The article refers to a 6 February 1826 occurrence in the Poltava infantry regiment. On that day ensign S.I. Trusov came out in front of the ranks and called Emperor Nicholas I a «tyrant», suggesting that the soldiers «rush with bayonets» at the regimental authorities and thereby gain «freedom and independence». The researcher considers the course and the main reasons of that incident, from Trusov’s insanity to him being a member in secret Decembrist organizations. Having analysed various sources, the scholar concludes that Trusov most likely was insane. Apart from that, the subject of consideration is the investigation procedure: interrogations of Trusov at the investigative commission at the headquarters of the 1st Army and the sudden decision of Emperor Nicholas I to transfer the investigation to the Poltava Regiment. Meanwhile, the emperor ordered the Poltava court to try the ensign within 24 hours and wrote the verdict himself. It is therefore concluded that the emperor was thus testing the officers’ loyalty to him, as he believed them to have been profoundly affected by the Decembrist propaganda. The article relies on materials of Russian State Military Historical Archive.
Decembrists; Poltava Infantry Regiment; V.K. Tizenhausen; M.P. Bestuzhev- Ryumin; S.I. Trusov; E.N. Trotsky; Emperor Nicholas I.