The exhibition at the “L. N. T.” Cultural and Exhibition Center is dedicated to the lives and legacy of the Decembrists in Siberian exile and marks the 200th anniversary of the Decembrist uprising. This event, which changed the destinies of its participants and the course of Russian history, found a deep response in the works of Leo Tolstoy.
The writer was interested in the Decembrist uprising throughout his life. In 1856, after the amnesty was granted to the rebels, he conceived a novel whose main character, Pyotr Lobazov, returns from Siberian exile. While working on the idea, Tolstoy delved deeply into the era of 1825, and then into the events of 1812, which ultimately led to the creation of the epic novel War and Peace.
In the late 1870s, Tolstoy began work on the novel The Decembrists. He wrote sixteen different openings for the work; his notebooks have survived, outlining a wide circle of Russian and international political life of that period. However, the work was halted because, in the author’s words, he “did not find in it what he was looking for – a universal human interest.”
The exhibition “Trial by Siberia” acquaints visitors with the lives of the Decembrists in exile, their resilience, and their contribution to the development of Siberia. The highly educated aristocrats, exiled to harsh lands, established schools, libraries, and theaters, promoting enlightenment and cultural exchange.
The exhibition features authentic items from the collection of the Irkutsk Museum of the Decembrists: personal belongings, documents, pages from The Siberian Album of Ekaterina Trubetskaya with images of penal servitude created by Decembrist artists, as well as 19th-century costumes reflecting the lifestyle of the time. Video materials from the film The Star of Captivating Happiness, celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2025, enhance the immersion in history. Visitors will also see rare editions from Tolstoy’s personal library at Yasnaya Polyana devoted to the history of the Decembrist movement, along with documents from the State Archive of the Tula Region related to the return from exile of the Decembrist brothers Bobrishchev-Pushkin.
The exhibition reveals little-known pages of Russian history, showing the courage of the Decembrists and their influence on culture and public thought. In the halls of the Yasnaya Polyana museum branch, it takes on special resonance, reminding visitors how the destinies of the Decembrists and their ideals of freedom echo Tolstoy’s reflections on duty, morality, and the fate of Russia.
The writer was interested in the Decembrist uprising throughout his life. In 1856, after the amnesty was granted to the rebels, he conceived a novel whose main character, Pyotr Lobazov, returns from Siberian exile. While working on the idea, Tolstoy delved deeply into the era of 1825, and then into the events of 1812, which ultimately led to the creation of the epic novel War and Peace.
In the late 1870s, Tolstoy began work on the novel The Decembrists. He wrote sixteen different openings for the work; his notebooks have survived, outlining a wide circle of Russian and international political life of that period. However, the work was halted because, in the author’s words, he “did not find in it what he was looking for – a universal human interest.”
The exhibition “Trial by Siberia” acquaints visitors with the lives of the Decembrists in exile, their resilience, and their contribution to the development of Siberia. The highly educated aristocrats, exiled to harsh lands, established schools, libraries, and theaters, promoting enlightenment and cultural exchange.
The exhibition features authentic items from the collection of the Irkutsk Museum of the Decembrists: personal belongings, documents, pages from The Siberian Album of Ekaterina Trubetskaya with images of penal servitude created by Decembrist artists, as well as 19th-century costumes reflecting the lifestyle of the time. Video materials from the film The Star of Captivating Happiness, celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2025, enhance the immersion in history. Visitors will also see rare editions from Tolstoy’s personal library at Yasnaya Polyana devoted to the history of the Decembrist movement, along with documents from the State Archive of the Tula Region related to the return from exile of the Decembrist brothers Bobrishchev-Pushkin.
The exhibition reveals little-known pages of Russian history, showing the courage of the Decembrists and their influence on culture and public thought. In the halls of the Yasnaya Polyana museum branch, it takes on special resonance, reminding visitors how the destinies of the Decembrists and their ideals of freedom echo Tolstoy’s reflections on duty, morality, and the fate of Russia.
Posted : 16 september 2025