12 March 1917. Maurice Paleologue

10, Kutuzov embankment, Petrograd, Russian Empire

At half-past eight this morning, just as I finished dressing, I heard a strange and prolonged din which seemed to come from the Alexander Bridge. I looked out: there was no one on the bridge, which usually presents such a busy scene. But, almost immediately, a disorderly mob carrying red flags appeared at the end which is on the right bank of the Neva, and a regiment came towards it from the opposite side. It looked as if there would be a violent collision, but on the contrary the two bodies coalesced. The army was fraternizing with revolt.

About half-past eleven I went to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

I told Pokrovski everything I had just witnessed.

"So it's even more serious than I thought," he said.

But he preserved unruffled composure, flavoured with a touch of scepticism, when he told me of the steps on which the ministers had decided during the night:

"The sitting of the Duma has been prorogued to April and we have sent a telegram to the Emperor, begging him to return at once. My colleagues and I all thought that a dictatorship should be established without delay; it would be conferred upon some general whose prestige with the army is pretty high."

I argued that, judging by what I saw this morning, the loyalty of the army was already too heavily shaken for our hopes of salvation to be based on the use of the "strong hand," and that the immediate appointment of a ministry inspiring confidence in the Duma seemed to me more essential than ever, as there is not a moment to lose. I reminded Pokrovski that in 1789, 1830 and 1848, three French dynasties were overthrown because they were too late in realizing the significance and strength of the movement against them. I added that in such a grave crisis the representative of allied France had a right to give the Imperial Government advice on a matter of internal politics.

Buchanan endorsed my opinion.

I asked Pokrovsky:

"Is there no one who can open the Emperor's eyes to the real situation?"

He heaved a despairing sigh.

"The Emperor is blind!"

Deep grief was writ large on the face of the honest man and good citizen whose uprightness, patriotism and disinterestedness I can never sufficiently extol.

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Leonid Andreyev

1, Moyka embankment, Petrograd, Russian Empire

Today is one of the greatest and most joyous days for Russia. What a day!

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Felix Yusupov

Rakitnoe estate, Kurskaya guberniya, Russain Empire

The world has gone mad and is dying before our very eyes.

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Vladimir Mayakovsky

Citizens!
This is the first day of the workers’ deluge.
We come to the aid of the muddled-up world.
Let crowds rock the skies with their stamp and yelling!

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Alexandra Feodorovna

Tsarskoye Selo, Russian Empire

-9°C. I had lunch upstairs with Lily. Horrible things are happening in St Petersburg. Revolution.

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Nicholas II

Mogilev, Stavka, Russian Empire

Riots broke out several days ago in Petrograd; regrettably soldiers have begun taking part in them. A vile feeling to be so far away and to receive scraps of bad news.

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Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich

Petrograd, Russian Empire

I went to the war minister and passed on through Nicky’s apparatus those measures that must be taken immediately as to calm the onset of the revolution, namely the resignation of the whole cabinet, and then entrusting Duke Lvov to chose a new cabinet at his discretion. I added that the answer should be given right now, since time does not wait, every hour is important. The answer was: do not make any changes before I arrive.

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Mikhail Rodzianko

32, Kirochnaya street, Petrograd, Russian Empire

The Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich arrived in Petrograd, and we had a meeting with him in the company of the Chairman of the State Duma, his comrade Nekrasov, the secretary of the State Duma Dmitriyukov and member of the Duma Savich. See more

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Boris Anrep with Anna Akhmatova

Anrepov's house, Ligovskiy avenue 3/9, Petrograd, Russian Empire

I don’t think much about the revolution. There is only one thought, one wish: to meet Anna Andreevna. I crossed the Neva on foot to avoid the barricades erected around the bridges. I remember a prison escapee, a boy aged about eighteen and seized by panic, who asked me for directions to the Varshavskiy train station. Staggering, I made my way to the house of Szreznevskiy, rung the bell and Anna Andreevna opened the door. “You? On a day like this? Officers are kidnapped on the streets”. – “I removed my epaulettes”. See more

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Olga Paley

Pashkovsky lane, 2, Tsarskoye Selo, Russian Empire

The ground is truly giving way underneath our feet. The prisons are wide open, and their malcontents have positioned themselves at the heads of political movements. Slowly but surely our regiments are going over to the enemy camp, and rumors abound that the First Infrantry Regiment billeted at Tsarskoye Selo has thrown in its lot with the rebels.

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Alexander Kerensky

Shpalernaya, 47, the Tauride Palace, Petrograd, Russian Empire

The decision to create an Interim council with unlimited powers.

At 1PM the soldiers were still not there, thus, when somebody finally called out to me from the vestibule, announcing the arrival of the soldiers, I rushed to the window, barely believing in such an eventuality. See more

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Vladimir Mayakovsky

Petrograd, Russian Empire

I walked along side the motorcars toward the Duma. I popped into Radzianko's office. I inspected Miliukov. He was silent. But for some reason it seemed to me that he was stuttering. I was bored an hour later. I left.

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Pablo Picasso

Grand - Hotel "Vesuvio" 45, Partenope street, Naples, Italy

All the women in Naples are beautiful. Everything is very easy here.

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Feodor Chaliapin

performs the role of the Miller in A. Dargomyzhsky's opera "The Mermaid"

Big Hall of People's house, Petrograd, Russian Empire

Alexander Spiridovich

Petrograd, Russian Empire

Legitimate power was gone. There is anarchy in the city. There is no other solution. We need to assume power. Rodzianko hesitates. He has already made many revolutionary moves but keeps repeating, “I do not wish to rebel.” Wavered in his conviction by heated arguments, tired, and stressed out, Rodzianko asked to give him “a quarter of an hour” to think it through calmly. See more

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Alexander Kerensky

Petrograd, Russian Empire

We signed a law permitting the publication of a first revolutionary newspaper, “The Duma Report Bulletin,” since all the city publications were on strike and the capital did not have accurate news of what was happening. I remember that, while signing it, I could not stop myself from laughing.

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