Which party was Lenin in? Vladimir Ilyich Lenin: short biography, interesting facts
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin is a famous Russian revolutionary, Soviet politician and statesman, founder of the Soviet Union, organizer of the CPSU. He was involved in many areas. He is considered the most legendary leader and politician in history. Moreover, Lenin organized the first socialist state. This communist figure was interested in the politics of Mark Engels, and soon continued his work. Vladimir Ilyich changed the fate of not only the Soviet state, but the whole world. Lenin is the founder of the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party. The main task of this statesman was to create a party of the working class. Such an innovation was supposed to have a positive impact on the fate of the state in the future, according to Lenin.
Portrait of Vladimir Lenin
Biography of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin
This person is considered the most important organizer and leader October revolution 1917 in Russia. In addition, Vladimir Ilyich - first chairman of the Council of People's Commissars.
Despite the huge period of time that has passed since the reign of the legendary figure, historians are increasingly paying attention to studying his policies, methods of activity and the life of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin. He actively developed his policies at the beginning of the twentieth century. However, his form of government was not to everyone's liking. Some condemned the politician, others admired him. Despite everything, he still remains one of the most significant personalities in the field of politics.
Lenin was an ardent Marxist and always clearly defended his opinion. He is considered the founder of Marxism-Leninism. Vladimir Ilyich is the ideologist and creator of the Third Communist International. State Representative was also involved in the field of political and journalistic work. His pen includes works of various nature. For example, materialist philosophy, the theory of Marxism, the construction of socialism and communism and many others.
Vladimir Lenin and his sister Maria
Millions consider Vladimir Ilyich Lenin one of the most famous representatives politicians throughout world history. This is due to the methods of his government and the nature of his activities. The staff of the popular Time magazine added Lenin to the list of the hundred most significant revolutionary figures of the twentieth century. This Russian leader was included in the category "Leaders and Revolutionaries". It is also known that the works of Vladimir Ilyich annually lead in the lists of translated literature. Printed works rank third in the world after the Bible and works Mao Zedong.
Childhood and youth of Vladimir Ulyanov
The real name of the great Russian leader is Ulyanov. Vladimir Ilyich was born in 1870 in Ulyanovsk (Simbirsk today) in the family of an inspector of public schools in the Simbirsk province. Vladimir's father Ilya Nikolaevich Ulyanov, was a state councilor. Previously, he taught in secondary educational institutions in Penza and Nizhny Novgorod.
Vladimir Lenin in childhood
Mother of Vladimir Ulyanov, Maria Alexandrovna, had Swedish and German ancestry on her mother’s side and European ancestry on her father’s side. Maria Ulyanova passed the exams for the position of teacher as an external student. However, she later finished her career and devoted all her free time to raising her children and household. In addition to Vladimir, the family had older children - son Alexander and daughter Anna. A few years later, two more children appeared in the family - Maria and Dmitry.
As a child, young Ulyanov accepted Orthodox baptism and was a member of the Simbirsk religious Society of St. Sergius of Radonezh. During school, the boy received high grades according to God's law.
Little Vladimir was a very developed child. At the age of five he could already read and write perfectly. Soon he entered the Simbirsk gymnasium. There he was attentive, diligent and devoted a lot of time to the educational process. For his hard work and efforts, he constantly received certificates of commendation and other awards. Some teachers often called him a “walking encyclopedia.”
Vladimir Lenin in his youth
Vladimir Ulyanov was very different from other students in the level of his development. All his classmates respected him and treated him like an authoritative friend. During his school years, the future leader read a lot of advanced Russian literature, which soon influenced the boy’s worldview. He preferred the works of V. G. Belinsky, A. I. Herzen, N. A. Dobrolyubov, D. I. Pisarev and especially N. G. Chernyshevsky and others. In 1880, a schoolboy received a book with gold embossing on the binding: “For good behavior and success” and a certificate of merit.
