My Disillusionment in Russia · Chapters
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Chapter companions for My Disillusionment in Russia by Emma Goldman.
Chapter 1
Preface to First Volume of American Edition
Emma Goldman explains her motivation for writing this book: to correct the superficial and misleading accounts of the Russian Revolution written by outsiders, and to expose the growing gap between the Bolshevik regime and the true revolutionary spirit of the Russian people. She recounts her own journey from defending the Bolsheviks to becoming disillusioned after firsthand experience in Russia, emphasizing that the Bolsheviks have become the enemies of the revolution and that she must speak out against their tyranny, despite personal gratitude for hospitality.
Chapter 2
Preface to Second Volume of American Edition
Emma Goldman explains the circumstances behind the missing chapters of the first edition of her book, defends her critique of Bolshevism against reviewers like Henry Alsberg and H.L. Mencken, and argues that the Bolshevik regime's terror and dictatorship persist even after the end of military necessity, calling on the world to recognize the true character of Bolshevism.
Chapter 3
My Disillusionment in Russia
The narrator recounts the gradual erosion of their revolutionary idealism upon witnessing the harsh realities of Bolshevik rule, including state oppression, inequality, and the betrayal of revolutionary principles.
Chapter 4
I: Deportation to Russia
Emma Goldman recounts her deportation from the United States on December 21, 1919, along with 248 other political prisoners aboard the Buford. After a twenty-eight-day journey through Finland, she arrives in revolutionary Russia, where she is met by a Soviet committee. She experiences a series of receptions and encounters with Bolshevik officials, including Zorin and Bill Shatov. Her initial idealism is tempered by early signs of authoritarianism, such as the military guard placed over the deportees and Zorin's comparison of Bolshevik political organization to Tammany Hall.
Chapter 5
II: Petrograd
The narrator arrives in Petrograd in 1920 and finds a city devastated by war, famine, and political repression. Initially skeptical of anarchist accounts of Bolshevik betrayal, she attends a Soviet meeting where she witnesses the suppression of dissent. Through encounters with Zorin, Zinoviev, John Reed, and underground anarchists, she begins to confront the gap between revolutionary ideals and the brutal reality of state control, censorship, and suffering.
Chapter 6
III: Disturbing Thoughts
The narrator grapples with growing doubts about the Bolshevik regime, seeking guidance from Maxim Gorky. Two meetings with Gorky prove unsatisfactory, leaving the narrator more unsettled. Observations of inequality, privilege, and corruption—including the disparity in rations, black market dealings, and the Cheka's involvement—deepen the narrator's inner conflict between blaming external forces and recognizing internal flaws in the revolution.
Chapter 7
Moscow: First Impressions
The narrator arrives in Moscow and begins to confront the stark contradictions between revolutionary ideals and the harsh realities of Soviet rule. Through conversations with disillusioned visitors, observations of inequality and corruption at the National Hotel, and meetings with Angelica Balabanova and Lunacharsky, the narrator's faith in the Bolshevik regime is increasingly shaken.
Chapter 8
V: Meeting People
The narrator meets with Lenin, Chicherin, and Kropotkin, discussing the plight of imprisoned Anarchists, the nature of the Soviet regime, and the state of the Revolution. Lenin dismisses free speech as a bourgeois notion and insists on working under the Third International, while Kropotkin expresses deep disillusionment with Bolshevik dictatorship and the suppression of revolutionary ideals.
Chapter 9
Preparing for American Deportees
Emma Goldman is tasked with preparing living quarters in Petrograd for a thousand American deportees expected to arrive. She faces bureaucratic red tape, scarce resources, and the challenge of mobilizing reluctant workers. Despite initial obstacles, she successfully renovates three hotels, only to discover that the arriving group are Russian war prisoners, not American deportees, due to an official's blunder.
