Why did Sergey Prokofiev leave Russia in 1918?

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Portrait of composer Sergey Prokofiev, circa 1938, wearing round glasses, a suit, and a tie, looking slightly to the side. — Sergey Prokofiev Sergey Prokofiev.

Sergey Prokofiev decided to leave Russia in 1918 primarily due to the difficult circumstances brought about by the Russian Civil War. Following the 1917 revolutions, Prokofiev had been involved with the Council of Workers in the Arts, but he eventually concluded that there was no place for music within the council's activities.

After being stranded in the Caucasus for nearly nine months due to the conflict, he returned to Petrograd in the spring of 1918. Given the instability and the challenging environment of the time, he decided to leave Russia temporarily to undertake a concert tour abroad. He received official sanction to travel through Siberia, where civil strife was ongoing, to begin his journey.1