9 November 1917. Alexander Belyshev

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

Alexander Belyshev

A message to all the honest citizens of the city of Petrograd from the crew of the cruiser “Aurora” which strongly objects to the accusations that have been levelled at it, unverified accusations, moreover, which have cast a blot of shame on the ship’s crew.

We declare that we have come not to destroy the Winter Palace, or to kill ordinary civilians, but to defend freedom and revolution against the counter-revolutionaries and to sacrifice our lives in the process, if necessary. There are reports in the press that the “Aurora” opened fire on the Winter Palace, but are the gentlemen of the press aware that if the “Aurora” were to open fire from her guns, not a stone of the palace, nor of the streets round about, would be left standing? And is that the case now? We appeal to you, workers and soldiers of Petrograd! Do not believe inflammatory rumours that say we are traitors and pogrom-mongers, but verify these rumours. As for the shots fired from the cruiser, the only shot was a blank round, fired from a 6-inch gun, a designated signal to all the ships at anchor on the Neva, calling on them to show vigilance and to preparedness. We ask all newspaper editorials to print this announcement.

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Harry Kessler

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Lenin seized power in Russia and promised to start peace negotiations at once.

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Raymond Poincare

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Following the news out of Russia, we must prepare for the worst. Only the politician who leads a country without allies knows true loneliness. We must be prepared to come to terms with this idea. The British Empire and the United States help us considerably, but we must fight as if we were alone.

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Mikhail Bogoslovskiy

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There are many different rumours going round. They say that the a cruiser, the Aurora, fired a thousand shells into the Winter Palace, destroying it completely and burying its defenders, an entire battalion of women soldiers. My colleagues, oblivious to the events, continue to bury their heads in the Novgorod Registers. See more

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Michel Fokine

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Performances are canceled in the Mariinsky theatre.

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Anton Denikin

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In order to make our forced retreat from Bykhov a little easier, particularly as we may have to march on foot with the Turkmen, steps are being taken to gradually release the arrested officers. See more

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Zinaida Gippius

Petrograd, Russian Republic

It's the same feeling of occupation. Socialist anti-Bolshevik newspapers are under censorship, apart from "Novaya zhizn'," others are prohibited. The editorial staff of "Izvestiya" are fired, the paper is now supervised by Bolshevik Zinoviev. See more

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Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich

Gatchina, Russian Republic

Near the Admiralty Gates, we got into a car and set off across the Menagerie and past the Gatchina Palace, and saw weapons taken from units leaving Petrograd being brought in. The Cossacks had also disarmed the sailors who had been occupying the Warsaw Station, and besides rifles, they had ten machine guns. See more

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Ivan Bunin

Moscow, Russian Republic

I was in town today. Everywhere is indifference - “rubbish, they’ve been saying that for ages”. A couple of soldiers told me that it is to begin at seven. At five I went to the Teleshovs. See more

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George Buchanan

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8 November

From one revolution to another

Russia in 1917

1916: Year in Review.

in Petrograd

in Moscow