Have you dreamed of time travel? We tried to make it possible with our digital time machine: we take you back 100 years to relive the Russian Revolution in real time.

“Revolution in 360” is a unique VR series immersing viewers in a 1917 Russia experience almost exactly as it was, 100 years ago.

We asked ourselves what would be the best new way to teach history in the social media era? How can we engage an audience used to snaps, tweets, breaking news, social media videos? So we created a large-scale Twitter role-play that reenacts history in real time.

Among our objectives:

- create innovative social media storytelling

- film historically authentic 360 videos

- show best-in-class VR cinematography production

- educate and inspire audience to learn

- introduce a new format which can be adapted in history education courses globally

- increase brand awareness

8 episodes from the series were released between 25 October-7 November 2017 to mark the centenary of the Russian Revolution. The videos were being published in special 360 app, also on YouTube and Facebook.

Besides online media platforms, “Revolution in 360” VR-project was presented to the audiences at a special and unusual event. Passengers of the Moscow Metro got the chance to immerse themselves in the Russian Revolution ahead of its 100th anniversary during a unique underground VR screenings.

An improvised VR cinema was open in the foyer of the Ploshchad Revolyutsii (Revolution Square) station on November 6, near the Red Square. The choice of location for VR screening was no coincidence, since the station is actually named after the 1917 events.

Additional screenings of the “Revolution in 360” series took place inside one of Moscow’s main creative exhibiting platforms - the Art Play.

“Revolution in 360” gained 1 million video views on Facebook and YouTube and thousands of interactions. The VR series helped to promote #1917LIVE project. After one year of running #1917LIVE, the combined accounts gained over 250,000 followers. More than 275,000 tweets used the hashtag #1917LIVE, generating over 75 million impressions.

#1917LIVE was followed by media influencers, reporters, politicians, researchers and history enthusiasts. Journalists from The Guardian, Bloomberg, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post, Newsweek, France 24 ‘retweeted the revolution’. The project received media coverage in 10+ languages (Huffington Post, El Pais, La Stampa, GQ, Telesur and others).

The project generated scientific interest among scholars and educators globally: some have requested a full data-set to enable their research. Others are using the data to teach Russian history.

Innovation in #1917LIVE was praised by many influencers and has been recognised at numerous prestigious international awards, generating powerful PR flow.