As ever, welcome, dear readers.

Recently, I watched an historical film which has been on my shelves for some time.

In English, this would be “Union of Salvation” which title, because the image includes what is clearly a soldier in a shako (a kind of military hat worn mostly in the first half of the 19^th century),

may make you wonder—along with the title of this posting—what’s this one going to be about?

There are clues, however, both in the film’s title and in the posting’s title:  we’re beginning this posting with a film about the Decembrists, a group of Russian would-be revolutionaries, who, under the name “the Union of Salvation”, led a military uprising against the government in St Petersburg in December, 1825.

The soldiers involved included units of the tsar’s own bodyguard, who paraded in what was then called Senate Square to proclaim their support of a new tsar, Constantine,

 and a constitution.  Instead, it was revealed that Constantine had previously declined the position of tsar, so the new tsar would be his younger brother, Nicholas.

Nicholas, in fact, first attempted to deal with the rebels, but, when his emissary, the distinguished general Miloradovich, was mortally wounded by one of the rebels,

things went rapidly downhill and the new tsar turned his artillery on the troops, shooting down a number before the rest fled in confusion.

After this, Nicholas pursued the rebels, many were rounded up, and punishments ranged from demotion in rank to exile to Siberia,

to execution—the most prominent being that of the five men deemed the ringleaders.

The film was a striking one–beautifully made, with what appeared to be Star Wars quality CGI,

but, because I already knew the outcome, there was a grim, fateful feel to the film, even though I very much admired and appreciated the work which had clearly gone into it.  The conspirators were both ambitious and idealistic and even a little naïve, and, at the moment of crisis, things came apart and they and their attempted revolt failed miserably.  It’s a powerful film, and well worth watching, even if you are aware of its conclusion.  The version of the film I saw had subtitles which looked like they’d been done by an AI with almost no knowledge of idiomatic Russian, producing some very odd translations, but there is a far superior version on YouTube, which you can see here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_JiQWe36xM  Before you do, however, I would suggest that, to understand the complexities of the revolt (and it was complex—lots of personalities and plans), watch this very good documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXx_jLEG4KU 

Those who were sent into exile in Siberia made new lives for themselves there, but there were some who always hoped for pardon and, in 1856, with the accession of a new tsar, Alexander II (son of Nicholas),

they were allowed to return westward, and old noble privileges were even restored to their children.  (For more on this, see:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decembrist_revolt )

This event, we’re told, inspired a writer already known for Childhood, Boyhood, Youth (1852-56),

(which you can read here:  https://archive.org/details/childhood-boyhood-youth-e-lev-tolstoy/page/n5/mode/2up )

Sebastopol Sketches (1855),

(which you can read here:  https://tolstoyarchive.org/Fiction/books/Sevastopol%20Sketches.pdf )

and The Cossacks (1863),

(which you can read here: https://archive.org/details/landedproprietor00tols/page/n7/mode/2up

Count Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910),

 to begin a new work, which would be based upon the revolt and its consequences.  He commenced his novel in 1863, but realized that, to make sense out of the events of 1825, he would have to go back in time, and the first version of this work was entitled 1805, and published in 1865, but then came years of revision and occasional publication of drafts until the final version, now entitled War and Peace, appeared in 1869.  (The creation and publishing history is as complex as the Decembrist plot—you can follow it here:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_and_Peace )  And, although there is a hint of the Decembrists in an epilogue, the actual events of 1825 have completely disappeared from the novel which Tolstoy eventually published.

It’s a novel I’m now beginning to read for what I think is the 9^th time, and, each time, I’m surprised at how easily I’ve been pulled in.

It’s long—the estimate of one translation is 628,215 words—and it has many secondary characters, but the primary characters—Pierre, Andrei, Natasha—are so vividly drawn that, reading, it’s those you follow, even as you do Andrei’s family—his seemingly severe father, his gentle, pious sister—and Natasha’s family—her overly-generous father, her loving mother, her siblings and their attachments.  And you watch Pierre gradually grow from the troubled, illegitimate son of a nobleman into a deeply thoughtful and kindly man.   As well, although Tolstoy had originally intended a very different historical novel, we see these characters set against the history of Russia in the period of the Napoleonic wars, beginning with its defeat, along with its Austrian ally, at Austerlitz in 1805 (you can read more about that here:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Austerlitz#General_references )

through Napoleon’s invasion and eventual defeat in 1812, with the burning of Moscow

and the terrible French retreat, through deepening winter and Russian pursuit.

There are battles,

but the majority of scenes are from civilian life:  dances, a hunt, jealousies, weddings, family struggles, even a duel. 

If this interests you, but the idea of such a massive work seems, potentially, a little overwhelming, I would start with the second BBC series from 2016.

This wisely concentrates upon those three primary characters (they are depicted in this image) and, having seen that, you can form a good idea of the shape of the book as a whole, then turn to what many believe to be the best modern translation—

or, having read this intelligent opinion–https://tolstoytherapy.com/tips-for-reading-war-and-peace-first-time-tolstoy/ –perhaps this translation—

and see what you think.  If you’re like me, you’ll become hooked and find yourself reembarking on this long but wonderful book again and again.

Thanks for reading, as always.

Stay well,

Be glad that Napoleon was eventually defeated and exiled to a tiny island from which he didn’t return,

And remember that, also as always, there’s

MTCIDC

O