In 1887 He graduated from the Simbirsk gymnasium with a gold medal; in general, his grades were at a high level. Then he entered the Faculty of Law of Kazan University. The leaders of the gymnasium, F. Kerensky, were extremely surprised and disappointed by the choice of Vladimir Ulyanov. He advised him to continue his studies at the Faculty of History and Literature. Kerensky argued for this decision by the fact that his student was truly successful in the field of Latin and literature.
In 1887, a terrible incident occurred in the Ulyanov family - Vladimir’s older brother Alexander was executed for organizing an assassination attempt on the Tsar. Alexandra III. From that moment, Ulyanov’s revolutionary activity began to develop. He started attending an illegal student group "Narodnaya Volya" headed by Lazar Bogoraz. Due to this, he was expelled from the university already in his first year. Ulyanov and several dozen other students were arrested and sent to the police station. The situation with his brother affected his worldview. Vladimir Ulyanov seriously protested against national oppression and tsarist policies. It was during that period that the guy began his revolutionary activities against capitalism.
Vladimir Lenin in his youth
After expulsion from Kazan University, he moved to a small village called Kukushkino, located in the Kazan province. There he lived for two years in the Ardashevs’ house. In connection with all the events, Vladimir Ulyanov was included in the list of suspicious individuals who must be carefully monitored. Moreover, the future leader was prohibited from resuming his studies at the university.
Soon Vladimir Ilyich became a member of various Marxist organizations that Fedoseev created. Members of these groups studied the essays Karl Marx and Engels. In 1889, Vladimir’s mother, Maria Ulyanova, purchased a huge plot of more than a hundred hectares in the Samara province. The whole family moved into this mansion. The mother persistently asked her son to drive such big house, however, this process was not successful.
Local peasants robbed the Ulyanovs and stole their horse and two cows. Then Ulyanova could not stand it and decided to sell both the land and the house. Today, the house-museum of Vladimir Lenin is located in this village.
Lenin abroad
In 1889 The Lenin family changed their place of residence. They moved to Samara. There, Vladimir’s connections with the revolutionaries resumed again. However, after a while, the authorities changed their decision and allowed the previously arrested Vladimir to begin preparing for exams to study jurisprudence. During his studies, he actively studied economic textbooks, as well as zemstvo statistical reports.
Participation of Vladimir Lenin in revolutionary activities
In 1891 Vladimir Lenin entered the Faculty of Law at St. Petersburg University as an external student. There he worked as an assistant to a sworn lawyer from Samara and defended prisoners. In 1893 he moved to St. Petersburg and devoted much time to writing works related to Marxist political economy. During the same period of time, he created the program of the Social Democratic Party. Among Lenin's popular and surviving works is “New Economic Movements in Peasant Life.”
Vladimir Lenin with a newspaper
In 1895 Lenin went abroad and visited several countries at once. Among them are Switzerland, Germany and France. There Vladimir Ilyin met famous personalities such as, Georgy Plekhanov, Wilhelm Liebknecht and Paul Lafargue. Later, the revolutionary figure returned to his homeland and began to develop various innovations. First of all, he united all Marxist circles into the “Union of Struggle for the Liberation of the Working Class.” Lenin began to actively spread the idea of fighting the autocracy.
For such actions, Lenin and his allies were arrested again. They were in custody for a year. Next, the prisoners were sent to the Shushenskoye village of the Elysee province. During this period, the statesman actively established relations with Social Democrats from various parts of the country, namely from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Voronezh, and Nizhny Novgorod.
In 1900 he was free and visited all the cities of Russia. Lenin devoted a lot of time to visiting various organizations. In the same year, Lenin created a newspaper called "Spark". It was then that Vladimir Ilyich first began to sign the name “Lenin”. A few months later he organized the congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party. In connection with this event, a split occurred into Bolsheviks and Mensheviks. Lenin became the head of the Bolshevik ideological and political party. He tried with all his might to fight the Mensheviks and took radical measures.
Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin
Since 1905 Lenin lived in Switzerland for three years. There he carefully prepared for an armed uprising. Later, Vladimir Ilyich returned illegally to St. Petersburg. He tried to attract the peasants to him so that they would be one strong team to fight. Vladimir Lenin called on the peasants to actively fight and asked them to use everything that was at hand as a weapon. It was necessary to attack civil servants.
