“Hurrah for Constantine!” shouted the men aimlessly into the bitter wind. On 26th December 1825, stung by the winter morning, a disorganized group of 3,000 soldiers congregated in St. Petersburg's Senate Square. Unsure of what to do, they awaited leaders who never came. By midday, another group of 9,000 soldiers had formed, commanded by the new tsar Nicholas I. Unwilling to dispel the rebels with force, Nicholas attempted for many hours to negotiate with them, only to have two of his senior commanders shot dead by the radical Pyotr Kakhovsky.
With dusk approaching, an impatient and cold Nicholas commanded his artillery to open fire. The insurgents fled immediately and after a brief standoff on the frozen Neva River were completely overcome. By nightfall St. Petersburg was once again quiet. Rumors of the revolt spread throughout the Russian Empire and several other cities saw quick and unsuccessful uprisings. By mid-January the last of these were extinguished, the chief perpetrators captured, and Nicholas reigned unquestioned.
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