The Russian revolution changed the world forever. Almost overnight an entire society was destroyed and replaced with one of the most radical social experiments ever seen. Povertycrime, privilege and class division were to be eliminated. A new era of socialism promised peace, prosperity, and equality for all the peoples of the world. But the social experiment failed, millions were killed and within a generation almost one third of the worlds population was living in the shadow of communism. Less than 20 miles from St. Petersburg is a small fortified island and it’s garison town of Kronstaad. It was built to defend the former capital of Russia against attack from the sea. Only recently has the story of what happened here in the early years of the revolution and the role of the sailors stationed here in starting the revolution been pieced together. This program shows how an idealistic dream turned into a nightmare as seen by the sailors at the vanguard of the revolution. Drawn from their letters and accounts the story is told using archive and reconstructions of the events, all in color, just as they might have seen it. This is the story of the Russian Revolution.
