State University of New York Press The Truth of the Russian Revolution: The Memoirs of the Tsar's Chief of Security and His Wife

Gold Winner for History, 2017 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards Major General Konstantin Ivanovich Globachev was chief of the Okhrana, the Tsarist secret police, in Petrograd (now St. Petersburg) in the two years preceding the 1917 Russian Revolution. This book presents his memoirs--translated in English for the first time--interposed with those of his wife, Sofia Nikolaevna Globacheva. The general's writings, which he titled The Truth of the Russian Revolution, provide a front-row view of Tsar Nicholas II's final years, the revolution, and its tumultuous aftermath. Globachev describes the political intrigue and corruption in the capital and details his office's surveillance over radical activists and the mysterious Rasputin. His wife takes a more personal approach, depicting her tenacity in the struggle to keep her family intact and the family's flight to freedom. Her descriptions vividly portray the privileges and relationships of the noble class that collapsed with the empire. Translator Vladimir G. Marinich includes biographical information, illustrations, a glossary, and a timeline to contextualize this valuable primary source on a key period in Russian history. Review "Highly recommended." -- CHOICE "An impressively informative and inherently fascinating read from cover to cover ... a unique and highly prized addition to both community and academic library 20th century Russian History collections." -- Midwest Book Review About the Author Vladimir G. Marinich is Professor Emeritus of History at Howard Community College in Columbia, Maryland.