Memoirs of a Revolutionist

Name: Memoirs of a Revolutionist
Author: Peter Kropotkin

Memoirs of a Revolutionist by Peter Kropotkin offers a personal account of the author's early life and education against the backdrop of Russia's socio-political landscape, exploring themes of power, reform, and the complexities of human nature. Through his reflections on childhood experiences and the historical context of serfdom and nobility, Kropotkin reveals the evolution of his political consciousness and the challenges of enacting meaningful change.

By Peter Kropotkin · First published 1899 · Genre: Autobiography, Political Philosophy, History · 60 chapters · 178,870 words

First lines

Moscow is a city of slow historical growth, and down to the present time its different parts have wonderfully well retained the features which have been stamped upon them in the slow course of history. The Trans-Moskva River district, with its broad, sleepy streets and its monotonous gray-painted, low-roofed houses, of which the entrance-gates remain securely bolted day and night, has always been the secluded abode of the merchant class, and the stronghold of the outwardly austere, formalistic, and despotic Nonconformists of the "Old Faith. " The citadel, or Kreml, is still the stronghold of church and state; and the immense space in front of it, covered with thousands of shops and warehouses, has been for centuries a crowded beehive of commerce, and still remains the heart of a great internal trade which spreads over the whole surface of the vast empire. The Tverskáya and the Smiths' Bridge have been for hundreds of years the chief centres for the fashionable shops; while the artisans' quarters, the Pluschíkha and the Dorogomílovka, retain the very same features which characterized their uproarious populations in the times of the Moscow Tsars. Each quarter is a little world in itself; each has its own physiognomy, and lives its own separate life. Even the railways -- when they made an irruption into the old capital -- grouped apart in special centres on the outskirts of the old town their stores and machine-works, their heavily loaded carts and engines.

What this Textopian page supports

Memoirs of a Revolutionist is listed on Textopian as a novel by Peter Kropotkin, dated 1899 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

Work type: Novel
Author: Peter Kropotkin
Date: 1899 CE
Language: English
Genres: Autobiography, Political Philosophy, History, Social Commentary, Philosophy
Length: 178,870 words
Structure: 65 chapters, 1,247 paragraphs
Reading fit: Fairly Difficult (10th-12th Grade)

Good citation fit

Work identity for Memoirs of a Revolutionist by Peter Kropotkin
Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
Readability and classroom-planning context
Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph

Discussion starters

What should a reader notice first when entering Memoirs of a Revolutionist?
How does this novel by Peter Kropotkin fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
Where does Autobiography first become important in the reading?

Similar titles

Genres

Autobiography — The book is a personal account of Kropotkin's life and experiences.
Political Philosophy — It explores Kropotkin's anarchist beliefs and critiques of government.
History — The memoir provides historical context and insights into revolutionary movements.
Social Commentary — It reflects on social issues and the conditions of the time.