My Disillusionment in Russia · Chapter
XXXII: The Socialist Republic Resorts to Deportation explained
The chapter details the Bolshevik government's betrayal of revolutionary ideals, exemplified by the return of Tsarist General Slastchev with military honors while true revolutionaries like Volin, Maximoff, Mratchny, and Yartchuk are deporte
What happens
The chapter details the Bolshevik government's betrayal of revolutionary ideals, exemplified by the return of Tsarist General Slastchev with military honors while true revolutionaries like Volin, Maximoff, Mratchny, and Yartchuk are deported. It also recounts the harrowing story of an anonymous Makhnovist hiding in Moscow, and ends with Emma Goldman's decision to leave Russia after securing a passport for an anarchist congress in Berlin.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Falling action.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
The emotional and psychological peak occurs as the narrator confronts the full, brutal reality of Russia’s col…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Betrayal of Revolutionary Ideals
Bolsheviks honor Tsarist general Slastchev while deporting anarchist revolutionaries who fought for the Revolution.
- State Power vs. Individual Freedom
The Cheka terrorizes the population; true revolutionaries must hide or face deportation.
- Suffering of the People
The anonymous Makhnovist and his wife live in constant fear and poverty, with the wife disguising her pregnancy to keep her job.
Characters to notice
- Emma Goldman
Narrator who decides to leave Russia, obtains passport, and departs on December 1, 1921.
- Alexander Berkman
Deported alongside Emma Goldman and A. Shapiro to attend the International Anarchist Congress in Berlin.
- Volin
Deported anarchist, former editor of Nabat, imprisoned after hunger strike.
- G. Maximoff
Deported anarchist, active in Petrograd University and editor of Golos Truda.
- Mark Mratchny
Deported anarchist, former instructor in Kharkov and editor of Nabat.
- Nestor Makhno
Referenced as leader of the povstantsi; a close friend and counsellor of the anonymous Makhnovist hiding in Moscow.
- Trotsky
Mentioned as the military superior whom General Slastchev had to salute.
Key passages
“It was the announcement of the return to Russia of the Tsarist General Slastchev, one of the most reactionary and brutal militarists of the old regime.”
The Bolsheviks welcomed back a notoriously brutal Tsarist general.
Highlights the hypocrisy of the revolutionary government.
“The first to be deported by the 'revolutionary' Government were ten Anarchists, most of them known in the international revolutionary movement as tried idealists and martyrs for their cause.”
The first deportees under the Soviet regime were ten dedicated anarchist revolutionaries.
Emphasizes the betrayal of revolutionary comrades.
“Life in Russia had become to me a constant torture; the need of breaking my two years' silence was imperative.”
Emma Goldman found life in Russia unbearable and felt compelled to speak out.
Captures Goldman's personal disillusionment.
