One Night in Winter (The Moscow Trilogy)

"One Night in Winter"bySimon Sebag MontefioreThis volume runs parallel to the author's novel "Sashenka" and a few of the characters in that book also appear here. The story however takes a somewhat different tack to its predecessor and I consider the two novels, taken together, can stand as a modern version of "War and Peace".In some ways this book is reminiscent also of "Dead Poets' Society". The tale begins in Moscow in June 1945 when a massive victory parade is planned to celebrate the victory over Nazism. After the parade, on a bridge near the Kremlin, two shots ring out and two youngsters lie dead.Both are children of families in very high positions in Soviet Society who attended the Joseph Stalin Commune School 801, Soviet top officials are ex pupils as were Stalin's own children. This is a serious crime which must be solved rapidly but who is the killer and why pick on teenage youths ?We move back a few weeks to May, after the Fall of Berlin, when a new term is beginning at School 801. Young Andrei Kurbsky and his mother have only recently been allowed to reside in Moscow and he is amazed that he has been assigned to such a prestigious academy.As they walk towards the school a string of expensive limousines starts rolling up discharging prominent parents and their children. Out of a Rolls emerges Sophia Zeitlin, top Russian film star and her daughter Serafima. From a Packard come Comrade Satinov, Secretary of The Party and his three children. All around Andrei are The Golden Youth of Moscow who are his new schoolmates.The new boy joins pupils of his age group in his first class, Russian literature where Teacher Benya Golden brings Pushkin's works into vibrant life. He is obviously respected by his pupils and a brilliant teacher. Gradually accepted by his classmates Andrei learns of a secret society of elite pupils "The Fatal Romantics Club" but what is "The Game" ?A few days later he finds out when he is invited to join The Club as a candidate member. Summoned to an old graveyard he finds the other members in 19th century costume. He takes his oath on a leather case and is introduced to the Club Manifesto in a velvet covered jotter. Until he attains full membership he cannot wear a costume or play The Game but can attend meetings and watch it unfold.The leather case is opened and replicas of two duelling pistols are removed. Two of the boys play the roles of Onegin and Lensky as the duelling scene from the "Eugene Onegin" is recited.They re-enact the duel in which Lensky dies. Andrei is then informed they will play The Game again after the great Victory Parade. This they do and the killings take place but not with antique replica pistols.From this childish romantic Society and Game all hell breaks loose as the Club's naive Manifesto gets into the hands of the Secret police. Children involved are arrested and taken to the Lubianka for interrogation as enemies of the State. The arrests then spread to adults suspected of involvement and even young children at a time when youngsters sang..."Oh happy childhood we are given,Ring forth joyful song !Thanks to Great StalinFor our happy days !"I do hope this review stimulates you to learn the rest of the disturbing tale. "The Sunday Times" made it their Number One Best Seller, a well deserved honour. Together both novels form a great epic. Ideally "Sashenka" which I previously reviewed should be read first but "One Night in Winter" can stand on its own.

I am acquainted with Montefiore's extraordinary writing, historical research and the way he tells the Russian story. I have read his book "Stalin: The Court of the Red Czar" which was wonderful and gave me a very detailed look into Stalin's dark personality and heavy handed thirty-year rule. This book was very different - it was a narrative dealing with experiences of those who were at the top of Russian society and how quickly they could fall at one man's whim. It began tragically, as a stupid role-playing game went terribly wrong and became linked to a "conspiracy" to overthrow the great Bolshevik system (begun by Lenin and continued, in all it's terror, by Stalin.) How could such a game have such an disastrous outcome. Simply, because every action-every gesture could be misconstrued. Why? Because absolute dictatorial power based on terror always has the possibility of being challenged-questioned or destroyed. Every word-every action is judged, gossiped about and spread. The "enemy" (whoever that is) is everywhere.Have read numerous books on Russian history, "One Night in Winter" really gives an awesome (and terrifying) description of the secretive and paranoid atmosphere in which the Russian people lived (under the Czars as well as Lenin and Stalin.) We should not forget that Stalin did not initiate this atmosphere in Russia (for it already existed to some degree.) He just crafted it as his own to wield more and more power and terror over millions of his own people.Montefiore's narrative is wonderful and compelling. This tale of several very privileged families (and one family marked forever by the brand of "treason) who are thrown into the political, state-controlled meat-grinder that was Stalin's Russia. Many of his characters are captured both as individuals (with passion, hopes and dreams) but also ultimately as tragic chess pieces which only serve one purpose- THE GOOD OF THE STATE!!!!In the end "One Night In Winter" really did help to set the stage for the reader to understand the uncertainly and hopelessness of the Russian experience during these dark days. As a read each person's experience, I found myself thinking "What would I have done in that same situation?" I am not sure if I would have done anything differently. Sometimes people make choices in terrible situations and no choice is really a good one.Thanks Mr. Montefiore for a really interesting, well researched and well told novel!!!

