7 July 1917. Anton Denikin

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

Anton Denikin

Western Front

After all our bad luck, ever more soldiers have begun draining away from us. By nightfall, the number of deserters had become truly enormous. Our soldiers are exhausted and shaken—they are unaccustomed to battle and to the thundering of guns after so many months of calm, idleness, fraternization, and meetings.

Crowds of them have been abandoning the trenches, throwing away their weapons, and fleeing to the rear lines.The cowardice and indiscipline of some units has become so egregious that their commanders have given orders for our artillery not to shoot because the sound triggers panic among the soldiers.

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Nicholas II

Alexander Palace, Tsarskoye Selo, Russian Empire

It was a rainy day and slightly cold. During the morning I didn't go outside. At 3 o'clock I went for a walk with the children around the park accompanied by an infantry man of the Third Regiment, Some of them, along with our people, cut the grass by the walk. At 6:30 we went to vespers. During the evening I read aloud.

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Grigory Zinoviev

Petrograd, Russian Empire

The Bolshevik faction intends to propose the following practical measures, which the Bolshevik faction requests the workers and soldiers to discuss and support provisionally. No attempt is to be made, either openly or in covertly - to disband the regiments currently guarding Petrograd. See more

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Pierre Pascal

Petrograd, Russian Empire

At the Officer’s shop I saw the following notice: ‘No butter, no cheese’. This morning my family could not fry the veal we had for want of fat.

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Nikita Okunev

Moscow, Russian Empire

All news from the front lines speaks of our continuing offensive, but at the rear, one hears only of these frenzied outbreaks among the Bolsheviks. In Petrograd, an artillery unit insisted that they would not join the active army. If, say, we are compelled to do the same under threat of repression or liquidation, then we will not back down even in the face of arrest by the Soviet of Workers and the Provisional Government.

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