Russian Populism

Reviews / Votes

Dr Ely has written a book, accessible to students, on the populist movement among educated Russians after the abolition of serfdom in 1861. He explains how populists understood the newly-freed peasantry, how they imagined the peasants could be incorporated into the rest of society, and their hopes for a progressive future for Russia. The book ranges from terrorism to populist-inspired literature, art and music. Tracing the movement's origins before 1861, examining its theory and practice, its legacy in the 1905 and 1917 revolutions, and making astute comparisons with American populism, the author breathes new life into the topic. * David Moon, Emeritus Professor, University of York, UK * Taken as a whole, this book has two features unusual in a work introduced as "a survey for the use of students and those unfamiliar with the history of Imperial Russia". First, it is original. ... It is still the first attempt known to me to write a cultural history of Russian populism-the first attempt to consider the great Russian writers and artists as part of the history, which also includes the going-to-the-people movement and Narodnaya Volya. The second striking feature of this book is its sensitivity to the complexity of the subject. Simplification is the common coin of textbook writing, and the history of Russian populism is a topic that would seem to require simplification at numerous points. But somehow Ely has managed to produce a history of Russian populism that conveys a sense of the difficulties of the topic-the complexity of motives and arguments and the narrative twists and turns-and still remains clear and compelling. This is a most impressive book. * H-Net * Russian populism has long needed reexamination, and Christopher Ely brings new research and fresh insights to the task. Moving beyond the traditional definition of populism solely as a form of revolutionary ideology, Ely approaches it as a cultural phenomenon extending throughout the political spectrum and manifested in all forms of creative expression. His account is a rich but concise intellectual and cultural history addressing critical issues driving intellectual debates and political struggles in late Imperial Russia. With its clear and accessible style, the book provides a valuable synthesis for students while offering scholars a compelling perspective on a topic that has often proven elusive. * Nathaniel Knight, Professor of History, Seton Hall University, USA *