▁Wars . ▁ ▁Once ▁interested ▁in ▁discussion ▁of ▁liberal ▁re forms , ▁western ▁dem ocracy , ▁and ▁the ▁teach ings ▁of ▁the ▁En light en ment ▁philosoph ers , ▁by ▁ 1 8 2 5 ▁R ae v sky ▁had ▁abandoned ▁his ▁youth ful ▁ideal ism , ▁reject ing ▁the ▁notion ▁that ▁Russia ▁could ▁be ▁anything ▁other ▁than ▁an ▁absolute ▁mon archy . ▁Both ▁of ▁R ae v sky ' s ▁sons ▁and ▁his ▁son - in - law , ▁Mik h ail ▁Or lov , ▁with d rew ▁from ▁the ▁Southern ▁Society ▁long ▁before ▁the ▁Dec em br ist ▁Revol t ▁occurred , ▁and ▁took ▁no ▁part ▁in ▁the ▁u pr ising . ▁R ae v sky ' s ▁half - bro ther , ▁Vas ily ▁Dav yd ov , ▁and ▁Prince ▁Volk ons ky , ▁remained ▁in ▁the ▁Society . ▁They ▁were ▁arrested ▁along ▁with ▁their ▁fellow ▁consp ir ators ▁days ▁after ▁the ▁u pr ising ▁in ▁December ▁ 1 8 2 5 , ▁and ▁were ▁taken ▁to ▁Saint ▁Petersburg . ▁They ▁were ▁held ▁for ▁several ▁months , ▁inter rog ated , ▁tried , ▁and ▁sent enced ▁to ▁hard ▁labor ▁and ▁ex ile ▁in ▁Si ber ia . ▁Again st ▁her ▁father ' s ▁wishes , ▁Maria ▁fought ▁for ▁the ▁right ▁to ▁accomp any ▁her ▁husband ▁to ▁Si ber ia , ▁and ▁managed ▁to ▁personally ▁persu ade ▁the ▁Emperor ▁to ▁allow ▁her ▁to ▁share ▁Prince ▁Volk ons ky ' s ▁ex ile . ▁The ▁Volk ons k ys ▁would ▁remain ▁in