From the day of the monarchy’s fall to the day the brief existence of a free and democratic Russia drew to a close, I remained at the very heart of an ongoing tragedy. The merest change in the situation in Russia made an impact within me and upon me.
I saw and felt and perceived Russia, struck deaf by the explosion of the monarchy, quickly coming to her senses, gaining in creative strength, beginning to function anew, rejoining battle, issuing orders and obeying them.
Fight against the Bolsheviks has begun in Crimea. There was a battle by Simferopol, 150 officers are shot to death in Sevastopol. There was a demonstration against the bourgeoisie in Yalta; everyone is panicked. Some bizarre rumours are circling. It might be so that we’ll have to leave and hide in the middle of nowhere.
Having heard the report of Comrade Proshyan, who, as a delegate to the Peasants Congress, had a talk with Vinnichenko, Grushevsky, Porsh and others, in their capacity of official representatives of the Rada; and considering that these official representatives of the Rada have expressed their readiness in principle to negotiate an agreement with the Council of People’s Commissars on the basis of recognition by the Council of People’s Commissars of the independence of the people’s Ukrainian republic, and the Rada’s recognition of the counter-revolutionary nature of Kaledin and his accomplices; See more
The year that is just over. It is the very first since I grew up during which I have written nothing to speak of.
A strong blizzard started and thrashed about for the whole day. It was especially strong during the afternoon. Everything is frozen. There are no newspapers and telegrams, nothing is published. The constituent assembly that was supposed to convene, has not done so yet. Harmful capitalist tricks have been exposed.