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londonsoph's review against another edition
4.0
This book has been on my book shelf forever and I'm so glad I finally got around to read it. I've read a lot on early 20th century Russia over the years, though mainly specifically on the Romanovs. I learned a lot though I did find it quite a marathon to get through. I could only really manage 20 pages a day. I struggled with the long Russian words and sometimes found it hard to keep a track of the individuals whose lives we followed. But all in all, a very interesting read.
ribbonreuben's review against another edition
2.0
I didn't love this book. Though the information was certainly valuable, it was presented in a very dry and confusing way. In the introduction, the author mentions that he will follow two families, but what he neglects to mention is that the two families are massive and have many members with the same names, so it makes it difficult to track what exactly is going on.
loyaultemelie's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
5.0
I first read Former People: The Final Days of the Russian Aristocracy in 2022. It was a revelation to me, proof that history can be written to appeal to a popular audience, while still being full of an incredible amount of research, made with obvious discipline and love, and without sacrificing complexity for the needs of popular history. Having read this book again two years later, I stand by this opinion.
Former People also opened my eyes to a part of Russian history that, as Smith points out, has been terribly neglected. The lives and the fates of the Russian aristocracy is a crucial part o understanding the final years of Romanov rule, the Revolution and Civil War, and the Soviet system. As Smith points out, the cruelties that Lenin and Stalin imposed upon their Soviet empire can be seen first in the way they treated these so-called "former people." Its ridiculousness and its perversity is fully on display - many times upon reread I couldn't help but think of the Master and Margarita. As an aspiring historian with a Russian history focus, I hope one day to be able to contribute to this field of historical study.
It would, of course, be disingenuous of me to act like this book is flawless. Even upon reread there were times that I felt slightly hopelessly confused, and putting all of the events of this book together in a timeline in my head still feels impossible. I think there are a few reasons for this, and a few obvious fixes that could be made. The first is that, in focusing on two families and in mentioning other crucial noble witnesses, Smith sometimes has to jump back and forth between the timelines. This can get especially confusing when someone is mentioned who has already been arrested or died. The prominence of certain names also doesn't help, as doesn't the vast array of estates. I think had a list of estates been provided with the family trees this would have been much less confusing. It also probably would have been easier to keep track of everyone had Smith used names and patronymics, rather than names and last names (there are at least two Vasily Sheremetevs, and this is only a smaller example). I realize patronymics are something that American and English audiences are necessarily used to, but I think it would have been helpful.
Lastly, I want to touch upon something I wrote when I first read this book in 2022. I claimed that:
Do former oppressors deserve to be oppressed in turn - can such an idea even be justified or will that simply devolve into great cyclical violence? How do we reconcile ourselves with a horrific past, how do we respond to it? How can we mourn for those who lived in incredible wealth when most people in Russia lived in crushing poverty? How can we not be moved by the unrelenting tragedy that dogged the “former people”? I don’t think the book answers these questions, but I don’t think it has to. Rather that it poses these questions in a poignant and moving way is a testament to its quality in itself.
Two years later, I would like to amend this statement. I do think Douglas Smith gives us an answer to these questions. I think he does so very clearly. The atrocities committed against former people can never be justified - not by their former privileges, not by the horrific atrocities their class committed upon the vast majority of the Russian population. Guilt does not revoke the humanity of these people. If Smith is focused on their plight, he also mentions the way Soviet bureaucracy often ate itself, higher ups being denounced and shot for having denounced and shot too many people.
Lenin knew how to capitalize on the hatred of the peasantry for their masters. He did so impressively. But if Smith warns us not to assume anger against the former people was manufactured, he does not shirk from condemnation of where this anger led. And in this day and age, I cannot but agree with him. To study the Soviet Union is to realize the horrific violence humanity can inflict upon itself - arbitrarily and with cruel pleasure. There is no crime a person can commit that makes them worthy of the scale of suffering that people experienced in the USSR. No cause can erase the stain of millions of murdered civilians, the destruction of an entire class.
The epigraph of this book is: "There is no more Russian nobility. There is no more Russian aristocracy... A future historian will describe in precise detail how this class died. You will read this account, and you will experience madness and horror." In my experience, you will also weep.
Former People also opened my eyes to a part of Russian history that, as Smith points out, has been terribly neglected. The lives and the fates of the Russian aristocracy is a crucial part o understanding the final years of Romanov rule, the Revolution and Civil War, and the Soviet system. As Smith points out, the cruelties that Lenin and Stalin imposed upon their Soviet empire can be seen first in the way they treated these so-called "former people." Its ridiculousness and its perversity is fully on display - many times upon reread I couldn't help but think of the Master and Margarita. As an aspiring historian with a Russian history focus, I hope one day to be able to contribute to this field of historical study.
