The Decembrists: New Approaches to Research. Notes from a Decembrist Scholar

The article discusses contemporary approaches to the historical phenomenon of the Decembrists. It analyzes the terms “Decembrists” and “Decembrist movement”, concluding that the former has no clear definition, while the latter is outdated. The programs of the Decembrists are analyzed in the historical and political context of the 1810s and 1820s, and it is concluded that their constitutional aspirations developed in line with the constitutional ideas of the era. The phenomenon of Russian secret societies as a kind of social elevator that replaced real social advancement for Russian nobles is also analyzed. It is argued that the demand for universal legal equality was central to the Decembrists’ programs. The reasons for the failure of the uprisings and the attitude of their contemporary nobles toward these uprisings are also analyzed. The article is timed to coincide with the 200th anniversary of the Decembrist uprisings on Senate Square and in the south of the Russian Empire.