Alexander Herzen
Russian writer and thinker known as the “father of Russian socialism” and one of the main fathers of agrarian populism . With his writings, many composed while exiled in London, he attempted to influence the situation in Russia, contributing to a political climate that led to the emancipation of the serfs in 1861. He published the important social novel Who is to Blame? . His autobiography, My Past and Thoughts , is often considered one of the best examples of that genre in Russian literature.