Role in the execution of the family of Emperor Nicholas II criticism and accusations
As it became known, on the night of July 16-17, 1918, the family of Nicholas II and all the servants were shot. This incident occurred by order of the Ural Regional Council in Yekaterinburg. The resolution was headed by the Bolsheviks. Lenin and Sverdlov had a certain number of sanctions that were used for execution Nicholas II. These data have been officially confirmed. However, historical experts and other specialists are still actively discussing Lenin's sanctions for the execution of the family and servants of Nicholas II. Some historians acknowledge this fact, others categorically deny it.
Initially, the Soviet government decided that it was necessary to try Nicholas II. This issue was discussed in 1918 at a meeting of the Council of People's Commissars, which took place at the end of January. The Party Collegium officially confirmed such actions and the need for a trial of Nicholas II. This idea, accordingly, was supported by Vladimir Ilyich Lenin and his allies.
Speech by Vladimir Lenin
As is known, during that period, Nicholas II, his family and servants were transported from Tobolsk to Yekaterinburg. Most likely, this move was connected with all the events taking place. M. Medvedev (Kudrin) provided confirmation that it was not possible to obtain sanctions for the execution of Nicholas II. Lenin argued that the tsar needed to be transferred to a safer place to live. On July 13, a meeting was held at which issues related to the military review and the careful protection of the Tsar were discussed.
Wife of Lenin Vladimir Ilyich Krupskaya said that on the night of the murder of the Tsar and his family, the Russian leader was at work all night and returned only early in the morning.
Vladimir Lenin and Leon Trotsky
Personal life of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin. Krupskaya
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin tried to carefully hide his personal life, like other professional revolutionaries. His wife was Nadezhda Krupskaya. They met in 1894 during the active creation of an organization called "Union of Struggle for the Liberation of the Working Class". At that time, a Marxist meeting took place, where they met. Nadezhda Krupskaya was admired by Lenin's leadership qualities and his serious character. She, in turn, interested Lenin in his analytical mind and development in many areas. Government activities brought the couple much closer together and a few years later they decided to tie the knot. Vladimir Ilyich’s chosen one was restrained and calm, extremely flexible. She supported her lover in everything, no matter what. Moreover, the wife helped the Russian revolutionary in secret correspondence with various party members.
However, despite Nadezhda’s wonderful character and loyalty, she was a terrible housewife. It was almost never possible to notice Krupskaya in the process of cooking and cleaning. She did not do housework and cooked extremely rarely. However, if such cases did occur, then Lenin did not complain and ate everything that was given to him. Let us note that once in 1916, on New Year's Eve, there was only yogurt on their festive table.
Vladimir Lenin and Nadezhda Krupskaya
Before Krupskaya, Lenin admired Apollinaria Yakubova, however, she rejected him. Yakubova was a socialist.
After they met, love broke out at first sight. Krupskaya followed her lover everywhere and participated in all the actions of Vladimir Ilyich. Soon they got married. Local peasants became best men. The rings were made for them by their ally from copper coins. The wedding of Krupskaya and Lenin took place on July 22, 1898 in the village of Shushenskoye. After this, Nadezhda truly loved her husband. Moreover, Lenin got married, despite the fact that at that time he was an ardent atheist.
In her free time, Nadezhda went about her business, namely theoretical and pedagogical work. She had her own opinions regarding many situations and did not completely submit to her abusive husband.
Vladimir was always cruel and callous towards his wife, but Nadezhda always bowed to him, loved him faithfully and helped him in all areas. In addition to Nadezhda, there were many other women in Lenin’s life, even after marriage. Krupskaya knew about this, but proudly restrained the pain and endured the humiliating attitude towards herself. She forgot about feelings of pride and jealousy.
Vladimir Lenin and Inessa Armand
There is still no reliable information about the children of Vladimir Lenin. Some claim that they were infertile and had no children at all. And other historians say that the famous Russian leader had many illegitimate children. There is also information that Lenin has a child named Alexander Steffen from his beloved Inessa Armand. Their romance lasted for five years. Inessa Armand was Lenin's mistress for a long time and Krupskaya knew about everything that was happening.
