Abstract
In the context of the newly independent post-Soviet states, what is particularly evident is the absence of common approaches for assessing the periodization, the causes, the significance and the essence of the Revolution of 1917. This is can be primarily attributed to the complexity of the events studied and the multidimensional causes that created the revolutionary situation and influenced its long-term dynamics. Among the issues that are primarily discussed among politicians, scientists and public figures are those that center around the nation-state perspective of the revolutionary events. Many historians, are quite wary of the “nationalization” of the history of the revolution and believe that there is an urgent need to understand if the revolutionary events in Ukraine, the Transcaucasus and the ‘Baltic States be seen as a part of the all-Russian revolution, as most Russian historians believe, or whether they should be regarded as special “national” revolutions. The chapter gives a broad overview of the official Belarusian and Russian state position in relation to the revolutionary events of 1917. The reaction to the state discourse on the part of the historical community, political parties and public organizations of the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation has also been elaborated upon.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
Notes
- 1.
Editorial note // Ab Imperio. 2017. No. 2: 10.
- 2.
Petrov Yu. A. Russia on the eve of the Great Revolution of 1917: modern historiographic trends // Revolution of 1917 and the Civil War as the determining factors of Russian history of the 20th century. International Scientific and Practical Conference. Orenburg, May 11-12, 2017: Sat. articles. Orenburg, 2017. p. 214.
- 3.
Editorial note // Ab Imperio. 2017. No. 2:10.
- 4.
See, for example, N. F. Bugay. National policy in the context of constitutive revolutionary changes in the South of Russia, 1918–early 1920s: reality, results // South of Russia in the context of revolutionary upheavals, armed conflicts and socio-political crises, 1917–2017: materials of the All-Russian Scientific Conference (Rostov-on-Don, October 5–6, 2017)—Rostov-on-Don: published by SSC RAS, 2017, pp. 202–203.
- 5.
The empire was proclaimed following the results of the Northern War, when the Russian Tsar Peter I took the title of Emperor. On March 2, 1917, after the abdication of Emperor Nicholas II and the act of non-acceptance of the throne, Grand Duke Mikhail on March 3, 1917, Russia did not have an emperor.
- 6.
The original document is posted on the Archives of Russia portal of the Federal Archival Agency. Retrieved from http://www.rusarchives.ru/projects/statehood/07–28–rossia–respublika.shtml (access date: to all electronic resources: 17.12.2018).
- 7.
All-Russian Constituent Assembly in documents and materials. M.—L. 1930, p. 113.
- 8.
On January 12, 1918, the Declaration was adopted by the 3rd All-Russian Congress of Workers’ and Soldiers’ Deputies of Soviets. After the merger of the Third All-Russian Congress of Peasant Deputies with this Congress, the Declaration on January 18, 1918 was again put to the vote and adopted by the Joint Third All-Russian Congress of Workers’, Soldiers’ and Peasants’ Deputies’ Soviets.
- 9.
Declaration of the Rights of the Working and Exploited People. Retrieved from https://constitution.garant.ru/history/act1600–1918/5320/
- 10.
Zyuganov will remind Putin of the revolution. Retrieved from https://www.gazeta.ru/politics/2016/12/21_a_10441337.shtml#page2
- 11.
Official Internet portal of legal information. Retrieved from http://publication.pravo.gov.ru/Document/View/0001201612200017?Index=0&rangeSize=1
- 12.
The Russian Historical Society (RHS) was recreated in 2012 as the successor of the Russian Historical Society, which operated in 1866–1917 (1920). Chairman-Director of Foreign Intelligence Service S. Е. Naryshkin. The purpose of the RHS is to unite the efforts of state and public figures, scientists, art historians and history buffs to form an all-Russian historical culture based on objective study, coverage and popularization of national and world history, preservation of national memory.
- 13.
Plan of the main events related to the 100th anniversary of the revolution of 1917 in Russia. Retrieved from http://rushistory.org/images/documents/plan100letrevolution.pdf
- 14.
The Russian Military–Historical Society (RVIO), which is considered the successor of which existed in 1907–1914. The Imperial Russian Military Historical Society, was recreated in 2012 by decree of the President of the Russian Federation. The chairman is the Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation V. R. Medinskii. The duties of the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Society are performed by the Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation D.O. Rogozin. The council of the society includes the ministers of defence and internal affairs of the Russian Federation, major Russian businessmen.
- 15.
Russian Military-Historical Society: the approaching centenary anniversary of the events of 1917 should help to find common ways and compromises. Retrieved from http://to-ros.info/?p=46193
- 16.
To the round table ‘Dialogue with history: We and the Russian revolution of 1917’: summarize. Retrieved from https://drofa-ventana.ru/material/kruglyy-stol-dialog-s-istoriey-my-i-rossiyskaya-revolyutsiya-1917-goda/?utm_source=chitaem_vmeste&utm_medium=social
- 17.
Krinko E.F. Events of the Revolution and the Civil War in the historical memory of the South of Russia // South of Russia in the context of revolutionary upheavals, armed conflicts and socio-political crises, 1917–2017: materials of the All-Russian Scientific Conference (Rostov-on-Don, October 5–6 2017) / Rostov-on-Don: published by SSC RAS, 2017, p. 547.
- 18.
Gennady Zyuganov: The organizing committee for preparing for the centenary of the revolution of 1917 has many Anti-Soviet and Russophobes. Retrieved from http://www.rline.tv/news/2017-01-25-gennadiy-zyuganov-v-orgkomitete-po-podgotovke-k-stoletiyu-revolyutsii-1917-goda-nemalo-antisovetchik/
- 19.
