Kondraty Fyodorovich Ryleyev

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kondraty Fyodorovich Ryleyev (Russian: Кондратий Федорович Рылеев, September 29 (September 18 O.S.), 1795, - July 25 (July 13 O.S.), 1826) was a Russian poet and revolutionary, and one of the leaders in the Decembrist revolt.

Born September 29 in the village Batovo now it is a part of Gatchina district of Leningrad Oblast to a family of a nobleman owning small estate.

From 1801 to 1814 studied in Saint Petersburg 1st military school. Participated in Russian foreign campaigns in 1814—1815.

In 1818 he quit the service and from 1821 he was assessor of Saint Petersburg's criminal court, from 1824 worked for Russian-American Company.

In 1820 he wrote a satirical Ode "To Minion", obviously addressing Alexey Andreyevich Arakcheyev. A year later he entered the "Free society of Russian literature lovers" (Вольное общество любителей российской словесности) — one of the most prominent societies of writers in Saint Petersburg.

From 1823 to 1825 he and Alexander Alexandrovich Bestuzhev published an annual almanac The Polar Star (Полярная звезда).

In 1823, Ryleyev joined the revolutionary "Northern society". On the night of December 27(December 14 O.S.), 1825, he was arrested and charged with planning the murder of the tsar. He was one of the five, sentenced to quartering, but later this sentence was replaced with hanging. On the day of the execution Ryleyev stood on the gallows, the noose around his neck. The trapdoor opened-but as Ryleyev dangled, the rope broke, dashing him to the ground. At the time, events like this were considered signs of providence or heavenly will, and a man saved from execution this way usually pardoned. As Ryleyev got to his feet, bruised and dirtied but believing his neck had been saved, he called out to the crowd, "You see, in Russia they don't know how to do anything properly, not even how to make rope!" A messenger immediately went to the Winter Palace with news of the failed hanging. Vexed by this disappointing turnabout, Nicholas I nevertheless began to sign the pardon. But then: "Did Ryleyev say anything after this miracle?" the czar asked the messenger. "Sire", the messenger replied, "he said that in Russia they don't even know how to make rope". "In that case", said the Czar, "let us prove the contrary," and he tore up the pardon. Ryleyev was executed the next day on July 25, 1826, and died holding a copy of poetry by Byron, whose writings influenced many of the Decembrist conspirators.