11 August 1917. George Buchanan

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

George Buchanan

4, Dvortsovaya embankment, Petrograd, Russian Empire (British Embassy)

Letter to the Foreign Ministry

"I met Kerensky to-day at a luncheon given by Tereschenko. In the course of our conversation I said that I was much depressed by the fact that everybody seemed to regard the situation entirely from the party point of view, and that political considerations had pre- cedence over military exigencies. Referring next to a request which Korniloff had addressed to us for more guns, I remarked that we had seen the initial success of the July offensive converted into a rout owing to lack of discipline, and that our military authorities were hardly likely to accede to the above request unless assured that Korniloff would be given full powers to restore discipline. It would, I added, help to reassure my Government could I inform them that Petrograd had been included in the front zone and placed under martial law. Kerensky, after declaring that the Government were determined to maintain order, said, somewhat huffily, that if we were going to haggle about guns and would not help Russia, we had better say so at once. I told him that he had misunderstood me, that we had had every desire to help Russia, but that it was no good our sending guns to her front if they were to be captured by the Germans. We had need of every gun we could get on our own front, and by using them there we were rendering her effective assistance."

A week later I received a reply to the above telegram instructing me to assure Kerensky of the earnest desire of His Majesty's Government to assist Russia, and to tell him that, though the British army was engaged in the heaviest offensive it had yet undertaken, they had given orders to resume the despatch of heavy guns to Russia.

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Konstantin Somov

Petrograd, Russian Empire

What a wonderful day, a very hot one. I went to get a haircut, my hairdresser was a rude, sordid girl. Everyone is now rude, lazy, it’s as if they are doing you a favor.

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Provisional Government

Winter palace, St. Petersburg, Russian Empire

The death penalty by shooting is to be established as the maximum penalty for military personnel within the theatre of operations for the following crimes: See more

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Valentin Kataev

Yassy station, Russian Empire

A crowd of wounded officers surrounded a Red Cross hospital train, demanding to be allowed on board. This was clearly impossible: it was quite obvious even through the window how tightly packed the carriages were. Terrible, bandaged heads peered out of hammocks, and narrow, faces, deathly pale as masks, with pitiful eyes, so dark they looked painted, muddy-grey hospital gowns, and crutches, one of which was sticking out through the broken window of the carriage. See more

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Mikhail Larionov with Nikolay Gumilyov

"Castille" hotel, rue Cambon, 33, Paris, France

Nicholas II

Tsarskoye Selo, Russian Empire

Such wonderful weather. During my morning walk, as we were passing by the gate of the path that leads straight to the greenhouse, we noticed one of the sentries asleep in the grass. The officer who was accompanying us went over and took the man's rifle. During the day we chopped down nine trees and sawed up one fir tree. See more

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Pierre Gilliard

Tsarskoye Selo, Russian Empire

We were told that we should take warm clothes. Hence, we are not directed to the south. A big disappointment.

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Elizaveta Naryshkina

Tsarskoye Selo, Russian Empire

I wrote to the Empress, congratulating her on the upcoming birthday of Aleksey Nikolaevich and informing her of my recovery from my illness and my immediate readiness to take up my former duties.

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Alexandra Feodorovna

Dear Madame Zizi! I warmly embrace you for the kind words, prayers and wishes you have showered on our most beloved sunbeam. At 2:30 we have prayers before the Znamensky Icon of the Mother of God, a great comfort to which we are very much looking forward, and, my dear friend, I promise to warmly recall you in my prayers.

I thank you for everything you said to me. With what joy I would draw you to my heart, but, alas, it cannot be. You know how painful this is for me, yet we know there is nothing to be done, as all is in God’s hands, and I still hope that we will see each other again. God be with you! I beg you to write to me from time to time. Embraces from all of us, and eternal gratitude for your love and friendship.

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Tsarevich Alexei

Tsarskoye Selo, Russian Empire

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10 August

The Tsar’s family wishes to not get exiled abroad

Who is general Kornilov, the new Commander-in-Chief?

"People have been sending me nooses, images of axes, chopping blocks and hundreds of expletives"

From one revolution to another

Russia in 1917

+22

in Petrograd

+19

in Moscow