Women's Participation in the 1917 Russian Revolution

What is it about?

It is generally presumed though seldom explicitly noted by historians that men led and dominated the Russian revolution of 1917. Although Russia led Europe in the introduction of universal female suffrage in 1917, the leadership of parties across the political spectrum was overwhelming male, and female candidates for soviets, municipal councils, and other elected positions were rare. The experiences of Countess Sofia V. Panina (1871-1956) – assistant minister in the Provisional Government, a member of the Petrograd city duma and the Kadet Central Committee, and one of the leaders of anti-Bolshevik resistance after the October Revolution -- stand out as a striking exception. This article focuses on Panina’s short but dramatic political career to investigate why women were so rare among the revolution’s leaders, the kinds of roles women could play, and the role gender played in the revolution. Such an analysis of one prominent female political actor, it is hoped, will encourage further study of gender in the 1917 revolution.

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Why is it important?

The analysis of one prominent female political actor, it is hoped, will shed light on the gendered nature of Russian revolutionary politics and encourage further study of gender in the 1917 revolution.