Russian Revolution: Word and Deed [Review on: Words and conflicts: The language of confrontation and the escalation of the Civil War in Russia. St. Petersburg: EUSP Press, 2022. 328 p. (The Age of Wars and Revolutions; num. 16)]

Abstract

The publication is an analytical review of a collection of articles prepared by a group of historians under the auspices of the European University in St. Petersburg. The purpose of our work is to consider the book novelty as a phenomenon in the modern historiography of the Revolution and the Civil War in Russia from the theoretical standpoint of the principles of system and determinism. Due to the specifics of the topic, the main scientific method used by us in the review is problematic. The relevance of the views, the original approach and methodology of a wide range of sources used by the team of authors in the study of the problem are emphasized. The collection of articles makes it possible to expand the understanding of events and phenomena in the life of the Russian state and society in the era of social cataclysms of 1917–1922. At the same time, the past is interpreted, including through the discourse of the history of images, the history of emotions, anthropology, and the history of everyday life. At the same time, along with the merits of the publication, the final part of the review contains some subjective critical passages. They do not reduce the overall positive impression of the reviewed work and are seen as ways to further develop the topic (in particular, through an appeal to regional experience). In our opinion, the analyzed work, which is distinguished by rich factual material, can be useful to specialists in several areas of historical knowledge. This review is addressed to researchers of historical science, Russian historiography, the history of the Revolution and the Civil War in Russia.