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Birth of Mikhail S. Lunin, colonel, holder of the Order of St. George, Decembrist
18 (29), 1787 in St. Petersburg, in the family of the son of the State Councilor and a wealthy Tambov-Saratov landlord, was born Mikhail S. Lunin, future colonel, holder of the Order of St. George, Decembrist. He received a brilliant education at the time, but did not have a solid general education. He served in the Cavalry Regiment and was a veteran of the war of 1812 and foreign campaigns of the Russian army.
In 1815, Mikhail resigned from military service. Went abroad and lived in Paris for a year, earning his life by teaching and advocacy.
In 1817, after his father's death, having become the heir to a large fortune, Lunin returned to Russia. In St. Petersburg, he joined the "Union of Salvation," and later was one of the founders of the "Union of Welfare", after the termination of which became a member of "The Secret Society of the North."
In 1822, Mikhail Lunin joined the Grodno Life Guards Hussars. He was appointed adjutant to the Grand Duke Constantine Pavlovich, who commanded the troops of the Warsaw Military District. After 1822, Lunin did not share any more the ideas of the founders of the movement, but continued to believe that Russia needed political changes, and above all - the liberation of the peasants. He basically rejected the methods offered by the participants of the secret societies, which seemed to him unacceptable.
Lunin did not take part in the events of 14 (26) December 1825 in St. Petersburg, because at that time was serving in Poland. In March 1826 he was summoned as a witness of the uprising to the Warsaw investigation committee. Among the Decembrist Mikhail the last one who was arrested: April 10, 1826 he was escorted to St. Petersburg accompanied by a government courier. On the night of 16 (28) April he was placed in the Peter and Paul Fortress. In 1826, he was convicted mainly for the plan of regicide in 1816 and condemned to penal servitude for life. In 1832, the term of the servitude was reduced to 10 years.
In 1837, Lunin wrote a series of political letters addressed to his sister: he set out to write a history of the Decembrist movement; it was assumed that the letters would be known to a wide circle of readers. In early 1838 he wrote the “Historical Research" (a brief review of the past of the Russian state); in September 1838, "A look at the Russian Secret Society from 1816 to 1826" (an essay on the history of secret societies); in November 1839, "Analysis of the Report submitted to the Emperor by the Secret Commission of 1826" (contains a critical study of the "Report" and the author's view of the Decembrist movement with the designation of the true purpose). Lunin planned to write "The analysis of the work of the Supreme Criminal Court." With that end in view he asked his sister to send him documents and materials relating to the Uprising of 14 (26) December: publications of newspapers, eyewitness’ stories. The plan was not implemented, as Lunin had not received the required materials.
Mikhail Lunin died 3 (15) October 1845 in the town of Akatuyev, in prison.
Lit.: Блонский Л. В. Лунины // Царские, дворянские, купеческие роды России / Л. В. Блонский. М., 2007. С. 253-254; Гусев В. Легенда о синем гусаре: повесть о Михаиле Лунине. М., 1976; Лунин Михаил Сергеевич (1787-1845 гг.) // История Отечества в биографиях участников важнейших событий : биогр. слов-справ. / авт.-сост. В. Ф. Блохин. Смоленск, 2002. С. 191-292; Русева Л. Гражданин Вселенной (М. С. Лунин) / Л. Русева // России верные сыны / Л. Русева. М., 2006. С. 377-392; Лунини Михаил Сергеевич // Русская философия: словарь. М., 1999. С. 278; Соколов В. «Человек замечательный» // Рядом с Пушкиным / Соколов В. М, 1998. Ч. 1. С. 548-550; Эйдельман Н. Обречённый отряд. М., 1987.
Based on the Presidential Library’s materials:
Декабристы: Материалы для характеристики. М., 1907;
Довнар-Запольский М. В. Идеалы декабристов. М., 1907;
Довнар-Запольский М. В. Тайное общество декабристов. М., 1906;
Жены декабристов: Сборник историко-бытовых статей. М., 1906;
Левин К. Н. Декабристы: История вооруженного восстания 14 декабря 1825 г. СПб., 1906;
Материалы для истории царствования императора Николая Павловича. Лейпциг, 1880
Семевский В. И. Политические и общественные идеи декабристов. СПб., 1909;
Соловьёв Д. Декабристы. М., 1912.
The material provided by the K. G. Paustovsky Ryazan Regional Youth Library