They met Inessa Armand in 1909 while in Paris. As you know, Inessa Armand is the daughter of a famous French opera singer and comic actress. At that time, Inessa was 35 years old. She was completely different from Nadezhda Krupskaya neither externally nor internally. She was distinguished by beautiful features and unusual appearance. The girl had deep eyes, beautiful long hair, an excellent figure and a beautiful voice. Krupskaya, according to Anna Ulyanova, Vladimir’s sister, was completely ugly, had eyes like a fish, and did not have beautiful expressive facial features.
Inessa Armand She had a passionate character and always expressed her emotions clearly. She loved to communicate with people and had good manners. Krupskaya, unlike Lenin’s French chosen one, was cold and did not like to express her emotions. They say that Vladimir, most likely, had simply a physical attraction to this lady, he did not experience any feelings for her. However, Inessa herself loved this man very much. Moreover, she was radical in her views and categorically did not understand open relationships. Armand was also an excellent cook and always took care of housework, unlike Nadezhda Krupskaya, who was almost never involved in these processes.
Vladimir Lenin
Information was also known that Nadezhda Krupskaya suffered from infertility. It was this fact that argued for the absence of children from the couple for many years. Later, doctors stated that the woman had a terrible illness - Graves' disease. It was this disease that was the reason for the absence of children.
In the Soviet Union, information was not disseminated about Lenin’s infidelities and the couple’s lack of children. These facts were considered shameful.
Nadezhda's parents loved Vladimir Ilyich very much. They were happy that she connected her life with an intelligent young man, very educated and discreet. However, Lenin’s family was not very happy about the appearance of this girl. For example, Vladimir’s sister - Anna, hated Nadezhda and considered her strange and unattractive.
Nadezhda knew everything about her husband’s infidelities, but she behaved with restraint and never said anything to him, much less to Inessa. About it love triangle Everyone around him knew too, since the famous revolutionary did not hide anything and did it in front of everyone. Inessa Armand was always present in the life of the couple. Moreover, Inessa and Nadezhda tried to maintain friendly relations and communicate.
Lenin Vladimir Ilyich
Lenin's French mistress helped him in everything; she went with him to party meetings throughout Europe. The woman also translated his books, articles and other works. Let us note that Nadezhda kept a photograph of her husband’s mistress in her bedroom and looked at her competitor every day. Nearby there were photographs of Vladimir and Nadezhda’s mother.
Nadezhda endured her husband’s humiliation and betrayal until the very end, and, it would seem, had already come to terms with Vladimir’s mistress. However, at some point she could not stand it and invited her husband to leave. He did not agree and left his mistress Inessa Armand. In 1920, Inessa died from a terrible disease - cholera. Nadezhda Krupskaya also came to her rival’s funeral. She held Vladimir's hand the whole time.
Lenin's French fiancee left two children from her first marriage, who became orphans. Their father also died earlier. Therefore, the couple decided to take care of these children and look after them. Initially, the children lived in Gorki, but later they were sent abroad.
Vladimir Lenin in the last years of his life
Death of Vladimir Lenin
After the death of Inessa Armand, Lenin's life went downhill. He also began to get sick often; the Russian leader’s health condition deteriorated significantly due to all the events taking place. He soon passed away on January 21, 1924 at the estate Gorki Moscow province. There were many versions of the man's death. Some historians suggest that he died due to syphilis, which could have been transmitted to him by his French mistress. As is known, he took for a long time drugs for the treatment of such diseases.
However, according to official data, Lenin died from atherosclerosis, which he had recently suffered from. Vladimir Ilyich's last request was bring Inessa's children to him. At that time they were in France. Krupskaya fulfilled this request of her husband, but they were not allowed to see Lenin. In February 1924, Nadezhda proposed burying Vladimir next to the ashes of Inessa Armand, but Stalin categorically denied this proposal.
