Remembering the Russian Revolution

Major force: Russian servicemen in historical uniforms marching during the 75th anniversary of the 1941 parade at Red Square in Moscow in last year. Russia remains one of the world’s giants, even if it’s still coping with the break-up of the old USSR. — AFP

IF my last column descended into a diatribe bemoaning the death of hope, this time around, I think I’ll revisit one of history’s great steps forward. We’re still a few weeks shy of the 100th anniversary of the first Russian Revolution of 1917, but the spirit of that epoch needs some examining, I think.

As every pre-teen obsessed with religion, socialist revolution and time travel is wont to do, I used to muse over whether I would want to go back to the era of the Gospel and issue some warnings to Jesus (and Judas too, come to think of it) or whether the world would be better off were I to slip Lenin and Trotsky a word of caution about Stalin! The whimsical folly of youth!