The Charm of the Revolutionary Dreams, or Eros of Terrorism

Abstract

The article is devoted to the prominent fi gure of Russian populism — Sergey Mikhailovich Kravchinsky, who spoke in the émigré press under the pseudonym Stepnyak (1851–1895). For the author, the life story of Stepnyak-Kravchinsky is important as a material for a new novel: a revolutionary became the prototype of one of the heroes. Details are considered his actions, at the end of the XIX century. considered a feat, a reception is given on the basis of today’s positions. Th e change of ideologies turned out to be fatal for the heroes of the revolution, who oft en appear before the modern reader to be demythologized, deprived of the romantic aura of murderers and terrorists, which they are. As part of its philosophical system, the author analyzes the revolutionary dream and explains the fundamental reasons for which it could not stand the test of time.