Peter Ustinov presents a personal and entertaining view of Russia's tumultuous history, in six parts.
5: War and Revolution
The 1917 Revolution ended the age of royal autocrats but soon the Soviet Union found itself subjected to Stalin's brutal collectivisation programme and political purges. Despite a non-aggression pact, the Germans invaded in 1941, taking millions of prisoners and pushing to the gates of Leningrad and Moscow. The battle for Stalingrad was one of the bitterest of the war.
Peter looks at these events as recorded on film: from Tsar Nicholas It's home movies to the grim documentary footage from the 1930s. Yevgeny Yevtushenko recites his poem to the victims of Babi Yar. Written by PETER USTINOV Directed by JOHN MCREEVY Produced by JOHN MCREEVY , VICTOR SOLNICKI A CTV production