1917. February Revolution. Retrieved from http://kprf-irk.ru/world/1945-1917-fevralskaya-revolyuciya.html
- 20.
1917–2017. Chronicle of the revolution. What happened on this day 100 years ago. Retrieved from https://kprf.ru/party/1917/
- 21.
Retrograde march. Retrieved from https://lenta.ru/articles/2016/11/08/toskapodergave/
- 22.
Taste of the revolution. Retrieved from https://rg.ru/2017/10/02/naryshkin-radikalizm-protivopokazan-istoricheskoj-nauke.html
- 23.
Levinson A. ‘You are red or white’ // NZ. 2017. No. 6:105–108. Retrieved from http://magazines.russ.ru/nz/2017/6/vam-krasnogo-ili-belogo-pr.html
- 24.
L. Gudkov. 1917 in the structure of the legitimacy of the Russian government // NZ. 2017. No. 6:154.
- 25.
The survey was conducted January 20–23, 2017, on a representative all-Russian sample of urban and rural population among 1600 people aged 18 years and older in 137 settlements in 48 regions of Russia. The study was conducted at the respondent’s home using a personal interview method.
- 26.
The February Revolution of 1917. Retrieved from http://www.levada.ru/2017/02/14/fevralskayarevolyutsiya1917/print/
- 27.
Gudkov L. 1917 in the structure of the legitimacy of the Russian government. Retrieved from http://magazines.russ.ru/nz/2017/6/1917-god-v-strukture-legitimnosti-rossijskoj-vlasti-pr.html
- 28.
Levinson A. ‘You are red or white’. Retrieved from http://magazines.russ.ru/nz/2017/6/vam-krasnogo-ili-belogo-pr.html
- 29.
Putin ambiguously assesses the outcome of the 1917 revolution. Retrieved from http://tass.ru/politika/4661166
- 30.
V. V. Putin sent greetings to participants of international events dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution. Retrieved from https://kprf.ru/party—live/cknews/170290.html/print. Note that the official site of the Communist Party distorted the greeting. Instead of the term ‘Russian Revolution’ the ‘Great October Socialist Revolution’ is used.
- 31.
Sergei Naryshkin: the revolutionary events of 1917 no longer split society. Retrieved from http://tass.ru/opinions/interviews/4699298
- 32.
In addition to the Republic of Belarus, the October Revolution Day is celebrated in the unrecognized Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic. Retrieved from https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki
- 33.
Congratulations on the 100th anniversary of the October Revolution. Retrieved from http://president.gov.by/ru/news_ru/view/pozdravlenie-so-100-letnimjubileem-oktjabrskoj-revoljutsii-17408
- 34.
- 35.
- 36.
- 37.
- 38.
- 39.
Greetings to the guests and participants of the conference ‘Events of 1917 in the historical destinies of Belarus’. Retrieved from http://president.gov.by/ru/news_ru/view/privetstvie-gostjam-iuchastnikam-konferentsii-sobytija-1917-goda-v-istoricheskix-sudbax-belarusi-17584
- 40.
The official celebration in Minsk of the October Revolution lasted 15 minutes. Retrieved from http://naviny.by/new/20171107/1510044039-oficialnoe-prazdnovanie-v-minske-stoletiya-oktyabrskoy-revolyucii
- 41.
Belarus celebrates the centenary of October. The only post-Soviet country. Retrieved from http://naviny.by/article/20171107/1510037723-belarus-otmechaet-stoletie-oktyabrya-edinstvennaya-iz-postsovetskih
- 42.
See, for example, the round table of the newspaper Zvyazda. ‘The 1918th year for our dzyarzhnasti: nabytki i straty’ // URL: http://zviazda.by/be/news/20180117/1516167450-1918-y-god-dlya-belarusi-nabytki-i-straty
References
All-Russian Constituent Assembly in Documents and Materials. M.-L. 1930 (in Russian)
Bugay, N. F. National Policy in the Context of Constitutive Revolutionary Changes in the South of Russia, 1918—early 1920s: Reality, Results // South of Russia in the Context of Revolutionary Upheavals, Armed Conflicts and Socio-Political Crises, 1917–2017: Materials of the All-Russian Scientific Conference (Rostov-on-Don, October 5–6, 2017). Rostov-on-Don, 2017 (in Russian).
Gudkov, L. (2017). 1917 in the Structure of the Legitimacy of the Russian Government. NZ, No. 6 (in Russian).
Krinko, E. F. (2017). Events of the Revolution and the Civil War in the Historical Memory of the South of Russia // South of Russia in the Context of Revolutionary Upheavals, Armed Conflicts and Socio-political Crises, 1917–2017: Materials of the All-Russian Scientific Conference (Rostov-on-Don, October 5–6. Rostov-on-Don (in Russian).
Levinson, A. (2017). You Are Red or White. NZ, No. 6 (in Russian).
Petrov, Yu. (2017). A. Russia on the Eve of the Great Revolution of 1917: Modern Historiographic Trends // Revolution of 1917 and the Civil War as the Determining Factors of Russian History of the 20th Century. International Scientific and Practical Conference. Orenburg, May 11–12, Orenburg (in Russian).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2021 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Menkouski, V. (2021). 1917 Revolution in the Historical Policy of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus. In: Chenoy, A.M., Upadhyay, A. (eds) Hundred Years of the Russian Revolution. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-4785-4_12
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-4785-4_12
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-33-4784-7
Online ISBN: 978-981-33-4785-4
eBook Packages: Political Science and International StudiesPolitical Science and International Studies (R0)