INFLUENCE OF THE POLISH UPRISING OF 1830-31 TO THE 1832 GEORGIAN PLOT AND PETER ZAVELEISKY

Abstract

At the beginning of the 19th century, Russia abolished the Kingdom of Kartl-Kakheti, then the Imeretian kingdom, and turned the whole of Georgia into a simple province of the Empire, as a result of which Russian rule was established here. Things were different in contemporary Poland. After the Napoleonic Wars, by the decision of the Congress of Vienna, the Kingdom of Poland was created, which was in union with Russia and had its constitution, a bicameral parliament, and army. However, the ruling elite, the aristocracy, and patriotic youth dreamed of complete independence and the restoration of Poland (the Commonwealth) within the borders of 1772. On the other hand, the Russian government increasingly tried to limit the semi-indepen­dent state of Poland.

In the 1820s, preparations began in Poland for an anti-Russian uprising, which was accelerated by the French Revolution of 1830. The immediate pretext was the decision to send Polish soldiers to put down the Belgian revolution. Despite some successes in the first half of 1831, Russia managed to suppress the uprising with blood, occupied Warsaw and canceled the constitution of 1815. The Kingdom of Poland was declared a part of Russia, which led to the strengthening of Russian influence on it. Some of the rebels were resettled in separate provinces of Russia, including Georgia. The Polish uprising had a certain influence on the 1832 Georgian plot, which is read from the testimonies of the participants. The uprising was planned as early as 1831. According to one of the leaders of the conspirators, they were waiting to see if the Russians would take Warsaw, and when Warsaw fell, this plan was thwarted. The Commission of Inquiry also recognized that only the fact of the Polish uprising mattered and influenced the origin and development of the Georgian conspiracy.

The second question is the participation of the Poles who immigrated to Georgia in the 1832 Georgian plot. As it turned out, the conspirators were preparing them to participate in the uprising. According to the observation of the Commission of inquiry, the conspirators hoped for the participation of the Poles in Georgia (their number was up to 3 thousand), but they did not see anything suspicious in the behavior of the soldiers and did not take any measures against them. Despite this, the mass participation of the Poles in the conspiracy cannot be ruled out. As for the Poles in the bureaucratic arena in Georgia, P. Zaveleisky, born in 1800, who has been in Georgia since 1827, deserves special mention. He begins to work as the head of the treasury expedition. On April 25, 1828, he was appointed vice-governor for the financial depa­rtment, and by decree of February 4, 1829, he was promoted to civil governor of Georgia with the rank of real state councilor.

Although he was in the service of the empire, he is considered one of the main participants in the 1832 Georgian plot. At the time of the failure of the conspiracy, Zaveleisky did not hold the post of civil governor and was not in Georgia. Most of the interviewed conspirators did not personally know Zaveleisky, although some of them knew about his participation in the conspiracy. Al. Orbeliani, one of the leaders of the conspiracy, directly accused him. Zaveleisky was to have close ties with the leadership of the conspirators both in Moscow and Tbilisi. On the way to official business, he always stopped in Moscow and consulted with Okropir Bagrationi and other leaders of the 1832 Georgian plot. However, due to the lack of irrefutable evidence, Zaveleysky escaped capture.

Keywords: Polish uprising, Georgia, 1832 Georgian plot, P. Zaveleisky, Commission of Inquiry