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| Dear Traveller, |
| A lot’s changed since the Revolution! |
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2017 marks the 100 th anniversary of the Russian Revolution. Many of us are familiar with
the major events of that Revolution and the nature of the Communist state which followed
it, but what was life like in Russia in 1917?
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Times were tough for the ordinary man in the street. Like many European nations, Russia
was embroiled in the fighting associated with World War One. Untrained men, many of
them still very young, were conscripted to join the Russian Army. They had little or no
equipment and losses were almost unbearably heavy. Every day brought more news of
slaughter and suffering. With morale at an all time low, the Russian people looked for
someone to blame and the Tsar and his Imperial regime was the obvious choice.
Things were barely better back home. Food shortages had reached critical levels and fuel
was also hard to come by. In the harsh Russian winter, this hideous combination was deadly.
Factory workers toiled for exploitative bosses and saw the buying power of their pitiful
wages reduced yet further by rampant inflation. Peasants scratched a living from their fields
using out of date farming methods that yielded little. Little wonder that when Lenin and the
Bolsheviks came along, they had a receptive audience.
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Ideas began to filter in from the West which suggested that change could be achieved and
the lot of the common man could be improved. Political activists extolled the virtues of
democracy, an alternative to the autocratic regime favoured by the Tsar. On 23 February
1917 women left the factories of St Petersburg to join a parade to mark International
Women’s Day. (In case you’re thinking that day doesn’t compute, remember that at the
time, Russia used the Julian calendar, meaning March 8 th fell on the last Saturday in
February.) Men joined them in their protest against food shortages and by the following
day, pretty much everyone was on strike in support of the cause. To cut a long story short,
Tsar Nicholas II abdicated but the provisional government that was formed to lead Russia
was unpopular and unstable. It was chaos, and Lenin took full advantage returning to Russia
from exile in Switzerland, touting “Peace, land and bread”. The October Revolution was
inevitable.
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A hundred years on, the Russian government is the one tasked with dealing with the tricky
issue of how to mark the centenary. Lenin was a revolutionary, Tsar Nicholas II a weak and
out of touch despot. Neither makes a good role model. The Romanovs were canonised by
the Russian Orthodox Church, yet the Voykovskaya station on the Moscow Metro is still
named after one of the men responsible for their execution. It’s confusing, but fascinating,
part of the complex history of Russia which makes it so intriguing to the foreign visitor. So
while there are no official festivities marking the events of the Revolution, 2017 is a time to
reflect on Russia’s past and ponder its future.
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| The latest from our blog |
Subscribe to our blog and get £25 off your next tour booking.
In case you haven't visited for a while, why not take a fresh look at our
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which features articles and news
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Please see the latest stories below:
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Russia’s most famous composers
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Even if you haven’t heard of the N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov Saint Petersburg State Conservatory, you’ll have heard of some of its alumni. This prestigious Russian music school was founded 155 years ago and some of the most talented composers and musicians the country has ever p...
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What are you doing this Moscow day?
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Moscow celebrates its 870th anniversary this month, with the main day for the action declared as the 9th September by Moscow’s mayor, Sergei Sobyanin. Festivities for City Day are a big deal for the Russian capital and it’s a great time to visit. The city can trace its origi...
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Snowmobile Safari to the Snowy Domes of Kizhi (KL-05)
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You will start this exciting 6-day tour from the beautiful “Venice of the North”, St. Petersburg. In a very short time you can take in the history and culture of this truly unique and memorable city and explore its major attractions. From there you will visit Karelia...
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Dog and Reindeer Sledding in the Russian North (KL-09)
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Have you ever dreamed of an adventure holiday in the Russian North in the winter? Enjoy the unique and unforgettable experience of a journey along the frozen lakes and snowy taiga on dogsleds. You will love the pristine wilderness, the thrill ...
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| Recommend a friend and get a £50 reward per person |
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Recommend a friend to Go Russia and if they book a holiday or any other travel related service with us we will give you both
a £50 discount per person to say "thank you". Read more about our
recommend a friend scheme.
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GO Russia, Boundary House, Boston Road, London W7 2QE, UK
tel.: +44 (0) 20 33 55 77 17
e-mail: info@justgorussia.co.uk
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