Writing History in Twentieth-Century Russia

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xi

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2. Russia’s Historical Profession

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1

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   2. Did the Scholarly Tradition Survive?

      • Alter L. Litvin

      Pages 3-37

3. Fiction and Fact in Soviet History

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 39-39

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   2. Approaching the Past

      • Alter L. Litvin

      Pages 41-45

   3. The October Revolution

      • Alter L. Litvin

      Pages 47-55

   4. The Civil War

      • Alter L. Litvin

      Pages 57-70

   5. The Age of Stalin

      • Alter L. Litvin

      Pages 71-84

   6. The “Great” Terror

      • Alter L. Litvin

      Pages 85-103

   7. World War II

      • Alter L. Litvin

      Pages 105-113

4. Russia and the Wider World

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 115-115

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   2. The Nationalities Problem

      • Alter L. Litvin

      Pages 117-127

   3. Soviet Foreign Policy

      • Alter L. Litvin

      Pages 129-138

   4. Conclusion

      • Alter L. Litvin

      Pages 139-147

5. Back Matter

   Pages 148-201

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In this fascinating book Alter Litvin tells us what life was really like for professional Soviet historians from Lenin to Gorbachev, and assesses the efforts made since 1991 to create a more truthful picture of the turbulent Russian past. Passionate yet fair-minded, this is the first account of the subject to appear in English. Designed primarily for the general reader, it contains much fresh material of specialist interest and an ample up-to-date bibliography.

• civil war
• history
• revolution
• Russia
• Stalin
• Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR)
• Vladimir Lenin
• World War II

'...a timely and valuable study of Russian and Soviet historiography...It is to be recommended not only to specialists in Russian affairs but also to anyone interested in learning how politics shape and determine the writing of history.' - John Gonzalez, Revolutionary Russia

ALTER L. LITVIN studied at Kazan State University where he is now Professor of History and Historiography. He has written many books dealing with the Russian civil war, problems of historiography and most recently political terror in Soviet Russia.

JOHN KEEP attended the University of London where he later taught Russian history (1954-70); he then became Professor of Russian History at the University of Toronto. He now lives in Switzerland. He is the author of eight monographs or edited volumes and many articles on various aspects of Russian history and politics.

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