6 January 1918. Bertrand Russell

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

Bertrand Russell

London, United Kingdom

By far the most important aspect of the Russian Revolution is as an attempt to realize Communism. I believe that Communism is necessary to the world, and I believe that the heroism of Russia has fired men's hopes in a way which was essential to the realization of Communism in the future.

Regarded as a splendid attempt, without which ultimate success would have been very improbable, Bolshevism deserves the gratitude and admiration of all the progressive part of mankind.

But the method by which Moscow aims at establishing Communism is a pioneer method, rough and dangerous, too heroic to count the cost of the opposition it arouses. I do not believe that by this method a stable or desirable form of Communism can be established. Three issues seem to me possible ?from the present situation. The first is the ultimate feat of Bolshevism by the forces of capitalism. The second is the victory of the Bolshevists accompanied by a complete loss of their ideals and a regime of Napoleonic imperialism. The third is a prolonged world-war, in which civilization will go under, and all its manifestations (including Communism) will be forgotten.

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✍ Also today

Alexandra Feodorovna

Tobolsk, Russian Republic

Christmas Eve. I made gifts. Decorated the Christmas tree and laid out gifts.

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George Buchanan

4, Dvortsovaya embarkment, Petrograd, Russian Republic (British Embassy)

Our last day in Petrograd ! — and yet, in spite of all that we have gone through, we are sad at the thought. Why is it that Russia casts over all who know her such an indefinable mystic spell that, even when her wayward children have turned their capital into a pandemonium, we are sorry to leave it? See more

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Zinaida Gippius with Vladimir Lenin

Sergievskaya 83, Petrograd, Russian Republic

Snow is covering half of our windows now. And yet it isn’t a white Christmas - it’s a black one, a black one. The Constituent Assembly is scheduled for the 18th, but now they are openly stating in their newspapers that it’s “useless”, or should be their “clerk or servant”, or even “broken apart by a revolutionary force.” See more

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Alexander Kerensky

Bologoe, Tverskaya oblast, Russian Republic

Our hosts sent fantastic dishes for our table on Christmas Eve.

Marina Tsvetaeva

Moscow, Russian Republic

Christmas Eve 1917: “You don’t know the everyday life - it’s all one big accident!”

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Herbert George Wells

London, United Kingdom

The Orthodox priest is quite unlike the Catholic priest in Western Europe; he is himself typically a dirty and illiterate peasant with no power over the wills and consciences of his people. See more

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Ottokar Czernin

Brest, Belorussia

Today we had the first discussions with the Ukrainian delegates, all of whom were present except the leader. The Ukrainians are very different from the Russian delegates. See more

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Nicholas II

Tobolsk, Russian Republic

During the morning I was at the dentist's for half an hour. At 12 o'clock Mass was held in the hall. Up to the time of our walk we got the presents ready for everybody and decorated the Christmas tree. From tea time to 5 o'clock I Went out with Alexis to the guard barracks and got the tree ready for the 1st. See more

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5 January 1918 года

The new spelling in Russia!

Prime Minister of Great Britain announces terms of peace

New picture of Nicholas Roerich

Map of the Royal dynasties of Europe

Romanovs dangerous liaisons

-15

in Petrograd

-12

in Moscow