Funeral of Vladimir Lenin
A few days after the death of the world-famous leader, his body was transported to Moscow. He was placed in the Column Hall of the House of Unions. For five days, farewell was held in this building to the Russian leader, political and statesman, to the head of the Soviet people.
January 27, 1924 Lenin's body was embalmed. A Mausoleum was specially built for the body of this legendary personality, which is still located on Red Square to this day. Every year the issue of Vladimir Lenin’s reburial is raised, but no one does it.
Lenin Mausoleum on Red Square in Moscow
Creativity, writings and works of Lenin
Lenin was a famous successor Karl Marx. He often wrote works on this topic. Thus, hundreds of works belong to his pen. IN Soviet time More than forty “Lenin collections” were published, as well as collected works. Among Lenin's most popular works are “The Development of Capitalism in Russia” (1899), “What to Do?” (1902), “Materialism and Empirio-Criticism” (1909). Moreover, in 1919-1921 he recorded sixteen speeches on records, which testifies to the oratorical abilities of the people's leader.
Cult of Lenin
A real cult began around the personality of Vladimir Lenin during his reign. Petrograd was renamed Leningrad, many streets and villages were named after this Russian revolutionary. In every city of the state a monument to Vladimir Lenin was erected. The legendary man was quoted in many scientific and journalistic works.
Revolutionary Lenin Vladimir Ilyich
A special survey was conducted among the Russian population. More than 52% of respondents claim that the personality of Vladimir Lenin has become one of the most important and necessary in the history of their people.
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin is a world-famous Russian revolutionary, the main leader of the Soviet people, politician and statesman. He was involved in the field of journalism; hundreds of works belong to the pen of this legendary man. Over the past decades, many poems, ballads, poems have been published in his honor. In almost every city there is a monument to Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, whose reign will be talked about for decades to come all over the world.
In Simbirsk (now Ulyanovsk) in the family of an inspector of public schools, who became a hereditary nobleman.
The elder brother, Alexander, participated in the populist movement; in May of the year he was executed for preparing an assassination attempt on the tsar.
In 1887, Vladimir Ulyanov graduated from the Simbirsk gymnasium with a gold medal, was admitted to Kazan University, but three months after admission he was expelled for participating in student riots. In 1891, Ulyanov graduated from the Faculty of Law of St. Petersburg University as an external student, after which he worked in Samara as an assistant to a sworn attorney. In August 1893, he moved to St. Petersburg, where he joined the Marxist circle of students at the Technological Institute. In April 1895, Vladimir Ulyanov went abroad and met the Liberation of Labor group. In the autumn of the same year, on the initiative and under the leadership of Lenin, the Marxist circles of St. Petersburg united into a single “Union of Struggle for the Liberation of the Working Class.” In December 1985, Lenin was arrested by the police. He spent more than a year in prison, then was exiled for three years to the village of Shushenskoye, Minusinsk district, Krasnoyarsk Territory, under open police supervision. In 1898, the Union participants held the first congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party (RSDLP) in Minsk.
While in exile, Vladimir Ulyanov continued his theoretical and organizational revolutionary activities. In 1897, he published the work “The Development of Capitalism in Russia,” where he tried to challenge the populists’ views on socio-economic relations in the country and thereby prove that a bourgeois revolution was brewing in Russia. He became acquainted with the works of the leading theorist of German Social Democracy, Karl Kautsky, from whom he borrowed the idea of organizing the Russian Marxist movement in the form of a centralized party of a “new type”.
After the end of his exile in January 1900, he went abroad (for the next five years he lived in Munich, London and Geneva). Together with Georgy Plekhanov, his associates Vera Zasulich and Pavel Axelrod, as well as his friend Yuli Martov, Ulyanov began publishing the Social Democratic newspaper Iskra.
From 1901 he began to use the pseudonym "Lenin" and from then on was known in the party under this name.
From 1905 to 1907, Lenin lived illegally in St. Petersburg, leading the leftist forces. From 1907 to 1917, Lenin was in exile, where he defended his political views in the Second International. In 1912, Lenin and like-minded people separated from the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party (RSDLP), essentially founding their own, the Bolshevik. The new party published the newspaper Pravda.
