In the history of Russia, 1824 remained as the heyday of secret societies. More than ten opposition organizations have developed their activities. Alexander I turned a blind eye to all this, although there were regular denunciations of plans and speeches that were harmful to the state and the royal family. Nevertheless, having received information about the existence of a secret society of "pigs", the authorities did not postpone the defeat of this secret association until later.
Harmless gatherings
Since 1821, after the Decree of Emperor Alexander I on the prohibition of Masonic and other similar organizations, people did not stop gathering in the capital and on the outskirts of the Russian Empire. For the most part, these were completely harmless gatherings in a circle of the elite, like the Society of Cork Cavaliers, whose members were united by a love of drinking. The well-known St. Petersburg hospitable Bunin organized this collective pastime. The society had a charter, a hymn and a distinctive sign in clothes - men appeared at meetings in frock coats with wine corks in their buttonholes. At the table, they were seated in order - gentlemen between the ladies, so that during libations it would be more pleasant to follow the text of the verses sung by the assembled fans of “kirk”: “Bow down to your neighbor, your neighbor loves to drink wine. Hug your neighbor neighbor, neighbor loves to drink wine. Kiss the neighbor's neighbor, the neighbor loves to drink wine. "Bows, hugs and kisses were not followed by anything reprehensible, so the "cork order" did not interest the police. And the "cavaliers of the traffic jam" themselves were not particularly worried about the consequences of their gatherings, except that in the morning their heads ached.
Members of the large Society of Lovers of Russian Literature gathered in St. Petersburg. The writers crowded around the almanacs "Polar Star" and "Mnemosyne". A literary circle of S. Raich operated in Moscow. Until December 1825 broke out, liberal-minded writers spoke and acted quite naturally, except that they used Aesopian language to spread radical ideas - the only possible language under censorship.
It was much more difficult for the Northern and Southern Societies and the United Slavs Society, which joined them, to work, where calls were made for the political reconstruction of Russia and the liquidation of the royal family. However, under the noses of the police, the "northerners" and "southerners" managed to hold a congress in Moscow. In secret circles, the Practical Union and the Society of the Guards Crew, the issues of freeing the peasants, correcting morals and helping others were resolved. At the same time, the Poles, United by radical ideas in the Polish Patriotic Society and the Zorian Society, were active, which, with the addition of Polish philomats, was transformed into the Society of Military Friends. The warlike sentiments of the Poles will be reflected in the bloody struggle for the independence of Poland in six years.
Since 1815, on the outskirts of the Russian Empire in a provincial town, the Orenburg society gathered, aiming to change the monarchical rule, but after 1825, the traitor Ippolit Zavalishin betrayed the core of the conspirators.
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One "sweet society"
Historians are still interested in the figure of Ippolit Zavalishin's brother, Dmitry, who died in 1892, the last of the Decembrists. Dmitry Zavalishin, having learned about the dissolution of the Freemasons, tried to distinguish himself in the eyes of the authorities. He created the Order of Restoration organization, writing its charter and accepting several people, mostly foreigners, into the order, and then announced to Alexander I … about the disclosure of the conspiracy. The autocrat ignored the report, but there were no sanctions against the "whistleblower" either. However, Nicholas I still sent Dmitry Zavalishin to Siberia, no matter how he tried to justify himself.
So, as they say, everything happened in Russian life.
And in 1824, Governor-General Miloradovich, and then Alexander I, among many denunciations, singled out a denunciation of the “pigs” society, whose activities concerned the moral state of both the upper secular society and simpler people. The fact is that the head of one of the ministerial departments (they tried to hide his name carefully, since the official's wife was a lady of high society) privately turned to Miloradovich with a complaint about the "interesting" position of his daughter, who was lured into one "nice company", after which daughter became pregnant. Miloradovich, like any high-ranking official who did not disdain to poke his nose into delicate matters, sent his agent to the society, with the order “not to spare money for intelligence”. Many Russian aristocrats and officials close to the sovereign grew up daughters, and that ease,with which future princesses and baroness could bear outside of marriage, frightened the authorities with scandalous consequences.
The agent first made acquaintance with the "offender" of a high-born girl, Doctor of Philosophy Plantin, and then for 200 rubles became a member of the "pigs" society, having received a special card and a serial number (# 48). Before being accepted into a "pig", the agent was introduced to the rituals, which he immediately reported to Miloradovich. Actually, it was an association of libertines. At the apartment of the French artist Bulan, no more than nine couples gathered, who first sang a hymn, and then indulged in an orgy lasting up to two hours. It all ended again with the singing of the anthem. Titled persons, pilgrims from the palace church, and rich merchants also got to the "pigs".
Children of nature
The agent was struck by the fact that ladies from the upper circle easily agreed to be members of this society. They were not embarrassed by the name - "pigs". When one lady was persuaded to enter into such a strange union, where they receive medical treatment for one evening and not by their own choice of a partner, but by the number that fell out, the recruited woman said with disgust that it was disgusting. It was explained to her that pigs, like people, are children of nature. The secular lioness, on reflection, was satisfied with this answer.
The male part of the "pig" society was special, as it consisted practically of only foreigners. In addition to the aforementioned artist and philosopher, active "pigs" were Abbot Justy, professor of music Tsani, clerk Lebrun, provincial secretary Joffrey, doctor of medicine Marcil, governor Rosten and chairman of the society, writer May. The only Russian surname in the list of sexual "pranksters" was the surname of the Petersburg bourgeois Sidorov. After his arrest, he turned out to be the most stubborn in denial, for which he was beaten and sent to Siberian penal servitude indefinitely. The rest of those arrested, without any concealment, told the investigation about their "innocent hobbies", which just shocked him.
In fact, in Russia there existed and in some places still remained sinful. The village did not betray the pagan traditions of the nights on Ivan Kupala. The landlords had harems of serfs, brothels worked in the cities, actresses and singers were available. But this, so to speak, is its own, as it were, "permitted", "native." And here - the real pernicious influence of the West! The authorities believed that with this influence the ideas of the Carbonari and other political filth would penetrate into Russia. It was impossible to forgive that. In addition, a Masonic diploma and a pair of loaded pistols were found on Mayor's office. And the fallen pastor Justy turned out to be an atheist and adherent of the harmful ideas of J.-J. Russo.
Division into "sheep" and "goats"
The massacre was short-lived and not very cruel. "Pig" and "Freemason" May were kept under arrest for several weeks and sent abroad. The philosopher Plantin was obliged to marry a defiled girl. All foreigners went outside Russia, who were strictly warned - if returned, they would face hard labor. The French, nevertheless, tried to put pressure on their ambassador to help mitigate their fate, since in Russia the French citizens had thoroughly warmed up in warm places and had good incomes, which it was a sin to refuse. The ambassador, to his credit, did not interfere.
With the ladies - "pigs" they acted humanely - they were not punished at all. Since the publicity could harm the high society, Miloradovich reported on the participants in the orgies to the tsar, and he, having listened, threw the list of "pigs" and all the papers relating to "society" into the blazing fireplace. This was the end of the history of libertines.
… But their business, as the well-known phrase says, was not lost. At the end of the 20th century, in the West, and then in Russia, swing clubs flourished with might and main, where married couples exchange partners for the night. The police and the police do not care about this at all.
Magazine: Secrets of the 20th century №50. Author: Alexander Agalakov