Georgij Valentinovič Plechanov Papers

Period  1890-1919 (-1956)
Total size   1 m.
Consultation Not restricted

Biography

Full name: Georgij Valentinovič Plechanov; born in Gudalovka, Tambov province, Russia 1856, died in Terioki, Finland 1918; politician, sociologist, acknowledged `father of Russian Marxism'; leading activist of Zemlja i Volja in 1877; went to Western Europe in 1880 to escape arrest and only returned to Russia in 1917; became a Marxist in the early 1880s; founded together with Pavel Aksel'rod, Vera Zasulic and Lev G. Dejc the Gruppa Osvobozdenie Truda, the first Russian Marxist organization, in 1883; was the main theoretician of the Russian social democracy until 1903; turned against the Bolsheviks after the split in 1903; immersed himself in studies of art, literature and history after the revolution of 1905, employing Marxian concepts and methods; returned to Russia in April 1917; supported the Provisional Government and criticised the October Revolution.

Content

Part of his papers, containing some 150 letters from Plechanov to his wife 1890-1916; some 150 letters from Rozalija M. Plechanova to her husband 1893-1916; letters from Rozalija and Georgij Plechanov to their daughters; photocopies of letters from Plechanov to his wife; typescript of vol. VIII, second part, of `Literaturnoe Nasledie G.V. Plechanova'; translations of articles written by Plechanov; articles on Plechanov; documents relating to Rozalija Plechanova 1919; press clippings on the death of both; press clippings, etc., on the 100th birthday of Plechanov; some other printed material.

Alternate Form of Material

5 security microfilms.

Location of originals

Dom Plechanova, St.Petersburg

INTRODUCTION

Georgij V. Plechanov was born in Gudalovka, Tambov province, Russia, in 1856. He went to Western Europe in 1880 to escape arrest and only returned to Russia in 1917. He became a Marxist in the early 1880s, and founded together with Pavel Aksel'rod , Vera Zasulič and Lev G. Dejč the Gruppa Osvoboždenie Truda . He was the main theoretician of the Russian social democracy until 1903. He turned against the Bolsheviks after the split of 1905, employing Marxian concepts and methods. After his return in 1917 he supported the Provisional Government and criticised the October Revolution. He died in Terioki, Finland, in June 1918.

Rozalija Markovna Bograd Plechanova was born in Cherson, Russia, in 1856. She died in Châtenay-Malabry, France, in 1949. They had two daughters: Evgenija G. (Batault) Plechanova and Lidija G. (le Savoureux) Plechanova .

The IISH received this small collection of Plechanov papers from his relatives through Irène Petit in 1975. It measures 1 running metre. In St. Petersburg is located the Dom Plechanova, containing his library and his archive (apart from the IISH papers).

LIST

1

Letters from Plechanov to his wife. With annotations.   1890-1916.  1 box.

2

Letters from Rozalija M. Plechanova to her husband. With annotations.   1893-1916.  1 box.

3-5

Letters from Rozalija and Georgij Plechanov to their daughters.   1906-1921, 1927 and n.d.  3 folders.

6

Letters from R.M. Plechanova to L.G. Dejč , and two letters to editors.   [1922] and n.d.  1 folder.

7

Other letters.   1893, 1910, 1911, 1926, 1949, 1974 and n.d.  1 folder.

8

Photocopies of letters from Plechanov to D. Soskice .   1898-1900 and n.d.  1 folder.

9

Photocopies of letters from Plechanov to his wife. With annotations.   1893-1912.  1 box.
NB. Originals in Dom Plechanova, St. Petersburg.

10

Typescript of vol. VIII, second part, of 'Literaturnoe Nasledie G.V. Plechanova'.  1 box.

11-12

Copies of articles by Plechanov , some translated into French.   1880-1917.  2 folders.

13

Questions concerning editions of works by Plechanov in French, including on Holbach and Helvétius.   1938 and n.d.  1 folder.

14

Documents concerning discussions on the peace issue, including (photo)copies of letters to J. Guesde .   1896, 1900, 1906, 1912, 1914, 1915, 1917, 1918.  1 folder.

15

Articles on Plechanov .   1919, 1924, 1925, 1931, 1945 and n.d.  1 folder.

16

Documents relating to the Stockholm affair: refusal to grant a visa to R.M. Plechanova to travel into France.   1919.  1 folder.

17-19

Documents concerning the death of Plechanov , and documents in commemoration of him.   1918, 1923-1925, 1928.  3 folders.

20

Documents concerning the death of R.M. Plechanova .   1949, 1951.  1 folder.

21

Photocopies of photographs.  1 folder.
NB. Originals in IISH Audiovisual Department.

22

Various printed material.   1915, 1919 and n.d.  1 folder.

23

Press clippings and other documents concerning the 100th birthday of Plechanov .   1956.  1 box.