ARREST OF M. CHAYKOVSKY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 122, 15 February 1908, Page 12

ARREST OF M. CHAYKOVSKY.

A NOTED RUSSIAN REFORMER,

Among tho English friends of: Nicholas Chaykovsky, who was recently arrested, in St.v Petersburg, and is now. confined in tho' for-' 'tress'of St. Peter and St. Paul, a petition is : boing prepared on his behalf, (says the "Standard", of January 2): During 30 -years'' residonco in. England, and the United; M. Chaykovsky won. for himself a high position in the esteem of people of all shades of political opinion. - . '" ■ Ono who knows him; intimately, supplies somo interesting biographical details of his career.. M. Chayko.vsky, ho says, lias; long boen a- familiar figure .to those int«rosted.iu tho' struggle for vlibertyi'. in -Russia. He studied chemistry at. tho University of. St. Petersburg, under Professor Mondeleoff, and, whon barely 20 years of age, published one of his researches in the,"Bulletin do l'Acadomie des Sciences." •; : ; His scientific interests, 1 howovor, gavo plaoo to an overwhelming sense, of the necessity of social reform: as far back as 1869 when,-,still a student, he:.founded the ' "Chaykovsky ■ Circle" for tho education and enlightenment .of peasants and, working, men. .By starting-, 'iclasses for'reading andSwriting, and by sup 7 plying cheap translations of the works of Western thinkers, Chaykovsky aimed at doing for the masses of tho population of Russia something of tho worki that has been .done by ; working men's institutes, and university settlements in.-thisicouutry.. ..In-Russia, however, no such, attempt at popular education could -bo- tolorated, and in: 1873 Chaykovsky was compelled to leave, the country. ' After passing some/years in America he camo to England, making his home near London, and for more than 20 years has been ono of tho most widely known of ' Russian reformers in this country. Ho has constantly maintained his 1 interest. in the affairs of his own . people, : and has been particularly en-' gaged in recent years'in'obtaining aud distri-' buting relief for sufforors'in Russian prisons and exile settlements. ' Finally, encouraged by tho amnesty to political of November 2, 1905, ho returned to Russia,' with tho result that ho has been arrested in St. Petersburg. -Tho preliminary inquiry in regard to his case will .'be conducted in absolute sccrecy, and will probably last sovoral months, during which tho dampness of' the casemates' of the fortress, and tho winter darkness in'these damp-cells will, it is feared, toll severely upon M. Chaykovsky's health, as lie is already suffering' from fever and scurvy. It may bo added that a'petition, somewhat similar to tho ono being organised in this country, has already been prepared and submitted by his friends in'tho United States.'