Abstract:

The October Revolution of 1917 is one of the significant turning points in Russian history. Many Russian writers, affected by the developments in this process, wrote their works on the October Revolution and its results. Maxim Gorky, on the other hand, began to write down the causes and possible consequences of the revolution in the early 1900s and tried to have an impact on upcoming developments. The most important of the author’s works is his novel "Mother", which is considered one of the reference works of the revolution. In his novel, Gorky not only helps to hear the sound of the approaching storm but also calls the storm himself. However, considering the developments in Russia after the realization of the revolution, it is revealed that Gorky’s views in his novel contradict the facts, and difficult days become inevitable for the public. Even the writer, who is famous for his revolutionary propaganda, begins to severely criticize the revolution after 1917. Not only Gorky, but also other Russian writers silently seek an answer to the question of where the mistake was made. Within the scope of our study, it is aimed to develop a different perspective on these searches. In accordance with this purpose, the revolutionary ideas in Gorky’s novel "Mother" and Ataturk’s views on populism were discussed with the comparative analysis method and critical approach. Democracy, freedom, equality and justice were adopted as comparison criteria. As a result of the examination, it was determined that the three key elements of Ataturk’s understanding of populism called classlessness, equality and solidarity, enabling the common people to participate in management and control, were not attached adequate importance during the October Revolution. Taking into consideration the call for revolution in the novel “Mother” and the events that took place after 1917, the importance of the universality of Ataturk's populism and its similarities with the ideal portrait of the Russian revolution that Gorky drew in his novel were clarified. In the light of the examination, it was concluded that Gorky’s novel "Mother" was not one of the bedside works of the 1917 October Revolution, but of the ideal Russian revolution, and that the ideal philosophy of the revolution consisted of the principles of Ataturk's populism.

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