Kondraty Fedorovich Ryleev - Russian poet, public figure, Decembrist, one of the 5 leaders of the Decembrist Uprising of 1825 sentenced to death.
The biography of Kondraty Ryleev is full of various interesting facts related to his revolutionary activities.
So, before you is a short biography of Ryleev.
Biography of Kondraty Ryleev
Kondraty Ryleev was born on September 18 (September 29), 1795 in the village of Batovo (today the Leningrad Region). Kondraty grew up and was brought up in the family of a small-land nobleman Fyodor Ryleev and his wife Anastasia Essen.
When the boy was 6 years old, his parents sent him to study at the St. Petersburg Cadet Corps. Ryleev studied at this institution for 13 years.
From 1813 to 1814 the guy participated in the foreign campaigns of the Russian army. After 4 years he retired.
At the age of 26, Ryleev held the position of assessor of the Petersburg Criminal Chamber. After 3 years, he was entrusted with the post of ruler of the office of the Russian-American Company.
Kondraty was a very influential shareholder in the company. He owned 10 of its shares. By the way, Emperor Alexander 1 owned 20 shares.
In 1820 Ryleev married Natalia Tevyasheva.
Political Views
Kondraty Ryleev was the most pro-American among all the Decembrists. In his opinion, there was not a single successful government in the whole world, except in America.
In 1823 Ryleev joined the Northern Society of the Decembrists. Initially, he adhered to moderate constitutional-monarchical views, but later became a supporter of the republican system.
Kondraty Ryleev was one of the main initiators and leaders of the December 1825 uprising.
After the failure of the coup d'état, Ryleev was arrested and put behind bars. While in custody, the prisoner scribbled his last poems on a metal plate.
An interesting fact is that Kondraty Ryleev corresponded with such famous personalities as Pushkin, Bestuzhev and Griboyedov.
Books
At the age of 25, Ryleev published his famous satirical ode To the Temporary Worker. A year later, he joined the Free Society of Lovers of Russian Literature.
During the biography of 1823-1825. Kondraty Ryleev, together with Alexander Bestuzhev, published the anthology "Polar Star".
It is curious that the man was a member of the St. Petersburg Masonic lodge called "To the Flaming Star."
Over the years of his life, Ryleev wrote 2 books - "Dumas" and "Voinarovsky".
Alexander Pushkin was critical of the Dumas, saying the following: “All of them are weak in invention and presentation. They are all for one cut and are made up of common places. National, Russian, there is nothing in them except names. "
After the Decembrist uprising, the works of the disgraced writer were banned from publication. Nevertheless, some of his works were published in anonymous editions.
Execution
Tormenting in prison, Ryleev took all the blame on himself, trying by any means to justify his comrades. At the same time, he hoped for the mercy of the emperor, but his expectations were not destined to come true.
Kondraty Ryleev was sentenced to death by hanging on July 13 (25), 1826 at the age of 30. In addition to him, four more leaders of the uprising were hanged: Pestel, Muravyov-Apostol, Bestuzhev-Ryumin and Kakhovsky.
It is curious that Ryleev was among the three Decembrists sentenced to death, whose rope broke.
According to the traditions of that time, when the rope was broken, criminals were usually given freedom, but in this case everything happened exactly the opposite.
After changing the rope, Ryleev was hanged again. According to some sources, before his second execution, the Decembrist uttered the following phrase: "An unhappy country where they don't even know how to hang you."
The burial place of Ryleev and his comrades is still unknown. There is an assumption that all five Decembrists were buried on the island of Golodai.
