Nicolas Werth Publishes "Adieu ma Russie," a Historian's Memoir on His Father and Russia
In "Adieu ma Russie" (Les Belles Lettres), French historian Nicolas Werth intertwines his narrative with that of his father, Alexander Werth, a British war correspondent of Russian descent. Alexander, born in Saint Petersburg in 1901, escaped to Great Britain amid the Russian Revolution, later serving as a BBC correspondent during WWII and authoring "La Russie en Guerre." He tragically took his own life in March 1969, leaving behind a note that read, "Proschaï Rossija!" In June 2023, Nicolas faced suicidal thoughts but found solace in his family. A CNRS researcher since 1989, he focuses on Soviet repression and was expelled from Russia in 2018. He currently leads Mémorial France, which has documented 4,600 political prisoners, and intends to release "Les dernières paroles" in 2027.
Key facts
- Nicolas Werth's book "Adieu ma Russie" is published by Les Belles Lettres.
- Alexander Werth, born in Saint Petersburg in 1901, was a British war correspondent and author of "La Russie en Guerre" (Stock).
- Alexander Werth died by suicide in March 1969 in Paris, leaving a note reading "Proschaï Rossija!" (Adieu ma Russie!).
- In June 2023, Nicolas Werth contemplated suicide but was saved by thoughts of his family.
- Nicolas Werth entered the CNRS in 1989 and has researched forced collectivization, the 1932-1933 famine, Stalinist repression, the Moscow trials, and the Gulag.
- Werth was expelled from Russia in 2018, and in 2021 the Russian Supreme Court dissolved Memorial.
- Mémorial France has identified 4,600 political prisoners in Russia.
- Werth plans to publish "Les dernières paroles" with Gallimard in 2027.
Entities
Artists
- Nicolas Werth
- Alexander Werth
- Andreï Sakharov
- Vladimir Poutine
Institutions
- Mémorial France
- Memorial
- Les Belles Lettres
- Stock
- BBC
- CNRS
- École normale de Saint-Cloud
- Gallimard
- France24
Locations
- Saint Petersburg
- Russia
- Great Britain
- Paris
- France
- Ukraine
- Prague
- Czechoslovakia
- Stalingrad
- Leningrad
- Moscow