17 July 1917. Pierre Pascal

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

Pierre Pascal

Petrograd, Russian Empire

Once again, this morning, cars full of armed men at the ready, with fixed bayonets. From 2.30 to 3, there was heavy shooting on Nevsky Prospect and Liteiny Prospect. Apparently, the crowd was forcibly dispersed in front of the Tauride Palace.

The Russian offensive has surged back. Brusilov claims that the Russian army will be unable to survive the winter due to the complete state of chaos within the country and because of desertion – which will be the subject of a speech to the Constituent Assembly.

Nevsky Prospect was full of women driven to desperation. Today, agitated faces can be seen there. All the shops are shut, and the windows are boarded up. Yesterday there were perhaps four, perhaps forty people killed there. One thing is for certain – they wanted to arrest Kerensky at the station – his train left twenty minutes earlier.

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Rurik Ivnev

Petrograd, Russian Empire

A crisis of power again. On the streets, there have been demonstrations, shooting and utter chaos. It is unclear who is marching, where to, and why. Cars rush by, carrying armed soldiers and machine guns. It is unclear what tomorrow will bring. The Provisional Government is impotent. I am not afraid for Russia. See more

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Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich

Gatchina, Russian Empire

Since yesterday there are disturbances in Petrograd—there are many Bolsheviks, more than 6 thousand sailors came from Kronstadt, there are still some units on the side of the government that will protect it. A lot are hurt, around 500.

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Irakli Tsereteli

Petrograd, Russian Empire

We are faced with a governmental crisis again. When we hear demands made on behalf of the armed regiments of a single city to adopt predetermined resolutions made by them, then no matter how we change a previous resolution, the people as a whole will see it as a decision adopted merely to serve the victory of disorderly groups and not in order to express the true will of democracy, of the workers, peasants and soldiers at the front. See more

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Elizaveta Naryshkina

Petrograd, Russian Empire

It turns out that yesterday, in Petersburg, there were demonstrations against the government. Five ministers walked out. Some say there was cannon fire. I could not get ahold of any details—the newspapers didn’t come out today. Here, there were some commodity shortages, but it is nothing serious. Two possibilities scare me: Kerensky’s resignation and the capture of Petrograd by the Germans.

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Provisional Government

Petrograd, Russian Empire

All those who participated in the organization and leadership of yesterday’s armed demonstration against government authorities and all those who supported and encouraged it are to be arrested and assigned legal responsibility for treason against their homeland and betrayal of the revolution.

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Felix Yusupov

Yusupov's Palace, 94, Moyka embankment, Petrograd, Russian Empire

The Bolsheviks have attempted to seize power for the first time. Trucks full of armed men drove around the city. Lines of machine gun fire fanned out from the trucks.

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Sergey Prokofiev

Apartment house, 122, Fontanka embankment, Petrograd, Russian Empire

In the morning, I’ve heard on the phone, that it was quiet on the Nevsky: Bolsheviks, having demonstrated into the night, were resting. I decided to use their moment of rest and headed to Nevsky. Some stores were open. I bought English cigarettes, lobsters, a book by Kuno Fischer on Kant, and headed to the Nikolayevsky train station. I left at one, and at half past two the Bolsheviks woke up, and a lively fire fight started all along the Nevsky. See more

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16 July

"We didn’t want to fight the Germans, but we are fighting one another"

Ukraine doesn't want to separate from Russia

Bolsheviks are raising the rebellion

1916: Year in Review.

+19

in Petrograd

+18

in Moscow