The SCRSS organises a regular programme of lectures,
film shows, exhibitions, seminars and other events at its premises
in London. The Society is also involved in educational and commemorative
events associated with the Soviet War Memorial in London. Events
are open to both SCRSS members and non-members, unless otherwise
stated.
Please note: dogs are not permitted on SCRSS
premises, with the exception of guide dogs.
Venue and Tickets
Most events take place at the SCRSS.
Evening events normally start at 19.00, with tea and coffee served
from 18.30.
Lecture and film tickets cost £3.00 (SCRSS members) and
£5.00 (non-members), unless otherwise stated. For all other
events, please see individual listings below. Please note:
tickets are payable by cash only on the door
(unfortunately, we are unable to accept debit or credit cards).
2017 Events Diary
January 2017
From Thursday 12 January to Thursday
16 March 2017, 18.00-20.00
Evening Class: Russian Language for Intermediate Level (Term 2)
Term 2 of our weekly Russian language course for intermediate
level, using the Ruslan 3 textbook, supplemented by basic
grammar revision. The course is led by Christine Barnard, a highly
experienced teacher of Russian who taught at the University of
Westminster for many years. Numbers are limited to a maximum of
12 students.
Fees: £40 per term (SCRSS members), £60 per term (non-members).
The fee is payable in advance (no concessions available). We accept
payment by cheque (payable to SCRSS) or by bank transfer (email
us to request our bank details).
Friday 27 January 2017
Event: Holocaust Memorial Day at the Soviet War Memorial, London
Organised by the Soviet Memorial Trust Fund (SMTF), Southwark
Council and the Imperial War Museum London. Holocaust Memorial
Day marks the date of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration
and extermination camps by the Soviet Red Army in 1945.
The commemoration begins in the Cinema of Imperial War Museum
London and ends with an Act of Remembrance, including the laying
of wreaths, at the Holocaust Memorial Tree and Soviet
War Memorial. Both memorials stand together in the Geraldine
Mary Harmsworth Park which surrounds the Museum. Guests attending
the indoor element of the event have the opportunity to view the
IWM's Holocaust Exhibition beforehand.
09.00: Private viewing of The Holocaust Exhibition in the IWM.
10.00: Gather at the Cinema inside Imperial War Museum London,
Lambeth Road, SE1 6HZ.
10.15: Indoor ceremony begins, with Holocaust survivor Helen Aronson.
11.00: Process from the Museum to the Soviet War Memorial and
Holocaust Memorial Tree.
11.15: Act of Remembrance, including the laying of wreaths. This
part of the event is expected to last no more than 30 minutes.
No seating is provided outdoors.
Please note: Due to seating limitations, if you wish to attend
the ceremony inside the Museum, it is essential to contact the
Mayor of Southwark's Office directly on Tel: 020 7525 7303 or
Email: mayors.office@southwark.gov.uk
before Friday 20 January. If you wish to attend the outdoor Act
of Remembrance, please RSVP directly to the SMTF as soon as possible
by email to smtf@hotmail.co.uk.
If you intend to lay a wreath on behalf of an organisation, or
you will be carrying a standard, replies must be received by 17.00
on Wednesday 25 January.
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February 2017
Saturday 4 February 2017, 11.00-16.00
Event: SCRSS Saturday Opening for Members
The Loan Library and General Reference Library will be open for
use by members without prior appointment. The SCRSS's Russian
Revolution centenary mugs will be on sale, as well as de-acquired
books and a selection of donated Soviet / Russian souvenirs. The
ground floor also will be open to view our current exhibitions
and displays.
SCRSS members only.
Friday 24 February 2017, 19.00
Lecture: Katya Rogatchevskaia on the British Library's Exhibition
Russian Revolution: Hope, Tragedy, Myths
To mark the 100th anniversary of the Russian Revolution, this
major new exhibition, which opens in April 2017, examines the
world-changing events of the period, focusing on the experiences
of ordinary Russians living through extraordinary times.
The exhibition will begin in the reign of the last Tsar and explore
the growth of revolutionary movements, which brought about the
transformation of Russia's traditional monarchy into the world's
first Communist state, as well as colossal social and political
change. Key figures such as Tsar Nicholas II and revolutionary
leaders, including Vladimir Lenin, will be examined, along with
the political events of the period.
The exhibition will tell the incredible story of the Revolution
through posters, letters, photographs, banners, weapons, items
of uniform, recordings and film. From a luxury souvenir album
of the Tsar's coronation to propaganda wallpaper hand-painted
by women factory workers, this exhibition will unite the personal
and the political, bringing to life the hope, the tragedy, and
the myths at the heart of this seismic Revolution.
Katya Rogatchevskaia, the Lead Curator of the exhibition, will
talk about the exhibition and give interesting insights into the
project from the curatorial perspective.
