Vladimir Zenzinov
Encyclopedia
Vladimir Mikhailovich Zenzinov was a member of Russia's Socialist-Revolutionary Party
, a participant of the First (1905), Second
(February 1917), and Third
(November 1917) Russian Revolutions, and an author of a number of books.
and A.R. Gots
dates from that period. He joined the Socialist-Revolutionary Party
(PSR) in 1901 and returned to Russia in 1904. Arrested at the beginning of the Revolution of 1905 and sentenced to five years banishment in Siberia, he escaped to Western Europe, then returned to St. Petersburg in 1906. He worked for the PSR in various capacities and was elected to its Central Committee. He was active in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Kiev. In September of 1906 he was arrested again and banished to Siberia. In 1907 he escaped, making his way to Western Europe via Japan, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Colombo and the Suez Canal. He soon returned illegally to Russia.
Arrested again in 1910, Zenzinov was banished to northern Yakutsk to make escape impossible. There he devoted himself to ethnographic studies and wrote several pioneering anthropological works on the subject, e.g.: Starinnye liudi u kholodnogo okeana (Moscow, 1914) and Ocherki torgovli na severe Yakutskoi oblasti (Moscow, 1916). In his memoirs, he tells of some extremely isolated places he visited, such as the village of Russkoye Ustye
in the Arctic Yakutia. In 1915 Zenzinov returned to European Russia and lived in Moscow and St. Petersburg. He participated in the February Revolution of 1917, played various roles in the All-Russian Soviet of Workers', Soldiers' and Peasants' Deputies and supported the Provisional Government under A.F. Kerensky
. With respect to World War I, which bitterly divided the PSR, Zenzinov adopted a 'Revolutionary Defencist
' position: opposed to the war before the February Revolution, he supported the 'defence of the revolution' against Germany. Zenzinov tried to mediate between more radical 'Defencists' (like A.A. Argunov
and the 'Internationalists' led by V.M. Chernov and M.A. Natanson
.
Zenzinov opposed the October Revolution
. He was elected as an SR deputy to the one-day Constituent Assembly, dispersed by the Bolsheviks in 1918. Thereafter Zenzinov joined the rump Constituent Assembly government in Samara
in 1918. He was briefly one of the Directors of the Provisional All-Russian Government
, together with N.D. Avksentiev
and others. Arrested during a military coup by Admiral Kolchak in November of 1918, Zenzinov was exiled to China. From there he made his way back to Western Europe. He lived in Berlin until Hitler
came to power in 1933, then moved to Paris. Durin this time he published several more books and worked for a variety of émigré socialist journals, including Volya Rossiya, Golos Rossii, Dni, Novaya Rossiya and Sovremennye Zapiski.
In 1939 Zenzinov went to Finland to witness the beginning of World War II and the Soviet attack on Finland, and to gather information on Russia. In 1940 Zenzinov emigrated to the United States, settling in New York and writing his memoirs.
Socialist-Revolutionary Party
thumb|right|200px|Socialist-Revolutionary election poster, 1917. The caption in red reads "партия соц-рев" , short for Party of the Socialist Revolutionaries...
, a participant of the First (1905), Second
February Revolution
The February Revolution of 1917 was the first of two revolutions in Russia in 1917. Centered around the then capital Petrograd in March . Its immediate result was the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II, the end of the Romanov dynasty, and the end of the Russian Empire...
(February 1917), and Third
October Revolution
The October Revolution , also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution , Red October, the October Uprising or the Bolshevik Revolution, was a political revolution and a part of the Russian Revolution of 1917...
(November 1917) Russian Revolutions, and an author of a number of books.
Biography
Vladimir Zenzinov was born in Moscow in 1880, the son of a merchant. He studied at several universities in Germany and was known as one of the 'Heidelberg SRs'. His friendship with N.D. AvksentievNikolai Avksentiev
Nikolai Dimitrovich Avksentiev was a leading member of the Russian Socialist-Revolutionary Party . He was one of the 'Heidelberg SRs' , like V.M. Zenzinov...
and A.R. Gots
Avram Gots
Avram Rafailovich Gots was a Russian Socialist-Revolutionary leader, active in the Revolutions of 1905 and 1917.- Biography :...
dates from that period. He joined the Socialist-Revolutionary Party
Socialist-Revolutionary Party
thumb|right|200px|Socialist-Revolutionary election poster, 1917. The caption in red reads "партия соц-рев" , short for Party of the Socialist Revolutionaries...
