Who are the Narodniks and what is their activity?

The ideology of the Narodniks, which appeared in the Russian Empire in the 1860s and the 1910s, advocated the transition of society to "just" socialism straight from feudalism, skipping capitalism. The idea was proposed by Herzen and developed by Bakunin, Belinsky, Chernyshevsky. Against the Marxists. They argued that the emerging in Russia system can only be capitalistic.

In fact, the activity of the Narodniks is a kind of bridge in the revolutionary movement: from the noble (or Decembrist) stage to the Marxist (that is, the proletarian) stage. However, the masses were unresponsive to the propaganda of the revolution. And the repression of the government suppressed this initiative. Nevertheless, it left a bright trace, which the history of Russia remembers. Who are the Narodniks and what are they famous for? This is discussed in detail in the article.

In search of people's truth

Who are the Narodniks in the 19th century? These are intellectuals, raznochintsy, who sought their place in society. They were tormented by the thought that they had long ago lost touch with the people, their wisdom and truth. They said that morally the peasants are much higher than themselves. Only they are illiterate, they live in poverty, suffer from injustice. And we need to get close to them, open their eyes and guide them on the right path. This is the duty of the intelligentsia to the people. It is necessary to level all social strata and from each to take the best.

Also, the world outlook of the new-found defenders of people of labor was based on the opinion that Russia is a country of originality. The peculiarity of its economy is folk production. Because it has a unique, different from other states, the path of development. The Narodniks sought to develop their own economic model that would suit both industrialists and ordinary peasants. Herzen, for example, wrote about purely "Russian socialism." This was the signal to action.

The Origins of the Doctrine

Today, scientists emphasize the multifaceted history of Russia. And among many other political trends, the question of who the Narodniks are and what the ground that gave rise to this phenomenon is of particular interest. Why are sensible, at first glance, beginnings on the wall of misunderstanding?

Russia of those years is agrarian, backward. Capitalism is poorly developed. The life of the peasants was governed by the land community. The workers entering it owned a common plot of land. The society guaranteed them normal work and family life, ensured equal rights for all, protected the villagers from the oppression of large landowners, officials.

This later, when the village began a social stratification, the community became a brake on the development of peasant farms. In the meantime, it was an example of the structure of Russian society and occupied a special place in the mentality of Russian people. For this, and seized by those who advocated the movement of the Narodniks.

Herzen, the forerunner of Narodism, observed how sadly in Europe the revolutions of 1848-1849 ended. He lost faith in European socialism. Comparing his country and the West, he came to the conclusion that socialism in Russia must first be established. And this is not so difficult. After all, the community in the countryside is a ready cell of a socialist society. Here is the main essence of the answer to the question: who are the Narodniks?

Equality or justice?

Those who came out to defend the rights of the disadvantaged, claimed justice as the basis of the future society. And this is also understandable. Traditionally, the entire Russian culture is based on it. "I do not demand equality, but justice!" Exclaimed Alyosha Karamazov in Dostoevsky's novel. This theme is constantly in one form or another sounds in the literature and press of the period 1860-1910. And here is a clear vision of who such Narodniks are in history, than they differ from other revolutionary-minded groups. So, the Marxists put an emphasis on the equality of people. And this did not meet the aspirations of the Russian people. After all, the Marxists were far from the realities of Russia, culture. Did not feel it deeply.

Targeting peasants

In order to better understand who the Narodniks are, it is necessary to recall Herzen with his "Russian socialism." He paid attention to the peasants. After all, this is a vast social base! Therefore, the goal is to eliminate the landownership of the landowners, to release the villagers with their allotments (without redemption), to introduce self-government.

Chernyshevsky thought that the community would first fulfill the role of a special form of production, in parallel with the capitalist one, and then gradually would supplant it.

From revolutionaries to anarchists

You also need to know the types of this movement in order to clearly understand who the Narodniks are. There were three main trends: revolutionary, or radical, liberal, or propagandistic, and anarchist.

The liberals under the leadership of their ideologist P. Lavrov had an idea of some special, but not a capitalist, trajectory of Russia's development. Yes, they also called for improving the lives of ordinary people. But which way? Reformed. Their demands are to destroy the remnants of the feudal system, liquidate the landownership of the big landlords and do everything to prevent the "ulcers of capitalism" from penetrating into Russia. They knew the theory of Marxism well. Read and even translated into Russian all three volumes of "Capital." But for themselves it was considered unacceptable.

Any terror or violence was rejected by them. The leading force in history is the intelligentsia. After all, she knows how to think critically. And the peasants are not ready for revolution at all. Hence, first we must prepare propagandists - from the intelligentsia. And let them go to the people, tell. But not to collect the masses for an immediate riot. A long explanatory work should lead the villagers to the beginning of the revolution.

