Balasoglo, Aleksandr Panteleimonovich

Born Oct. 23 (Nov. 4), 1813; probably died in the 1880’s. Russian public figure; member of the Petrashevtsy. Son of a naval officer.

Balasoglo served in the fleet and retired in 1835. Beginning in 1841 he was an archivist at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He tried to organize a writers’ and scholars’ publishing association on the lines of an artel to publish cheap brochures and textbooks. He thought that science should be made accessible to the masses. Beginning in 1845, Balasoglo was a member of M. V. Petrashevskii’s circle. A democrat and enlightener, Balasoglo held views like those of the Utopian socialists. In November 1849 he was exiled to Petrozavodsk and placed under police surveillance.