Chapter 10
VII: Rest Homes for Workers
The narrator describes her involvement in a project to convert aristocratic mansions on Kameniy Ostrov into rest homes for workers, a scheme led by Zorin. She witnesses bureaucratic chaos, corruption, and the cruel displacement of intellectuals and professors. Despite her growing disillusionment, she is torn by her personal attachment to the Zorins and Balabanova, who embody the ideals she still clings to.
Chapter 11
VIII: The First of May in Petrograd
The narrator describes the long-awaited May Day celebration in Petrograd in 1920, observing the subdued and silent mood of the crowds despite the festive decorations and a powerful pageant reenacting the revolutions. The performance fails to inspire the people, and two interpretations are offered: one that the reality of 1917 outshines any theatrical reproduction, and another that the accumulated disappointments since the October Revolution have drained the event of meaning.
Chapter 12
Industrial Militarization
The chapter describes the Ninth Congress of the All-Russian Communist Party in March 1920, which introduced the militarization of labor and one-man management of industry, replacing the collegiate shop system. The narrator visits several factories in Petrograd—Putilov, Treugolnik, a flour mill, and Laferm tobacco factory—to gauge worker sentiment. Workers express bitterness, hunger, and resentment toward the new policies, while officials defend the measures as necessary for survival. The narrator debates with Jack Reed about the necessity of labor militarization and attempts to advocate for improvements, but is met with ideological resistance from Lisa Zorin.
Chapter 13
X: The British Labour Mission
The narrator describes the arrival of the British Labour Mission in Petrograd, their lavish treatment by the Soviet government, and the contrast between the luxury afforded to the visitors and the suffering of the Russian people. Angelica Balabanova, who helps prepare the Narishkin Palace for the mission, is depicted as increasingly distressed by the disparity between revolutionary ideals and reality. The chapter highlights the controlled nature of the mission's experience, the role of figures like Bertrand Russell, and the narrator's own critical observations.
Chapter 14
XI: A Visit from the Ukraine
Two Ukrainian Anarchists, recently released from Bolshevik imprisonment, travel illegally to Petrograd to inform Emma Goldman and Alexander Berkman about the Makhnovist movement and the Bolshevik suppression of anarchist activities. They recount the history of the Ukrainian peasant rebellion, the rise of Nestor Makhno, the initial cooperation and subsequent betrayal by the Bolsheviks, and the ongoing persecution of anarchists.
Chapter 15
XII: Beneath the Surface
The narrator confronts the brutal reality of Bolshevik rule, realizing that the Communists justify any means—including lies, torture, and murder—by the end of achieving the Communist State. She recounts specific atrocities by the Cheka, the hypocrisy of Zorin and Lenin regarding imprisoned anarchists, and the systemic corruption in schools and hospitals, where show institutions are favored over genuine care. Her disillusionment deepens as she concludes she cannot work under the Soviet government's political yoke.
Chapter 16
XIII: Joining the Museum of the Revolution
The narrator joins the Museum of the Revolution, housed in the Winter Palace, and prepares for an expedition to the Ukraine and Caucasus. She interacts with staff, including M. B. Kaplan and a critical colleague, and observes the hardships of workers. Angelica Balabanova arrives with an Italian Mission, and the narrator witnesses the disillusionment of the masses during celebrations. Balabanova shares her distress over the plight of the former princess Narishkin. The narrator declines a nursing position offered by Petrovsky due to her shaken faith in the Bolsheviks, and the expedition car is finally secured.
Chapter 17
XIV: Petropavlovsk and Schlüsselburg
The narrator visits the Peter-and-Paul Fortress and Schlüsselburg, reflecting on their childhood dread of these prisons and the revolutionary martyrs who suffered there. Inside Petropavlovsk, they encounter a chilling inscription from an 'intelligent' about to be executed, revealing that the new regime continues the old repressions. At Schlüsselburg, they witness the destruction wrought by the proletariat but also the enduring horror of Tsarist cruelty, leading to a meditation on the cyclical nature of inhumanity and the betrayal of revolutionary ideals.
