Decembrists Exonerated by Investigative Commission: Lieutenant Colonel I. A. Arsenyev

This article examines the Decembrists who were exonerated by the official investigation and found not guilty of involvement in the secret societies. This aspect of the Decembrist movement remains largely understudied in the historiography. The scholarly significance of this research is underscored by its contribution to the history of the Chernigov Regiment uprising. The case of the exonerated Decembrists raises a fundamental methodological question: which sources should be considered reliable — the incriminating testimony that suggests membership in the secret societies, or the defendants' exculpatory statements and the investigation's final verdict? The traditional view in the scholarship has tended to privilege the official conclusions of the investigative commission. This article, however, offers a revisionist perspective, arguing for the validity of the witness testimony in the case of one exonerated individual, Lieutenant Colonel I. A. Arseniev. The author conducts a thorough comparative analysis of the investigative materials, drawing on Arseniev's unpublished case file. Particular attention is paid to the defense tactics employed by the acquitted officer. The study's relevance lies in its analysis of the reliability of evidence contained in the investigative depositions and its consideration of the defendants' legal strategies, which are crucial for the historiography of Decembrism. The author concludes that I. A. Arseniev was, in fact, a participant in the Decembrist movement.