Prigozhin The Decembrist

There was a very famous case of military mutiny in Russia. In fact, it shaped the whole of the 19th century.

In 1825 a group of Russian officers decided to overthrow the government. They've observed Europe and all its institutions, having marched all the way to Paris in 1814, so they decided that Russian autocracy is the thing of the past. They wanted something more progressive. To be like French, in other words.

So all sorts of idealistic dreamers, officers, poets, with plenty of Ukrainians among them, came up with the plan of overthrowing the tsar (some in fact wanted to kill him) and establishing their version of republic.

In December of 1825 they had an opportunity, when Alexander I died, and Nicholas I didn't get to the throne yet.

They convinced some of their soldiers to join in and organized the mutiny during the moment of giving oath to Nicholas I. A number of people were killed, including the hero of Napoleonic wars, Miloradovich. An amazing general, a hearthrob, a person about whom even Tolstoy couldn't say one bad word, he rushed toward the soldiers, many of whom he knew and pleaded with them to surrender, giving his word that they would be forgiven. He was killed in the back by one of the mutineers.

The mutiny was crushed. But what do you do with these officers and brilliant civilians, who got caught? Many of them with very close ties to the court. Exactly like Prigozhin.

So the new tsar, Nicholas I, followed this rather sensible script. He executed five most vicious — the murderer of Miloradovich and the maniacs who preached regicide. The rest — about two hundred of them — were send to either Siberia imprisonment or Caucasus war theater, where they were given a second chance.

Officers were demoted, but loyal service and military valor would enable them to get back on track. Many followed this road, regaining their status, honor and military insignia back through courageous fighting for the crown.

So yes, Prigozhin was a mutineer, on whose orders people loyal to Kremlin were killed. But wasn’t there a Caucasus option for him? An honorable road of getting back his lost honor ?

Of course, this is a rhetorical question. Not sure, Russian leadership of today has any sense of aristocratic honor. Maybe general Surovikin had, a really talented guy, who's been pushed aside and demoted on the day of the explosion of Prigozhin’s plane.

In any case, there was a decent solution for the quagmire. They had two months to figure it out. Prigozhin could have been sent to Africa or Ukraine, placed into some hot spot and given a chance. The high road, that could have redeemed all the participants, the road not taken...
Instead, we witnessed some chaotic movements, some speeches and strange activity, and then explosion of the plane above Russia. No matter who is behind it, it looks bad.

Below are the portrait of Miloradovich and the painting of Kakhovsky, dressed like a peasant, killing him when he arrived to plead to stop their mutiny. The oath was supposed to be taken on Manezhnaia Square, in front of Peter the Great Monument.