The First Russian Revolution: The Decembrist Revolt of 1825

by Susanna Rabow-Edling

On 14 December 1825 a group of young Russian army officers led 3,000 troops to Senate Square in St Petersburg, aiming to force the Senate to adopt a liberal constitution and transform the Russian Empire. The Decembrist Revolt – as it came to be known – was suppressed, with a second uprising in the south meeting the same fate. Five leaders were executed, and many others exiled to Siberia.

Why did so many young noblemen risk their lives for regime change, what was their vision for an alternative society, and what were the consequences for participants and their families? This book highlights the often-neglected liberal tradition in Russian political thought and the experiences of Decembrist wives and fiancées, offering a fresh reinterpretation in the light of recent events in Russia.

Genres: History, Russia, Russian History, European History

320 pages, Hardcover

First published April 12, 2025

Reviews

[Mathijs Loo · Rating 4 out of 5]

De eerst paar hoofdstukken lazen moeilijk door de grote hoeveelheid Russische namen die over elkaar heen buitelden, maar de sterkte van dit boek is dit dat de auteur uitgebreid de ideologie van de Decemberisten in een tweetal hoofdstukken bespreekt.

[Mike McCoy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt that I learned a lot about the Decembrists, but the story read more like a textbook than a compelling narrative.

Unless you are really interested in this period in Russian history, you're probably going to want to pass.

[Alex Helling · Rating 3 out of 5]

Almost exactly two hundred years ago, on 14th December 1825, ranks of the Moscow Life Guards regiment stood for most of the day on the main St Petersburg square in the freezing conditions. A group of young liberal Russian army and navy officers had launched a revolution to take advantage of the succession from Tsar Alexander I to his brother Nicholas, but much of their plan had been pre-empted by Tsar Nicholas. Few from other regiments turned up. And after mounting concern on the part of the Tsar, and missed opportunities for the revolutionaries, those stoic unwavering ranks of soldiers were fired on by artillery that remained loyal to the Tsar. Blood stained the square. The cause did not die immediately. A further attempt was made later in the month in Ukraine. And the regime was to remain worried about the implications of the revolt for years. In The First Russian Revolution the Decemberist revolt of 1825 Susanna Rabow-Edling tells the story of this first attempt at derailing Russian autocracy almost 100 years before the Russian Revolution that overthrew the Tsar.

Pros
Good overview of the Decemberists
(likely) brings new angles to the study of the revolution through the lives of the revolutionaries wives

Cons
Some elements flagged up as important by the author could do with more detail and explanation
Odd choices in what to focus on

The First Russian Revolution provides a good overview of the Decemberist revolt. The structure is by themes, though these are largely chronological: Part I setting and actors - the context of Russia and the Decemberists; Part II revolt against autocracy - the revolution itself (both in St Petersburg and in Ukraine); Part III Decemberist visions and ideas - the Decemberists ideas and ideologies; Part IV incarceration and sentencing - the immediate aftermath for the Decemberists; Part V exile - life in Siberia. I personally think that Part III should have been before part II. It is natural to give the motivations and ideas before the action itself. More seriously however it means the climax of the book is over by the time we are a third of the way through which is rather early.

The book is pretty well written. It was probably at its best in terms of describing events after the revolution itself, the initial incarceration before sentencing, the conditions, the uncertainty, the hope. Here it is really good, while in the build up to revolution it is distinctly patchy, and the descriptions of the events of the day of the revolution to me lacked the fire and tension it could have had. This might be because we are slowly telescoped in from being broad brush at the beginning down to rather confined lives for the last part so it becomes much more personalised.

One of the quotes on the dust jacket has it that “This is the most comprehensive English language account of the Decemberist uprisings” and it is quite broad and is clearly well researched but there are definitely areas where it is easy to say this is not comprehensive enough. This is really a history of the Decemberists themselves, rather than their revolt. There is almost no attempt to provide balance - showing events from Tsar Nicholas and his advisors side would definitely add to the narrative. This isn't necessarily a problem but it would have been better had the book been billed as such. Perhaps more egregious is how there are threads highlighted as significant that are not followed. In the causes Rabow-Edling portrays the Semionovskii Guards mutiny as important in Tsar Alexander I’s turn to conservatism but says the mutiny itself was caused by a bullying officer leaving it totally unclear why Alexander blamed it on liberals (p.25). Meanwhile at the other end “the aftermath of the revolt was a defining moment for conservative nationalism”, (p.174) so defining it merits a whole paragraph!

The introduction mentions nothing about it but I do wonder whether the ‘new element’ that made the book seem worthwhile (beyond the anniversary) is the perspectives of the Decemberists' wives. Once we get into the last two sections they become at least as much discussed, if not more than the Decemberists themselves. For example we get just a couple of sentences on the work the Decemberists are sentenced to do (p.203) but a whole paragraph whenever there is a new wife or fiance arrival. This is interesting but if they are not new research justifying the book it is a bit odd. An alternative explanation would be if they are the only ones who provided accounts of the exile (which given the massive imbalance in numbers seems unlikely).

Suggested reading for anyone interested in the Russian revolution (of 1905 and 17) as an antecedent to the successful revolution. But at the same time as The First Russian Revolution is more focused on the personal stories after the revolution it may appeal more to those either interested in exiles, or in 19th century lives.

[James Benton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A vivid character driven account of the Russian revolution that loomed so large for Dostoyevsky but is all but unknown in the west.

Four stars rather than five as a I feel that the abrupt end could have benefited from a final chapter on the legacy of the Decembrists.

[Philip Alexandris · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the book's delivery is a bit dry, I did really appreciate all the ways with which it paints a picture of not only the Decembrists but also the world that made them.

[Marta Bard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Se mi cercate, sto piangendo in un angolino