13 December 1917. Feodor Chaliapin

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

Feodor Chaliapin

Petrograd, Russian Republic

As for myself, I’ll say this: for the time being at least, life is tolerable enough. I’m performing in the People's House, which is always packed to the rafters with an appreciative public. Incidentally, I am, thank God, in fine fettle. My voice hasn’t sounded the way it does now for a long time: it’s youthful, light and sonorous.

Groceries might be expensive, but everything’s still available, and I deny myself nothing. The one thing you can’t get is white bread. I haven’t the faintest idea when I’ll be done working. To be frank, I’d happily wind things up tomorrow, but to come to Yalta and idle about at a time like this seems a shameful thing to do. Besides, everyone’s imploring me not to quit the theatre. They are, of course, motivated less by moral than by material considerations.

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Sophie Buxhoeveden

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Petrogradsky station is in a state of indescribable chaos. As soon as the passenger trains were overwhelmed, anyone who had the chance sought to leave to the provinces, where the Bolshevik government was not yet fully recognised. See more

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Bertrand Russell

London, United Kingdom

Bolshevism is internally aristocratic and externally militant. The Communists in many ways resemble the British public-school type: they have all the good and bad traits of an aristocracy which is young and vital. See more

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Marina Tsvetaeva

Borisoglebsky lane, 6, Moscow, Russian Republic

Alya:

— "Marina! What do I do? I don't want to marry a man!"

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Vera Sudeikina

Yalta, Crimea, Russian Republic

In the evening they wanted to ruin the atmosphere by reading newspapers, but they resisted.

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Nicholas II

Tobolsk, Russian Republic

It was a nice clear day, eight degrees of frost. From 11 o'clock until lunch I was occupied with Alexis. During the day I piled firewood in the shed. After tea Olga was playing cards with Alix and she showed four bezikes.

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12 December

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in Moscow