Clive Farahar Antiquarian Books - Rare and Antiquarian Books and Manuscripts

In 1881, after the assassination of Alexander II, a large number of Revolutionaries were exiled to the mines of Trans-Baikál. Coupled with the fact that a large number of Revolutionaries or Nihilists of the events of 1878-79 were also in the region gave Kennan the spur to study Siberia and its imported inhabitants. As he says in his preface "to the average American... it was almost as much a terra incognita as central Africa or Tibet." He lived for two and a half years there and travelled extensively with a letter of authority from the Minister of the Interior without which, hinderance from Police and Local Officials would have made his investigation impossible. He states that he was well disposed towards the Russian State, but from his account he has much sympathy with the exiles and their oppression.