The Truth of the Russian Revolution
The Memoirs of the Tsar's Chief of Security and His Wife
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An eyewitness account of the Russian Revolution of 1917 and its aftermath, newly translated into English.
Description
Bronze Medalist, 2018 Independent Publisher Book Awards in the World History Category
Gold Winner, 2017 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards in the History category
Major General Konstantin Ivanovich Globachev was chief of the Okhrana, the Tsarist secret police, in Petrograd (now St. Petersburg) in the two years preceding the 1917 Russian Revolution. This book presents his memoirs—translated in English for the first time—interposed with those of his wife, Sofia Nikolaevna Globacheva. The general's writings, which he titled The Truth of the Russian Revolution, provide a front-row view of Tsar Nicholas II's final years, the revolution, and its tumultuous aftermath. Globachev describes the political intrigue and corruption in the capital and details his office's surveillance over radical activists and the mysterious Rasputin. His wife takes a more personal approach, depicting her tenacity in the struggle to keep her family intact and the family's flight to freedom. Her descriptions vividly portray the privileges and relationships of the noble class that collapsed with the empire. Translator Vladimir G. Marinich includes biographical information, illustrations, a glossary, and a timeline to contextualize this valuable primary source on a key period in Russian history.
Vladimir G. Marinich is Professor Emeritus of History at Howard Community College in Columbia, Maryland.
Reviews
"Both Globachev's and Sofia's accounts vividly portray the fear of former tsarist officials and others in the White movement as they tried to evade mass arrests and eventually fled to Russia's southern border with Ukraine … This work is well compiled, as both a moving read for a general audience and a nicely organized reference for researchers. " — H-Net Reviews (H-War)
"Highly recommended. " — CHOICE
"An impressively informative and inherently fascinating read from cover to cover … a unique and highly prized addition to both community and academic library 20th century Russian History collections. " — Midwest Book Review