This book was even better than Sashenka, which I loved!! The writing and plot was magnificent, the characters so real and developed, the setting and historical backdrop so perfect! I finished this in three days! I’m about to read the epilogue but I don’t want it to end!! Definitely recommend, and I can’t wait to read the last book in this trilogy!

I own several of Simon Sebag Montefiore's books. Come to think of it I have several documentaries with him in them as well. He provides some great insights on Catherine the Great and Potemkin in the excellent PBS documentary  Catherine the Great . He also wrote a fine biography of Potemkin  Potemkin: Catherine the Great's Imperial Partner  as well as one of the most literary biography's of Joseph Stalin,  Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar , which I have read twice. His knowledge of and appreciation of (excuse the phrase) the whacky mood of the Stalinist period is on full display here. This may not be Bulgakov, but it's nonetheless a damn good novel. It's exciting, full of twists and turns, and brings great historical insights to both the novice and the well-seasoned. It has been a few months since I read the novel, so forgive my lack of remembrance for names and so forth. However, the plot basically centers around a group of young people who have a counterrevolutionary romantic club. After a murder occurs, the spiral of suspicion, arrests, interrogations, and torture widens. The novel captures the bizarre "ethics" of the period with muscular style. A very good and convincing read. I finished it in two sittings; honestly it is a page-turner. Recommended.

Sebastian Montefiore depicts the battles between the various factions in Russia who fought against each other and not all of them against the enemy, Germany. The story traces the terrifying experiences that the hero, pilloried because of antisemitism, has to survive in a hostile climate where he never knows who is friend or foe,,,, who can he trust and who trust him. It’s very much did eat dog in the rank and file of the military that he forced to fight with to prove his patriotism - starvation, sub zero temperatures, warring Cossacks and violent communists all combine to create terror and mayhem. The characters are well defined and very human and encompass the good, the bad and the evil. It’s a page turning novel clearly based on an incredible amount of histori research and a wonderful and passionate imagination. His mastery of descriptions, of depicting cruelty, fear, tenderness and hope are outstanding. Not for the faint hearted.. some scenes stay with you a bit too vividly for a long time. But thrilling and elucidating and unputdownable.

I bought this because it's the third in the Russian trilogy and because I enjoyed the first two. However, the book does stand on its own. All three books provide a real insight into how the Bolshevik revolution effected the lives of ordinary people and the extreme policies used by the early communist party to instil their regime on the population. Both the historical insights and the characterisation of the key players were both excellent (especially in the first two books) and the narrative was well constructed. All three books were good holiday/hospital/travel reads.

I'd never read any books by this author but had had him highly recommended many times. He normally writes non fiction but this is a novel only based loosely on the truth.Before the story starts there is a huge list of characters - some real and some fictional. I thought this looked ominous and the plot was going to be very complicated, actually I found the list really useful and referred back to it for a while until the characters developed. I found the names quite complex for a while but quickly got to know them and the plot soon started to move at a cracking pace.There is no doubt about the fictional nature of the plot as most of the characters are created but there is enough truth here to make the plot very intriguing. The Soviet Union was such an unstable place during this period and no-one was safe - this is shown very clearly by the author of this book. He shows the fear in everyone and the portrayed images to be so different to how the people were actually feeling.Using the teenage children in the plot is a great device to play with their innocence and lack of experience whilst being able to compare Old Russia with New Russia.Time moves on as the strands of plot come together but the author never patronises the reader which makes for a great book. You will need to think when you are reading this.As the author has such a great knowledge of the truth, I found that this novel played with my mind and made me think that this could all have happened in Stalinist Russia.I was reading the book whilst in Russia which helped with my reading experience but I think it would be great anywhere.

I wish part 5 had been longer, giving more story about what happened to Dashka and Serafima, this would have added that extra 5th star.Another excellent read and I'm so glad I read them in the order I did. Sashenka - Red Sky at Noon and then this one - One Night in Winter.Extremely distressing to read in places, and hard to believe but I'm sure this is just a tiny snippet of the thousands of atrocities under Starlin's rule.I will definitely be keeping an eye out for any other fiction this amazing historian will hopefully write. Especially if it's about Russia!

This is a disturbing tale of life under Stalin, so disturbing that it is difficult to believe it is realistic except that the author, a respectable historian, assures us that he has stitched together actual events, so that we have a novel of truth grafted onto fictional characters. It gives a vivid feel for the way people (probably) behaved in that environment.The focus of the novel is, surprisingly, romance, which makes an odd combination with the political horror, though it makes is a more enjoyable read.Overall it is not as good as Sashenka which I would strongly recommend if you haven't read either. I will go on to read the third in the series. 4.5 stars