Russia: The Last 100 Years

Moderator: Gordon Wyse
Role of participants: Participants will each present a topic (30-40 minutes) and lead discussion after the presentation. The moderator can assist in choosing a topic.
Number of participants (including the moderator): 15
Time: Tuesdays, 9:30–11:30 am
Place: UMass Transit Facility, Commonwealth Avenue, Amherst
Parking: Parking free in adjacent Lot 45; directions will be given

This seminar will consider Russian history over the last hundred years, from the revolution, civil war, and establishment of a Communist state, through the Second World War and Cold War, to the collapse of the USSR and the transformations of the Post-Soviet era.

Churchill called Russia “a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma”. Russia continues to be enigmatic and very much in the news. It has undergone greater changes in the last 100 years than most major countries. We will examine Russia since the time of the revolution, including history, politics, and societal life in the various periods.

Format: Seminar

Resources: To be determined; perhaps Orlando Figes, Revolutionary Russia: 1891-1991.

The moderator: Gordon is a retired biologist with training in the sciences and interests in history, literature, and the arts. He has moderated and taken seminars in these areas.