Wstęp

LTReikšminiai žodžiai: Filaretai; Filaretų draugija; Filomatai; Romantizmo literatūra; Rusijos imperija (Russian Empire); Slaptos studentų draugijos; Teismo procesai; Vilniaus imperatoriškasis universitetas; Vilniaus universitetas (VU; Vilnius University); Filaret Association; Philomath; Philomaths; Romantic literature; Russian Empire; Secret student organizations; Trials; Vilnius Imperial University.

ENThe Introduction comprises on the one hand an attempt to describe and interpret the inquiry carried out by Novosiltsov and on the other the actions and attitudes of its participants (the section entitled: Novosiltsov's Drama). Its purpose is also to discuss the state of research in general concerning the issue of the trial, present the results of archival work, point out the rules according to which the choice of sources was made, and describe the method of reconstruction. (Sources and the method of reconstruction). It required several years of enquiry in the registry offices of Vilnius, St. Petersburg, Warsaw, Cracow and Lublin to gather the materials together. The deposits in Vilnius and St. Petersburg alone account for 107 volumes containing about 7000 manuscript sheets. Managing such a vast quantity of material would not be possible without the elaboration of an appropriate method for the chronicling of the events of 1823 and 1824. With this in mind, the present study makes reference to the Chronicle of the Life and Work of Adam Mickiewicz - an analytical work. By quoting extensively from sources both already published and only recently found (above all the Filarets' testimonies and letters written by the Russian authorities), information concerning the events in question has been expanded. From the preserved records of the proceedings of 95 Filarets, 34 were chosen to be presented in detail (including that of Mickiewicz), while from the remainder those facts were focused on which were of most significance for the inquiry as a whole. [From book]