5 December 1917. Alexandra Kollontai

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

Alexandra Kollontai

7, Kazanskaya street, Petrograd, Russian Republic

The Secretary of the Soviet, Alyosha Tsvetkov, set off on a reconnaissance mission. He came back with a report, stating that an amazingly well-equipped building had been found. It had everything: small, separate rooms, a canteen, a kitchen, all facilities, and - crucial in these hungry times - food supplies.

Where was this godsend? In the Alexander Nevsky Lavra - a “sacred” Orthodox monastery. We put our heads together and made inquiries. It turns out the building is big enough to house a thousand people. And at the moment, there are only about 60 monks living there, with a few dozen novices. Above all, it would be perfect for soldiers. There are beds, enough firewood for two years, flour, vegetable oil, and barrels of herring...in short - everything you could ask for!

At the Soviet, we discussed the reconnaissance report, and resolved to occupy the monastery, but to do so “peacefully” - to ask the monks to make space, to allocate a small part of the building to them and to turn the rest into a hostel for crippled soldiers.

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Pierre Gilliard

10, pr. Mira, second floor of the governor's house, Tobolsk, Russian Republic

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Vladimir Dzhunkovskiy

Smolny Institute, Petrograd, Russian Republic

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Woodrow Wilson

Washington, D.C., United States

The Russian people have been poisoned by the very same falsehoods that have kept the German people in the dark, and the poison has been administered by the very same hands. The only possible antidote is the truth.

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Alfred Knox

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