THE UNIVERSITY OF WALES TRINITY SAINT DAVID was pleased to welcome Rob Phillips from The National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth to open an exhibition that will kick start a month long commemoration of the centenary of the Russian Revolution.
The programme of events is called ‘Lenin’s On Sale Again: 100 Years of the Russian Revolution’, and will be held at the university’s Lampeter campus from the start of the new term in September and throughout October. It will include a series of exhibitions, workshops and lectures that examine the effects of the Russian Revolution. The commemoration is the one of a series of cultural events taking place across Wales that mark the centenary.
The university’s Lampeter library is hosting two exhibitions which will be open to the public until 27th October. ‘The Revolutionary Art of Dmitry Moor’ will feature the work of the revolutionary artist who produced Soviet propaganda posters from 1918 until the Second World War. The university has also collaborated with The National Library of Wales and the Cymru1914 project to produce ‘News from Russia 1917,’ an exhibition of front pages from Swansea’s ‘Cambria Daily Leader’ showing how news from Russia was reported in west Wales and how it sat alongside war reporting and contemporary local events.
Dr Alex Scott, Lecturer in Modern History, said: “The Russian Revolution is one of the most important events in modern history. The revolution profoundly shaped the remainder of the twentieth century, establishing the geopolitical tensions between ‘East and West’ which resulted in the Cold War. But its importance far transcends politics and diplomacy. The aim of Lenin’s On Sale Again is to explore the widespread influence that the Russian Revolution had across the globe, and in a variety of fields. The programme of events will discuss different responses to the revolution from West Wales to China and beyond, while also examining its impact on art, cinema and literature – as well as academic disciplines such as Classics. The overarching goal is to demonstrate that the revolution was not just ten days that shook the world in 1917; but rather that it created far-reaching ramifications which can still be felt today – sometimes in quite unexpected ways.”
Rob Phillips, Welsh Political Archive at The National Library of Wales said: “We’re delighted to have been able to contribute to this exhibition; exhibitions like this are yet another way of opening up our collections to as wide an audience as possible. Copies of the Cambria Daily Leader show how the dramatic events in Russia, which had an enormous effect in Wales, were first reported here. The sense of confusion and concern over the implications of the news is clear and with good reason; the records of individuals and organisations held at the National Library show how that news affected political discourse for decades.”
The programme of events has been organised by Andy Bevan, Lecturer in International Development, and Dr Alex Scott, Lecturer in Modern History. Further details are available on the university’s website.
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