Who is Alexander Herzen from Russian Thinkers and what is their importance?

Alexander Herzen was the most influential Russian critic of the 19th century. Herzen spent much of his life living in self-imposed exile in Europe, after a youth bouncing from internal exile to minor government positions. He was the founder of the first anti-Tsarist journal, which circulated illegally and secretly in Russia but was widely read, even by government officials. He later founded a Russian-language press in London, which poured books into Russia. A wealthy man, Herzen became friends with many of Europe's most influential leaders. Although Herzen promoted Western scientific advances and liberal ideas, he was deeply disappointed by the failure of the 1848 revolutions, and he became increasingly opposed to violent socialist and Utopian revolutionary plans. He wrote political novels, which are mostly forgotten today, but his political writings, especially his memoirs From the Other Shore and My Past and Thoughts, are considered masterpieces of Russian prose.