Religious and political narratives of the Decembrists (historical and cultural aspect)
https://doi.org/10.28995/2686-7249-2025-9-39-55
Abstract
This article is about the historical and cultural aspect of the formation of the Decembrists’ religious and political narratives: from the Charter of the Welfare Union to the “Orthodox Catechism” by S.I. Murav’ov-Apostol. It describes the political-religious situation in Russia in the 1810s – early 1820s, the time of the Bible Society and the Ministry of Spiritual Affairs and Public Education. It is noted that the search for “universal Christianity”, characteristic of that era, was embodied in the Charter of the Union, which aimed to assist the “government”.
Characterising the Decembrists’ later programme documents, the author notes that they were drafted at a time when the idea of that kind of assistance became a thing of the past and the Decembrists began to prepare a military revolution. Accordingly, references to religion in their late documents they primarily serve a functional role being used only as a convenient shell for expressing political ideas.
About the Author
O. I. Kiyanskaya
Russian State University for the Humanities; Institute of Scientific Information for Social Sciences of the Russian Academy of Sciences (INION RAN)
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Oksana I. Kiyanskaya, Dr. of Sci. (History), professor
6-6, Miusskaya Sq., Moscow, Russia, 125047;
51/21, Nakhimovskii Av., Moscow, Russia, 117997
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Review
For citations:
Kiyanskaya O.I. Religious and political narratives of the Decembrists (historical and cultural aspect). RSUH/RGGU Bulletin: “Literary Teory. Linguistics. Cultural Studies”, Series. 2025;(9):39-55. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.28995/2686-7249-2025-9-39-55
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