The Bolshevik Myth · Characters
Character guide
Key figures in The Bolshevik Myth by Alexander Berkman.
Unknown Narrator
major
Also known as Your, myself, yourself, me
The first-person narrator and focal character, likely the author.
Nestor Makhno
supporting
Also known as Makhno, young Makhno
Ukrainian anarchist guerrilla leader who interacts with the narrator.
Lenin
major
Also known as XIII Lenin, ↩ Lenin
Bolshevik leader and central figure in the Soviet government.
Chicherin
supporting
Also known as VI Chicherin
Soviet diplomat and People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs.
Zinoviev
supporting
Also known as Tovarish Zinoviev, tovarish
Prominent Bolshevik leader and head of the Petrograd Soviet.
Peter Kropotkin
supporting
Also known as Kropotkin, Peter
Famous anarchist thinker visited by the narrator in Moscow.
Karakhan
minor
Soviet diplomat and deputy to Chicherin.
Alexander Berkman
supporting
Also known as Berkman, Comrade Berkman
Anarchist activist and companion of Emma Goldman.
Emma Goldman
supporting
Also known as Emma
Anarchist writer and activist traveling with Berkman.
Trotsky
minor
Bolshevik leader and founder of the Red Army.
Radek
minor
Bolshevik politician and journalist.
Kamenev
minor
Bolshevik leader and chairman of the Moscow Soviet.
Lunacharsky
minor
Also known as Comrade Lunacharsky
People's Commissar for Education and culture.
Angelica Balabanova
minor
Also known as Balabanova
Italian socialist and Comintern official.
Bertrand Russell
minor
Also known as Russell
British philosopher visiting Soviet Russia.
Louise Bryant
minor
Also known as Louise
American journalist and wife of John Reed.
Jack Reed
minor
Also known as Reed
American journalist and author of Ten Days That Shook the World.
Yossif
supporting
Also known as XXIV Yossif
An emigrant and acquaintance of the narrator.
Moishe
minor
Also known as Reb Moishe
A Jewish character encountered by the narrator.
Dr. G⸺
minor
Also known as G⸺
A doctor who appears in the narrative.
Tovarish Karus
minor
Also known as Karus, tovarish
A Bolshevik official encountered by the narrator.
The Chekist
minor
Also known as the young Chekist
A member of the Cheka secret police.
Tovarish Drozdov
minor
Also known as Drozdov
A Bolshevik official or comrade.
Liza Zorin
minor
Also known as Zorin, Liza
A woman encountered by the narrator.
Pashkevitch
minor
A character in the narrative.
Bill Shatov
minor
Also known as Shatov, Bill
An American-born Bolshevik and engineer.
Nadya
minor
A woman known to the narrator.
Lena
minor
Also known as Poor Lena
A woman encountered by the narrator.
Burov
minor
A character in the narrative.
Ethel Bernstein
minor
Also known as Miss Ethel Bernstein
An American woman visiting Russia.
Bakaiev
minor
A Bolshevik official.
Gallina
minor
A woman encountered by the narrator.
Mr. Berkshire
minor
Also known as Berkshire
A British visitor to Russia.
R⸺
minor
A character whose name is redacted.
Novikov
minor
Also known as Comrade Novikov
A Bolshevik official.
Mme. Lunacharskaya
minor
Also known as Lunacharskaya
Wife of Lunacharsky.
The Colonel
minor
A military officer encountered by the narrator.
Big Samuel
minor
Also known as Sam
A Jewish character encountered by the narrator.
Semyon Petrovitch
minor
Also known as Semyon
A character in the narrative.
Bianki
minor
A character in the narrative.
D⸺
minor
Also known as The young Bundist
A young Bundist encountered by the narrator.
Yasha
minor
A character in the narrative.
Sasha
minor
A character in the narrative.
Fanya Baron
minor
Also known as Baron, little Fanya
An anarchist woman encountered by the narrator.
T⸺
minor
A character whose name is redacted.
Pyotr Vassilitch
minor
Also known as Pyotr
A character in the narrative.
N⸺
minor
A character whose name is redacted.
Stepan
minor
A character in the narrative.
Dr. L⸺
minor
Also known as young L⸺, L⸺
A young doctor encountered by the narrator.
Little Vera
minor
Also known as Vera
A young girl encountered by the narrator.
Rostchin
minor
A character in the narrative.
Krestinsky
minor
A Bolshevik official.
X⸺
minor
A character whose name is redacted.
Lansbury
minor
British Labour politician visiting Russia.
Petlura
minor
Also known as Dictator Petlura
Ukrainian nationalist leader.
Kalinin
minor
Also known as President Kalinin
Chairman of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee.
Maria Spiridonova
minor
Also known as Spiridonova
Left Socialist Revolutionary leader.
Henry Alsberg
minor
Also known as Alsberg
American journalist and relief worker.
Ataman Grigoriev
minor
Also known as Grigoriev, The Ataman
Ukrainian ataman who rebelled against the Bolsheviks.
Kolya
minor
A character in the narrative.
Bukharin
minor
Bolshevik leader and theorist.
Kerensky
minor
Former head of the Russian Provisional Government.
Antselovitch
minor
A Bolshevik official.
Tchernenko
minor
A character in the narrative.
Peters
minor
A Cheka official.
Mariusa
minor
A woman encountered by the narrator.
V⸺
minor
A character whose name is redacted.
K⸺
minor
A character whose name is redacted.
Lilina
minor
Also known as tovarish Lilina
A Bolshevik woman official.
Vanya
minor
A character in the narrative.
Count Pirro
minor
Also known as Pirro
An Italian count encountered by the narrator.
Kulakov
minor
A character in the narrative.
Tchaikovsky
minor
A character in the narrative.
Skoropadsky
minor
Also known as Hetman Skoropadsky
Ukrainian hetman during the civil war.
Vladimir
minor
A character in the narrative.
Askarev
minor
Also known as the Universalist Askarev
A universalist thinker encountered by the narrator.
Old Peter
minor
An elderly character encountered by the narrator.
Semyon Voskov
minor
Also known as Voskov
A Bolshevik official.
Victor Chernov
minor
Also known as Chernov
Leader of the Socialist Revolutionary Party.
Marusya
minor
A woman encountered by the narrator.
Astrov
minor
Also known as ↩ Astrov
A character in the narrative.
Joffe
minor
Soviet diplomat.
Sergei
minor
Also known as the Kharitonensky Sergei
A character in the narrative.
Demian Bedni
minor
Bolshevik poet and propagandist.
