Social Histories of the Russian Revolution

02/10/2018

One week until our next event. Register for free now!

One week until our next session. Register for free now!

18/09/2018

A great turnout last night and a fantastic talk from Neil Davidson!

Registration is now open for our next session: The French Sixties and the Refusal of Work.

Sign up here!
https://www.facebook.com/events/206814426681034/

16/02/2018

Now on Youtube: Steve Smith's brilliant lecture on 'Red Petrograd Revisited'. All other talks in our series are also available.

Steve Smith discusses 'Red Petrograd: Revolution in the Factories, 1917-1918''. Recorded at Birkbeck, University of London on January 18 2018. Part of the 'S...

17/01/2018

TOMORROW!

Steve Smith joins us to revisit his classic book 'Red Petrograd', newly republished by Haymarket Books.

When the Russian autocracy fell in February 1917, workers across Petrograd took it as a signal to begin democratizing every aspect of their lives, including their working lives. In this talk, Steve Smith takes us through 'Red Petrograd', a classic work of social history that vividly captures the creation, development, and expansion of the factory councils across the city.

Not to be missed!

Thursday 18 January 2018, 18:30 Red Petrograd: Revolution in the Factories, 1917-1918 Speaker: Steve Smith (University of Oxford) When the Russian autocracy fell in February 1917, workers across Petrograd took it as a signal to begin democratizing every aspect of their lives, including their working...

11/01/2018

Next Thursday, January 18, Steve Smith joins us to revisit his classic book 'Red Petrograd'. Not to be missed!

When the Russian autocracy fell in February 1917, workers across Petrograd took it as a signal to begin democratizing every aspect of their lives, including their working lives. In this talk, Steve Smith takes us through 'Red Petrograd', a classic work of social history that vividly captures the creation, development, and expansion of the factory councils across the city.

This event marks the republication of 'Red Petrograd' by Haymarket Books. Copies will be available to purchase.

Free entry, all are welcome.

Thursday 18 January 2018, 18:30 Red Petrograd: Revolution in the Factories, 1917-1918 Speaker: Steve Smith (University of Oxford) When the Russian autocracy fell in February 1917, workers across Petrograd took it as a signal to begin democratizing every aspect of their lives, including their working...

23/12/2017

Wendy Goldman's talk on 'Free Love, the Family and the Russian Revolution' has just been uploaded to our YouTube channel!

All other talks in our Social Histories of the Russian Revolution lecture series can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcBQLlyB3VQts7r8EJwS80Q/videos

Wendy Goldman discusses 'Free Love, the Family and the Russian Revolution'. Recorded at Birkbeck, University of London on November 30 2017. Part of the 'Soci...

23/12/2017

Now uploaded to our YouTube channel: Simon Pirani's talk on 'The Social History of the Russian Revolution, A Century On', recorded in London on November 23rd 2017.

All other talks in our series can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcBQLlyB3VQts7r8EJwS80Q/videos

Simon Pirani discusses 'The Social History of the Russian Revolution, A Century On'. Recorded at Birkbeck, University of London on November 23 2017. Part of ...

01/12/2017

A group of school pupils have been coming to our public lectures on the Russian Revolution. They ask great questions that always give our speakers pause for thought. Last night they came to hear Prof Wendy Goldman talk about 'Free Love, the Family and the Russian Revolution'. It was a fantastic lecture and discussion.

One young guy put this question to Wendy Goldman:

"In the Russian Revolution there was a lot of class consciousness, but it seems that class was always put before gender in this ‘class consciousness’. In your talk you mentioned a group of women in the Communist Party [the Zhenotdel]. What was their Marxist-feminism like? Did they put class before gender as well, or did they put forward a kind of 'gender-class consciousness' where the two were brought together?"

Inspired by our series (and by their excellent teacher), the pupils have decided to set up their own weekly programme of lectures at school on Communist history. Every Friday, a pupil gives a 30 minute lecture on a topic of their choice. This is then followed by questions and discussion. Their teacher informs us that up to 50 pupils have been coming to listen and participate in these sessions.

So, a group of school kids are now running their own educational spaces at school on the legacies of the Russian Revolution. A fitting way to mark the centenary.

Here they are, photographed last night with Wendy Goldman.

We're looking forward to welcoming them to our next event on January 18, when Steve Smith (University of Oxford) will talk about ‘Red Petrograd’.

30/11/2017

The room is filling up as Wendy Goldman prepares to take the stage!

The title of her lecture: 'The Family, Free Love and the Russian Revolution'.