A SYNCHRONIZATION NIGHTMARE
Russia is unique in many ways, one of which is how it measures time.
For eons, most of Europe used a calendar that dated back to the time of Julius Caesar. However, the Julian (aka Old Style) calendar had a slight problem - it was off by one day every 128 years. Not one to be content with sloppy timekeeping, Pope Gregory instituted the Gregorian (aka New Style) calendar in 1582, which eventually became the world’s standard.
Russia, on the other hand, clung to the Old Style calendar until 1918. So for centuries, the date in Russia lagged behind the Western European calendar. During the 19th century, the difference was 12 days. During the 20th century, the difference was 13 days.
Here's an example of the confusion. The Emancipation Manifesto that freed the serfs was signed by Tsar Alexander II on Sunday, February 19, 1861 (Old Style). The following day, Monday, March 4 (New Style), Abraham Lincoln was sworn in as president of the United States
In 1918, the Bolsheviks decided to get in line with the rest of Europe and switched to the Gregorian calendar. Thus, Russia’s October Revolution occurred on the Old Style date of October 25, 1918, but the event is now remembered on November 7 (New Style).
Imagine doing research on the 1850's Crimean War in preparation for writing How Did I Get Here, in which one of the military forces used Old Style while its opponents used New Style. In addition, there's inconsistent use of the two calendars in books, articles, and online references. Then try to coordinate the actual events (some New Style, some Old Style, and some not designated as either) into a fictional story in which timing is crucial.
My forehead is still black-and-blue from beating it against my desktop!
For eons, most of Europe used a calendar that dated back to the time of Julius Caesar. However, the Julian (aka Old Style) calendar had a slight problem - it was off by one day every 128 years. Not one to be content with sloppy timekeeping, Pope Gregory instituted the Gregorian (aka New Style) calendar in 1582, which eventually became the world’s standard.
Russia, on the other hand, clung to the Old Style calendar until 1918. So for centuries, the date in Russia lagged behind the Western European calendar. During the 19th century, the difference was 12 days. During the 20th century, the difference was 13 days.
Here's an example of the confusion. The Emancipation Manifesto that freed the serfs was signed by Tsar Alexander II on Sunday, February 19, 1861 (Old Style). The following day, Monday, March 4 (New Style), Abraham Lincoln was sworn in as president of the United States
In 1918, the Bolsheviks decided to get in line with the rest of Europe and switched to the Gregorian calendar. Thus, Russia’s October Revolution occurred on the Old Style date of October 25, 1918, but the event is now remembered on November 7 (New Style).
Imagine doing research on the 1850's Crimean War in preparation for writing How Did I Get Here, in which one of the military forces used Old Style while its opponents used New Style. In addition, there's inconsistent use of the two calendars in books, articles, and online references. Then try to coordinate the actual events (some New Style, some Old Style, and some not designated as either) into a fictional story in which timing is crucial.
My forehead is still black-and-blue from beating it against my desktop!
date
newest »
newest »
Jane Marlow's Blog
My sincere hope is that you find my historical Russian novels to be both entertaining and informative.
- Jane Marlow's profile
- 41 followers
We had to ensure we knew what they were talking about when Bloody Sunday was mentioned only by date or the Revolution was called the February Revolution when in the Gregorian calendar it would have fallen in March....
Even now, I'm unsure I've recalled it correctly!