Sergey Ivanovich Muravyov-Apostol was born to a family of a Russian diplomat Ivan Muravyov-Apostol in Saint Petersburg on October 9N.S. 1796 (some other sources state November 2, 1795). He spent his childhood in Hamburg and Paris, then graduated from Saint Petersburg Institute of Road Engineers (Петербургский Институт Инженеров Путей Сообщения), then served in the Russian Army.
Between January 2, 1817 and December 22, 1818 he was a Freemason, a member and a ritual-keeper of Lodge Three Virtues. He was one of the founders of pre-Decembrist secret societies Union of Salvation (member of Moscow conspiracy of 1817) and Union of Welfare (member and the keeper of Korennoy Soviet). One of directors of Decembrist's South Society (head of Vasilkovskaya Uprava). He was the coordinator of correspondence between the South Society and the pro-PolishSociety of United Slavs. Sergey was the author of the Decembrist's Сatechesis and a very articulate supporter of establishing a republic and abolishing serfdom in Russia.
In 1825, he led the uprising of the Chernigov regiment. He was arrested on December 29O.S. 1825, then freed by his fellow officers, and led an insurgency against government forces on January 3O.S. 1826, was critically wounded by canister shot. According to the legend, his wounds prevented him from staying in the saddle. So he ordered to be fastened to his horse by ropes so as to lead the desperate cavalry attack on the government artillery battery. The attack was unsuccessful and he was captured.
