New Figures in History of Decembrist Movement: Merchant-Conspirator A. P. Sapozhnikov

This article discusses a lesser-known participant in the secret society and conspiracy of the Decembrists in St. Petersburg, merchant Alexander Petrovich Sapozhnikov (1788–1827). The relevance of this research lies in its engagement with a significant historiographical question regarding the maturation of opposition ideas to autocracy within the merchant class. The novelty of this work is defined by the unexplored relationships that connected A. P. Sapozhnikov with the Decembrists. The author has gathered scarce references from sources that illuminate the circumstances surrounding the entry of a merchant family member into the Decembrist union, his involvement in the conspiracy of 1825, and the “demarche” of his relative, Ya. I. Rostovtsev, related to the intentions of moderately inclined Decembrists to achieve limitations on autocracy through non-violent means. The evidence from the sources is compared, and the degree of their authority and reliability is assessed. An interpretation of the documentary data is conducted based on a critical analysis of their comprehensive content. The reasons for A. P. Sapozhnikov’s avoidance of punishment are reconstructed. Unique information is presented regarding the “freethinking” of the Sapozhnikov family, which influenced this representative’s alignment with the Decembrist movement. The findings suggest the emergence of like-minded individuals among the “elite layer” of merchants, while simultaneously revealing the efforts of Decembrist union members to extend their influence into the merchant class.