The ideology of the Narodniks, which appeared in the Russian Empire in the 1860-1910s, advocated the transition of society to "just" socialism straight from feudalism, jumping capitalism. The idea was proposed by Herzen and was developed by Bakunin, Belinsky, Chernyshevsky. Marxists opposed. They argued that the nascent system in Russia could only be capitalist.
In essence, the activity of the Narodniks is a kind of bridge in the revolutionary movement: from the noble (or Decembrist) stage to the Marxist (i.e. proletarian) one. However, the masses were immune to the propaganda of the revolution. Yes, and government repression suppressed this initiative. Nevertheless, it left a vivid mark that the history of Russia remembers. Who are the Narodniks and what are they famous for? We will talk about this in detail in the article.
In search of the truth of the people
Who are the populists in the 19th century? These are intellectuals, commoners who were looking for their place in society. They were tormented by the thought that they had long been cut off from the people, their wisdom and truth. They said that morally farmers are much higher than themselves. Only they are illiterate, live in poverty, suffer from injustice. And we must get closer to them, open their eyes and set the right path. This is the duty of the intelligentsia to the people. It is necessary to level out all social strata and take the best from everyone.
Also, the worldview of the newly-born defenders of working people was based on the opinion that Russia is a distinctive country. A feature of its economy is national production. Therefore, it has a unique, different from other states, development path. 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 served as a signal for action.
The origins of the doctrine
Today, scientists emphasize how diverse the history of Russia was. And among many other political movements, of particular interest is the question of who the Narodniks are and what is the soil that gave rise to this phenomenon. Why did sound, at first glance, endeavors come across a wall of misunderstanding?
Russia of those years is agrarian, backward. Capitalism is underdeveloped. The life of the peasants was controlled by the land community. The workers included in it owned a common plot of land. Society guaranteed them normal work and family life, ensured equal rights for all, protected the villagers from harassment of large landowners, officials.
This later, when social stratification began in the village, the community became a brake on the development of peasant farms. In the meantime, she was an example of the structure of Russian society and in the mentality of Russian people occupied a special place. Those who propagated the movement of the Narodniks seized upon this.
Herzen, the forerunner of Narodism, watched how sadly the revolutions of 1848-1849 ended in Europe. He lost faith in European socialism. Comparing his country and Western countries, he came to the conclusion: socialism in Russia must first establish itself. And it’s not so difficult. After all, a community in a village is a ready-made cell of a socialist society. This is the main essence of the answer to the question: who are the Narodniks?
Equality or justice?
Those who defended the rights of the disadvantaged affirmed justice as the foundation of a society of the future. And this is also explainable. Traditionally, all Russian culture is based on it. “I do not demand equality, but justice!” - exclaimed Alyosha Karamazov in the novel of Dostoevsky. This topic 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 the Narodniks are in history, how they differ from other revolutionary groups. So, Marxists emphasized the equality of people. And this did not meet the aspirations of the Russian people. After all, Marxists were far from the realities of Russia and culture. Did not feel her deeply.
Orientation to peasants
To better understand who the Narodniks are, one must recall Herzen with his “Russian socialism”. He paid attention to the peasants. After all, this is an extensive social base! Therefore, the goal is to eliminate the landownership of the landlords, free the villagers with their allotments (without redemption), and 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 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 propaganda, and anarchist.
The liberals, led by their ideologist P. Lavrov, had the idea of some special, but by no means capitalistic, trajectory of Russia's development. Yes, they also called for an improvement in the lives of ordinary people. But which way? Reformed. Their demands are to destroy the remnants of the feudal system, eliminate the landownership of large landowners and do everything to prevent the “ulcers of capitalism” from entering Russia. They well knew the theory of Marxism. All three volumes of Capital were read and even translated into Russian. But for themselves they considered this unacceptable.
Any terror, violence they rejected. The leading force in history is the intelligentsia. After all, she knows how to think critically. And the peasants are not at all ready for a revolution. So, first propagandists should be trained - from the intelligentsia. And let them go to the people, tell. But not in order to gather the masses for immediate rebellion. It should be a long explanatory work to lead the villagers to the beginning of the revolution.
And what were you doing practically? They had a "theory of small affairs." In general, the methods of populists are a cultural enlightenment among the population.
In the course were magazines, all kinds of public unions and organizations, assemblies and
zemstvo councils, that is, elected bodies of local self-government.
