Born Too Late: A History Meme

This is a truly interesting meme I found on the web via Found History, but originating from West Coast Grrlie Blather

Here’s the meme: If you could go back to any time in history (for a visit, or you can stay if you really want to), what time would you go back to?

Make a list of four. Name the place, year(s), and event and/or person you’d like to see first hand. In the fifth item (optional) you can put your four honorable mentions. Then tag four people, and send them an e-mail to let them know you’ve tagged them. That’s it!

Ok, so here’s my list - and I make no apologies for it being a little Russo-centric

1. Petrograd, October 1917

I’d really loved to have been there when the Russian Revolution happened, and experienced it first hand. Of course, it doesn’t mean that I’d be any more authoratative on the subject…

2. Moscow, August 1991

I actually remember the coup (there was no kids TV on that morning, and the trickiness of memory had led me to think it happened on a different day of the week until I learnt otherwise), and my father trying to explain what was happening.

3. Spain, 1936-1939

I’d like to think that I’d have gone and done my bit in the fight against fascism.

4. The Soviet Union, 1917-1939

I would have liked to have seen it first hand, despite the horrors of Stalinism. It’s what I work on and I’m passionate about it. I also love the aesthetic of the ’20s and ’30s (not just in Russia, but in a broader context)

Honourable mentions:

I’m going to twist this slightly and make the honourable mentions four people from the past I would like to have met - apologies to the originator of the meme

1. Maxim Litvinov (1876-1951) - Soviet Foreign Minister in the 1930s

2. Georgi Dimitrov (1882-1949) - Bulgarian Communist and leader of the Comintern

3. Alexander Berkman (1870-1936) - anarchist. Author of What is Anarchism and lover of Emma Goldman

4. Alexandra Kollontai (1872-1952) - Heroine of the women’s movement and Soviet diplomat