The Russian Intelligentsia: From the Monastery to the Mir Space Station

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The Russian Intelligentsia is the first single-volume history of a small but tremendously influential group of Russian intellectuals who achieved world renown in a variety of spheres. While previous accounts have addressed the history of individuals within this collective, Christopher Read offers the first explanation of the intelligentsia as a group. Read traces the vast debates that broke out between, and within, a multitude of intellectual factions, and contextualizes the ideas of the group within the framework of cultural, social, political, and economic development from the late 18th century to the present day.

This comprehensive yet accessible account demonstrates how the Russian intelligentsia morphed from one incarnation to the next, and effectively situates this change and continuity within a pan-European context. It considers the role of the intelligentsia throughout its origins, its transformation during the Russian Revolution, and since the collapse of communism, and highlights the beliefs of key figures such as Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Ivan Pavlov, Vladimir Lenin, Leon Trotsky, and Mikhail Gorbachev. In doing so, Read provides an essential guide to a fascinating aspect of Russias social and cultural history.

Reviews

This work by Read (Univ. of Warwick) is an excellent treatment of the Russian intelligentsia, primarily from about 1855 to 1999. He provides just enough social and political background for readers to better understand developments within the intelligentsia ... Recommended [for] advanced undergraduates through faculty; professionals. * CHOICE *

Author Bio

Christopher Read is Professorial Fellow in Modern European History at the University of Warwick, UK. He is the author of several books, including War and Revolution in Russia, 1914-22 (2013), Lenin: A Revolutionary Life (2005) and The Making and Breaking of the Soviet System (2001). He is also the editor of The Stalin Years: A Reader (2002).