Katya Rogatchevskaia is Lead Curator of Central and East European
Collections at the British Library. She has published articles,
presented conference papers on the history of the British Museum
Library and its Russian collections, as well as Anglo-Russian
cultural relations, and co-curated the exhibition Out of This
World: Science Fiction but not as We Know it (2011, British
Library). Among her other research interests are Russian emigre
literature, publishing and Information Studies.
Normal entrance fees apply (SCRSS members £3.00 / non-members
£5.00).
Note: The SCRSS's
Russian Revolution centenary mugs will be on sale at this
event (unfortunately, these aren't available by mail order).
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March 2017
Saturday 4 March 2017, 11.00-16.00
Event: SCRSS Saturday Opening for Members
The Loan Library and General Reference Library will be open for
use by members without prior appointment. The SCRSS's
Russian Revolution centenary mugs will be on sale (note
- unfortunately, these aren't available by mail order), as
well as de-acquired books and a selection of donated Soviet /
Russian souvenirs. The ground floor also will be open to view
our current exhibitions and displays.
SCRSS members only.
Friday 24 March, 19.00
Film: The End of St Petersburg
Directed by Vsevolod Pudovkin (1893-1953). This silent film, one
of Pudovkin's most famous works, was one of several films commissioned
by the Soviet Government to celebrate the 10th anniversary of
the Russian Revolution. It covers the period from 1913 to 1917,
explaining why and how the Bolsheviks came to power in October
1917. However, rather than viewing the period through the actions
of famous figures of the Revolution, the film focuses on the struggle
of ordinary people. Mezhrabpom, USSR, 1927, 87 mins, black/white,
silent film. With a brief introduction.
Please note: admission to this event is free (SCRSS members
and non-members).
Note: The SCRSS's
Russian Revolution centenary mugs will be on sale at this
event (unfortunately, these aren't available by mail order).
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April 2017
Saturday 1 April 2017, 11.00-16.00
Event: SCRSS Saturday Opening for Members
The Loan Library and General Reference Library will be open for
use by members without prior appointment. The SCRSS's Russian
Revolution centenary mugs will be on sale (note - unfortunately,
these aren't available by mail order), as well as de-acquired
books and a selection of donated Soviet / Russian souvenirs. The
ground floor also will be open to view our current exhibitions
and displays.
SCRSS members only.
Saturday 8 - Sunday 9 April 2017, 10.00-16.20 daily
Event: 9th SCRSS Russian Language Seminar
Our popular two-day seminar offers an intensive and stimulating
lecture programme in Russian, aimed at teachers, translators and
interpreters of Russian, final-year undergraduates and graduates
of Russian, and all those with an advanced-level comprehension
of spoken Russian and an interest in contemporary Russia.
The seminar offers two parallel streams, led by speakers direct
from St Petersburg, Russia:
- Russian and linguistics: Tatiana Piotrovskaya
(Senior Lecturer, Department of English Philology and Language
Culture Studies, Faculty of Philology, St Petersburg State University)
- Russian literary and cultural scene: Vadim
Levental (writer, literary critic, book editor
and political commentator),
View full seminar details:
lecturer biographies, lecture programme, fees, terms and conditions,
and how to book.
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May 2017
Saturday 6 May 2017, 11.00-16.00
Event: SCRSS Saturday Opening for Members
The Loan Library and General Reference Library will be open for
use by members without prior appointment. The SCRSS's Russian
Revolution centenary mugs will be on sale (note - unfortunately,
these aren't available by mail order), as well as de-acquired
books and a selection of donated Soviet / Russian souvenirs. The
ground floor also will be open to view our current exhibitions
and displays.
SCRSS members only.
Tuesday 9 May 2017, 11.00
Event: Victory Day at the Soviet War Memorial
Act of Remembrance at the Soviet
War Memorial, London, to mark the 72nd anniversary of the
Allied Victory over Fascism. The ceremony begins at 11.00 and
lasts approximately one hour. Standard bearers and wreath-layers
should contact the Honorary Secretary of the Soviet Memorial Trust
Fund (SMTF) on smtf@hotmail.co.uk
for more information. All other participants should arrive by
10.45. Please note: due to limited parking in the area, please
use public transport where possible. Only limited seating is available
(intended primarily for veterans, older participants and organisations
laying wreaths).
Saturday 20 May 2017, 11.00-13.00
Event: SCRSS AGM
Open to SCRSS members only.
Note: The SCRSS's
Russian Revolution centenary mugs will be on sale at this
event (unfortunately, these aren't available by mail order).
