Life Guards Horse Regiment During the Uprising of December 14, 1825 on the Senate Square

Young officers who had travelled through Europe on behalf of the Russian Empire in its wars against the revolution and Napoleon discussed constitutional projects – be it a constitutional monarchy or a republic – and asked how Russia had avoided the revolutionary violence that France had experienced in the 1790s. After they had seized the moment in December of 1825, these officers came to be known as the Decembrists. On Senate Square in St. Petersburg, they refused to take the oath of allegiance to the new tsar, Nicholas I (1796–1855, reigned 1825–1855), in the hope of leading Russia towards a constitutional future. The attempt failed where it began, on Senate Square, where loyal troops brought an end to the rebellion. Five of the rebels were executed, while other Decembrists were banished to Siberia.

Martin Aust, Basel

Vasiliy Fedorovich Timm (1820–1895), Life Guards Horse Regiment During the Uprising of December 14, 1825 on the Senate Square, oil on canvas, 196 x 129 cm, 1853; source: With kind permission of The State Hermitage Museum St. Petersburg, inv. ЭPЖ-2379.