Sulla stessa barricata. Il movimento anarchico fra Russia e Sud Italia

Abstract

“Anarchism is essentially a Russian product” – stated in such a way Nikolay Berdyaev in his The Russian Idea. Indeed, anarchism as a historical movement, as a political idea, as a lifestyle is essentially a Russian phenomenon, with Mikhail Bakunin in particular as its greatest exponent. Our reflection will start from the historical period in which Mikhail Bakunin arrives in Italy, in Naples, where he defines more clearly his political thought and recollects around himself the main members of the International Workers’ Association, who will contribute to the history of Italian anarchism in southern Italy. Approaching the writings by Bakunin, Enrico Covelli, Carlo Cafiero and Errico Malatesta, we will discuss the common traits of Russian ad Italian anarchism through the key concept of freedom, people, and contradiction in order to re-elaborate Russian and Italian anarchism in terms of local activism and associational engagement, when and where it is needed.