Recently, together with the Zlatoust Language School I have visited the Museum of Political History of Russia. This year, the museum (that used to be Museum of the Revolution prior to 1991) is celebrating its 100th anniversary. Since the museum has opened its doors to the public, a lot of changes have happened and Russia has transformed into a new political system. 

The excursion was around the topic of the Russian Revolution, briefly touching on the era of Stalin and Yeltsin- the tour guide has asked us which part of Russian political history we are interested in and has kindly focused the attention on the themes we have mentioned. During the guide around the Russian Revolution period, I was surprised at how detailed yet simple and clear the information presented was. The exhibits and the atmosphere of the museum took you back to one of the most interesting periods of Russian history, giving an insight on the aims and beliefs of different parties in the conflict. It has to be mentioned, that the information we got told wasn’t different to what I have already studied about the revolution, but the details and the layout of the museum have aided the uptake of the content and better understand the sequence of the events. 

Personally, I have found the late 1980s-1990s part of the tour the most interesting. The museum has, in great detail explored not just the conflict between the communists and more liberal politicians, but the general mood in the society at the time, which, I believe is very important when analyzing the causes of any political change. 

Overall, I greatly recommend visiting the Museum of Political History of Russia if you are studying or have a general interest in politics. The excursion will be beneficial in understanding the transformation of the Russian political system from the late 19th century up until present day and I think that it is important to keep in mind how the politics of the largest country in the world operate. 

Anastasija Olesova (The University of Manchester)