4 November 1917. Marina Tsvetaeva

Коктебель, Феодосия

Вчера к нам зашел Петр НиколаевичПетр Лампси — феодосийский мировой судья, сосед Цветаевых. — вести нас в здешнее литературное общество «Хлам». Коля Беляев был оставлен у двери, как нелитератор. Большая зала, вроде Эстетики. Посредине стол, ярко освещенный. Кипы счетоводных (отчетных) книг. Вокруг стола: старуха Шиль (лекторша), черный средних лет господин, Галя Полуэктова и еще какое-то существо вроде Хромоножки, — и Петр Николаевич с нами двумя.

— А у нас недавно был большевик! — вот первая фраза. Исходила она из уст «средних лет». — «Да, да, прочел нам целую лекцию. Обыватель — дурак, поэт — пророк, и только один пророк, — сам большевик».

— Кто ж это был?

— Поэт Мандельштам.

Всё во мне взыграло.

— Мандельштам прекрасный поэт.

— Первая обязанность поэта — быть скромным. Сам Гоголь…

Ася: — Но Гоголь сошел с ума!

— Кто знает конец господина Мандельштама? Я например говорю ему: стихи создаются из трех элементов: мысли, краски, музыки. А он мне в ответ: — «Лучше играйте тогда на рояле!» — «А из чего по Вашему создаются стихи?» — «Элемент стиха — слово. Сначала бе слово...» Ну, вижу, тут разговор бесполезен»...

Я: — Совершенно.

Шиль: — Значит одни слова — безо всякой мысли?

Петр Николаевич: — Это, господа, современная поэзия!

— И пошлó! Началось издевательство над его манерой чтения, все клянутся, что ни слова не понимают. — Это кривляние! — Это обезьяна! — Поэт не смеет петь!

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W. Somerset Maugham

Scotland, United Kingdom

Few persons can have gone to a convivial gathering of Russians without noticing that they take their liquor sadly. They weep when they are drunk. They are very often drunk. The nation suffers from Katzenjammer. See more

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Ivan Bunin

Vasilievskoe estate, Glotovo village, Orlovskaya guberniya, Russian Republic

Men are still saying that the bread is "being shipped" (by who? No one knows) to the Germans. All joy in life has been destroyed by the revolution and war.

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John Reed

Petrograd, Russian Republic

Sunday, November 4th, was designated as the Day of the Petrograd Soviet, with immense meetings planned all over the city, ostensibly to raise money for the organisation and the press; really, to make a demonstration of strength. See more

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Yuri Gotye

Moscow, Russian Republic

Italian defeat is turning into a catastrophe. The same thing that had happened to us, now happened to them: propaganda damaged the discipline, and some units fled, letting the enemy pass. Our only hope now is England, France, and the USA.

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Anatoliy Lunacharskiy Anna Lunacharskaya

Petrograd, Russian Republic

It's a difficult time. No glimpses of light. The mood is close to a heroic despair. See more

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Pavel Dybenko

"Polar Star" yacht, Helsingfors, Finland,

Gradually, we were sent one after another to Petrograd to repair the ships damaged in the last battles. Gullible Verderevsky, not to mention Kerensky, didn’t quite understand why the ships were sent to Petrograd against his will. Repairs on the cruiser Aurora were hastily finished and is intended to be sent to Helsinki to join its brigade. It is necessary to it to be delayed in Petrograd as long as possible, as conveyed on behalf the Aurora’s Central Baltic Fleet Committee Chairman Kurkov, "Do not obey the orders of the Provisional Government to send the Aurora on a raid. Wait for the Central Baltic Fleet Committee’s approval. Central Baltic Fleet Committee will address you by name.”

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Russkoe Slovo

Russian Republic

Directorate of Public Prosecutions has received a paper from the doctors who were performing a medical check of the former Minister of Internal Affairs Protopopov. Their diagnosis reads that he is mentally affected. This diagnosis has been passed to the judiciary.

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Alfred Knox

Petrograd, Russian Republic

An armed demonstration of the garrison in favour of the Bolsheviks had been openly talked of for November 7th. The Provisional Government called up two cyclist battalions from the front and expressed its confidence in its ability to quell any rising. See more

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Rurik Ivnev

Latinskaya street, Petrograd, Russian Republic

Perhaps, this is all an illusion (absolutely everything).

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Nicholas II

Tobolsk, Russian Republic

At 8 o'clock we went to Mass and the whole family received the Eucharist. It was a very sincere and consoling experience. The weather grew mild but it snowed all day. For a long time we worked in the garden.

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3 November

"Verkhovski, the Minister of War, has resigned”

Muscovites are arming themselves in light of an upcoming insurrection

“The patriotism of the Russians is a singular thing”