From the Winter Palace, St Petersburg, John Simpson introduces an evening of programmes devoted to the October Revolution and its aftermath. Literature, poetry, history and music tell the story of 80 years between 1917 and 1997. With Paul
Allen, Gerard McBumey, Orlando Figes.
5.05 The Silver Age
Life and art in St Petersburg in the shadow of the impending revolution. with live performances by students of the St Petersburg Conservatoire and specially recorded performances by the St Petersburg Philharmonic.
7.00 The October Revolution 1917
Orlando Figes traces the crucial events of that fateful year from sites around modern-day St Petersburg.
7.30 Postcard from Petersburg The first of four snapshots of the contemporary city - a drive down Nevskiy Prospekt, its most famous street and still its central artery.
7.35 Prokofiev Cantata for the 20th Anniversary of the October Revolution In this specially recorded performance, the world-famous Kirov Orchestra is conducted by Valery Gergiev.
8.30 Postcard from Petersburg
A visit to a communal flat.
8.35 The Terror
Gerard McBurney explores the lives of ordinary people and gifted artists under Stalin's reign of terror.
9.00 No Laughing Matter
The Russians survived communism and oppression by telling some of the best jokes of the century.
9.10 Miaskovsky String Quartet No 13 Miaskovsky's quartets illustrate how composers adopted double standards to survive the terror.
9.40 Postcard from Petersburg
Hannah Whitley visits Finland Station, Lenin's arrival point in the city in 1917.
9.45 The Siege
John Barber tells the story of the 900-day siege of Leningrad during the Second World War.
10.00 Shostakovich Symphony No 13 (Babi Yar) Shostakovich's music mourns the deprivations of war but ends by celebrating the vitality of the human spirit.
11.00 Postcard from Petersburg A visit to the communal baths.
11.05 The Renamed City
Where were you born? St Petersburg. Where did you go to school? Petrograd. Where do you live now? Leningrad. Where would you like to live? St
Petersburg. Solomon Volkov maps the city of multiple personalities.
11.30 St Petersburg Today
Paul Allen brings the story up to date with contemporary life in the city. Live performances come from Russian folk groups including the Terem Quartet. Features explore the city's nightlife and residents, businessmen and famous visitors talk about life in St Petersburg.
Producers Gautam Rangarajan. Tim Dee, Paul Dodgson and Gwawr Owen
+ Brian Kay 's Concert of the Week: page 53