My Disillusionment in Russia · Character

Peter Kropotkin

The aged anarchist philosopher who died in a village cottage, mourned by thousands, and whose funeral became a test of what the Bolshevik State would permit.

supporting

Also known as Peter, Kropotkin, old Peter, Thereafter Kropotkin, Peter Kropotkin Funeral Commission

First appearance: V: Meeting People

As a supporting figure in My Disillusionment in Russia, Peter Kropotkin is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Mentioned as an anarchist who, paradoxically, denied revolutionary tactics and fell into Marxian reasoning during the revolution.

In the storyPreface to First Volume of American EditionOpen this moment free

In two days at his household the narrator learns more of his personal life than in all the years she had known him: the drawings of great merit, the piano he played with unusual ability. He lies on his couch as if peacefully asleep, his face as kindly in death as in life, while the whole village follows his remains to the station. The Anarchist Funeral Commission must beg the Moscow Soviet for printing and transport, and the Cheka refuses to release imprisoned comrades to attend.

See Peter Kropotkin in Preface to First Volume of American Edition Book page

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Character Web

13 connections

A slice of how Peter Kropotkin sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Friendship
Other

Character groups

Key Ideological Figures
Protagonist
Military and Political Opponents
Diverse Acquaintances and Witnesses
Close Anarchist Associates

+8 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

The emotional and psychological peak occurs as the narrator confronts the full, brutal reality of Russia’s col…

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Relationships

Unknown Narrator
friendship · positive
Peter Kropotkin is a respected elder anarchist and intellectual companion to the… How this plays out →
Unknown Narrator
friendship · positive
Peter Kropotkin is a respected elder anarchist and intellectual companion to the… How this plays out →

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See Peter Kropotkin in V: Meeting People

In the story

Peter Kropotkin appears across 6 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Preface to First Volume of American Edition
Mentioned as an anarchist who, paradoxically, denied revolutionary tactics and fell into Marxian reasoning during the revolution.
V: Meeting People
Kropotkin appears aged and worn, criticizes Bolshevik dictatorship for crushing cooperatives and suppressing dissent, and explains his silence due to the Allied blockade and lack of free expression.
XIV: Petropavlovsk and Schlüsselburg
Mentioned among the revolutionary figures who suffered in the Peter-and-Paul Fortress, their spirits now seemingly at rest.
Another Visit to Peter Kropotkin
Appears healthier and more spirited in summer; discusses the Bolsheviks' betrayal of revolutionary ideals, the need for mass participation, and the value of anarcho-syndicalism.
Death and Funeral of Peter Kropotkin
Kropotkin dies of pneumonia on February 8, 1921. The chapter describes his personal talents, his hardships under Bolshevik rule, his protests against hostage-taking and suppression of publications, and his profound disillusionment with the revolution.
XXVIII: Persecution of Anarchists
His daughter's former room is rented by the narrator in Moscow.

Chapter companion notes

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See Peter Kropotkin in V: Meeting People

See Peter Kropotkin in Preface to First Volume of American Edition