Russia in Revolution

What to expect in the workshop at The National Archives

In the onsite workshop students will investigate the testimonies of a variety of first-hand witnesses to the Russian Revolutionary period of 1917-1921. The session develops skills in evidential understanding and historical interpretations. Students will focus on five witnesses’ accounts of the Revolution, including a suspected communist, author, and soldier, and consider how accounts like these have influenced interpretations of the Russian Revolutionary period.

The two-hour workshop is led by an experienced history educator in an inspiring learning space at The National Archives in Kew. Students handle a range of original documents including ‘top secret’ MI5 files, foreign office telegrams and military photographs.

What to expect in the online workshop

In the online workshop in your classroom students will investigate of a variety of first-hand witnesses to the Russian Revolutionary period of 1917-1921. The session develops skills in evidential understanding and historical interpretations. Students will focus on various witnesses’ accounts of the Revolution, including a suspected communist, author, and soldier, and consider how accounts like these have influenced interpretations of the Russian Revolutionary period.

The one-hour online session in your classroom is led by an experienced history educator, you only need a microphone, large screen and webcam to take part. Interactive activities encourage students to discuss their ideas and work in groups using high-quality materials provided in advance by the Education team.

Connections to the curriculum

Please note, this session is not designed to be an introduction to the topic and students are assumed to have prior knowledge of the period 1917–1921 in advance of attending the workshop.

• AQA: Tsarist and Communist Russia, 1855-1964
• OCR: Russia and its Rulers 1855–1964
• OCR: Russia 1894—1941
• Edexcel: The making of modern Russia, 1855–1991
• Edexcel: Russia, 1917–91: from Lenin to Yeltsin