Revolution, revolt, upheaval. Nowadays, these words have more and more negative meaning, less and less romance left over from the Soviet era. Speaking in Crimea on March 18, 2020, Russian President Vladimir Putin called the events of 1917 “a prologue to a huge state tragedy,” the consequences of which are still being overcome. At the same time, Putin was discussing how fast Russia could develop if there had not been that Bolshevik revolution. In 1914, the growth of the Russian economy was practically the highest in the world. And if this trend continued, then the power of the Russian state would be simply enormous, the President said.
The causes of the events of 1917 are still being discussed. During perestroika, archives began to be declassified more and more, a stream of literature from emigrant storerooms poured into the country. And our new Russian society was literally shocked. It turns out that according to a number of sources, the revolution was carried out with German money. Until now, there are fierce disputes: is it a myth or reality. Was the “Great October” the first color revolution? There were plenty of those who wanted to tear Russia apart then, as, indeed, now … And the methods of the Bolsheviks in terms of expropriation coincide with how Washington and Brussels today decided to dispose of Russian gold and foreign exchange reserves.
But the revolution did not only lead to civil war. The USSR grew stronger, became an industrial and nuclear power, won World War II, and was the first to send a man into space. Of course, this is not a merit only of the political system. All these are the achievements of the people.
The harsh truth: history does not know the subjunctive mood. Which lesson? One thing is obvious – the development of the state should go without internal upheavals, rebellions and revolutions, as the founder and leader of the Liberal Democratic Party Vladimir Zhirinovsky has repeatedly said. We will always have plenty of external calls. For the sake of a prosperous future for Russia on all its frontiers, we all need to overcome splits and move forward – towards peace.
