Alexander Radishchev
Encyclopedia : A : AL : ALE : Alexander Radishchev
- For other uses of "", see ) (August 31, 1749–September 24, 1802) was a Russian author and social critic who was arrested and exiled under Catherine the Great. He brought the tradition of radicalism into Russian literature to prominence with the publication in 1790 of his Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow. His depiction of socio-economic conditions in Russia earned him exile to Siberia until 1797.
Radishchev was born a very well educated and wealthy minor noble in Moscow. His foreign education, however, led him to greatly dislike the Russia he saw around him. He lauded revolutionaries like George Washington and praised the French Revolution. His most famous work A Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow is a critique of Russian society. He was especially critical of serfdom and the limits to personal freedom imposed by the autocracy.
Catherine the Great read the work and saw much to fear in Radishchev's reformism. He was arrested and condemned to death. This was later commuted to exile to Siberia. He was freed by Catherine's successor Tsar Paul, and attempted to push for the reforms in Russia's government, but was unsuccessful. In 1802 he committed suicide.
See also
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