And what did you practically do? They had a "theory of small businesses." In general, the methods of the Narodniks are a cultural enlightenment among the population.

In the course were magazines, all kinds of social unions and organizations, meetings and zemstvo councils, that is elected bodies of local self-government.

Especially (already in 1880-1890-ies), the Narodniks liked the theory of so-called small cases. The newspaper Nedelya persuaded the readers that the matter of the honor of the intellectuals was help to the villagers. They themselves do not overcome the difficulties arising from the elements of a market economy. You can help the peasants by participating in the activities of the zemstvos.

The press appealed to teachers, agronomists, doctors: "Move to the village and improve your life with personal work". The magazine "Russian Wealth" was vigorously discussing the problems of the village. "To settle on the ground" was called by the publicist A. Engelhardt, the writer L. Tolstoy and other outstanding contemporaries. They talked about the moral superiority of the people over educated people.

We will go the other way

Radicals, or revolutionary Narodniks, united in an underground organization. They called themselves adherents of Chernyshevsky. Their criterion was one - the rapid and ruthless overthrow of the tsar and the immediate transition to socialism.

A bright figure among them is Lenin's brother Alexander Ulyanov. He was one of the organizers and leaders of the terrorist faction of Narodnaya Volya. It was Ulyanov, the elder, who drafted a program for their struggle against tsarism.

In just a year, these revolutionary Narodniks created their own secret network. And this is 80 groups. Approximately five hundred activists - in the center and on the ground. In general, a team of several thousand like-minded people gathered. Five attempts on Alexander II, who went down in history as "liberator" and "great reformer", were committed by the people of the people. After all, it was he who abolished serfdom, carried out financial and other reforms. However, the terrorists stubbornly hunted him. During the last attempt on March 1, 1881, the emperor received a fatal wound.

Interesting fact: Alexander Ulyanov sold his gold medal, which he received for his studies, and bought explosives for the bomb.

The 21-year-old terrorist was captured while preparing for the assassination of Alexander III and executed. After such a tragic denouement, the young Lenin said: "No, we will go the other way!"

Then the country was followed by mass arrests of "troublemakers", loud indicative courts, executions. In just three years (from 1881 to 1884), ten thousand people were repressed. Thus, the Narodnaya Volya ceased to exist.

Blood Rioters

Anarchists are the third branch of Narodism. They not only did not think to patch holes in any state, but did not recognize any of them. P. Kropotkin and M. Bakunin, the ideologists of Russian anarchism, argued that every power suppresses and enslaves the individual. And the Russians are rebels by vocation, by blood. The peasants are ready for revolution. Therefore, it is up to small people to organize a nationwide riot. And he will sweep away this state and will not allow the creation of a new one. Every state machine by definition is already evil.

Kropotkin spoke of the dominant role of the masses. They can reformat the country. It is only necessary to create autonomy, communes and federations.

More can not be tolerated

What methods have the Narodniks used yet? Throughout the country, a lot of illegal and semi-legal circles have bred. Only some were just propagandists, others were conspirators.

Student circles flooded Kharkov, Moscow and other cities. Most of the young people preferred to overthrow the monarchy by revolution. A new device is a union of regions. Of course, the federal, which is managed by an elected assembly.

Great influence in the capital enjoyed "Land and Freedom" - a secret society. Also in St. Petersburg, and in Moscow, the group "People's Massacre". Its members were preparing nothing but a "peasant revolution".

Penitent nobles

There were even such circles as the Penitent Nobles. All their lives they dedicated to balancing the centuries before the peasants for themselves and their ancestors.

In a word, one way or another, everyone wanted to awaken their "socialist instincts" among the people. All this was very popular, new, great. Prose writers and journalists carefully wrote on these topics. Artists created paintings. For example, Ilya Repin's painting "The Arrest of the Propagandist" was received with rapture.

But gradually the populism began to lose its popularity and influence in society. Moreover, the working class was already raising its head.

It was a utopia

Peter Struve, an economist and politician, convincingly explained who the Narodniks are. This idealization of both subsistence economy and primitive equality. Just proposed an obsolete economic system, which was built into a whole socio-political system. In fact, this is the ideology of the intelligentsia, and not of the people.

In addition, such proposals arise in countries with an agrarian economy. And it was during their transition to industrialization. Fans of these ideas intend to develop a model of non-capitalist development and gradually adapt the population to the rules of the modernized economy. But this does not work, because it is unreal.

Positive track

The merit of the Narodniks is that their doctrine and activities have largely helped to consolidate the nation - through the elimination of class distinctions. Preconditions were created to create a legal space - a single for all without any strata of society.

It also clearly demonstrated the erroneousness of the intentions of preserving for a century a small peasant farm. Tactics of terror did not bring results either.

A new generation has grown up, ready for self-sacrifice in the fight against the obsolete regime.