The Bolshevik Myth · Chapter
III: In Petrograd explained
The narrator arrives in Petrograd and observes the transformed city under Bolshevik rule—empty streets, reduced population, and the grim realities of war communism.
What happens
The narrator arrives in Petrograd and observes the transformed city under Bolshevik rule—empty streets, reduced population, and the grim realities of war communism. They attend a Soviet session where Zinoviev, Radek, and Joffe speak, noting the lack of genuine debate. The narrator also deals with friction among the Buford deportees, advocating for efficient organization, and encounters bureaucratic resistance from Zorin.
Themes in this chapter
Economic Collapse and Survival
The chapter vividly depicts Petrograd's desolation: empty streets, closed shops, reduced rations, and the struggle for basic necessities like food and fuel.
Revolutionary Idealism vs. Reality
The narrator contrasts the revolutionary spirit (renamed streets, Herzen celebration) with the grim reality of hunger, cold, and passive Soviet assemblies.
Betrayal of Revolutionary Ideals
Zorin's warning against 'speculation' and the bureaucratic delays for the Buford deportees highlight the gap between egalitarian promises and authoritarian control.
Characters to notice
- Unknown Narrator
Observes Petrograd's transformation, attends Soviet session, and mediates for the Buford deportees.
- Zinoviev
Addresses the Soviet assembly, announcing further ration reductions and expressing confidence in the revolution.
- Radek
Speaks at the Soviet session, criticizing German social patriots and predicting a communist revolution in Germany.
- Joffe
Reports on the peace treaty with Latvia at the Soviet assembly.
- Liza Zorin
Discusses the Buford deportees' situation with the narrator, warns against speculation, and shows bureaucratic reluctance.
- Little Vera
Relates her experience operating a machine gun during the Yudenich campaign and expresses egalitarian views on food distribution.
Key passages
“The hand of Revolution has turned the city of luxurious idleness into the home of labor.”
Revolution transformed Petrograd from a city of aristocratic leisure into a center of work.
Reflects the narrator's initial idealistic view of the city's transformation.
“If only the blockade were taken off, we might be saved.”
Lifting the Allied blockade could rescue the starving population.
Highlights the desperate hope for external relief amid economic collapse.
“You are very American. You want it done on the spot. But that isn’t the way.”
Zorin criticizes the narrator's efficiency-driven approach as too impatient for Soviet bureaucracy.
Illustrates cultural and systemic friction between American pragmatism and Soviet red tape.