The Practice and Theory of Bolshevism · Character

Gorky

A celebrated writer whose dissent from Bolshevik policy earns him a chapter of his own, Gorky gives Russell a witness from inside Russia's cultural conscience.

supporting

First appearance: III: Lenin, Trotsky and Gorky

As a supporting figure in The Practice and Theory of Bolshevism, Gorky is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Gorky is portrayed as heartbroken and ill, supporting the Bolshevik government reluctantly, and pleading for recognition of Russia's suffering.

In the storyIII: Lenin, Trotsky and GorkyOpen this moment free

Gorky occupies the uneasy position of the artist who cannot simply celebrate or simply condemn: he belongs to the revolution's world yet resists its methods, and Russell devotes a dedicated chapter to that friction. His presence sharpens the book's central distinction between the hope Bolshevism inspires and the price it exacts, especially the fate of art and free intellect under fanatical belief. For the early-middle arc, he is the human counterweight to doctrine — proof that loyalty and criticism can coexist.

See Gorky in III: Lenin, Trotsky and Gorky Book page

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Character Web

3 connections

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

Relationship types

Friendship
Psychological

Character groups

Political and literary figures
Protagonist

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Narrative arc

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

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This chapter serves as the dramatic climax because it presents the psychological peak where human passions—acq…

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Relationships

Lenin
friendship · ambivalent
Gorky and Lenin shared a complex friendship, with Gorky supporting Lenin's revolutionary… How this plays out →
Marx
psychological · positive
Trotsky
friendship · ambivalent

Lenin
Gorky and Lenin shared a complex friendship, with Gorky supporting Lenin's revolutionary goals but often criticizing his methods.
Marx
Gorky was deeply influenced by Marx's ideas, viewing him as a foundational intellectual figure whose theories shaped his worldview.
Trotsky
Gorky and Trotsky had a respectful but strained friendship, with Gorky admiring Trotsky's intellect but disagreeing with his radicalism.

Relationship notes

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See Gorky in III: Lenin, Trotsky and Gorky

In the story

Gorky appears across 3 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

III: Lenin, Trotsky and Gorky
Gorky is portrayed as heartbroken and ill, supporting the Bolshevik government reluctantly, and pleading for recognition of Russia's suffering. Russell finds him the most sympathetic Russian he met.
Daily Life in Moscow
Not directly mentioned in this excerpt, but Russell references the Tolstoyans and social revolutionaries; Gorky is a known figure in the broader context.
Why Russian Communism Has Failed
Not directly mentioned; omitted.

Chapter companion notes

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See Gorky in III: Lenin, Trotsky and Gorky