Most of the chapters in this volume were presented to the twenty-ninth annual conference of the Study Group on the Russian Revolution held at Hatfield College, University of Durham, in January 2003. We are grateful that on the fiftieth anniversary of Stalin's death, the Study Group was willing to stretch its definition of the Revolution as far as 1953. The high standard of the papers and of the discussion among the participants made it a memorable event. While it has not been possible to publish all the papers presented to the conference, all of the participants contributed to the success of the event, and the quality of this volume. Neither the conference nor this book would have been possible without the generous financial support of the British Academy and the British Association of Slavonic and East European Studies. We are particularly grateful to those who have contributed chapters to the collection for their patience and rapid replies to our queries. Finally, we thank Michael Watson of Cambridge University Press for his unflagging interest in this project.