Chapter 18
XV: The Trade Unions
In June 1920, as departure from Petrograd nears, the narrator reflects on the disillusionment with the Russian Revolution, questioning whether the Bolshevik political machine is crushing revolutionary ideals. Traveling to Moscow for the Second Congress of the Third International, the narrator encounters anarchist and syndicalist delegates, warns them about Cheka surveillance and imprisoned revolutionaries, and observes the suppression of the Printers' and Bakers' Unions. Through firsthand accounts of election rigging, Cheka intimidation, and worker resistance, the chapter reveals the stark contrast between official propaganda about powerful trade unions and the reality of government control and repression.
Chapter 19
XVI: Maria Spiridonova
The narrator meets Maria Spiridonova, a Left Socialist Revolutionary leader, who delivers a devastating critique of the Bolshevik regime. She condemns the Brest-Litovsk peace as a betrayal of the revolution, the razverstka (forced requisition) as devastating the peasantry, and the Bolsheviks' lack of faith in the masses. She details the terror, bureaucracy, and inefficiency under Communist rule, and the brutal suppression of peasant uprisings. The narrator is impressed by her sincerity and composure, despite reports of her mental breakdown.
Chapter 20
Another Visit to Peter Kropotkin
The narrator visits Peter Kropotkin again, this time in summer, and finds him healthier and more spirited. They discuss the failures of the Bolshevik regime, the betrayal of revolutionary ideals, the importance of the masses in reconstruction, and the need for anarcho-syndicalism and cooperatives. Kropotkin reassures the narrator about the Revolution's deeper significance despite its current distortions.
Chapter 21
XVIII: En Route
The chapter describes the Museum Expedition's journey from Moscow, including encounters with a Tolstoyan intellectual in Kursk who discusses discrimination against independent initiatives and the intelligentsia, and a visit from Krasnoschekov, president of the Far Eastern Republic, who offers insight into conditions in the East and invites Berkman and Goldman to Chita. The chapter also details the organization of the train car and the Expedition's work plan.
Chapter 22
XIX: In Kharkov
The narrator arrives in Kharkov, meets anarchist friends from America, and explores the city's educational system and industrial conditions. Encounters bureaucratic inefficiency, deception by Communist officials, and the harsh realities of centralized state control. Witnesses the suffering of workers and prisoners, and faces the threat of losing collected materials, leading to a hasty departure.
Chapter 23
XX: Poltava
The narrator visits Poltava, meeting Korolenko and his family, learning about the Save-the-Children Society's struggles under Bolshevik rule, and hearing accounts of the Cheka's brutality, the suppression of Ukrainian self-determination, and the silent pogroms against Jews.
Chapter 24
Kiev
In Kiev, the narrator visits a hospital for crippled children and reflects on the Bolsheviks' antagonism toward the intelligentsia. She meets Jewish intellectuals who debate the Bolshevik regime's impact on Jews, and a Red Army officer who criticizes corruption and betrayal of revolutionary ideals. The chapter also describes the Museum expedition's acquisition of Denikin material and a visit from Makhno's wife, highlighting the dangers faced by those connected to the Makhno movement.
Chapter 25
XXII: Odessa
The narrator describes the arduous journey from Kiev to Odessa, noting the stark contrast in food prices and the desperate poverty of the local population. Upon arrival in Odessa, the city is in darkness after a fire destroyed the telegraph and electric stations. The narrator encounters bureaucratic sabotage and indifference from the Revkom Chairman, but finds some hope in meeting anarchist officials. Over two weeks, little is accomplished through official channels, but valuable material is obtained from private individuals and outlawed political parties. The narrator also meets Zionist intellectuals at Doctor N's sanatorium, who criticize the Bolshevik regime for corruption and hypocrisy, though the narrator finds their critique from the Right unappealing, having already lost faith in the Bolsheviks' revolutionary integrity.
