Abstract
The paper aims at studying the interaction of Decembrist organizations and Masonic lodges in the early 1820s in V.I. Semevsky’s research work. The author explores a vast source base used by the scholar while tackling the problem and analyzes the development of the Decembrists’ socio-political ideas. The article describes Masonic lodges as a tool for recruiting new members and advocacy of liberal ideas and discusses the total number of the Decembrists in Masonic lodges. V.I. Semevsky regarded the interrelations of Freemasons and members of Decembrist organizations to be effective only in the early stages of their existence. The paper emphasizes the Decembrists and Masons’ close relationship infl uenced by the West European social thought and accentuates the conditioning of their cooperation by the desire to borrow practical experience of Freemasonry for the purposes of the Decembrist movement. Special attention is paid to the generally negative assessment by the historian-narodnik of Masonic mysticism and his rejection of Masonic conservatism which manifested itself in the absence of demands for the abolition of serfdom and criticism of absolutism as an institution of political power. The analysis of ideological constructs of Masons in the works of V.I. Semevsky is linked to the characteristics of their practical activity on the basis of charity. The latter form of activity didn’t have great results. The researcher indicated the fewness of Masonic organizations in Russia in the era of Alexander I, the poorness of their facilities and resources and indecision. Despite the presence of mystery and mystic rituals Freemasonry could not for a long time inspire future Decembrists as the supporters of more dynamic actions. The article comes to an end with a depiction of the infl uence of V.I. Semevsky’s research work on the Decembrists − members of Masonic lodges on the subsequent historiographical tradition.
Keywords
Freemasons, the Decembrists, V.I. Semevsky, secret societies, historiography of the Decembrist movement
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