4 August 1917. Elizaveta Naryshkina

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

Elizaveta Naryshkina

Tsarskoye Selo, Russian Empire

I was in the garden, and encountered Kerensky. He approached me and informed me that he’d resigned, loath to serve as a smokescreen for parties of which he doesn’t approve. He wants to have power and freedom of action.

Kornilov, too, has no wish to be “commander-in-chief” unless he is allowed to act freely. At such a juncture, these two conditions are prerequisites; together, they will play the role of Napoleon – one in the army, the other within the internal administration – and save the country. He must be a dictator, but the enemy will have time to take Petrograd, and, as long as time is squandered away in discussions and meetings, we shall be defeated. In my opinion, monarchical reaction is now impossible; there are no candidates, nor organization; torrents of blood will flow in vain.

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Anna Akhmatova

Slepnevo village, Russian Empire

The village is pure heaven. The peasants swear that our house stands on their bones. They’ve mowed down our meadow, but when management arrived from town to investigate they tearfully begged, “Mother mistress, forgive us, this is the last time!” Some socialists! Total darkness rules people’s minds.

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Nicholas II

Tsarskoye Selo, Russian Empire

It is the birthday of dear Mama and our Iferie. The weather was delightful and hot. During the day we cut down three small trees and sawed them up and another two older ones which had fallen. The work was hard. At six o'clock we went to services and vespers. I read aloud as usual. Yesterday evening Kerensky suddenly came from the city and stopped in person. See more

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Tsarevich Alexei

Tsarskoye Selo, Russian Empire

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Alfred Knox

Petrograd, Russian Empire

The Executive Committee of the Soviet passed a resolution of confidence in “Comrade Kerenski”, authorising him to form a cabinet of members of all parties. The voting was 146 to 47, with 42 abstentions.

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3 August

"Everyone in France has their gaze, longing and bitter, fixed on Russia"

"The greatest achievements in my life have been my poetry and children"

"We were fed poorly and expensively at restaurants (lunch - eighteen roubles instead of four)"

From one revolution to another

Russia in 1917

1917. Zombies, drugs, and progress

Why did the Russian Empire collapse

+21

in Petrograd

+20

in Moscow