Chapter 26
XXIII: Returning to Moscow
The narrator recounts a difficult journey to a poor village near Zhmerenka to procure provisions, encountering disillusioned intellectuals and a young Communist teacher who criticizes local abuses. Returning to Moscow, they learn of Makhno's alliance with the Bolsheviks, the death of John Reed, and share a moment with Louise Bryant about Reed's final disillusionment.
Chapter 27
Back in Petrograd
The narrator returns to Petrograd after the museum expedition, grappling with the realization that the Bolsheviks are destroying the revolution. She attends Jack Reed's funeral, where Alexandra Kollontai's speech resonates deeply. News of a political agreement between the Bolsheviks and Makhno raises hopes among anarchists, but the narrator remains skeptical. In Petrograd, the third anniversary celebration feels hollow, and a Bolshevik mobilization scheme fails to bridge the growing gap between the party and the workers.
Chapter 28
XXV: Archangel and Return
The expedition, now reduced to three members including Alexander Berkman and the narrator, travels to Archangel via Moscow, Vologda, and Yaroslavl to collect historical materials for the Museum of the Revolution. In Archangel, they encounter a surprisingly humane Communist chairman who employs former nuns and counter-revolutionaries in his department, demonstrating a pragmatic and compassionate approach to revolutionary governance. The expedition collects valuable documents, posters, and artifacts, including a velvet table cover painted by nuns as a gift to American children. After a snowstorm forces them to abandon plans to reach Murmansk, they celebrate Christmas Eve in their train car. Returning to Petrograd, they find the city embroiled in a heated debate over the role of trade unions, with factions led by Lenin, Trotsky, Zinoviev, and the Labour Opposition (Kollontai and Schliapnikov). The chapter concludes with news that the Museum's expeditions may soon be placed under political commissars, threatening their independence.
Chapter 29
Death and Funeral of Peter Kropotkin
The narrator recounts the final illness and death of Peter Kropotkin in February 1921, her delayed arrival, and the subsequent funeral arrangements. The chapter details Kropotkin's last years under Bolshevik rule—his isolation in Dmitrov, material hardships, failed protests against state suppression and hostage-taking, and his deep sorrow over the revolution's betrayal. It describes the struggle of the Anarchist Funeral Commission to secure permissions from the Soviet authorities, the broken promises regarding the release of imprisoned Anarchists, and the impressive, orderly funeral procession in Moscow, which became a unique public demonstration of respect.
Chapter 30
XXVII: Kronstadt
The chapter details the Kronstadt uprising of March 1921, in which sailors and workers protested Bolshevik policies. The author describes the brutal suppression by Trotsky and Zinoviev, the futile attempts by anarchists including Alexander Berkman and Emma Goldman to mediate, and the profound disillusionment that led the author to break with the Bolsheviks.
Chapter 31
XXVIII: Persecution of Anarchists
The chapter details the systematic persecution of anarchists by the Bolshevik regime despite their significant contributions to the revolution. It describes the arrest, torture, and execution of prominent anarchists like Fanya Baron and Lev Tcherny, the brutal conditions in prisons like Butyrki, and the use of false charges of banditism to justify repression. The narrator also recounts their personal decision to live independently of the state after the Kronstadt uprising, observing the hypocrisy of the New Economic Policy which revived capitalism while continuing to suppress leftist movements.
Chapter 32
XXIX: Travelling Salesmen of the Revolution
The chapter describes the preparations for the Third Congress of the Third International and the First Congress of the Red Trade Union International in Moscow in July 1921. It categorizes foreign visitors into three groups: earnest idealists who become disillusioned, superficial journalists and adventurers, and delegates who become propagandists for the Bolshevik regime. The narrative criticizes the staged Potemkin villages shown to delegates, the suppression of dissenting voices, and the hypocrisy of Bolshevik leaders who imprison revolutionists while sending greetings to 'capitalist prisoners.' The plight of Maria Spiridonova is highlighted, as well as Angelica Balabanova's disdain for sensationalist visitors like Mrs. Clare Sheridan.