At the beginning of the First World War, while on the territory of Austria-Hungary, Lenin was arrested due to suspicion of espionage for the Russian government, but thanks to the participation of the Austrian Social Democrats, he was released, after which he left for Switzerland.
In the spring of 1917, Lenin returned to Russia. On April 4, 1917, the day after arriving in Petrograd, he delivered the so-called “April Theses,” where he outlined a program for the transition from the bourgeois-democratic revolution to the socialist one, and also began preparing for an armed uprising and the overthrow of the Provisional Government.
At the beginning of October 1917, Lenin illegally moved from Vyborg to Petrograd. On October 23, at a meeting of the Central Committee (Central Committee) of the RSDLP(b), at his proposal, a resolution on an armed uprising was adopted. On November 6, in a letter to the Central Committee, Lenin demanded an immediate offensive, the arrest of the Provisional Government and the seizure of power. In the evening, he illegally arrived in Smolny to directly lead the armed uprising. The next day, November 7 (Old Style - October 25), 1917, an uprising and seizure of state power by the Bolsheviks occurred in Petrograd. At the meeting of the Second All-Russian Congress of Soviets that opened in the evening, the Soviet government was proclaimed - the Council of People's Commissars (SNK), whose chairman was Vladimir Lenin. The congress adopted the first decrees prepared by Lenin: on ending the war and on the transfer of private land for the use of workers.
On Lenin's initiative, the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was concluded with Germany in 1918.
After the capital was transferred from Petrograd to Moscow in March 1918, Lenin lived and worked in Moscow. His personal apartment and office were located in the Kremlin, on the third floor of the former Senate building. Lenin was elected as a deputy of the Moscow Soviet.
In the spring of 1918, Lenin's government began the fight against the opposition by closing anarchist and socialist workers' organizations; in July 1918, Lenin led the suppression of the armed uprising of the left Socialist Revolutionaries.
The confrontation intensified during the civil war, the Socialist Revolutionaries, Left Socialist Revolutionaries and anarchists, in turn, attacked the leaders of the Bolshevik regime; On August 30, 1918, an attempt was made on Lenin.
With the end of the Civil War and the cessation of military intervention in 1922, the process of restoring the country's national economy began. For this purpose, at the insistence of Lenin, “war communism”, food allocation was replaced by a food tax. Lenin introduced the so-called New Economic Policy (NEP), which allowed private free trade. At the same time, he insisted on the development of state-owned enterprises, electrification, and the development of cooperation.
In May and December 1922, Lenin suffered two strokes, but continued to lead the state. A third stroke, which followed in March 1923, left him practically incapacitated.
Vladimir Lenin died on January 21, 1924 in the village of Gorki near Moscow. On January 23, the coffin with his body was transported to Moscow and installed in the Hall of Columns of the House of Unions. The official farewell took place over five days. On January 27, 1924, the coffin with Lenin’s embalmed body was placed in a specially built Mausoleum on Red Square designed by the architect Alexei Shchusev. The leader's body is in a transparent sarcophagus, which was made according to the plans and drawings of engineer Kurochkin, the creator of ruby glass for the Kremlin stars.
During the years of Soviet power, memorial plaques were installed on various buildings associated with Lenin's activities, and monuments to the leader were erected in cities. The following were established: the Order of Lenin (1930), the Lenin Prize (1925), Lenin Prizes for achievements in the field of science, technology, literature, art, architecture (1957). In 1924-1991, the Central Lenin Museum operated in Moscow. A number of enterprises, institutions and educational institutions.
In 1923, the Central Committee of the RCP(b) created the Institute of V.I. Lenin, and in 1932, as a result of its merger with the Institute of Marx and Engels, a single Marx-Engels-Lenin Institute was formed under the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks (later it became known as the Institute Marxism-Leninism under the Central Committee of the CPSU). The Central Party Archive of this institute (now the Russian State Archive of Socio-Political History) stores more than 30 thousand documents authored by Vladimir Lenin.