Saturday 20 May 2017, 14.00
Illustrated Lecture: Christine Lindey on Art and the Russian
Revolution
Christine Lindey, SCRSS Visual Arts Officer and art historian,
explores how artists put avant-garde art at the service of the
1917 Russian Revolution. Kandinsky and Malevich challenged Tsarist
aesthetic, political and social norms to create a modernist art
for the new age. Tatlin, Popova and Rodchenko designed innovatory
textiles, ceramics and furniture for workers and peasants. Artists
spread socialist ideas through films, portable theatre and literacy
campaigns on decorated boats and trains, as well as through posters
and mass re-enactments of revolutionary events.
Christine Lindey is an art historian and lecturer. Her areas
of expertise are nineteenth and twentieth century art, with a
special interest in Soviet and Socialist art. Her publications
include Art in the Cold War: from Vladivostok to Kalamazoo
(Herbert Press, London, 1990) and Keywords of Nineteenth
Century Art (Art Dictionaries, Bristol, 2006). She is currently
finishing a book on British socially committed art in the 1940s-50s,
due for publication in 2017. She has taught art history at Birkbeck
College, University of London, and at the University of the Arts,
London.
Please note: The talk is free to SCRSS members attending the
AGM, otherwise normal entrance fees apply (SCRSS members £3.00
/ non-members £5.00).
Note: The SCRSS's
Russian Revolution centenary mugs will be on sale at this
event (unfortunately, these aren't available by mail order).
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June 2017
Saturday 3 June, 11.00-14.30
Event: SCRSS Saturday Library Opening for Members
The Loan Library and General Reference Library will be open for
use by members without prior appointment. The SCRSS's Russian
Revolution centenary mugs will be on sale, as well as de-acquired
books and a selection of donated Soviet / Russian souvenirs. SCRSS
members only. Why not come in and browse the library, then
stay on for our lecture at 14.30 (see below)?
Saturday 3 June, 14.30-16.00
Lecture: Andrew Jameson on The Influence of the October Revolution
on the Russian Language
The two revolutions of 1917 signified the end of the Russian Empire,
followed by the coming to power of a determined but narrow ideology.
The sudden abolition of political and administrative institutions,
the bluntness of forms of address, the avoidance of religious
language, the creation of a mass of acronyms and abbreviations,
all rendered the language of Chekhov virtually unrecognisable.
Political language calqued from German or English was opposed
by Slavophile protest movements to reject foreign borrowings.
New technology brought a host of borrowings from foreign experts.
The countryside, always separate from urban culture, tried to
understand, but often failed in comical ways. The talk will touch
on all these themes, with examples and anecdotes from Andrew Jameson's
personal experience, together with a handout.
Andrew Jameson learnt Russian in the Forces and worked in Berlin
as a radio monitor. After Oxford he worked on fieldwork for the
Nuffield Russian Project, spending six months at Moscow University,
incidentally getting to know some well known dissidents of the
time. He taught Russian language and culture at Portsmouth and
Lancaster universities, and organised many popular residential
courses for adults at Knuston Hall, Alston Hall, Essex, UEA and
Lancaster. His particular interests are the Russian avant-garde
in its various manifestations, and the cultural history of the
Russian language. Since retirement he has often lectured in St
Petersburg, Moscow and Khabarovsk. He now works as a professional
translator.
The talk is open to both SCRSS members and non-members. Normal
admission fees apply: SCRSS members £3.00 / non-members
£5.00. Tickets are payable by cash only
on the door (unfortunately, we're unable to accept debit or credit
cards). As space is limited, we recommend that you contact the
SCRSS in advance to reserve a place - reservations take priority
if capacity is reached. The event starts promptly at 14.30, so
please arrive in good time.
Note: The SCRSS's popular
Russian Revolution centenary mugs will be on sale at this
event (unfortunately, these aren't available by mail order).
Tuesday 20 - Saturday 24 June,
14.00-17.00 daily
Exhibition: The Impact of the Russian Revolution on World War
One (1917-22)
This special touring exhibition, curated by Professor Mary Davis,
celebrates the centenary of the Russian Revolution, and is funded
by the Heritage Lottery Fund. The exhibition gives an outline
of the key events of 1917, as well as the wars of intervention,
the influence of the Revolution in Europe, the attitude of the
British Government, and British labour movement responses. It
features some images from the SCRSS Photo Library and Archive.
The exhibition previewed at the Marx Memorial Library in May and
this is an early opportunity to see it before it begins its tour
of the UK. View
our exhibition leaflet. An online archive of resources to
support the exhibition will be available shortly at http://russianrevolution.marx-memorial-library.org.uk/.
Professor Mary Davis also gives a related lecture on Friday 23
June (see below) - the exhibition will be open on that day from
14.00-19.00.
Free admission - to SCRSS members and the public.
Note: The SCRSS's popular
Russian Revolution centenary mugs will be on sale during exhibition
opening hours.
Friday 23 June, 19.00
Lecture: Professor Mary Davis on The Significance of the Russian
Revolution
Professor Davis, curator of the exhibition The Impact of the
Russian Revolution on World War One, 1917-22 (see entry above),
considers the significance of the Russian Revolution and
its impact elsewhere in the world, including in the UK.
