His brother infected him with an interest in science and revolutionary ideas. The brother became an idol for him and an example to follow. The brother was seriously mistaken, and our hero became a victim of his carelessness.
It often happens that native people have the same character. More often than not, they support the same ideas. this makes their biographies very different: the name of one remains in history, the name of the other is forgotten.
Childhood
The first mention of the Kropotkin princely family dates back to the reign of Ivan III. These aristocrats originate from Rurik himself, and the boyar gave them a surname, which was distinguished by accuracy, painstakingness in all matters, for which he received the nickname Kropotka. By the beginning of the 20th century, a noble family possessed large capitals and land plots.
Coat of arms of the princes Kropotkin
In 1841, Major General Alexei Kropotkin became a father. The boy was named Alexander. A year later, Peter was born. The family lived in Moscow. Sasha preferred quiet fun. He was very fond of poetry, he especially liked the work of Mikhail Lermontov, a number of poems he knew from memory. Petya preferred noisy games, and his family predicted a military career for him.
Youth
Heirs of a noble family received education in the Page Corps and, as parents predicted, chose a different path. Peter went to Siberia, where, as part of military expeditions, he explored and studied the borders of his homeland, and his older brother preferred a quiet service closer to civilization. When the guys met, Petya said that he met exiled Decembrists, carried away his brother with revolutionary ideas. In 1867, they together resigned in protest against the suppression of the uprising of the Polish convicts.
The father wished his children happiness, and therefore did not interfere in their personal lives. When the eldest son announced that he was going to marry, the old man was only happy for him. Soon, our hero had a wife, Vera, who bore him four babies. Peter convinced his brother to go with him to St. Petersburg. In the capital, young men entered the university. The eldest Kropotkin was interested in astronomy, the younger was interested in geography.
Relatives and revolution
After graduation, our heroes got a civil service. Nikolai Tchaikovsky often visited their house, who urged enlightened people to go to ordinary workers and agitate them for the overthrow of the monarchy. The brothers were carried away by his ideas. They often traveled abroad, where they met many famous scientists and revolutionaries who shared their views.
The peaceful life of Alexander Kropotkin ended in 1874. His brother was arrested the day after the report in the Russian Geographical Society and imprisoned in the Peter and Paul Fortress. Sasha was worried about him, tried to get permission to visit him in prison, but he was refused. After 2 years, the prisoner himself appeared in the house under cover of night, he escaped and sought shelter from his relatives. Alexander helped him hide from the persecution, get in touch with his comrades. He put the fugitive on a ship that was going to Scandinavia, from where it was possible to reach England. In parting, the revolutionary told his savior that he should not worry - soon the secret police would calm down, and it would be possible to meet again.
Link
The future founder of anarchism was cruelly mistaken. The authorities made every effort to find a runaway prisoner and reveal all who helped him hide. They went to Alexander Kropotkin. The prince was arrested and tried. Evidence of his involvement in an illegal organization was not enough, but the charge of complicity in the crime was enough to convict. Our hero was stripped of his title, property and exiled to Tomsk province.
The city of Tomsk, in which the exiled Alexander Kropotkin lived
Arriving at the place of exile with his wife and children, Alexander tried to continue to lead the capital's lifestyle. He met his fellow sufferers and began to arrange evenings where freethinkers could share thoughts and news. There were always many guests in his house; he made generous gifts to the needy. The governor in Tomsk at that time was Ivan Krasovsky, who had previously served as an inspector of Moscow University. He was complacent to all kinds of circles of the intelligentsia and did not see any danger in the new settlers.
