The Russian Intelligentsia

The Russian intelligentsia lacked to a degree the sense of duty towards the State—or, rather, were essentially anti-patriotic. In other words, the intelligentsia did not include the peasant, the labourer, the minister of State, the heads of the police departments, the chiefs of staff. But the merchant who read Dostoyevski, the officer who attended the theatre—they all belonged to the intelligentsia. In justification of the attitude of this intelligentsia, it might perhaps be said that they over-estimated the importance and strength of the autocracy. Various nations give the name "intelligentsia" to different sections of society. Every anti-state organization found sympathy amongst the Russian intelligentsia. The Russian intelligentsia imagined that it was only anti-Government in the way it thought; but in fact it was anti-patriotic. The best intentions and the most sensible action of an intelligent ruler were brought to naught by the anti-patriotic instincts of the Russian intelligentsia.