
Walking Tour - The East End and the Russian Revolution
This walking tour will take place in person.
In the East End of London, home to a large population of Jewish immigrants and exiles from the Russian Empire - many of whom retained family connections there - these events were watched closely. The area was also home to a significant number of Russian political exiles, and hosted congresses of the Russian Revolutionary movement.
This walking tour will spotlight important locations relevant to this world-altering moment in history.
Who is this tour for?
- People interested in London’s social history, and especially East End history
- People interested in the history of London's immigrant Jewish community
- People interested in the Russian Revolution.
What can I expect?
This tour is fully wheelchair accessible. The tour will pass through streets connected with this history. Participants will be shown a number of photographic images depicting the personalities involved, as well as ones that highlight relevant issues.
Will I need any equipment or materials?
You will need comfortable shoes suitable for taking part in a 2-hour walk (with several stops), and water for refreshment. At the end of the walk, your tutor will provide a handout of key points.
Practical information
We regret that, due to the nature of the route, this tour is not accessible to anyone who uses a wheelchair or who is unable to use steps or stairs.
This route will begin outside Genesis Cinema in Mile End.

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Need to Know
Metadata
- Time
- 11:00 - 13:00
- Price
- £22/£17 concession
- Day
- Saturday
- Duration
- 120
- Venue
- Walking Tour
- Tutor
- David Rosenberg
- Max Students
- 20
- No. of Sessions
- 1
- Course Code
- HS23103
You will learn
- About the presence of communities from the Russian Empire in the East End
- About the role played by Russian political emigres in London in the late 19th and early 20th centuries
- The interactions of these communities with the state and with other activists in the area during this period
Meet the Tutor

David Rosenberg
David Rosenberg is an educator, writer, and tour guide of London’s radical history who has taught at Bishopsgate Institute and other adult education institutions for several years. He is a grandchild of Yiddish-speaking Jewish immigrants from Poland and Ukraine who settled in the East End of London. In the 1980s he worked for projects and organisations concerned with race equality, including the Runnymede Trust.
David Rosenberg is the author of Battle for the East End (2011) and Rebel Footprints (2nd edition 2019), and has written articles on London’s social history and current affairs for various print and online publications, including the Guardian, New Statesman, Time Out, Jewish Quarterly, and Channel 4’s History website.