Category Archives: News

Enrichment – something to discuss in History Society. Is Putin the new Red Tsar?

Posted on January 23, 2020 by Mr Kydd

All, So much of our Russian work is about levels of autocracy, central control and personality cults. It was once said of Stalin, that “all the past repeats itself, but acts only behind new masks”. We have discussed the place … Continue reading →

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Interactive graphic: 100th anniversary of Russia’s October revolution

Posted on October 27, 2017 by Mr Kydd

If you here you will get to an article from the Irish Examiner to mark the centenary of the October Revolution – it has a handy interactive graphic / chronology of  the key events of 1917. As such it is … Continue reading →

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Lavrenti Beria Executed on this day in 1953

Posted on December 23, 2015 by Mr Kydd

If you click here you will get to Richard Cavendish’s 2003 article in History Today describing the fate of the hated Georgian. I have included a paragraph below… “At a hastily convened meeting of the Presidium, Khrushchev launched a blistering attack … Continue reading →

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The assassination of Alexander II – understanding turning points in government

Posted on November 27, 2014 by Mr Kydd

Well almost all… Little Heath Upper Sixth students, You will soon be discussing the importance of turning points within the 109 years of your course. The fate of Alexander II is very noteworthy – click here for a 45 minute discussion from … Continue reading →

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Battle of the statues

Posted on March 18, 2014 by Mr Kydd

If all of the present developments between “Russian” Ukraine and “Ukrainian” Ukraine are hard to follow, then you might like to have a looks at the following. Here you can see a map to show how Ukrainian statues have been destroyed. … Continue reading →

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What do today’s Russians think about Lenin?

Posted on January 29, 2014 by Mr Kydd

Please click here for an article from RUSSIA – beyond the headlines. It discusses modern views of Lenin, and the never-ending question of what to do with his body. “Today’s generation of Russians have rather mixed feelings when it comes to … Continue reading →

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Enrichment article – 1913-2013: How Russia Botched an Entire Century

Posted on September 15, 2013 by Mr Kydd

Please click here for this Alex Bayer’s article in the Globalist. In many respects it presents a standard American survey of Tsarist under-achievement followed by Communist misrule. Typically, for example, he states “Russia’s political economy has not moved forward much over … Continue reading →

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Russians name Brezhnev best 20th-century leader, and Gorbachev worst.

Posted on May 30, 2013 by Mr Kydd

A surprising and timely poll in Russia placed the hardline Leonid Brezhnev as their most popular leader, and the reforming Mikhail Gorbachev – the man who from our western view point is often seen as a hero for his part in ending … Continue reading →

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Solzhenitsyn’s One Day: The book that shook the USSR

Posted on November 25, 2012 by Mr Kydd

As this was set as part of your summer reading I thought it would be helpful to post this BBC review here. This review explains the origins and importance of the November 1962 book, suggesting that “it is now regarded … Continue reading →

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Pussy Riot – Russian History NOT quite repeating itself ?

Posted on August 31, 2012 by Mr Kydd

There has been so much written about the Pussy Riot case that I am sure that you can make your own minds up about it. There is however an interesting interview in The Guardian with  Yekaterina Samutsevich. In it she   argues “more than … Continue reading →

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