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3.5 

Former People

By Douglas Smith
Former People by Douglas Smith digital book - Fable

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Publisher Description

Epic in scope, precise in detail, and heart-breaking in its human drama, Former People is the first book to recount the history of the aristocracy caught up in the maelstrom of the Bolshevik Revolution and the creation of Stalin's Russia. Filled with chilling tales of looted palaces and burning estates, of desperate flights in the night from marauding peasants and Red Army soldiers, of imprisonment, exile, and execution, it is the story of how a centuries'-old elite, famous for its glittering wealth, its service to the Tsar and Empire, and its promotion of the arts and culture, was dispossessed and destroyed along with the rest of old Russia.

Yet Former People is also a story of survival and accommodation, of how many of the tsarist ruling class—so-called "former people" and "class enemies"—overcame the psychological wounds inflicted by the loss of their world and decades of repression as they struggled to find a place for themselves and their families in the new, hostile order of the Soviet Union. Chronicling the fate of two great aristocratic families—the Sheremetevs and the Golitsyns—it reveals how even in the darkest depths of the terror, daily life went on.

Told with sensitivity and nuance by acclaimed historian Douglas Smith, Former People is the dramatic portrait of two of Russia's most powerful aristocratic families, and a sweeping account of their homeland in violent transition.

19 Reviews

3.5
“Former People tells the frequently untold story of the Russian Aristocracy in the years after the Russian Revolution. Closely following the wealthy and famous Sheremetev and Golitsyn families. At once enjoying immense wealth and influence the families soon find themselves in a new world where not only do they lose their positions, stance in the community, and wealth but soon find themselves being hunted down by those now in control, ultimately resulting in some fleeing their homes forever and others facing the firing squad and work camps. With the exception of Doctor Zhivago, I have found very few examples of books that deal with the Russian aristocracy after the Russian Revolution. As a result, Former People instantly caught my attention as I wanted to learn more about this group of people. Like many I assumed most of the aristocracy fled or died in the revolution and civil war that followed. However, as Mr. Smith demonstrates, that wasn't the case. While many individuals did, indeed flee, many naively believed that by staying behind they could ride the wave and survive, not in the comfort they had lost but as normal, everyday citizens who could contribute to society. Unfortunately, most of them were very wrong. Former People is a devastating account, and while some individuals might have arguably deserved their fate, many were innocent victims whose only crime was being born into an influential and wealthy family. While it was a compelling read, I did find remembering all of the individuals hard to remember. The family trees at the beginning of the book were very helpful, but as Mr. Smith reintroduced each person I would have liked some mention of what they had done previously so I could remember exactly who they were speaking about, especially since many of the individuals shared similar or the same name. This book provides a fascinating read and gives history on a group of people that, for many decades, were lost to history.”

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