Nikolai Nadezhdin’s Return to Grace: Political Rehabilitation in the Era of Nicholas I

• In Event: Nineteenth-Century Russian Conservative Imaginaries

Abstract

The regime of Nicholas I (1825-1855) was not known for its forgiving nature. Russians who fell afoul of the state for political crimes generally faced long periods of imprisonment, exile, and in a few cases, even death. Those who served out their punishments were sometimes able to rebuild their careers, but rarely in state service. Nicholas Nadezhdin (1802-1856) is an intriguing exception to this rule. The Chaadaev affair, in which Nadezhdin played a central role, brought a total collapse of his professional career and personal aspirations. Condemned to exile in the remote northern town of Ust-Sysolsk, he left in disgrace with little prospect of restoring his previous position as a professor and publisher. Yet, Nadezhdin’s northern exile proved to be brief, and by the time of his death he had risen to the high rank of Active State Councilor and become an influential and trusted official in the Interior Ministry. How can Nadezhdin’s return to favor be explained? What did he have to do to convince the regime of his reliability, and what was the price for his rehabilitation?

Author

• Nathaniel Knight, Seton Hall U