The Bolshevik Myth
book by Alexander Berkman
The Bolshevik Myth (Diary 1920–1922) is a book by Alexander Berkman describing his experiences in RSFSR from 1920 to 1922, when he saw the aftermath of the October Revolution. Written in the form of a diary, The Bolshevik Myth describes how Berkman's initial enthusiasm for the revolution faded as he became disillusioned with the Bolsheviks and their suppression of all political dissent.
Plot
The narrative of The Bolshevik Myth starts in December 1919, when Berkman and Emma Goldman were deported to Soviet Russia along with over two hundred other anarchists, socialists, and other leftists. Berkman describes conditions on board the transport ship, the Buford. Berkman begins with great enthusiasm for the revolution. Unlike some of his fellow anarchists, he is willing to ignore the very different philosophy of the Bolsheviks. "From now on, we are all one—one in the sacred work of the Revolution", he tells a welcoming committee. "Socialists or anarchists—our theoretical differences are left behind. We are all revolutionists now."
The Bolshevik Myth describes the situation in Petrograd and Moscow. Food is scarce and rations are being cut.
The public source identifies “The Bolshevik Myth” as book by Alexander Berkman. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Bolshevik, Myth and book.
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Reception evidence should be dated and situated: later canonical status may differ sharply from the work’s initial circulation. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 10, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q7719056. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1920, 1922 and 1919.
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This entry incorporates text from “The Bolshevik Myth” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.