An October for us, for Russia and for the Whole World

(Appeal of 17 Russian Intellectuals and Artists)

It is no surprise that the imminent ninetieth anniversary of the October Revolution in Russia has become the object of widespread attention. The events of October 1917 were, indeed, an earthquake that shook the world, altering its economic, social and cultural foundations.

Many media sources depict this world-historic phenomenon as a mere coup d'?tat, carried out by a handful of conspirators and adventurists with the help of Western security services. All sorts of things are circulated - outright lies, distortion of the facts, and malicious slanders about the participants in and leaders of this mighty event. The old fables to the effect that the "October coup" was provoked by the "German agent" Lenin and the "Anglo-American spy" Trotsky are still being repeated, despite having been rejected by distinguished scholars from various countries. Meanwhile, the Russian people are portrayed as unwitting toys in the hands of "revolutionary extremists", even though the revolution could neither have begun nor triumphed without the population playing a decisive role.