Ekaterina Breshko-Breshkovskaia papers

Ekaterina Konstantinovna Breshko-Breshkovskaia, 1844-1934

"The Little Grandmother of the Russian Revolution"

Catherine Breshkovsky, as she was known in the United States, was one of the early revolutionary workers. She was the first woman to be sent to the mines for a political offense and spent most of her life either in prison or in exile. (From 1871-1917 she spent 14 years in prison camps; 13 years in penal servitude in Siberia; 10 years in conspiratory work; 6 years under strict surveillance by the police; 2 years in exile out of the country and only 8 months, in 1917, of freedom in her work in Russia.)

Throughout her life she exerted great energy in her unrelenting struggle to bring democracy to the people of her country. She showed extreme patriotism and her love for the Russian people was unbounded. Her confidence in the final outcome of the struggle for freedom, in which she was engaged, was unshakable. Her absolute unselfishness and her constant thoughtfulness for the welfare and happiness of others was one of her greatest assets. She never complained of the injustice and hardship which she personally endured, but alwaysstroveto help others and never lost hope or failed in courage.