On December 3, a postage stamp dedicated to the 200th Anniversary of the Decembrist Revolt was put into postal circulation

On December 14 (26) of 1825, the Decembrist revolt took place on Senate Square. It became the largest political action of the nobility in the history of Russia. Its primary goal was the Tsar’s demise, the abolition of serfdom, the adoption of a constitution and the introduction of representative government.

Prince Sergei Trubetskoy was chosen as the leader of the revolt. The Decembrists planned to seize the Winter Palace and arrest the royal family. In case of success, it was intended to demand from the Senate the publication of a national manifesto proclaiming all rights and freedoms, that is, the adoption of a Constitution, as well as the establishment of a Provisional Government. The manifesto was also supposed to contain a provision on the abolition of serfdom and the equality of all classes under the law. The issue of the future form of government was to be decided by the Constituent Assembly: according to the plans, it was to be a constitutional monarchy or a republic.

On December 26 (December 14, Old style) of 1825, rebel troops began to concentrate on Senate Square. By 11 o’clock, the Decembrists had gathered more than three thousand people: soldiers of the Moscow and Grenadier regiments and sailors of the Guards Naval crew. However, the plan of action was violated from the very beginning and, in general, the failure of the uprising was predetermined. By the time the troops approached Senate Square, the oath to the new Emperor had already taken place, and the senators had dispersed. The leader of the uprising, Sergei Trubetskoy, did not appear at all on Senate Square at the appointed hour. While the participants were arguing about choosing a new "leader," the regiments continued to stay inactive. Meanwhile, the regiments loyal to the crown approached the square. Mikhail Miloradovich, the St. Petersburg military Governor-General, a hero of the Patriotic War of 1812, attempted to persuade the rebels to lay down their arms, but was mortally wounded. Emperor Nicholas I gave the order to shoot. The soldiers took flight. On-the-way attempts to restore order in the ranks and capture the Peter and Paul Fortress failed. Already by evening, the imperial troops had completely suppressed the uprising.

As a result of the revolt, 1,271 people were killed. As follows from the police report, among them there were 1 general, 1 staff officer, 17 subaltern officers of different regiments, 282 lower ranks of the Life Guards, 39 persons in tailcoats and overcoats, 150 minors, and 903 of mob. Almost immediately, mass arrests of participants in the uprising began. Emperor Nicholas I was directly involved in the investigation of the case. The investigation proceeded secretly, 579 people were brought to justice. All participants were divided into "categories" proceeding from their role and activity in the uprising. Outside this list, there were five people who were immediately sentenced to death: Pavel Pestel, Sergey Muravyov-Apostol, Mikhail Bestuzhev-Ryumin, Kondraty Ryleev, and Pyotr Kakhovsky. They were sentenced to quartering, but the Emperor replaced it with hanging. The sentence was carried out six months later - in the early morning of July 25 of 1826 in the Peter and Paul Fortress.

Resulting from the legal proceedings, the Supreme Criminal Court found guilty and sentenced to various penalties more than 120 persons. Many participants in the uprising and members of secret societies were sent into exile and to hard labor in Siberia. The soldiers were in a massive way transferred to "hot spots" in the Caucasus for active duty service.

The postage stamp makes use of a drawing The Decembrist Uprising on December 14, 1825 by R. Frentz (1951, the Central Naval Museum of the Ministry of Defense of Russia).

In addition to the issue of the postage stamp, JSC Marka produced First Day Covers and special cancels for Moscow and St. Petersburg.


Design: A. Moskovets.
Face value: 65 rubles.
Stamp size: 50×37 mm, sheet size: 170×100 mm.
Emission form: a sheet with formatted margins with 6 (3×2) stamps.
Quantity: 51 thousand stamps (8.5 thousand sheets).

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