It would, of course, be disingenuous of me to act like this book is flawless. Even upon reread there were times that I felt slightly hopelessly confused, and putting all of the events of this book together in a timeline in my head still feels impossible. I think there are a few reasons for this, and a few obvious fixes that could be made. The first is that, in focusing on two families and in mentioning other crucial noble witnesses, Smith sometimes has to jump back and forth between the timelines. This can get especially confusing when someone is mentioned who has already been arrested or died. The prominence of certain names also doesn't help, as doesn't the vast array of estates. I think had a list of estates been provided with the family trees this would have been much less confusing. It also probably would have been easier to keep track of everyone had Smith used names and patronymics, rather than names and last names (there are at least two Vasily Sheremetevs, and this is only a smaller example). I realize patronymics are something that American and English audiences are necessarily used to, but I think it would have been helpful.
Lastly, I want to touch upon something I wrote when I first read this book in 2022. I claimed that:
Do former oppressors deserve to be oppressed in turn - can such an idea even be justified or will that simply devolve into great cyclical violence? How do we reconcile ourselves with a horrific past, how do we respond to it? How can we mourn for those who lived in incredible wealth when most people in Russia lived in crushing poverty? How can we not be moved by the unrelenting tragedy that dogged the “former people”? I don’t think the book answers these questions, but I don’t think it has to. Rather that it poses these questions in a poignant and moving way is a testament to its quality in itself.
Two years later, I would like to amend this statement. I do think Douglas Smith gives us an answer to these questions. I think he does so very clearly. The atrocities committed against former people can never be justified - not by their former privileges, not by the horrific atrocities their class committed upon the vast majority of the Russian population. Guilt does not revoke the humanity of these people. If Smith is focused on their plight, he also mentions the way Soviet bureaucracy often ate itself, higher ups being denounced and shot for having denounced and shot too many people.
Lenin knew how to capitalize on the hatred of the peasantry for their masters. He did so impressively. But if Smith warns us not to assume anger against the former people was manufactured, he does not shirk from condemnation of where this anger led. And in this day and age, I cannot but agree with him. To study the Soviet Union is to realize the horrific violence humanity can inflict upon itself - arbitrarily and with cruel pleasure. There is no crime a person can commit that makes them worthy of the scale of suffering that people experienced in the USSR. No cause can erase the stain of millions of murdered civilians, the destruction of an entire class.
The epigraph of this book is: "There is no more Russian nobility. There is no more Russian aristocracy... A future historian will describe in precise detail how this class died. You will read this account, and you will experience madness and horror." In my experience, you will also weep.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Murder
Moderate: War
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, and Cannibalism
gentlemangeek's review against another edition
5.0
This was an engrossing read from start to finish.
It drastically changed my idea of the Soviet Union and present day Russia.
Even with the westernisation that happened in the 90s Russia is a country who's 20th century was shaped by tremendous violence that wasn't just limited to the ruling class.
I highly recommend this book.
It drastically changed my idea of the Soviet Union and present day Russia.
Even with the westernisation that happened in the 90s Russia is a country who's 20th century was shaped by tremendous violence that wasn't just limited to the ruling class.
I highly recommend this book.
loyaultemelie's review against another edition
5.0
Probably one of the best Russian history books I’ve read in a while, I’m sure I will reread this many times.
I do admit though that keeping everyone together in my head was nearly impossible and, though I greatly appreciated it, the family trees at the beginning of the book were not nearly comprehensive enough.
That being said this book was deeply touching, I cried my way through the back four or so chapters, and brought to light for me questions about the struggle for a more peaceful and equal future.
Do former oppressors deserve to be oppressed in turn - can such an idea even be justified or will that simply devolve into great cyclical violence? How do we reconcile ourselves with a horrific past, how do we respond to it? How can we mourn for those who lived in incredible wealth when most people in Russia lived in crushing poverty? How can we not be moved by the unrelenting tragedy that dogged the “former people”? I don’t think the book answers these questions, but I don’t think it has to. Rather that it poses these questions in a poignant and moving way is a testament to its quality in itself.
Edit: Bumped it up to five stars as this book has been haunting me for almost a year now
I do admit though that keeping everyone together in my head was nearly impossible and, though I greatly appreciated it, the family trees at the beginning of the book were not nearly comprehensive enough.
That being said this book was deeply touching, I cried my way through the back four or so chapters, and brought to light for me questions about the struggle for a more peaceful and equal future.
Do former oppressors deserve to be oppressed in turn - can such an idea even be justified or will that simply devolve into great cyclical violence? How do we reconcile ourselves with a horrific past, how do we respond to it? How can we mourn for those who lived in incredible wealth when most people in Russia lived in crushing poverty? How can we not be moved by the unrelenting tragedy that dogged the “former people”? I don’t think the book answers these questions, but I don’t think it has to. Rather that it poses these questions in a poignant and moving way is a testament to its quality in itself.
Edit: Bumped it up to five stars as this book has been haunting me for almost a year now
giesskanne's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0