Russian Populism: A History

Russian populism held that the peasantry represented genuine Russian identity and that their liberation from poverty would lead the nation to a brighter future. This book provides the most comprehensive and authoritative account of the rise future of Russia. It explores the obsession with the peasant commune as a model for a future socialist Russia, the desire for revolution, and the collapse of populist optimism. It also demonstrates that populism existed in forms ranging from radical socialist to religious conservative.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 272 pages
Publication date: 10 February 2022
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Russian populism, the belief that the peasantry embodied authentic Russian identity and once liberated from their poverty would lead the country to a brighter future, has animated Russian thought across the political spectrum and inspired much of Russia's world-historical literature, music, and art in the 19th century. This book offers the fullest and most authoritative account of the rise, proliferation, and influence of populist values and ideology in modern Russia to date.

Christopher Ely explores the complete story of Russian populism. Starting from the cursed question of how to reconnect the popular masses with the Europeanized elite, he examines the populist obsession with the peasant commune as a model for a future socialist Russia. He shows how the desire for revolution led Russian radicals to flood into the countryside and later to pioneer terrorism as a form of political action. He delves into those artists influenced by populist ideals, and he tells the story of the collapse of populist optimism and its rebirth among the Socialist Revolutionary neo-populists.

The book demonstrates that populism existed in forms ranging from radical socialist to religious conservative. Blending lively theoretical analysis with a wealth of primary sources and illustrations, Russian Populism provides a highly engaging overview of this complex phenomenon; it is invaluable reading for anyone interested in the momentous final decades of the Russian Empire.

Weight: 424g
Dimension: 156 x 234 x 18 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781350095540