Alexandre Dumas wrote his novel in 1840, but in Russian it was published only 85 years later: Nicholas I banned its publication in Russia because it described events from 1824–1826, including the December uprising.
Recreating the history, everyday life, and morals of the Petersburg nobility, Dumas relied primarily on the notes of Augustin François Gré zier, who came to Russia to teach the art of fencing. At the heart of the plot is the story of the love between a milliner, Louise Dupuy, and Count Alexey Annenkov—whose prototypes are Polina G ö b l e and the Decembrist Ivan Alexandrovich Annenkov.