On the pages of this book, the first Russian revolutionaries - the Decembrists, appear before the readers, their “high aspirations”, hopes for the awakening of society, doubts about the correctness of the chosen path. D. S. Merezhkovsky’s novel “December 14” tells about the uprising and the consequences of the cause of the Decembrists. The author contrasts the heroes of December 14 with the “beast from the Abyss” - the Russian monarchy, with which they entered into an unequal battle doomed to failure.L. M. Lyashenko in the essay “...That’s the meaning of standing on Senate Street” asks the questions: is the revolutionary movement constructive or destructive in nature? what were the moral and political positions of the Decembrists? How do noble revolutionaries differ from revolutionaries of subsequent generations?