This work can be viewed as a companion piece to Avrich's "The Russian Anarchists," an historical treatment of anarchist activities in the earlier part of the 20th century. This book presents the ideas of Russian anarchists of the period, allowing them to speak for themselves.
Some of the documents have well known authors, such as Volin and Iuda Roschin (essays on the February revolution in 1917, which represents the first Part of the book). Part Two considers differing aspects varieties of anarchism--such as anti-militarism, individualism, education, and the future society. Part Three has four essays on workers' control of industry, a key desire for syndicalists. Poignant here is the "Declaration of the Petrograd Union of Anarcho-Syndicalist Propaganda." Part Four looks at the social revolution in Russia. Part Five focuses on the October Insurrection." Other focal points: Makhno's work in the Ukraine; Kronstadt and the suppression of anarchism (with well known thinkers such as Emma Goldman and Alexander Berkman speaking out).
A nice companion book to Avrich's history of anarchism in Russia. One can quarrel about what is included and what is excluded. Should some work of Kropotkin have been included before the two 1920 items in this work? Still and all, a nice volume. . . .
