Personas of revolutionary terror in Russian fiction and memoirs from Dostoevsky to Zenzinov / Lonny Harrison

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Harrison, Lonny, 1974- author.

Series:

Studies in Russian and Slavic literatures, cultures and history

Studies in Russian and Slavic literatures, cultures, and history

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Russian fiction--19th century--History and criticism.

Russian fiction.

Russian fiction--20th century--History and criticism.

Authors, Russian--19th century--Biography.

Authors, Russian.

Authors, Russian--20th century--Biography.

Revolutionaries in literature.

Revolutions in literature.

Physical Description:

1 online resource

Place of Publication:

Boston : Academic Studies Press, 2026

Summary:

"What turns idealists into assassins? Personas of Revolutionary Terror explores the lives, writings, and public images of Russia’s revolutionary terrorists before 1917, tracing how self-sacrifice and violence fused into a compelling revolutionary identity. Drawing on memoirs, fiction, and archival sources, this study uncovers how young, educated radicals crafted a mystique that inspired sympathy—even as they turned to bullets and bombs. Bridging literary criticism, history, and political thought, it examines how the revolutionary persona emerged from heroic myth, moral conviction, and nihilist fervor, ultimately shaping modern terrorism’s cultural script. In an era marked by political violence, this book offers an urgent reflection on the entanglement of idealism, identity, and the destructive power of belief"-- De Gruyter Brill

Contents:

Terror and the revolutionary ideal

The revolutionary persona

A face like a mask : Sergei Nechaev and The Devils

Vera Zasulich, Vera Figner, Maria Spiridonova, and the myth of the virtuous assassin

Terror artists : Grigorii Gershuni and Boris Savinkov

Life after terror : Lev Tikhomirov and Vladimir Zenzinov

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index

Online resource; title from PDF title page (De Gruyter Brill, viewed April 9, 2026)

Other Format:

Print version: Harrison, Lonny, 1974- Personas of revolutionary terror in Russian fiction and memoirs from Dostoevsky to Zenzinov

ISBN:

9798897830886

9798897830893

OCLC:

1574892800

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license