BBC Radio 3

To mark the centenary of the October Revolution, the BBC has commissioned a selection of programmes across television and radio examining this significant event and its continued impact on society.

Breakfast

Broadcasting live from St Petersburg on Tuesday 7 November 2017, Petroc Trelawny opens a day of programming marking the Russian Revolution on the 100th anniversary of the storming of the Winter Palace.

Private Passions: Simon Sebag Montefiore

Tunes For Tyrants: Music & Power With Suzy Klein

In this ambitious new three-part series, Suzy Klein explores how the power of music to rouse our emotions gave it a crucial role in the Russian revolution, throughout the dictatorships of Hitler and Stalin and during World War II. Suzy’s rich repertoire of musical stories, brought wonderfully to life through performances by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and its Chorus, sheds fascinating light on the history of some of the most turbulent years of the 20th Century.

Tunes For Tyrants was commissioned by Jan Younghusband and Cassian Harrison. The BBC executive producer is Emma Cahusac. It is made by Wingspan Productions where the executive producers are Archie Baron and Deborah Lee. The directors are Helena Braun and Nick Gillam Smith.

Michael Berkeley is joined by Russian historian and best-selling author, Simon Sebag Montefiore, who shares his private passions.

Composer Of The Week: 100 Years Of The Russian Revolution From 1917 To 2017

The Real Doctor Zhivago

Dr Zhivago is one of the best known love stories of the 20th century, but the setting of the book also made it famous. It’s a tale of passion and fear, set against a backdrop of revolution and violence. The film is what most people remember, but the story of the writing of the book has more twists, intrigue and bravery than many a Hollywood blockbuster. In this documentary, Stephen Smith traces the revolutionary beginnings of this bestseller, to it becoming a pawn of the CIA during the Cold War. Along the way, he explores the very real dangers that surrounded Pasternak in the 20 years following the printing of his masterpiece.

The Real Doctor Zhivago was commissioned by Mark Bell, head of commissioning, arts. It is produced by Matchlight where the executive producer is Ross Wilson and the producer and director is George Cathro.

In a special edition of composer of the week, Donald Macleod is joined by musicologist and music historian, Professor Marina Frovola-Walker, to discuss the lives of Russian composers against the backdrop the Revolution. Each programme will focus upon two composers, shining the spotlight on lesser-known figures of this period, including Nikolai Roslavets and Alexander Mosolov.

Between The Ears: Bring Me The Head Of Karl Marx (w/t)

For almost 60 years, the tomb of Karl Marx in Highgate cemetery, London, has been a spot for international pilgrimage. The giant bronze head mounted on a huge stone was inaugurated in 1956. Stone and bronze do not speak, but what would we hear if we could make out the thoughts of the pilgrims and naysayers about Marx and his legacy?

The Essay

Running for two weeks, this series of essays capture the spirit and ideas of the Russian Revolution through both the stories and artists of the time and cultural figures of ours. Contributors include Sir Richard Eyre discussing the theatre director and actor Vsevolod Meyerhold, former ballerina Deborah Bull on celebrated dancer Vaslav Nijinsky, and writer Elaine Feinstein on the poetry of Anna Akhmatova and Marina Tsvestaeva. The series culminates with a personal essay written by Martin Sixsmith on the general impact of the revolution on the arts as a whole.

Sunday Feature: To Resurrect Mayakovsky

In a series of Sunday Features exploring different aspects of the revolution, writer Ian Sansom explores the figure of Vladimir Mayakovsky - the poet who proclaimed the Russian Revolution. The question is posed; if an artist becomes a mouthpiece for dictators, can we still admire their work, and does it still deserve to be read?

In Tune: From Russia With Love

Tom Service presents ten features which tell the story of the Russian century through ten works of art. Recorded in Moscow and St Petersburg, a light will be shone on the diverse range of artistic output of the country, including everything from Anna Akhamatova’s epic poem Requiem, Pussy Riot’s Punk Prayer and Malevich’s Black Square.

Drama On 3: Fathers And Sons

Drama On 3 presents Brian Friel’s acclaimed dramatisation of Turgenev’s 1860 novel. Telling generational collision of two young men and their families, this piece illuminates the political climate that ultimately led to the Russian Revolution. Featuring an all-star cast including Charles Dance and George Blagden. Directed by Martin Jarvis and Rosalind Ayres.