The Fateful Duel That Became a Prologue to the Decembrist Revolt
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How Domenico Trezzini's great-great-granddaughter found herself at the center of a tragic story.
Exactly 200 years ago, on September 10 (24, New Style), 1825, a duel took place on the outskirts of the Forestry Park (now the park of the Forestry Engineering Academy), which became a major event in the public life of St. Petersburg. At dawn, two young men met: Second Lieutenant Konstantin Chernov and the brilliant aide-de-camp to Alexander I, Vladimir Novosiltsev. Both were killed, and the tragedy itself unexpectedly acquired political significance, entering history as one of the prologues to the Decembrist revolt.
The cause of the duel was the broken engagement between Novosiltsev and Yekaterina Pakhomovna Chernova. There is an important detail in this: Yekaterina was the great-great-granddaughter of Domenico Trezzini, the first architect of St. Petersburg, whose name is inextricably linked with the city's early history.
Novosiltsev, the son of an influential mother and a promising officer, became engaged to Yekaterina but soon backed out under family pressure. For the Chernov brothers, such an insult was unacceptable; their sister's honor demanded a response. Challenges and explanations followed one after another until, finally, a duel was set.
Chernov's seconds were the poet and future Decembrist Kondraty Ryleyev and a Colonel German; Novosiltsev was supported by cavalry captain (Rotmistr) Read and Second Lieutenant Shipov. The terms of the duel were brutal: eight paces, a barrier, a shot at almost point-blank range. The opponents fired simultaneously: Chernov was mortally wounded in the temple, and Novosiltsev received a severe wound to his side.
Chernov died a few days later, and his funeral at the Smolensk Cemetery turned into a massive demonstration. Contemporaries recalled that the coffin was carried by hand, and even the opponent's seconds walked in the front rows. Novosiltsev died several days later; his mother wore mourning for the rest of her life and founded a church and an almshouse in her son's memory.
This duel became more than just a personal tragedy for two families. In it, contemporaries saw a symbol of the struggle of "gold and noble birth" against "innocence and nobility of soul." Many researchers consider Chernov's funeral to be the first mass protest that anticipated the Decembrist revolt.
Today, granite pillars and an obelisk in the Forestry Engineering Park commemorate those days. Chernov's grave has been preserved at the Smolensk Cemetery, and Novosiltsev's tombstone is in the Donskoy Monastery.
Monument at the site of the duel. Photo: Vera Arkhipova.
The memory of Domenico Trezzini is most often associated with his architectural masterpieces—the Peter and Paul Cathedral, the Summer Palace, and the Twelve Collegia buildings. But the fates of his descendants also became part of Russian history, at times tragic, at times heroic. The duel between Chernov and Novosiltsev is just one example of how a personal drama turned into an event of national significance. By preserving the memory of Trezzini and his heirs, we better understand not only the origins of St. Petersburg's architectural appearance but also the complex fabric of its historical destiny.
More news of the Golden Trezzini Awards: https://goldtrezzini.ru/news/ Follow us on social media: https://www.facebook.com/trezziniawards/ https://www.instagram.com/trezziniawards/ https://www.youtube.com/@goldentrezziniawards
Exactly 200 years ago, on September 10 (24, New Style), 1825, a duel took place on the outskirts of the Forestry Park (now the park of the Forestry Engineering Academy), which became a major event in the public life of St. Petersburg. At dawn, two young men met: Second Lieutenant Konstantin Chernov and the brilliant aide-de-camp to Alexander I, Vladimir Novosiltsev. Both were killed, and the tragedy itself unexpectedly acquired political significance, entering history as one of the prologues to the Decembrist revolt.
The cause of the duel was the broken engagement between Novosiltsev and Yekaterina Pakhomovna Chernova. There is an important detail in this: Yekaterina was the great-great-granddaughter of Domenico Trezzini, the first architect of St. Petersburg, whose name is inextricably linked with the city's early history.
Novosiltsev, the son of an influential mother and a promising officer, became engaged to Yekaterina but soon backed out under family pressure. For the Chernov brothers, such an insult was unacceptable; their sister's honor demanded a response. Challenges and explanations followed one after another until, finally, a duel was set.
Chernov's seconds were the poet and future Decembrist Kondraty Ryleyev and a Colonel German; Novosiltsev was supported by cavalry captain (Rotmistr) Read and Second Lieutenant Shipov. The terms of the duel were brutal: eight paces, a barrier, a shot at almost point-blank range. The opponents fired simultaneously: Chernov was mortally wounded in the temple, and Novosiltsev received a severe wound to his side.
Chernov died a few days later, and his funeral at the Smolensk Cemetery turned into a massive demonstration. Contemporaries recalled that the coffin was carried by hand, and even the opponent's seconds walked in the front rows. Novosiltsev died several days later; his mother wore mourning for the rest of her life and founded a church and an almshouse in her son's memory.
This duel became more than just a personal tragedy for two families. In it, contemporaries saw a symbol of the struggle of "gold and noble birth" against "innocence and nobility of soul." Many researchers consider Chernov's funeral to be the first mass protest that anticipated the Decembrist revolt.
Today, granite pillars and an obelisk in the Forestry Engineering Park commemorate those days. Chernov's grave has been preserved at the Smolensk Cemetery, and Novosiltsev's tombstone is in the Donskoy Monastery.
Monument at the site of the duel. Photo: Vera Arkhipova.
The memory of Domenico Trezzini is most often associated with his architectural masterpieces—the Peter and Paul Cathedral, the Summer Palace, and the Twelve Collegia buildings. But the fates of his descendants also became part of Russian history, at times tragic, at times heroic. The duel between Chernov and Novosiltsev is just one example of how a personal drama turned into an event of national significance. By preserving the memory of Trezzini and his heirs, we better understand not only the origins of St. Petersburg's architectural appearance but also the complex fabric of its historical destiny.
More news of the Golden Trezzini Awards: https://goldtrezzini.ru/news/ Follow us on social media: https://www.facebook.com/trezziniawards/ https://www.instagram.com/trezziniawards/ https://www.youtube.com/@goldentrezziniawards
24.09.2025
18:35
6 months ago
