“The country is going through a difficult time”: A review of the book by R.G. Gagkuev and A.V. Repnikov “The Great and Terrible 1918: An Illustrated Chronicle of the Beginning of the Civil War in Russia”

Abstract

The article is a review of the book "The Great and Terrible 1918: An Illustrated Chronicle of the Beginning of Civil War in Russia". The researchers in the monograph used a wide range of photographs, posters, artistic images from domestic and foreign satirical magazines, which significantly enriched this publication, making it more interesting for a wide audience. While preparing the reference material for the chronicle, the scientists processed a variety of historical sources and literature of the Soviet and post-Soviet period. As the authors noted in the introduction, they did not set themselves the task of giving answers to questions that have not yet been resolved, on the contrary, they tried to get away from stereotypical value judgments, inviting readers to form their attitude to the fratricidal confrontation in Russia at the beginning of the XX century. The work of R.G. Gagkuev and A.V. Repnikov will be useful for anyone interested in the history of the USSR.