Chapter 33
Education and Culture
The chapter critiques Bolshevik claims of educational and cultural achievement, arguing that while schools and theaters were expanded, education was stifled by Communist dogma, censorship, and the suppression of critical inquiry. The Proletcult is deemed a failure, and the lack of revolutionary art is attributed to state monopoly and persecution, with Alexander Blok cited as a tragic example. The author contrasts the French Revolution's cultural output and notes that only the Moscow Art Theatre and Stanislavsky's studio preserved genuine art.
Chapter 34
XXXI: Exploiting the Famine
The chapter details the Soviet government's cynical manipulation of the 1921 famine relief efforts, favoring conservative Cadets over left-wing revolutionaries for propaganda purposes, then suppressing the Citizens' Committee once its usefulness ended. It contrasts the regime's self-serving actions with the selfless dedication of ordinary relief workers who perished in the stricken areas.
Chapter 35
XXXII: The Socialist Republic Resorts to Deportation
The chapter details the Bolshevik government's betrayal of revolutionary ideals, exemplified by the return of Tsarist General Slastchev with military honors while true revolutionaries like Volin, Maximoff, Mratchny, and Yartchuk are deported. It also recounts the harrowing story of an anonymous Makhnovist hiding in Moscow, and ends with Emma Goldman's decision to leave Russia after securing a passport for an anarchist congress in Berlin.
Chapter 36
Afterword
In this concluding chapter, Emma Goldman reflects on the fundamental failure of the Russian Revolution, arguing that the Bolsheviks merely replaced one authoritarian regime with another, betraying the true revolutionary values of liberty, equality, and human dignity. She critiques the Communist State's centralization, its perversion of ethical values through the principle that 'the end justifies all means,' and its suppression of independent organizations like the Soviets, trade unions, and cooperatives. Goldman contrasts the authoritarian method with the libertarian ideal, asserting that only a revolution that fundamentally transforms human and social values—rather than merely shifting political power—can be truly successful. She also examines Lenin's pragmatic and compromising leadership, the role of the Anarchists, and the lessons for future revolutions.
Chapter 37
I
The narrator argues that the Russian Revolution's success depended on mass psychology and popular initiative rather than industrial development as per Marxian theory. They critique the Bolsheviks for suppressing popular forces and consolidating state power, leading to the failure of revolutionary ideals.
Chapter 38
The Betrayal of the Revolution
This chapter critiques the Bolshevik consolidation of power, arguing that the Communist Party eliminated rival revolutionary groups, subordinated independent organizations like the Soviets, trade unions, and cooperatives to the state, and ultimately betrayed revolutionary ideals. It analyzes Lenin's 'New Economic Policy' as a logical culmination of his pragmatic, state-centered politics, contrasting it with the hopes of true communism and highlighting the disillusionment of devoted communists.
Chapter 39
III
Goldman analyzes the fundamental conflict between the Bolshevik State and the Russian Revolution, arguing that the authoritarian, centralized methods of the Communist Party stifled the libertarian and liberating aspirations of the revolution. She contends that the failure was due not to individuals but to the Bolshevik idea itself—Marxist governmentalism—and that the same outcome would occur under any authoritarian party. She critiques the cultural backwardness and political inexperience of the Russian people, the insufficient organization of the Anarchists, and the destructive effects of state centralization on economic and cultural life. Goldman concludes by urging workers and intelligentsia to unite in libertarian cooperation to avoid repeating Russia's tragic mistakes.
Chapter 40
IV
The narrator argues that the Russian Revolution failed not only because of Bolshevism or Marxism, but because of the fundamental misconception that revolution is merely a violent change of political power and institutions. True revolution, they contend, must be a transvaluation of human and social values, with means and ends in harmony. The Bolsheviks' authoritarian methods, including state terror and the subordination of ethics to power, perverted revolutionary ideals and led to the same oppressive outcomes as the old regime.
Chapter 41
Endnotes
This chapter contains the endnotes for the book, providing translations and explanations of foreign terms, historical references, and contextual clarifications for terms used throughout the narrative.
