A historical novel of the 1825 incident in which the rebellious regiments drawn up on Senate Square in St. Petersburg refused to take the oath to the new Tsar. The revolutionary regiments wee commanded by members of the Secret Society, "the best men among the nobles," the first Russian revolutionaries to consciously wage an organized struggle against the regime of autocracy and serf-ownership in Russia. The story of the Decembrists and their immortal deed of valour for the sake of freedom is told by Olga Forsh, venerable Soviet writer, in her book Pioneers of Freedom. The writer has portrayed the leaders and members of the Secret Societies, their amazing fortitude, nobility of character and courage, with affection and sympathy. Olga Forsh is the author of many historical novels, the most popular of which are: Palace and Prison (1923), which went through nearly 20 printings; the trilogy Radischev, about a Russian revolutionary, author of the famous Journey from Petersburg to Moscow; Mikhailovsky Castle, about the talented architect Rossi and his tragic fate; Freedom's Firstlings, about the Decembrists.