Anatoly Bershtein: "Double game"

“Lately I can’t get rid of the thought that there are provocateurs among the opposition leaders. I just want to guess which of the famous fighters against the regime made a deal with this regime. I understand that there is a presumption of innocence. But the tradition is too strong... I begin a series of short essays about the most prominent provocateurs. One of the first classical provocateurs was Sergei Degaev, a retired officer, who actively took part in revolutionary activities. There was a time when his candidacy was even considered for membership in the Executive Committee of the People's Will. was refused, with the characteristic wording that he was not “an independent bearer of the idea.” According to one version, Degaev met with gendarme lieutenant colonel G.P. Sudeikin on the instructions of the revolutionary underground in order to use it for the benefit of the organization. Fortunately, the experience was already introduced. in the Third Section Petr Kletochnikov. Why not try to fight the enemy using his own methods. But a dangerous game is a double-edged sword. Everything gets so confused that sometimes the participants themselves lose the thread. So, according to one version, Degaev was recruited by Sudeikin during those very first illegal meetings on the initiative of the underground. Together they made far-reaching plans to destabilize the country, as a result of which both would move closer to power. But what is known for certain: after Degaev was arrested along with his family, he really began his active treacherous activities. They handed over the legendary revolutionary Vera Figner, the undisputed leader of Narodnaya Volya after the assassination of the Tsar and the arrest of the main leaders. And also, essentially, the entire military organization of “People's Will” created by Figner, Sukhanov and Degaev himself (200 people in total). After all these arrests, Degaev essentially became its party leader. Although the organization itself could have been given up. She never recovered from such a blow and was not reborn. In addition, bad rumors began to spread about Degaev, who remained at large. What is Degaev doing? He unexpectedly goes to Paris, where at that time there are two powerful authorities of the party - German Lopatin and Lev Tikhomirov, the famous "Tigrych", who has not yet been disillusioned and has not moved away from revolutionary activities. Either Degaev himself comes to them to confess and tells them how it happened, or they begin to suspect him and accuse him of provocateur. But the fact is that he tells the revolutionaries everything. They do not forgive him, but they set the condition for saving his life to return to Russia, lure Sudeikin and kill him. Degaev agrees and goes back with the militants, meets his patron in his own apartment and takes part in his murder. Afterwards, Lopatin gives him 48 hours to hide from persecution and revenge, both from one and the other. Degaev is running. After some time, a rumor spreads that he died in New Zealand. But this was a rumor spread by Degaev himself, who covered his tracks. In fact, he fled to the USA, where he entered the mathematics department of the university (since 1897, Doctor of Mathematics) and after that taught, as a professor, at one of the higher educational institutions of South Dakota. Degaev died and was buried in the USA in 1921 under the name Alexander Pell."