«Nihilist» - «criminal» - «dropout»: the images of a terrorist and their perception of Russian society, 1879-1881

The article stresses the complex problem of the attitude of Russian society to the political terrorists (based on the extensive range of previously non-published sources). The author argues that in the second half of the XIX century there were various images of this social phenomenon. The interpretation of participants of that political underground, as criminals, fanatics and nihilists is examined in details. Particular attention is paid to the model of a terrorist - male dropout and victim of shortcomings of the Russian educational system