Robert Owen and other utopian socialists dreamed about a just social system. Great contribution to the fur­ther development of revolutionary the­ory was made later by great Russian revolutionary democrats: V. G. Belinsky (1811—1848), A. T. Hertzen (1812—1870), N. G. Chernyshevsky (1828— 1889) and N. A. Dobrolyubov (1836—1860).

Here are some brief notes about them.

Vissarion Grigorievich Belinsky, the great Russian literary critic and thinker, was one of the outstanding representatives of revolutionary Russia in the middle of the 19th century.

Belinsky was one of the founders of the Russian revolutionary-democratic ideology, who developed the splendid materialist traditions of Russian philosophy. The ideas of Belinsky, Chernyshevsky and Dobrolyubov greatly influenced the world outlook of the progressive thinkers among the different peoples of Russia. In the history of advanced thought in Russia Belinsky was one of the great forerunners of Russian social-democracy.

The name of Alexander Ivanovich Hertzen, the out­standing thinker, revolutionary democrat and ardeat Russian patriot, stands on a par with the names of the fearless fighters for the interests of the Russian people and of the whole of progressive mankind.

Hertzen regarded it as a great honour and joy to belong to the family of the great Russian people and to be a participant in their struggle for emancipation. He firmly believed that the Russian people would be in the vanguard in mankind’s advance towards freedom and progress.

Nikolai Gavrilovich Chernyshevsky, the great revo­lutionary democrat and forerunner of Russian Social-Democracy, was an outstanding scientist and a profound thinker. His materialist philosophy marked the peak of pre-Marxian philosophy.

Chernyshevsky had deep faith in the Russian people’s bright socialist future. He said that socialist society could be brought nearer by means of revolu­tionary activities.

Nikolai Alexandrovich Dobrolyubov was one of the outstanding figures of the Russian revolutionary-demo­cratic movement of the 19th century. He was one of those faithful sons of the Russian people who devoted all their strength and energy to the cause of their people.

Dobrolyubov’s literary work was a very valuable contribution to the treasury of advanced revolutionary thought in 19th century Russia. His name occupies an honourable place in the history of Russian political thought and the development of Russian materialist philosophy.