16 April 1917. Albert Einstein

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

Albert Einstein

Berlin, German Empire

Ex oriente luxЛат. — «Свет приходит с Востока». Парафраза евангельского повествования о рождении Иисуса (Евангелие от Матфея, 2.1). — who would have thought it! The future is hazy as never before, but it’s not at all hopeless; meanwhile, the impact of these eventsSpeech about the abdication of Nicholas II on people’s minds is beyond any doubt.

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✍ Also today

Nikolai Wrangel

Petrograd, Russian Empire

Following the abdication, the situation in Petrograd has become outwardly calmer; life pursues its wonted course once more. The shooting has stopped and the fires blaze no longer. The streets, now completely empty of police, are again full of traffic, and order hasn’t been disrupted. But people have completely ceased to work: they’re preoccupied with matters more pressing.

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Sergey Prokofiev

Petrograd, Russian Empire

1/5

Marcus Collin. "Drying the laundry." 1915

The second day of the holiday saw the grand opening of the Finnish Exhibition, which assumed the character of a political celebration occasioned by the granting of freedom to Finland. Speeches were made by Milyukov and Gorky. I was on the Committee of Honour – and took pride in my involvement, for the Committee was studded with some of the finest names from the worlds of art and politics. See more

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Ivan Bunin with Pavel Milyukov

"Donon" restaurant, Moyka street, 24, Petrograd, Russian Empire

I was at a banquet in honor of the Finns. And, my God, the Homeric chaos that poured out of this banquet made everything that I had seen in Petersburg seem meaningful and harmonious! Everyone there were "the cream of the Russian intelligentsia," that is, famous artists, actors, writers, public figures, ministers, deputies and one high foreign dignitary, namely the Ambassador of France. But Mayakovsky outshined them all. I was eating dinner with Gorky and the Finnish artist Gallen. See more

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Charlie Chaplin

appears on screens in the film "The Cure"

Edendale, Los Angeles, USA

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Grigory Zinoviev

Petrograd, Russian Empire

We were all firmly convinced that Miliukov and Lvov would arrest us upon our arrival in Petrograd. Vladimir Ilyich was most certain of that. And he prepared the whole group of comrades who were accompanying him for this . . . The platform of the Finland Station in Petrograd. It's already night. Only now do we understand our friends’ cryptic smiles. Vladimir Ilyich is not awaiting arrest, but triumph. The station and the adjacent square are awash with floodlights. A long chain of armed guards are on the platform. The station, the square and the adjoining streets are crowded with tens of thousands of workers rapturously greeting their leader. The International is thundering. Tens of thousands of workers and soldiers burn with enthusiasm. See more

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Maurice Paleologue

10, Kutuzova embankment, Petrograd, Russian Empire

I asked the three socialist deputies to come and see me this morning and pointed out to them the danger of the far too conciliatory statements in which one of them indulged at the meeting of the Soviet yesterday. Cachin replied: See more

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Nicholas II

Tsarskoye Selo, Russian Empire

It was a wonderful spring day. At 11 o'clock, I went with Tatiana and Anastasia to Mass. After breakfast I went walking with them and all during that time the ice was breaking up near our summer dock; a crowd of idlers again collected at the railings and from the beginning to the end observed us. The sun was shining warmly. During the evening I played f'Mill" with Alexis and then read aloud to Tatiana.

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15 April

Prokofiev celebrates Easter

Blok describes the Easter service in the empire’s foremost cathedral

Krupskaya: “And now everything became dear and familiar – the ramshackle old third-class carriages, the Russian soldiers. Awfully lovely”

1917. Zombies, drugs, and progress

Why did the Russian Empire collapse

in Petrograd

+11

in Moscow