Heroes making and disillusionment with heroes: the images of Decembrists in the historical memory of the Russian society in the second half of XIX - early XX century

The article is devoted to the images of the Decembrists in the historical memory of the Russian society - in the historical publications, political journalism and arts. The author reconstructs the logics of formation of the Decembrists Myth in Russian culture as a mix of the heroic romantic discourse, liberal values and populist ethos; she also concentrates on the process of the disillusionment with the Decembrists Myth which started with the publication of the myth breaking archival documents in the very beginning of the 20th century.