Facing the Judgment of History

Intended as communist propaganda, a dialogue between a Soviet historian and Vasily Shulgin, a key figure in the anti-communist White movement, ends up revealing the complexity behind Shulgin's ideals and the evolution of his thought. Now a frail old man, Shulgin comes to Saint Petersburg for the first time in 40 years and visits the main sites of the 1917 revolution. Illustrated by archive footage, his memories guide us through the First and Second World Wars, the February Revolution and Russian emigration. The historian seeks to challenge Shulgin into admitting to the Whites' wrongdoings and the failure of his ideas, but his template remarks are greeted by Shulgin's frank and critical reflections on the monarchist past and the communist future of Russia. The film enjoyed three days of cinema release in 1965 before it was abruptly removed by Soviet authorities for its controversy. (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)