed at it: about Pestel’s trip to St. Petersburg for negotiations with the leaders of the Northern Society and about the course of negotiations with the Polish Patriotic Society about joint actions. The plans of the Southern Society included the return of Poland's state independence. After Pestel left for St. Petersburg, the congress continued its work and considered the Bobruisk plan, according to which it was supposed to begin an armed uprising during a review of troops in the Bobruisk fortress. The initiators of the plan, Muravyov-Apostol (commander of the Chernigov regiment) and Bestuzhev-Ryumin (Poltava regiment), proposed in Bobruisk to arrest the tsar and thereby begin his speech. They were supported by the commander of the Aleksopolsky regiment Povalo-Shvejkovsky. The plan did not find support from Pestel and other leaders of the Southern Society; the congress gave him a negative assessment because of the poor preparedness of the plan.

At the beginning of 1825, the fourth congress was held. It was attended by 12 people. The main issue is the discussion of the new plan of the uprising, proposed by Muravyov-Apostol and Bestuzhev-Riumin about the beginning of an armed uprising during the review of troops in the White Church. ^[3] The plan provided for the arrest of the king, officers raise an uprising in the regiments that are moving to Kiev, and from there to Moscow and St. Petersburg to seize power in the capitals. The unsuccessful attempt to unite with the Nordic society led Pestel to the conclusion that it was too early to start the uprising. Those present at the congress supported him. The performance was postponed until 1826.

The internal political situation associated with the death of Alexander I decided to take advantage of the Northern Society. December 14, 1825 it revolted in St. Petersburg. The lack of serious training, a clear understanding of the purpose of the uprising on the part of the soldiers and the population - all this led to its defeat. Arrests began. Southern society could not support the uprising in St. Petersburg on time, since Pestel was arrested on December 13, and the envoy from St. Petersburg arrived in Ukraine late with the news of the uprising. However, even in this situation, on December 29, 1825, the Vasilkovsky government headed by S. Muravyov-Apostol raised an uprising of the Chernigov regiment, which lasted six days.

In Kiev, the streets are named after the Decembrists:

• Pavel Pestel Street;
• Decembrists Street;
• Ryleeva street;
• Alexander Bestuzhev.

In Kiev, memorial plaques on houses in honor of the Decembrists were installed on Grushevskogo street, house number 14, Gusovskogo street 8/10. In Tulchin, in the house where P. Pestel lived (24 Pestel Street), a museum was opened in 1975. In the garden, before the entrance to it, a bust of Pavel Pestel was installed. A section on the activities of the Decembrists in Ukraine and in the Tulchin Museum of History and Local Lore, which is located in the building of the former Officer Assembly of the 2nd Army, Pestel and other Decembrists constantly visited here. In honor of the 150th anniversary of the Decembrist uprising in 1975, a monument to the Decembrists, sculptors Vronsky Makar Kondratievich and Chepelik Vladimir Andreevich, architect Gnezdilov Vasily Georgievich was unveiled in Kamenka, Cherkasy region in the Decembrists Park. In the same year, a monument to the Decembrists was opened in Vasilkov, sculptor Vronsky Makar Kondratievich, architect Gnezdilov Vasily Georgievich. In the White Church, in the Alexandria Park, a memorial plaque was erected in honor of the fact that here the leaders of the Southern Society P.I. Pestel, S.I. Muravyov-Apostol and M.P. Bestuzhev-Ryumin were here. In Uman along Kolomenskaya street, there is a house in which S. G. Volkonsky once lived. In front of the house is a stele. On the activities of the Decembrists in Volyn recalls Decembrists Street in with. Hazel of the Zhytomyr region. An old house was preserved on it, where officers gathered for their secret gatherings. Commemorative signs are installed in Novograd-Volynsky and Lubar.

• Little Russian secret society

• Yu. Letish. The concept of "Ukrainian Decembrism" // December 14, 1825. Sources, research, historiography, bibliography. Vol. Viii. St. Petersburg, 2010.S. 533–555.
• N.P. Savichev. The first evangelists of freedom. - Kiev, publishing house of political literature of Ukraine, 1990.
• Edelman O.V. Kamensky government of the Southern society under secret surveillance / Extremes of history and extremes of historians. M., 1997.
• M.V. Nechkina. Decembrists. - M., "Science", 1982.