Mary Davis FRSA is Visiting Professor of Labour History at Royal
Holloway, University of London. She has written, broadcast and
lectured widely on women's history, labour history, imperialism
and racism. She was awarded the TUC Women's Gold Badge in 2010
for services to trade unionism. She is one of the founder members
of the Sylvia Pankhurst Memorial Committee and ‘A Charter
for Women’. She currently serves on the Morning Star Management
Committee and on the General Committee (Trustee) of Marx Memorial
Library.
Normal admission fees apply: SCRSS members £3.00 /
non-members £5.00. Tickets are payable by cash only
on the door (unfortunately, we're unable to accept debit or credit
cards). As space is limited, we recommend that you contact the
SCRSS in advance to reserve a place - reservations take priority
if capacity is reached. The event starts promptly at 19.00 so
please arrive in good time.
Note: The SCRSS's popular
Russian Revolution centenary mugs will be on sale at this
event (unfortunately, these aren't available by mail order).
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July 2017
Saturday 1 July 2017, 11.00-16.00
Event: SCRSS Saturday Opening for Members
The Loan Library and General Reference Library will be open for
use by members without prior appointment. The SCRSS's Russian
Revolution centenary mugs will be on sale, as well as de-acquired
books and a selection of donated Soviet / Russian souvenirs.
SCRSS members only.
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August 2017
Events to be confirmed.
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September 2017
Saturday 2 September 2017, 11.00-16.00
Event: SCRSS Saturday Opening for Members
The Loan Library and General Reference Library will be open for
use by members without prior appointment. The SCRSS's Russian
Revolution centenary mugs will be on sale, as well as de-acquired
books and a selection of donated Soviet / Russian souvenirs.
SCRSS members only.
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October 2017
Saturday 7 October 2017, 11.00-16.00
Event: SCRSS Saturday Opening for Members
The Loan Library and General Reference Library will be open for
use by members without prior appointment. The SCRSS's Russian
Revolution centenary mugs will be on sale, as well as de-acquired
books and a selection of donated Soviet / Russian souvenirs.
SCRSS members only.
Friday 13 October, 19.00
Lecture: Mike Pentelow on Lenin in London
Further details on the lecture and speaker to be confirmed shortly.
Normal admission fees apply: SCRSS members £3.00 / non-members
£5.00. Tickets are payable by cash only on the
door (unfortunately, we're unable to accept debit or credit cards).
As space is limited, we recommend that you contact the SCRSS in
advance to reserve a place - reservations take priority if capacity
is reached. The event starts promptly at 19.00 so please arrive
in good time.
Note: The SCRSS's
Russian Revolution centenary mugs will be on sale at this
event (unfortunately, these aren't available by mail order).
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November 2017
Saturday 4 November, 10.00-18.00
Conference: Russian Revolution Centenary: Marking 100 Years Since
the October Revolution
Location: Congress House, TUC, London
This international conference is organised by the Russian Revolution
Centenary Committee (RRCC), which represents a number of heritage,
cultural and labour movement organisations, including the SCRSS.
It brings together a range of speakers to debate and discuss the
impact of the 1917 Russian Revolution.
Sessions include:
- An introduction to the history of the Russian Revolution
- The impact of Russian revolutionary politics on British society
and the labour movement
- Cultural legacy of the Russian Revolution, in particular the
visual arts
- International perspectives on the contemporary relevance of
the Russian Revolution
Speakers include: Sarah Badcock (Associate Professor of History,
University of Nottingham), Mary Davis (Visiting Professor of Labour
History, Royal Holloway, University of London), David Lane (Emeritus
Reader in Sociology and Fellow of Emmanuel College, University
of Cambridge), Christine Lindey (Art Historian and Visual Arts
Critic, The Morning Star), Vijay Prashad (Professor of
International Studies, Trinity College, Hartford, USA) and Mike
Wayne (Professor in Screen Media, Brunel University).
For full details of all speakers and to book online, visit
the RRCC website at www.1917.org.uk.
Tickets: £10.00 / £8.00 unwaged.
Saturday 11 November 2017, 11.00-16.00
Event: SCRSS Saturday Opening for Members
The Loan Library and General Reference Library will be open for
use by members without prior appointment. The SCRSS's Russian
Revolution centenary mugs will be on sale, as well as de-acquired
books and a selection of donated Soviet / Russian souvenirs.
SCRSS members only.
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December 2017
Saturday 2 December 2017, 11.00-16.00
Event: SCRSS Saturday Opening for Members
The Loan Library and General Reference Library will be open for
use by members without prior appointment. The SCRSS's Russian
Revolution centenary mugs will be on sale, as well as de-acquired
books and a selection of donated Soviet / Russian souvenirs.
SCRSS members only.
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