Potresov A. N. (1869-1934), Social Democrat, Menshevik

Categories / Social Life/Personalia
POTRESOV Alexander Nikolaevich (1869-1934) public figure and publicist. On graduating from the Department of Natural History of the Faculty Of Physics And Mathematics of St. Petersburg University (1891), he studied there at the Faculty of Law (1891-93). From 1891, Potresov was a participant of the Marxist Circle of L. Martov. In 1896, he was one of the heads of St. Petersburg Union for Liberation of the Working Class, arrested and sent to Vyatka Province. He was a member of the editorial board and journalist of Iskra (1900-05) and of Zarya Journal (1901-02). After the Second Congress of the Russian Social-Democratic Workers' Party (Bolsheviks) in 1903, he crossed ranks to become a Menshevik. From 1905, he worked on St. Petersburg Mensheviks' newspapers, in 1910-14; he was editor-in-chief of Our Dawn Journal. He was an ideologist of the so-called Liquidation, and an author of works on history of Russian public thought. During World War I of 1914-18, he stood for defence tactics. In 1917-18, he was an editor of Den newspaper. He considered the events of October 1917 an equally reactionary movement and said that Mensheviks have nothing in common with Bolshevism, in September 1918, he came left the ranks of the party. In the anthology St. Petersburg and Moscow he wrote that St. Petersburg is the genius idea of the great nation, evidence of its creativity and talent, and that the St. Petersburg period in the history of Russia would continue wherever the Government would be. He was included in the Anti-Bolshevik Union for the Revival of Russia. On 1 September 1919, he was arrested by Petrograd Extraordinary Commission, and set free in November due to a serious illness and on condition of not returning to Petrograd. He was again arrested in April 1920. In February 1925 he was allowed to emigrate, and settled in Paris where he died.

References: [Розенталь И. С.] А. Н. Потресов // Политическая история России в партиях и лицах. М., 1993. С. 185-204; Тютюкин С. В. Меньшевизм: Страницы истории. М., 2002 (ук.).

I. S. Rozental. Martov L. (real name Tsederbaum Yuly Osipovich)
Potresov Alexander Nikolaevich
[Розенталь И. С.] А. Н. Потресов // Политическая история России в партиях и лицах. М., 1993
Тютюкин С. В. Меньшевизм: Страницы истории. М., 2002 State University, St. Petersburg
Union of Struggle for Liberation of the Working Class, St. Petersburg