Daily life of an intellectual: experience of survival in the period of revolutionary transformation (early 1920s)

In this paper we have reconstructed the everyday life ofF.A. Stepun from 1917 to 1922 basing on the memoirs and several articles. With their help the cultural and community colouring, the herosintellectual experiences, the development of his world outlook have been reconstructed. F.A. Stepun (1884-1965), gentry by birth, was one ofthe representatives of the intellectual subculture in early 20 century. He graduated from a technical school in Moscow and then Heidelberg University.In 1910 he returned to Russia and was actively involved in religious and philosophical society. He was a participant of the Logosmagazine. As a lecturer he made a tour of several cities in European Russia. He was a veteran of the First World War. The philosopher welcomedthe February Revolution of 1917. According to his opinion it became a logical conclusion of the crisis in monarchical power. He joinedthe process of forming a democratic state, but he was disappointed with his own activity. He believed that the October Revolution was a coupand in the end the Bolsheviks seized the power. The thinker considered their activities illegal. Literature activity that he conducted in Moscowbrought a small income. Struggle for survival became commonplace due to chaos and stoppage in food supply. Sukharevskiy market wherealmost everything could be purchased partly enabled him to cope with the total deficit. In his everyday life the philosopher encountered withspeculators  illegal food sellers. He was made to resort to their service. From November 1919 to October 1920 the philosopher ran a theatre.Then F.A. Stepun lectured in the theatre studios. The official ration was his only salvation. The scientist faced a housing problem. Since thespring of 1919 he moved to the village. Their family organized a labour artel. Food was scarce, that was a consequence of governmental extortions.To survive the Stepuns dealt with bartering. Thereby, everyday life of Soviet Russia became a severe trial for the philosopher. He had toadjust to some new living conditions. He gained the experience in the arena of politics by taking part in the formation of democratic statehood in1917. Having faced enormous political difficulties he preferred to leave the political department of the Military Ministry of the Provisional Government.The problem of physical survival and social adaptation came to the fore. The October Coup finally turned him away from participationin all kinds of political activity. The philosopher had a go at running a theatre and teaching in actor schools. However, the situation of hopelessnessmade F.A. Stepun move into the village where he had to lead a simple peasant life that gave sustenance. He speculated, traded on Sukharevka,assisted to conduct the common household of labour artel. It should be noted that his memoirs reflected everyday culture of a typicalrepresentative of the intellectuals. The experience, which he obtained, became the material to form his views. Largely his conception of Russianhistory basing on his mode of life had been formed, where the central place was given to the definition of internal causes and the specific characterof the Russian Revolution.

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