20.05.2025
On May 19, Andrei Loginov took part in the panel discussion “Legal Ideas of the Decembrists: Pro et Contra. Lessons of History” at the XIII St. Petersburg International Legal Forum.
“I believe that the Western ways of thinking led the Decembrists to reject the traditional spiritual and moral values of Russian society. They released the spring of revolutionary life in our country, making revolutionary thought a defining part of Russia’s historical trajectory. This caused tremendous and unacceptable losses to our country, culture, and people,” said Rector Loginov, naming Western influence as the root cause of the 1825 uprising.
The discussion analyzed the ideas and documents of the Northern and Southern Decembrist Societies – specifically, Nikita Muravyov’s draft constitution and Pavel Pestel’s “Russkaya Pravda”. Opinions differed on the uprising’s significance, but the participants agreed on one point: although the 1825 uprising ended in tragedy, the Decembrists’ reforms laid foundational elements for modern Russian legal thought.
Loginov drew parallels between Russkaya Pravda and sections of the Russian Constitution, as well as the Civil, Tax, and Land Codes, pointing to continuity in provisions on free trade, equality before the law, local self-government, taxation, and banking.
