(From Russkii Arkhiv, God 43, 1905, Vyp. 2, Kn. 1, page 370. “Delo komiteta o Kalinine i Borishevskom-Chesteishem,” by S.A. Panchulidzev, from the State Council’s archives.)

 

 

The State Committee in Regard to Kalinin and Borishevskii-Chestneishii.

 

The affair regarding these persons arose from a denunciation made by Collegiate Registrar Borishevskii-Chestneishii, at that time serving in the Provisioning administration, stating that Sublieutenant Kalinin of the St.-Petersburg Mass Levy [opolchenie] revealed to him the existence of a conspiracy in St. Petersburg whose goal was to force Emperor Alexander I to abdicate and then offer the crown to Empress Elizabeth Alekseevna.

 

Based on the information contained in the denunciation, there were arrested, besides Kalinin and Borishevskii-Chestneishii, a merchant named Zakharov, his son, and customs secretary Zvezdkin. Also, Major General Begichev, residing in St. Petersburg, was put under police surveillance.

 

Kalinin categorically denied Borishevskii’s accusations but at the same time admitted that in 1812, during the French invasion, he had written a constitution, and also that he considered the reign of a woman more beneficial then that of a man, using Empresses Elizabeth and Catherine II as examples. The Committee cleared both Zakharov’s (father and son), Zvezdkin, and Begichev of any involvement in the affair, but determined Kalinin to be a dangerous person whom it was necessary to imprison in the Schlüsselburg fortress. Borishevskii was obliged to state in writing that henceforth he would be more careful and not get involved in what did not concern him.

 

Particulars: 1) Sublieutenant Kalinin, 10th Druzhina of the St.-Petersburg Opolchenie, formerly inspector in the Cronstadt Customs Office, left “redundant” following the opolchenie’s reorganization. 2) Collegiate Registrar Borishevskii-Chestneishii (Petr Vasil’evich), chancellery clerk in the Provisions administration. 3) Major General Begichev (Ivan Matveevich), in retired status in 1812, ordered back into the army as a force commander of the St.-Petersburg Opolchenie; released from service on 30 October 1814 at his request due to illness, with permission to wear the uniform and a pension at full pay for 30 years’ service. 4) Merchant Zakharov (Mikhail). 5) Zakharov (Ivan, son of Mikhail Zakharov). 6) Collegiate Secretary Zvezdkin (Thedor), Cronstadt customs.

 

All the persons listed above, with the exception of Sublieutenant Kalinin, were freed from investigation in January of 1814 but left “under suspicion,” with Borishevskii-Chestneishii and Zvezdkin being returned to their posts. Kalinin was incarcerated for life in the Schlüsselburg fortress, from which in 1826, by Highest order, he was released and sent to live in Siberia.

 

 

Translated by Mark Conrad, 2004.