khozhdenie v narod

The term khozhdenie v narod (Russian for "going to the people") refers to a 19th-century Russian political movement known as Narodnik or "populism". Members of this movement, primarily from the intelligentsia, believed that by educating and agitating among the peasantry, they could spark a revolution and liberalize the tsarist regime.1

The Narodniki were inspired by socialist and communist ideologies, particularly Karl Marx's ideas on communal ownership. However, they diverged by focusing on agrarian communism and believing Russia could bypass industrial capitalism to achieve socialism directly, utilizing traditional peasant communes (mir).1

In the 1870s, hundreds of young intellectuals, dressed as peasants, went to rural areas to spread their message. This effort, known as khozhdenie v narod, often met with indifference from the peasantry and led to arrests and persecution by the authorities. This experience pushed some Narodniki towards more radical methods, including terrorism, and led to the formation of groups like Zemlya i Volya and later Narodnaya Volya.1