STEPNIAK, SERGIUS (1852-1895)

This article appears in Volume V25, Page 890 of the Encyclopedia Britannica.

Encyclopedia Britannica - Main :: SOU-STE

STEPNIAK, SERGIUS (1852-1895) , Russian revolutionist, whose real name was Sergius Michaelovitch Kravchinski, was born in South Russia, of parents who belonged to a noble family. He received a liberal education, and, when he left school, became an officer in the artillery; but his sympathy with the peasants, among whom he had lived during his boyhood in the country, developed in him at first democratic and, later, revolutionary opinions. Together with a few other men of

birth

BIRTH (a word common in various forms to Teutonic languages from the root of the verb " to bear ")

and education, he began secretly to sow the sentiments of democracy among the peasants. His teaching did not long remain a

secret

SECRET (Lat. secretum, hidden, concealed)

, and in 1874 he was arrested. He succeeded in making his escapepossibly he was permitted to escape on account of his youthand immediately began a more vigorous campaign against autocracy. His sympathetic nature was influenced by indignation against the brutal methods adopted
towards prisoners, especially political prisoners, and by the stern

measures

MEASURES

which the government of the tsar felt compelled to adopt in order to repress the revolutionary

movement

MOVEMENT

. His indignation carried him into accord for a time with those who advocated the terrorist policy. In consequence he exposed himself to danger by remaining in Russia, and in 188o he was obliged to leave the country. He settled for a short time in Switzerland, then a favourite resort of revolutionary leaders, and after a few years came to London. He was already known in England by his book, Underground Russia, which had been published in London in 1882. He followed it up with a number of other works on the condition of the Russian peasantry, on

Nihilism

NIHILISM

, and on the conditions of life in Russia. His mind gradually turned from belief in the efficacy of violent

measures

MEASURES

to the acceptance of constitutional methods; and in his last book, King Stork and King Log, he spoke with approval of the efforts of politicians on the Liberal side to effect, by argument and peaceful agitation, a

change

CHANGE (derived through the Fr. from the Late Lat. cambium, cambiare, to barter; the ultimate derivation is probably from the root which appears in the Gr. 冠 urmu', to bend)

in the attitude of the Russian government towards various reforms. Stepniak constantly wrote and lectured, both in

Great

GREAT

Britain and the United States, in support of his views, and his energy, added to the

interest

INTEREST

of his personality, won him many friends. He was chiefly identified with the Socialists in England and the Social Democratic parties on the Continent; but he was regarded by men of all opinions as an agitator whose motives had always been pure and disinterested. Stepniak was killed by a railway

engine

ENGINE
ENGINE (Lat. ingenium)

at a level crossing at Bedford Park,

Chiswick

CHISWICK

, where he resided, on the 23rd of December 1895. He was cremated at Woking on the 28th of December. (H. H. F.)

End of Article: STEPNIAK, SERGIUS (1852-1895)

If you wish, you can link directly to this article.

<a href="http://jcsm.org/StudyCenter/Encyclopedia/SOU_STE/STEPNIAK_SERGIUS_1852_1895_.html">
STEPNIAK, SERGIUS (1852-1895)
</a>

(Previous)
STEPNEY, GEORGE (1663-1707)

(Next)
STEPPE (from the Russ. stepi, a waste)

JCSM was founded in 1997 and exists to help the community and bring people into a life-changing and productive relationship with Jesus Christ. JCSM offers over 200,000 free web pages, including its weekly inspirational emails that were sent continuously for over a decade.

Jesus Christ Saves Ministries
P.O. Box 9297
San Diego, CA 92169
1-888-887-0417 or Email