ðə mˈɜːdɚɹ ɪnðə nˈɑːvəl ɪz kˈɑːmpɚɹəbəl tʊ ɐn ˈæktʃuːəl mˈɜːdɚ kəmˈɪɾᵻd baɪ ðə nˈɛkiːvˌɪsts ɪn wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti nˈaɪn, ˌæzˌɪz ðə sˈiːn ʌvðə kɹˈaɪm ɐ sˈɛlɚ kəntˈeɪnɪŋ ɐ pɹˈɪntɪŋ pɹˈɛs jˈuːzd baɪ nˈɛkiːv.
The murder in the novel is comparable to an actual murder committed by the Nechaevists in 1869, as is the scene of the crime – a cellar containing a printing press used by Nechaev.