Lenin: Leader of the Russian Revolution
An exciting new exhibition opens on Wednesday 8th November at The North Wall. Curated jointly by the History Department, SCRSS (Society for Cooperation in Russian and Soviet Studies) and The North Wall, the exhibition Lenin: Leader of the Russian Revolution will be a wonderful resource for pupils.
Opening exactly 100 years after the Russian Revolution – also known as the October Revolution* – this new exhibition at The North Wall gallery brings together more than 70 photographs, posters, illustrations and other materials relating to Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov, the revolution’s leader, better known as Lenin.
Tracing the years from Lenin’s childhood, his early political commitment as a theorist and activist during his years in exile, the show goes on to explore the social deprivations and conditions which led to the rising up of the proletariat. It examines the role of the people in the struggle against Tsarist rule, the February Revolution that led to the abdication of Nicholas II, and the events leading up to the October Revolution, presenting Lenin as strategist, political theorist and also as a man close to the people.
The exhibition, drawn from the extensive archive of the British SCRSS, considers the socio-political changes after the Revolution such as industrialisation and the reorganisation of peasant life. Finally, the show reflects on Lenin’s post-Revolution impact on culture, including his links with great cultural figures of the day, through archive photography, artworks, graphic imagery and film stills.
Pupils have added extensively to the exhibition, with senior pupils contributing to the exhibition guide and giving tours to our junior historians and discussing this important period in history with them.
New Co-Directors of The North Wall, Ria Parry and John Hogarth said, ‘This exhibition is a tangible example of what an invaluable resource The North Wall is for Teddies pupils. To have such easy access to this rare historical material will be enormously helpful for their wider understanding of the period.’
Part of The North Wall’s ongoing 10th anniversary celebrations, the exhibition is open from 8th to 18th November. Pupils may visit the gallery at any time, and it is open to the public 10am – 4pm, Monday to Friday and 12pm – 4pm on Saturdays.
* Up until February 1918, Russia was using the Julian calendar, some 13 days behind the Gregorian calendar which had been in use across Western Europe since the 16th century. Thus, in 1917, the ‘February’ Revolution started on 8 March according to the new calendar, and the ‘October’ Revolution on 7 November.