11 December 1917. Zinaida Gippius

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

Zinaida Gippius

Sergievskaya 83, Petrograd, Russian Republic

I was awoken by the sounds of music (the window above my head being open). Outside it was minus ten degrees but bright as spring. An endless flag-bearing procession was making its way to the Tauride Palace.

Spring this wasn’t, however: armed with the slogan “All Power to the Constituent Assembly!", the crowd had a remarkably non-military character; it wasn’t so much proletarian as democratic. Labour democracy was on the march. Troops had been banned from taking part by the Bolsheviks. Hooting Red Guards, rifles at the ready, fling themselves into any and every crowd: “Disperse!” Uncertainty pervades the South, but it would appear that situation is not at all good. It’s cruel that the Europeans will never understand our tragedy – or, in other words, they won’t understand that this is a tragedy and not merely “ignominy and criminality”. But so be it. May at least the scrupulous and cultured among us cling on to the last source of pride we have: silence.

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✍ Also today

Vera Sudeikina

Yalta, Crimea, Russian Republic

Tuesday. Everything is closed down due to the Constituent Assembly day, everything is covered in flags. Serezha went to get papers twice. He was forlorn. He suggested shooting ourselves, but I told him I believed that the strong-willed will win, we just need to be patient. Serezha calmed down a little, painted a little portrait of me in a fur coat and a turban.

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Nadezhda Udaltsova

82 apartment, 65, Smolenskiy blvd, Moscow, Russian Republic

While I will be working, I must finish everything and still pieces of 10 new drawings. Art is the only thing that is natural, everything remaining is demonic obsession. See more

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Feodor Chaliapin

Petrograd, Russian Republic

An opportunity to talk over the telephone availed itself, and I spoke to my godmother, who, naturally enough, told me more or less everything. I asked her to send a fur coat to me here in Petersburg, but I’ve still not received anything and don’t know whether or not she sent it. See more

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Council of People's Commissars

Smolny Institute, Petrograd, Russian Republic

A decree (proposed by Lenin) authorising the arrest of “the most prominent members of the Central Committee of the party of the enemies of the people” and their trial before revolutionary tribunals:

“Members of the leading bodies of the Constitutional Democrat Party, as a party of the enemies of the people, are liable to arrest and trial by revolutionary tribunal. See more

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Andrei Shingarev

Petrograd, Russian Republic

is arrested

Vladimir Lenin

Petrograd, Russian Republic

To the demonstration slogans, I advise adding:

Shame to the Right S.R.s and Chernovites, who have broken away from the peasant congress! See more

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Harry Kessler

Zurich, Switzerland

1/6

General Allenby enters Jerusalem. December 1917

The British took Jerusalem yesterday. It's more of a romantic accomplishment than a political one.

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Marina Tsvetaeva

Borisoglebsky lane, 6, Moscow, Russian Republic

Leo! Yesterday I was at S’s. He offered to help with selling the house. To some Pole. Regarding another subject, he says I should write you down as a candidate for some economic society. See more

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10 December

The session of the Constituent Assembly is postponed indefinitely

Chaliapin performs in the Mariinsky theatre

1916: Year in Review.

-9

in Petrograd

-13

in Moscow