Kondraty Fyodorovich Ryleyev

Kondraty Fyodorovich Ryleyev (langWithName|ru|Russian|Кондратий Федорович Рылеев, September 29 (September 18 O.S.), 1795, - July 25 (July 13 O.S.), 1826) was a Russian poet and revolutionary, and one of the leaders in the Decembrist revolt.

Born September 29 in the village Batovo now it is a part of Gatchina district of Leningrad Oblast to a family of a nobleman owning small estate.

From 1801 to 1814 studied in Saint Petersburg 1st military school. Participated in Russian foreign campaigns in 1814—1815.

In 1818 he quit the service and from 1821 he was assessor of Saint Petersburg's criminal court, from 1824 worked for Russian-American Company.

In 1820 he wrote a satirical Ode "To Minion", obviously addressing Alexey Andreyevich Arakcheyev.A year later he entered the "Free society of Russian literature lovers" (Вольное общество любителей российской словесности) — one of the most prominent societies of writers in Saint Petersburg.

From 1823 to 1825 he and Alexander Alexandrovich Bestuzhev published an annual almanac "The Polar Star" (Полярная звезда).

In 1823, Ryleyev joined the revolutionary "Northern society". On the night of December 27(December 14 O.S.), 1825, he was arrested and charged with planning the murder of the tsar. He was one of the five, sentenced to quartering, but later this sentence was replaced with hanging. Ryleyev was executed the next day on July 25, 1826, and died holding a copy of poetry by Byron, whose writings influenced many of the Decembrist conspirators.

ee also

*List of famous duels