Disputes about Speaking from their Cells

Abstract

The presented article is devoted to a recently published monograph on the history of the Decembrists’ revolt — the work by N. D. Potapova “Speaking from their Cells: Discourse and Political Strategies of the Decemberists”. Reviews of the book and responses are considered. The assessment of the monograph given by famous modern historians O. V. Edelman, Ya. A. Gordin and P. V. Il’in is analyzed. It is noted that, in general, the book received an extremely negative press from the professional community. This is largely due to the concept of the author of the monograph nihilist in relation to the secret society, namely, the denial of the existence of a formalized structure in the form of political organizations within the framework of the Decembrist revolt. The article also examines rhetorical techniques and features of modern methodological techniques and concepts used by the author of the monograph. It is indicated that the references to a wide range of foreign press to interpret the materials of the investigation and the discourse that was generally prevalent during the period of the uprising and the investigation significantly extends and enriches views on the subject matter. It is noted that the most successful parts of the monograph include observations relating to the formation of the outlook of Grand Duke Nikolai Pavlovich as one of the representatives of the generation to which the Decembrists belonged. It is emphasized that, despite a number of inaccuracies and far-fetched fragments, the approach chosen by the author of the monograph is a significant achievement in the study of Decembrist problems.