Viktoria Andreevna Klamm,
Chelyabinsk State University, Chelyabinsk, Russia, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The Memory of the Decembrists in the 20th Century (Using the Example of an Analysis of Jubilee Campaigns)
DOI: 10.31518/2618-9100-2025-6-14
The article analyzes the changing attitude towards the Decembrists and the uprising on Senate Square at the governmental, public and scientific levels during the 20th century. The focus is on anniversary campaigns dedicated to the Decembrists. At the beginning of the 20th century, there was a surge of interest in the events of 1825 in the scientific field. This is due to the relaxation of censorship and the beginning of the publication of the Decembrist program documents. During the Soviet period, the historical policy of the Soviet state was changing. In 1925, on the eve of the centenary of the revolt, a discussion was brewing about how to treat the Decembrists. The apogee of interest in the revolt on the Senate Square was observed in the second half of the 20th century. The tradition of “Soviet Decembrist studies” is being formed, and the works of renowned Soviet historians (M.V. Nechkina, N.M. Druzhinin, and others) are being published. The most significant event is the celebration of the 150th anniversary in 1975. The Soviet government acted as an important mnemonic actor in a large-scale commemoration. The author analyzes the program of events of the USSR Ministry of Culture. Conclusions are drawn about the features of historical politics related to the event in question in the late Soviet and post-Soviet periods. So, in 2000, the 175th anniversary was widely celebrated in the press, historiography, at the state and regional levels. The jubilee phenomenon has deep historical roots and needs further thorough study. The results obtained during the research can make an invaluable contribution to preserving the historical memory of the revolt on Senate Square, as well as subject this historical event to further reflection in the scientific community. The author identifies the main stages of the transformation of the memory of the Decembrists in the 20th century: from pre-revolutionary ideas and the beginning of the formation of the early Soviet canon to the period of debunking myths about Decembrism at the end of the last century.
Publishing: 28/12/2025
The article has been received by the editor on 15/09/2025
How to cite: Klamm V.A. The Memory of the Decembrists in the 20th Century (Using the Example of an Analysis of Jubilee Campaigns) // Historical Courier, 2025, No. 6 (44), pp. 196−209. [Available online: http://istkurier.ru/data/2025/ISTKURIER-2025-6-14.pdf]
Links: Issue 6 2025
Keywords: the Decembrist revolt; anniversary; historiography; mnemonic actors; memory policy; historical science