The "Companion" constitutes a landmark in the study of the Russian Revolution and the ensuing Civil War. Published in parallel in English and Russian on the 80th anniversary of the October Revolution, it provides direct access to the finest fruits of modern research into the subject. It is able to reflect the impact on the study of the Revolution made by the collapse of the USSR; much freer access to the archives; current concern with the analysis of language, discourse and identity; and the new opportunities for collaboration between Russian and non-Russian specialists drawn from across the world.