Exploring Revolutionary Ideas: Reading Chernyshevsky's What Is To Be Done? Over Christmas

This Christmas, I finally found the time to dive into a book I’ve been meaning to read for a long time - Nikolai Chernyshevsky's "What Is To Be Done?". Written in 1863, this novel holds a special place in Russian literary and political history. It’s not just a story; it’s a manifesto of sorts, packed with ideas about utopian socialism, rational egoism, and revolutionary transformation. While it’s not an easy read, I’ve found it deeply fascinating to explore a work that had such a profound impact on the trajectory of Russia’s intellectual and political evolution.

A Manifesto Disguised as a Novel

For those unfamiliar, What Is To Be Done? was a significant influence on revolutionary thinkers like Lenin, who famously borrowed the book’s title for one of his own works. Chernyshevsky’s ideas about societal reform, collective action, and the role of intellectuals in creating a better world became a blueprint for many radicals in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. While the novel’s ideological focus sometimes overshadows its storytelling, it’s hard not to admire the ambition behind it. The book feels less like a narrative and more like a philosophical conversation, with characters embodying ideas rather than traditional personalities.

The Book That Inspired Lenin

That said, it’s not exactly light reading. The language can feel dense and formal, and the novel is unapologetically didactic. Plot and character development often take a back seat to the author’s philosophical messages. Yet, something is rewarding about working through it - the feeling of engaging with the ideas that shaped an entire generation of thinkers and activists. It’s not just a book; it’s a snapshot of a moment when intellectuals believed they could transform society through reason, science, and cooperation.

Connections to Modern Russia

Why read it now, though? "What Is To Be Done?" doesn’t directly explain the Russia we see today under Vladimir Putin, but it’s impossible to fully understand modern Russia without grappling with its revolutionary past. The novel helped inspire the movements that eventually led to the Soviet Union, and while Putin’s Russia has rejected revolutionary ideals in favour of extreme nationalism, elements of that ideological legacy remain. Themes of reform, state power, and the role of intellectuals in society - all central to Chernyshevsky’s work - continue to resonate, albeit in very different ways. Modern Russian politics might not be utopian, but the debates over progress and tradition have deep roots in works like this one.

A Time Machine to Revolutionary Russia

For me, reading "What Is To Be Done?" has been like stepping into a time machine, back to a moment when Russian society was on the brink of massive upheaval. It’s a reminder of how ideas, even abstract ones, can ripple through history, shaping revolutions, governments, and cultures.

Why This Book Is Worth Your Time

If you’re interested in 19th-century literature, political philosophy, or even just understanding Russia’s intellectual DNA, this is a book worth tackling. Just be prepared - it’s not a quick or easy read. But as I’m discovering this Christmas, some books are worth the effort for the perspective they offer on the past - and, without doubt, on the present as well.