(PSR) in 1901 and returned to Russia in 1904. Arrested at the beginning of the Revolution of 1905 and sentenced to five years banishment in Siberia, he escaped to Western Europe, then returned to St. Petersburg in 1906. He worked for the PSR in various capacities and was elected to its Central Committee. He was active in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Kiev. In September of 1906 he was arrested again and banished to Siberia. In 1907 he escaped, making his way to Western Europe via Japan, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Colombo and the Suez Canal. He soon returned illegally to Russia.
Russkoye Ustye
Russkoye Ustye is a village in Allaikhovsky Ulus of the Sakha Republic, Russia. For several decades during the Soviet era, the village was officially called Polyarny ....
in the Arctic Yakutia. In 1915 Zenzinov returned to European Russia and lived in Moscow and St. Petersburg. He participated in the February Revolution of 1917, played various roles in the All-Russian Soviet of Workers', Soldiers' and Peasants' Deputies and supported the Provisional Government under A.F. Kerensky
Alexander Kerensky
Alexander Fyodorovich Kerensky was a major political leader before and during the Russian Revolutions of 1917.Kerensky served as the second Prime Minister of the Russian Provisional Government until Vladimir Lenin was elected by the All-Russian Congress of Soviets following the October Revolution...
. With respect to World War I, which bitterly divided the PSR, Zenzinov adopted a 'Revolutionary Defencist
Internationalist/Defencist Schism
The terms 'Internationalist' and 'Defencist' were commonly used to describe the broad opposing camps in the international socialist movement during and shortly after the First World War. Prior to 1914, anti-militarism had been an article of faith among most European socialist parties...
' position: opposed to the war before the February Revolution, he supported the 'defence of the revolution' against Germany. Zenzinov tried to mediate between more radical 'Defencists' (like A.A. Argunov
Andrei Argunov
Andrei Argunov -Biographical Information:Andrei Aleksandrovich Argunov was a Russian revolutionary. He became involved in the populist movement and joined 'The People's Will' in the 1880s. In 1896 he founded the 'Union of Socialist-Revolutionaries' in Saratov, later transferring its headquarters...
and the 'Internationalists' led by V.M. Chernov and M.A. Natanson
Mark Natanson
Mark Andreyevich Natanson was a Russian revolutionary and one of the founders of the Circle of Tchaikovsky, Land and Liberty, and the Socialist-Revolutionary Party...
.
Zenzinov opposed the October Revolution
October Revolution
The October Revolution , also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution , Red October, the October Uprising or the Bolshevik Revolution, was a political revolution and a part of the Russian Revolution of 1917...
. He was elected as an SR deputy to the one-day Constituent Assembly, dispersed by the Bolsheviks in 1918. Thereafter Zenzinov joined the rump Constituent Assembly government in Samara
Samara, Russia
Samara , is the sixth largest city in Russia. It is situated in the southeastern part of European Russia at the confluence of the Volga and Samara Rivers. Samara is the administrative center of Samara Oblast. Population: . The metropolitan area of Samara-Tolyatti-Syzran within Samara Oblast...
in 1918. He was briefly one of the Directors of the Provisional All-Russian Government
Provisional All-Russian Government
The Provisional All-Russian Government or PA-RG was a short-lived government centred in Omsk during the Russian Civil War.It was principally formed from the Komuch, mainly Socialist-Revolutionary Party and Constitutional Democratic Party members based in Samara, and the Provisional Siberian...
, together with N.D. Avksentiev
Nikolai Avksentiev
Nikolai Dimitrovich Avksentiev was a leading member of the Russian Socialist-Revolutionary Party . He was one of the 'Heidelberg SRs' , like V.M. Zenzinov...
and others. Arrested during a military coup by Admiral Kolchak in November of 1918, Zenzinov was exiled to China. From there he made his way back to Western Europe. He lived in Berlin until Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
came to power in 1933, then moved to Paris. Durin this time he published several more books and worked for a variety of émigré socialist journals, including Volya Rossiya, Golos Rossii, Dni, Novaya Rossiya and Sovremennye Zapiski.
In 1939 Zenzinov went to Finland to witness the beginning of World War II and the Soviet attack on Finland, and to gather information on Russia. In 1940 Zenzinov emigrated to the United States, settling in New York and writing his memoirs.
Sources
- Vladimir Zenzinov Papers: Vladimir Zenzinov Biography
- Hildermeier, M., Die Sozialrevolutionäre Partei Russlands: Agrarsozialismus u. Modernisierung im Zarenreich (1900-1914). Cologne, 1978.