Abstract:
The work discusses and analyzes 18 personal letters of Peter Kropotkin,
10 of which are written to Giorgi Gogelia; 5 – to his wife Lydia Gogelia-
Ikonnikova and 3 – to the staff of the magazine “Khleb i Volia” (Bread and
Freedom). The chronological timespan of the letters is 1904-1913.
Kropotkin's letters clearly illustrate Giorgi Gogelia's crucial role in the
process of formation of anarchism in Russia as a revolutionary-political
movement and at the same time his contribution to the anarchist reality of
Western Europe. The content of the letters mainly focuses on the functioning
and distribution of the magazine “Khleb i Volia”, assessing its role in promoting
anarchist ideology in Russia. The letters also deal with other problems of
concern for the anarchist movement. There are expressed opinions and positions
about prominent representatives of the movement like: James Guillaume, Luigi
Bertoni, Apollin Karelin, Nikolai Rogdaev and others. The letters provide some
information on Giorgi Gogelia's personal situation, health, and relationship
between his and the Kropotkin family. It seems that Giorgi Gogelia's wife Lydia
Gogelia-Ikonnikova was actively involved in the anarchist movement.
In Kropotkin's letters there is mentioned Varlam Cherkezishvili's name
and some new details of his biography become clear.
