Chernigov Regiment revolt

Chernigov Regiment revolt
Part of the Decembrist revolt
Map of rebel movements appears to be a chaotic figure-eight pattern. As explained further in the text, the rebels tried to increase their strength by absorbing nearby military units. The government foiled these attempts one by one, forcing the rebels to pursue different targets.
DateJanuary 10 [O.S. December 30] –
January 15 [O.S. January 3] 1826
Location
Kiev Governorate, Ukraine
Result Government victory
Belligerents
Russian Empire Southern Society of the Decembrists  Russian Empire
Commanders and leaders
Sergey Muravyov-Apostol  Executed
Mikhail Bestuzhev-Ryumin  Executed		 Friedrich Caspar von Geismar
Strength
1,000 400
Casualties and losses
Around 80 None
Names of towns, villages and rivers in this article were transliterated from modern Ukrainian language.[1]

The Chernigov Regiment revolt was the second and the last major armed conflict of the Decembrist revolt in the former Russian Empire. The revolt unfolded January 10 [O.S. December 29] – January 15 [O.S. January 3] 1826 in Ukraine between Kiev and Bila Tserkva.

After the news of the rebels' defeat in Saint Petersburg reached Ukraine, the radical Decembrist officers incited the Chernigov infantry regiment against the government. The rebels marched from Trylisy north-east to Vasylkiv and reached one thousand men in strength. Uncertain about their strategy, rebel leaders camped in Motovilovka, while the government seized the initiative and mobilized its forces in pursuit. The rebels dropped their initial plans of taking over Kiev or Brusilov and marched south to Polohy[2] and back to their starting point at Trylisy. Their retreat was checked by a 400-strong loyalist unit near Kovalivka. Demoralized rebel soldiers lost around 80 men to artillery fire and surrendered without resistance.

According to Hugh Seton-Watson, it was "the first and the last political revolt by Army officers" in Russia: Nicholas I and his successors eradicated liberalism in the troops and secured their unconditional loyalty.[3]

  1. ^ Excluding the title of the regiment itself (Chernigov Regiment vs. Chernihiv in modern Ukrainian). By 1825 the Army units were largely disconnected from their namesake towns. English-language sources (Mazour, Seton-Watson et al.) normally use transliterate geographical names from Russian language.
  2. ^ Polohy, Kyiv oblast
  3. ^ Seton-Watson, pp. 196–197. Note emphasis on Army to differentiate it from the previous palace coups by the Imperial Guards.