Especially (already in the 1880-1890s) the Narodniks liked the theory of the so-called small affairs. The newspaper "Week" convinced readers that the matter of honor of intellectuals is to help the villagers. They themselves will not overcome the difficulties that have arisen from the elements of a market economy. You can help the peasants by participating in the activities of zemstvos.
The press appealed to teachers, agronomists, doctors: “Move to the village and improve the lives of men with personal labor.” The magazine "Russian wealth" vigorously discussed the problems of the village. “Settling down on earth” was called by publicist A. Engelhardt, writer L. Tolstoy and other prominent contemporaries. They insisted on the moral superiority of the people over educated people.
We will go the other way
The radicals, or revolutionary populists, united in an underground organization. They called themselves adherents of Chernyshevsky. Their criterion was one - a quick and ruthless overthrow of the tsar and an immediate transition to socialism.
A striking figure among them is the brother of Lenin, Alexander Ulyanov. He was one of the organizers and leaders of the terrorist faction of Narodnaya Volya. It was Ulyanov Sr. who composed the program for their struggle against tsarism.
In just a year, these revolutionary populists created their secret network. And these are 80 groups. About five hundred activists - in the center and in the field. In general, a detachment of several thousand like-minded people gathered. People’s Volunteers committed five assassination attempts against Alexander II, who went down in history as the “liberator” and “great reformer”. After all, it was he who abolished serfdom, carried out financial and other reforms. However, the terrorists stubbornly hunted him. During the last assassination attempt on March 1, 1881, the emperor was mortally wounded.
Interesting fact: Alexander Ulyanov sold his gold medal, which he received for his studies, and bought explosives for the bomb with this money.
The 21-year-old terrorist was captured during the preparation of the attempt on Alexander III and executed. After such a tragic denouement, the young Lenin said: “No, we will go the other way!”
Then, mass arrests of “troublemakers”, high-profile demonstration courts, and executions followed in the country. In just three years (from 1881 to 1884) ten thousand people were repressed. So the "People’s Will" ceased to exist.
Blood rebels
Anarchists are the third branch of populism. 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, convinced that all power suppresses, enslaves a person. And the Russians are rebels by vocation, by blood. The peasants are ready for revolution. Therefore, it is up to the small thing to organize a popular uprising. But he will sweep away this state and will not allow the creation of a new one. Every state apparatus, by definition, is already evil.
Kropotkin spoke of the dominant role of the masses. They can reformat the country. One has only to create autonomy, communes and federations.
You can’t tolerate more
What methods have the populists used yet? A lot of illegal and semi-legal circles have spread all over the country. Only some were simply propagandists, others were conspirators.
Student groups flooded Kharkov, Moscow and other cities. Most of the youth preferred the overthrow of the monarchy by revolution. The new device is a union of regions. Of course, federated, which is governed by an elected assembly.
Great influence in the capital enjoyed "Earth and Freedom" - a secret society. In both St. Petersburg and Moscow, the “People's Reprisal” group worked. Its members were preparing nothing more than a “peasant revolution”.
Penitent nobles
There were even circles such as "Penitent Nobles." They devoted their whole life to making amends to men for centuries of guilt for themselves and their ancestors.
In a word, one way or another, but everyone wanted to awaken their “socialist instincts” among the people. All this was very popular, new, great. Prose writers and journalists painstakingly wrote on these topics. Artists created pictures. So, with a bang, Ilya Repin's painting “The Propaganda Arrest” was received.
But gradually 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 were. This is an idealization of subsistence farming and primitive equality. It is simply proposed that the obsolete economic system, which was built into a whole socio-political system. In essence, this is the ideology of the intelligentsia, not the people.
In addition, similar proposals arise in countries with agricultural economies. And it was during their transition to industrialization. Fans of these ideas intend to develop a certain model of non-capitalist development and gradually adapt the population to the rules of a modernized economy. But this does not work, for it is unrealistic.
Positive trace
The merit of the Narodniks is that their doctrine and activity helped to consolidate the nation in many ways - through the elimination of class differences. Prerequisites were created to create a legal space - the same for all sections of society without exception.
The fallacy of intentions to conserve small-scale peasant farming for centuries was also clearly demonstrated. The tactics of terror also did not bring results.
A new generation was growing up, ready to sacrifice in the fight against the obsolete regime.