Martyr Cults in Revolutionary Russia: An Introduction

• In Event: Martyrs Secular and Saintly in Revolutionary Russia

Abstract

My current book-project examines martyr cults in late imperial Russia, c. 1881-1918. It is a deep cultural-historical analysis of the meaning of mythologies including rhetoric and symbols surrounding these cults. The book assesses the creation of martyr cults on the political right as well as the left. I examine the interactions between monarchists and revolutionists following political demonstrations, assassinations and revolutionary conflicts between insurgents and the tsarist state. The result is an assessment of the political culture that emerged following cases such as the assassination of emperor Alexander II in 1881, and the deification of revolutionary terrorists in the early twentieth century. Cults were often created following the escalation of political violence, which resulted in both leftists and conservatives investing more in populism and engaging with new audiences. My project closely analyses the language, meaning and tone of unseen source materials including printed pamphlets, the popular press and archival records.
For ASEEES in 2025, I am asking for colleagues’ comment on a draft introduction to the book. My introduction introduces the main tendencies under review, making the case for exploring radicals alongside conservatives. It briefly looks at some uses of political martyrdom in the modern age, placing the appeal in wider context in European and world history. An interesting question is the meeting between this ancient, religious idea and cult creation in political contexts, in our case, revolutionary Russia.

Author

• George Gilbert, U of Southampton (UK)