Alexander Ivanovich Herzen was a Russian writer and thinker known as the precursor of Russian socialism and one of the main precursors of agrarian populism. With his writings, many composed while exiled in London, he attempted to influence the situation in Russia, contributing to a political climate that led to the emancipation of the serfs in 1861. He published the important social novel Who is to Blame? (1845–46). His autobiography, My Past and Thoughts, is often considered one of the best examples of that genre in Russian literature.

Kirov is the largest city and administrative center of Kirov Oblast, Russia. It is located on the Vyatka River in European Russia, 896 kilometres (557 mi) northeast of Moscow. Its population was 468,212 in 2021, up to roughly 750 thousand residents in the urban agglomeration.