Author. A moderately wealthy nobleman who introduced, in Russian literature, new thoughts with sharp revolutionary ideas like freedom of expression. So, besides being a writer, he was also may be considered a political as well as a philosopher. His names are sometimes also spelt as Alexander and Radischev. He studied, ininterruptedly, during 14 years; more specifically, he was educated in Moscow (1757–1762), at the St. Petersburg Corps of Pages (1763–1766), and at Leipzig (1766–1771), where he learned law. Although his high position in society, because he pursued a career as a civil servant the position granted him the possibility of contacting people from all social strata. Very influenced by world-known writers, such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau, he wrote his most important book, "Journey from Petersburg to Moscow" (1790), considered a classical of world literature. In this work, he had the opportunity of displaying examples of deep social injustice, as serfdom and violence against peasants, hoping with his ideas to soften and reform the autocracy of tsarina Catherine II, the Great. The tsarina read the book and because that audaciousness was taken as a clear act of political assault, Radishchev was put into prison on June 30, 1790, in the Peter and Paul Fortress (St. Petersburg), and condemned to death. Nonetheless, Catherine commuted to 10 years exile; subsequently, he was deported to Siberia that year, but only after enduring severe both physical and psychological torture. In 1797, Catherine's son tsar Paul I pardoned and released Radishchev from exile and, in 1801, under an amnesty signed by tsar Alexander I, his full rights as a nobleman were restored. Unfortunately mentally destroyed, Radishchev committed suicide one year later, in September, by drinking poison. Nevertheless, and although Radishchev wanted reforms, not revolutions, his thoughts inspired revolutionaries as those responsible for the Decembrist uprising (1825). David Marshall Lang (1924-1991), a Professor of Caucasian Studies, wrote a book displaying the impetuous and liberal personality of Radishchev, the title of which is very suggestive "The first Russian radical: Alexander Radishchev, 1749-1802" (1959).