The Bolshevik Myth · Chapters

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Chapter companions for The Bolshevik Myth by Alexander Berkman.

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Chapter 1
The Bolshevik Myth
The narrator reflects on the disillusionment with the Bolshevik regime, contrasting revolutionary ideals with the harsh realities of dictatorship, terror, and economic collapse in Soviet Russia.
Chapter 2
The Log of the Transport Buford
The chapter chronicles the journey of the Buford, a ship deporting political radicals from the United States to Soviet Russia in late 1919 and early 1920. The narrator, a deportee, describes the harsh conditions aboard, the camaraderie among the deportees, their interactions with the military guards, and the uncertainty of their destination. Key events include the organization of a committee for distributing warm clothing, the narrator's discussions with the Colonel about socialism and America, the assignment of lifeboat duties, and the growing friendship with the soldiers. The chapter ends with the ship entering the Kiel Canal, repairs underway, and the deportees eager to reach Russia.
Chapter 3
II: On Soviet Soil
The narrator describes the arrival of American deportees in Soviet Russia at Beloostrov, where they are warmly welcomed by soldiers and peasants. A mass meeting features speeches by a woman in black, Zorin, and Bianki, whose confrontational remarks are countered by the narrator's call for unity. The group proceeds to Petrograd amid further celebrations.
Chapter 4
III: In Petrograd
The narrator arrives in Petrograd and observes the transformed city under Bolshevik rule—empty streets, reduced population, and the grim realities of war communism. They attend a Soviet session where Zinoviev, Radek, and Joffe speak, noting the lack of genuine debate. The narrator also deals with friction among the Buford deportees, advocating for efficient organization, and encounters bureaucratic resistance from Zorin.
Chapter 5
IV: Moscow
The narrator travels from Petrograd to Moscow as an interpreter for Lansbury and Barry. The journey is arduous due to poor railroad conditions, fuel shortages, and overcrowding. Upon arrival, the narrator struggles to find lodging in the overcrowded city but is eventually offered a room by a kind stranger named Sergei, a former San Francisco resident who now works with the Bolsheviks.

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The Bolshevik Myth

The Log of the Transport Buford

II: On Soviet Soil

III: In Petrograd

IV: Moscow