Events

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 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. 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 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 (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 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 (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 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 (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).

The Soviet War Memorial is located in Geraldine Mary Harmsworth Park, adjacent to the Imperial War Museum in London.

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 2017, 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 2017, 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. 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 2017, 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 2017, 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 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.

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August 2017

Summer recess

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September 2017

Saturday 2 September 2017, 11.00-16.00
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 (£6.50 each), as well as de-acquired books and a selection of donated Soviet / Russian souvenirs - we accept cash only for purchases.

SCRSS members only.

From Thursday 28 September to Thursday 14 December 2017 (excluding 19 & 26 October), 18.00-20.00
Evening Class: Russian Language for Intermediate Level (Term 1)

Term 1 of our weekly Russian language course for good intermediate level, using the Ruslan 3 textbook, starting at Chapter 5. 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. We recommend new students contact the SCRSS in advance to check the class level is suitable.

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).

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October 2017

Saturday 7 October 2017, 11.00-16.00
Event: SCRSS Saturday Opening for Members with Special Exhibition The Russian Revolution and its Impact on the Left in Britain 1917-1926

As usual at our Saturday openings for members only, the Loan Library and General Reference Library will be open for use by without prior appointment.

In addition, we host a special exhibition from the TUC Library, The Russian Revolution and its Impact on the Left in Britain 1917-1926. It explores the British labour movement and the Left's perceptions of, and connections with, Russian socialism and the Bolshevik authorities between the Revolution of 1917 and the General Strike of 1926. Exhibits include monographs, pamphlets and handbills, posters and visual art, diaries, private letters and photographs. All are unique, many are visually striking, and most have never before been displayed to the public.

The SCRSS's Russian Revolution centenary mugs will be on sale (£6.50 each), as well as de-acquired books and a selection of donated Soviet / Russian souvenirs - we accept cash only for purchases.

SCRSS members only - free admission.

This special exhibition from the TUC Library explores the British labour movement and the Left's perceptions of, and connections with, Russian socialism and the Bolshevik authorities between the Revolution of 1917 and the General Strike of 1926. Exhibits include monographs, pamphlets and handbills, posters and visual art, diaries, private letters and photographs. All are unique, many are visually striking, and most have never before been displayed to the public.

Open to SCRSS members and non-members prior to the lecture at 19.00 (see below). Free admission (but if attending the lecture later, normal fees apply to the lecture).

Friday 13 October 2017, 19.00
Lecture: Mike Pentelow on Lenin in London

The talk covers the pre-1917 period when Lenin (together with many other revolutionaries) was based for a time in London, famously becoming a reader at the British Library. Drawing on various accounts of his residence, the talk provides a fascinating insight into one aspect of the British connection with the Russian Revolution.

Mike Pentelow is a retired journalist who worked for the Morning Star for many years, as well as the Transport & General Workers' Union (later Unite) from 1984 to 2006.

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 email 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.

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November 2017

Friday 3 November 2017, 19.00
Talk: Margarita Mudrak on The Russian Revolution Centenary and St Petersburg

Margarita Mudrak is Chair of the St Petersburg Association for International Co-operation, Russia. She will talk about how the Russian Revolution centenary is being marked in what was the nation's capital in the momentous year 1917. The event will be followed by an informal social evening, with light refreshments, for SCRSS members and guests.

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 email 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.

Saturday 4 November 2017, 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, 11.00-14.00
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 (£6.50 each), as well as de-acquired books and a selection of donated Soviet / Russian souvenirs - we accept cash only for purchases. SCRSS members only. Why not come in and browse the library, then stay on for our lecture at 14.00 (see below)?

Saturday 11 November 2017, 14.00-16.00
Lecture: Andrew Jameson on The October Revolution in Russian Literature

Divided into two parts with an interval, the talk begins by exploring Symbolist and Acmeist poets of the immediate pre-revolutionary period, then the Futurists and others. It ends with excerpts from Alexander Blok's revolutionary poem The Twelve, illustrated by slides of the famous illustrated edition. The second half looks at the truly revolutionary poets, including Mayakovsky, and concludes with a recital of Left March in Soviet style. A free handout to accompany the talk includes mentions of other writers ,and a list of prose and drama dealing with / celebrating the Russian Revolution.

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. 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 email the SCRSS in advance to reserve a place - reservations take priority if capacity is reached. The event starts promptly at 14.00, so please arrive in good time.

Note: The SCRSS's popular Russian Revolution centenary mugs will be on sale at this event.

Sunday 12 November 2017, 12.30
Event: Remembrance Sunday at the Soviet War Memorial, London

Act of Remembrance at the Soviet War Memorial, London. The Mayor of Southwark will join diplomats, veterans and representatives of local and national organisations to lay wreaths. Open to the general public, but if you intend to lay a wreath on behalf of an organisation, please email the SMTF in advance at smtf@hotmail.co.uk.

The Soviet War Memorial is located in Geraldine Mary Harmsworth Park, adjacent to the Imperial War Museum in London.

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December 2017

Saturday 2 December 2017, 11.00-16.00
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 (£6.50 each), as well as de-acquired books and a selection of donated Soviet / Russian souvenirs - we accept cash only for purchases.

SCRSS members only.

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Related Links

Soviet War Memorial