# Sergei Kravchinsky — Memoirs of a Revolutionist character guide

> Sergei Kravchinsky in Memoirs of a Revolutionist by Peter Kropotkin.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Serghéi Kravchínsky, Serghéi, Stepniák

**First appearance:** 0033-i

## Snapshot

A fellow revolutionary and writer whose daring escape and literary friendships bring Kropotkin into the orbit of Turgenev and the wider European movement.

## Who they are

Kravchinsky, later known as Stepniak, moves through the memoir as a comrade whose exploits and connections open doors for Kropotkin. His presence links the Russian revolutionary underground to the émigré literary world, including the memorable dinner with Turgenev where Kropotkin's almost worshipful admiration for the novelist is on full display. He matters because he represents the practical, risk-taking side of the movement — the escapes, the crossings, the friendships that keep the cause alive abroad.

## Relationships

### [Peter Kropotkin](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/memoirs_of_a_revolutionist_se/characters/peter_kropotkin)

_friendship_

Kravchinsky was a close revolutionary ally and friend of Kropotkin, sharing dangerous underground activities.

### [Peter Kropotkin](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/memoirs_of_a_revolutionist_se/characters/peter_kropotkin)

_friendship_

Kravchinsky was a close revolutionary ally and friend of Kropotkin, sharing dangerous underground activities.

## In the story

### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/memoirs_of_a_revolutionist_se/chapters/i)

Mentioned as a member of the 'Circle of Tchaikovsky' and part of the revolutionary circles that influenced the school.

### [The Polish Insurrection and Its Aftermath](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/memoirs_of_a_revolutionist_se/chapters/iii)

Russian refugee present at the meeting with Kennan in London; also known as Stepniák.

### [Part IV: St. Petersburg; First Journey to Western Europe](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/memoirs_of_a_revolutionist_se/chapters/part-iv-st-petersburg-first-journey-to-western-europe)

A key revolutionary figure who influences Kropotkin's political development.

### [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/memoirs_of_a_revolutionist_se/chapters/vii)

Received by Kropotkin in disguise as a peasant after escaping arrest for spreading socialist ideas.

### [The International Workingmen's Association and the Call to Revolution](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/memoirs_of_a_revolutionist_se/chapters/viii)

Referenced as Stepniák, author of 'Career of a Nihilist,' whose description of a revolutionist's oath resonates with Kropotkin.

### [Chapter XV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/memoirs_of_a_revolutionist_se/chapters/xv)

Kravchinsky (Serghéi) escapes from Tver, disguises as a lumber sawyer, and conducts revolutionary propaganda among peasants using biblical quotations. He later becomes a key figure in the Moscow circle.

### [The Net Tightens](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/memoirs_of_a_revolutionist_se/chapters/xvi)

Active in propaganda among workers; forced to leave St. Petersburg due to police pursuit.

### [Part V: The Fortress; The Escape](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/memoirs_of_a_revolutionist_se/chapters/part-v-the-fortress-the-escape)

Fellow revolutionary; assists in escape plans from outside.

### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/memoirs_of_a_revolutionist_se/chapters/iv)

Implied as part of the revolutionary circles; Kropotkin's friend Serdyukov (likely a misspelling or alias) is mentioned as a fellow prisoner who later commits suicide.

### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/memoirs_of_a_revolutionist_se/chapters/i)

Friend who went to the Balkan peninsula to join insurgents against Turkish oppression.

### [IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/memoirs_of_a_revolutionist_se/chapters/ix)

Mentioned as Stepniák; co-wrote that refugees did not direct conspiracies.

### [Exile in London and the Dawning of English Socialism](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/memoirs_of_a_revolutionist_se/chapters/x)

Implied as part of the Russian movement; Kropotkin lectures about the nihilists, with whom Kravchinsky was associated.

### [Release and Renewal](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/memoirs_of_a_revolutionist_se/chapters/xv)

Old friend (Stepniák) found again in London after Kropotkin's release.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/memoirs_of_a_revolutionist_se/characters/sergei_kravchinsky
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/memoirs_of_a_revolutionist_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/memoirs_of_a_revolutionist_se/characters