«On October 25—16 (November 7—8), 1917, the historic All-Russian Congress of the Soviets of Workers', Soldiers' and Peasants' Deputies was held in the Smoiny.The Congress established the Soviet government of the world's first state of proletarian dictatorship with V. I. Lenin at the head of the government. From the moment proletarian dictatorship had come out victorious and till March 1918, the Smolny was the fighting centre from which V. I. Lenin exercised Party and Soviet leadership in the first proletarian state in the world».
From the middle of November 1917 and till March 10, 1918, V. I. Lenin lived and worked in the Smolny — in one of the rooms of the first floor now converted into a museum. The furnishings of the room, which are familiar to millions of people from I. I. Brodsky's picture «Lenin in the Smolny», have been restored on the evidence of Lenin's contemporaries. The exposition of the museum reflects Vladimir Ilyich's tireless activities during the first months of Soviet power. Lenin's room in the Smolny is one of the historical relics most fondly cherished by the Soviet people.
The name of Smolny comes from the tar yard (smola is the Russian for tar) where at the beginning of the 18th century there was a storage of tar for the use of the Russian dockyards. This was the spot where in 1805 —1809 that outstanding architect of classicism D. Quarenghi constructed the building of the Smolny which housed an «Institute for Young Ladies of Noble Birth» — a privileged school for the daughters of aristocratic families. The Institute remained here till August 1917 when the Petrograd Soviet of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies moved into the Smolny. In the Soviet years the architectural ensemble of the Smolny was further embellished. In 1923—1924 imposing propylaea, i. e. gateway colonnades, were designed and built by architects V. A. Shchuko and V. G. Gelfreich. A monument to V. I. Lenin by sculptor V. V. Kozlov was set up in front of the central portico in 1927.
From the middle of November 1917 and till March 10, 1918, V. I. Lenin lived and worked in the Smolny — in one of the rooms of the first floor now converted into a museum. The furnishings of the room, which are familiar to millions of people from I. I. Brodsky's picture «Lenin in the Smolny», have been restored on the evidence of Lenin's contemporaries. The exposition of the museum reflects Vladimir Ilyich's tireless activities during the first months of Soviet power. Lenin's room in the Smolny is one of the historical relics most fondly cherished by the Soviet people.
The name of Smolny comes from the tar yard (smola is the Russian for tar) where at the beginning of the 18th century there was a storage of tar for the use of the Russian dockyards. This was the spot where in 1805 —1809 that outstanding architect of classicism D. Quarenghi constructed the building of the Smolny which housed an «Institute for Young Ladies of Noble Birth» — a privileged school for the daughters of aristocratic families. The Institute remained here till August 1917 when the Petrograd Soviet of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies moved into the Smolny. In the Soviet years the architectural ensemble of the Smolny was further embellished. In 1923—1924 imposing propylaea, i. e. gateway colonnades, were designed and built by architects V. A. Shchuko and V. G. Gelfreich. A monument to V. I. Lenin by sculptor V. V. Kozlov was set up in front of the central portico in 1927.
soviet movie actors, photos of 50-th years of last century.
The Soviet style and historical realities of the time corresponding to the period when the photo was taken are retained in the text.