Russia

Up in arms—how workers in Russia united in action to beat a coup

At the beginning of September 1917 the commander of the Russian Army, general Lavr Kornilov, tried to crush the revolution.

The Russian Revolution saw workers transform society—and themselves

Ideas can change fast in a revolution, as ordinary people start to take control of their own lives and the world around them

‘Bread, peace and land’ connected peasants with workers in the Russian Revolution

The question of how the revolutionary party relates to all groups in society remains relevant for the struggle today

The July Days - Russian Revolution in crisis and a critical test for the Bolshevik party

In July 1917 frustration at the Provisional Government led to soldiers’ and workers’ protests that were violently put down

Support for national rights strengthened the 1917 Russian Revolution

The Bolsheviks backed national rights for oppressed groups as a way of overcoming ‘Greater Russian chauvinism’

The sailors of Kronstadt saw the best and the worst of the Russian revolution

Working class sailors in the Baltic Fleet were the revolution’s powerhouse—and later the victims of its isolation and decline

Will only downtrodden workers fight back?

16 May 2017
War and hunger sparked the Russian Revolution in 1917, but will only such desperate conditions lead to a revolution?

Deepening divisions in the ruling class over Trump's sacking of James Comey

16 May 2017
The FBI director’s sacking shows splits at the top of society that the resistance should exploit, says Alistair Farrow

Russia 1917—new book is a weapon against the right

02 May 2017
As the centenary of the Russian Revolution progresses, shelves in bookshops are beginning to groan under the weight of books about 1917.

May Day in Russia, 1917 - a beacon to workers across the world

25 April 2017
May Day 1917 saw massive celebrations in Russia—but tension was brewing against the provisional government

Hundreds protest for LGBT+ rights outside Russian embassy in London

12 April 2017
Over 600 LGBT+ people and their supporters joined a protest outside the Russian embassy in west London last night, Wednesday.

War threats flow from logic of imperialism

11 April 2017
The world has moved closer towards a deadly military catastrophe in the last week. It’s an utterly chilling prospect.

Air strike in Syria escalates tensions between the US and Russia

11 April 2017
A major US missile strike against the Russian-backed Syrian regime has brought the world’s biggest superpowers closer to military confrontation.

Western powers cynically use massacre in Syria to further their own interests

04 April 2017
The world’s imperialist powers are arguing about how to turn a massacre in Syria with poison gas to their advantage—and make the lot of Syrians even worse.

February 1917 - when workers remade history

07 March 2017
A century ago this week in Russia, the February Revolution ended an ancient dictatorship and began the quest for a new society

Despite the curator, Russian artists shine in new exhibit

14 February 2017
The Royal Academy’s revolutionary Russian art exhibition is impressive, but the working class is rarely seen as fully active within history

Who were the Mensheviks?

07 February 2017
The Mensheviks were revolutionaries, but ended up siding with forces opposed to the Russian Revolution. How did this happen?

07 February 2017
Revolts repeatedly break out, but they don’t always win. The Bolshevik party in Russia showed how socialist organisation plays a critical role in driving revolutions forward to victory

1905—a ‘dress rehearsal’ for the Russian Revolution

31 January 2017
Twelve years before the 1917 Russian Revolution, another uprising shook the Tsarist regime to its core

The Lower Depths shows a society that’s ready to burst

24 January 2017
Arcola Theatre’s production of Maxim Gorky’s play captures the contradictions of pre-revolutionary Russia and the potential for change, writes Julie Sherry