I have been told to relate all that I know about Petrashevsky and the people who attended the Friday gatherings at his place; that is, I have been told to give testimony about both the facts and my personal opinions of these facts. Judging from my first interrogation, I conclude that a detailed response to the following items is required of me:

1. What is Petrashevsky like as a man, in general, and as a political figure, in particular?

2. What took place at the gatherings at Petrashevsky’s that I attended and what opinions do I have of those gatherings?

3. Did the Petrashevsky group not have some hidden, clandestine purpose? Is Petrashevsky personally a dangerous man, and to what extent does he pose a threat to society?

I have never been on very close terms with Petrashevsky, although I attended his Friday gatherings and he, in turn, would call on me. Ours was an acquaintance which I didn’t prize very highly since we lacked common ground both in our personalities and in many of our views. And this is why I maintained relations with him only to the extent required by courtesy—that is, I visited him from month to month and sometimes even less. I had no reason to break off relations with him entirely. And besides, it was sometimes interesting for me to attend his Friday gatherings.

I was always struck by the great eccentricity and peculiarity of Petrashevsky’s behavior. As a matter