Russia: A History

NOTE ON TRANSLITERATION AND DATES

Transliteration follows a modified version of the Library of Congress system. For the sake of readability the ‘soft sign’ has been omitted for the better known terms (e.g. Streltsy not Strel’tsy). In the case of those names that have already achieved recognition in the West, that form will be followed here (e.g. Peter, not Petr; Trotsky, not Trotskii; Beria, not Beriia). The same applies to certain terms (e.g. soviet, not sovet; boyar, not boiar).

Dating until February 1918 follows the Julian (‘Old Style’) calendar, which lagged behind the modern Gregorian (‘New Style’) calendar: eleven days in the eighteenth century, twelve days in the nineteenth century, and thirteen days in the twentieth century. Hence the ‘October Revolution’ on 25 October, for example, actually occurred on 7 November in the modern calendar. Dates from 14 February 1918 (when the Soviet government adopted the Gregorian calendar) conform to those in the West, whether for international or domestic matters.