The Chronicle, Summer Term 2017

24 ST EDWARD’S CHRONICLE

In the Footsteps of Revolutionaries By Alexander Koenig

Alexander Koenig

Over the spring Half Term I was lucky enough to take part in this year’s Fourth Form History trip. Thirty five pupils who have been studying Russia as part of their GCSE History course went and the trip was timed to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the overthrow of the Imperial Romanov Monarchy in February, and the ‘coming of the Bolsheviks’ in October. We started our trip in Moscow which was absolutely fascinating; we saw the Kremlin and St Basil’s Cathedral which were fantastic. In the Kremlin, we saw the Armoury which holds some of the captured weapons from Napoleon’s failed invasion. We also saw the Battleship Aurora which was breathtakingly impressive - the Aurora , famously, fired the shot which was the signal for the start of the Communist Revolution. St Petersburg, comparatively, was much more European in its feel and reminded me of Germany, France and even Venice with its amazing canal system. The Winter Palace was a sight to behold (not least its magnificent Jordan staircase) with the world famous Hermitage Museum within.

Moscow State Historical Museum, Red Square

Visiting the newly-opened Moscow FC Spartak Stadium