17 June 1917. Alfred Knox

Non-fiction

Project 1917 is a series of events that took place a hundred years ago as described by those involved. It is composed only of diaries, letters, memoirs, newspapers and other documents

Alfred Knox

The following day I spent with General Notbek, the Gommander of the Vlth Corps. In visiting the trenches, he shook hands with every soldier he met, a sudden departure from the former Russian custom of only giving the hand to officers. The simpler plan would have been to have abolished the custom of hand shaking all round, as a habit as useless as the wearing of the sword, and there seemed to be a tendency in this direction in the Staff of the nth Army, where every room had a notice on the door : “ Handshaking is abolished in hot weather.”

In the three months since the Revolution the Vlth Corps had changed its commander twice, also all its three division commanders, eight out of its twelve regiment commanders, and had expelled from five to six officers, mostly regulars, from each regiment. It was no wonder that there were 3,000 officers “ at the disposal of the Commander Kiev Military District ” awaiting appointment to units where the men might be pleased to accept the offer of their services” !

, and others

Comment

✍ Also today

Nadezhda Udaltsova

82 apartment, 65, Smolenskiy blvd, Moscow, Russian Empire

I have grown horribly thin, but will soon get better. Moscow is a total dump, the yard cleaners are on strike and are preventing others from cleaning the streets. And, of course, it is those who are poorer who suffer. The bourgeoisie have taken their children to Crimea while those of others are playing in manure. This is not good. And the revolution is assuming a singularly economic character.

, and others

2 Like

Comment

Vsevolod Meyerhold

Moscow, Russian Empire

I hate Moscow, but am sitting here. As if in exile. Am putting on Sologub. I have a good stage artist: Tatlin. But I would have run away, like Maupassant, who ran away from the Eiffel Tower.

, and others

Comment

Leon Trotsky

Tauride Palace

At the Congress of the Soviets the Bolshevik fraction has publicly announced a declaration that I proposed regarding the anticipated Kerensky’s offensive on the front. We were pointing out that the offensive is a misadventure, threatening the existence of the army.

, and others

4 Like

Comment

Nikolai Wrangel

Petrograd, Russian Empire

The Bolsheviks, who were before called “communists,” have been dispatched to Russia from Germany to incite rebellion, and it was also the Germans who gave them money; the Provisional Government knew that communists were emissaries of a state that was at war with us, but still not only granted them permission to enter, but also pompously met them. “Treason,” you will say? No, just stupidity.

, and others

Comment

Nikolai Berdyaev

Bol'shoy Vlasyevskiy Lane, 4, Moscow, Russian Empire

Russia's isolation in the world cannot be allowed. It needs to have allies in Europe, and those allies could only be England and France. It needs to stay true to allies and to follow common goals. Only then will it really, and not dreamily, enter humanity, world culture, the extent of the world. Dreamy internationalism only pushes us into Asia and isolates us.

, and others

1 Like

Comment

Alexander Kerensky

speaking at the First Congress

Petrograd, Russian Empire

You are suggesting a way towards further destruction. From this chaos, as a phoenix from the ashes, a dictator will emerge—not me, whom you are trying to portray as a dictator—but when you, with an unconscious, crazy union with reactionary forces will destroy our government, you will open the road to a true dictator.

, and others

1 Comment

Alexandra Kollontai with Georgi Plekhanov

Petrograd, Russian Empire

The first All-Russian Conference of Soviets in the Cadet School of the Vasilyevsky District. We, the Bolshevik-Internationalists, made our presence known with a firm line of speeches… In the first rows of the auditorium I noticed Plekhanov. His hair has turned grey. He is not with us, he is an Oboronets. See more

, and others

2 Like

Comment