Lenin on Nadezhda Krupskaya, whom he knew from the St. Petersburg revolutionary underground. They got married on July 22, 1898, during Vladimir Ulyanov’s exile in the village of Shushenskoye.
The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources
Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov
V. Ilyin, V. Frey, Iv. Petrov, K. Tulin, Karpov, Lenin, Old Man.
subject Russian Empire, citizen of the RSFSR, citizen of the USSR
Kazan University, St. Petersburg University
St. Petersburg "Union of Struggle for the Liberation of the Working Class"
writer, lawyer, revolutionary
intelligentsia
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin(real name Ulyanov; April 10 (22), 1870, Simbirsk - January 21, 1924, Moscow province) - Russian, Soviet political and statesman, outstanding Russian thinker, philosopher, founder, publicist, greatest, creator, organizer and leader, founder, Chairman and creator
One of the most famous political figures of the 20th century, whose name is known to the whole world.
Biography
Childhood, education and upbringing
Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov was born in Simbirsk (now Ulyanovsk) in 1870.
Lenin's grandfather - N.V. Ulyanov, a serf peasant from the Nizhny Novgorod province, later lived in Astrakhan, was a tailor-craftsman. Father - I. N. Ulyanov, after graduating from Kazan University, taught in secondary schools in Penza and Nizhny Novgorod, and then was an inspector and director of public schools in the Simbirsk province. I. N. Ulyanov rose to the rank of actual state councilor and received hereditary nobility. Lenin's mother - M. A. Ulyanova (née Blank, 1835-1916), the daughter of a doctor, having received a home education, passed the exams for the title of teacher as an external student; She devoted herself entirely to raising her children. Sisters - A. I. Ulyanova-Elizarova, M. I. Ulyanova and younger brother - D. I. Ulyanov subsequently became prominent figures.
In 1879-1887, Vladimir Ulyanov studied at the Simbirsk gymnasium, led by F. M. Kerensky, the father of A. F. Kerensky, the future head. The spirit of protest against the tsarist system, social and national oppression awakened in him early. Advanced Russian literature, the works of V. G. Belinsky, A. I. Herzen, N. A. Dobrolyubov, D. I. Pisarev and especially N. G. Chernyshevsky contributed to the formation of his revolutionary views. Lenin learned about Marxist literature from his older brother Alexander. In 1887 he graduated from high school with a gold medal and entered the law faculty of Kazan University. F. M. Kerensky was very disappointed with the choice of Volodya Ulyanov, as he advised him to enter the history and literature department of the university due to the younger Ulyanov’s great success in Latin and literature.
In the same year, 1887, on May 8 (20), Vladimir Ilyich’s elder brother, Alexander, was executed as a participant in the Narodnaya Volya conspiracy to assassinate Emperor Alexander III. Three months after his admission, Vladimir Ilyich was expelled for participating in student riots caused by the new university charter, the introduction of police surveillance of students and the campaign against. According to the student inspector, who suffered from student unrest, Vladimir Ilyich was in the forefront of the raging students, almost with clenched fists. As a result of the unrest, Vladimir Ilyich, along with 40 other students, was arrested the next night and sent to the police station. All those arrested were expelled from the university and sent to their “homeland.” Later, another group of students left Kazan University in protest against the repression. Among those who voluntarily left the university was cousin Lenin, Vladimir Aleksandrovich Ardashev. After petitions from Lyubov Alexandrovna Ardasheva, Vladimir Ilyich’s aunt, he was exiled to the village of Kokushkino, Kazan province, where he lived in the Ardashevs’ house until the winter of 1888-1889. From that time on, Lenin devoted his entire life to the cause of the struggle against autocracy and capitalism, to the cause of liberating the working people from oppression and exploitation.
The beginning of revolutionary activity
In October 1888 Lenin returned to Kazan. Here he joined one of the Marxist circles organized by N. E. Fedoseev, in which the works of , were studied and discussed. In 1924, N.K. Krupskaya wrote in:
Vladimir Ilyich loved Plekhanov passionately. Plekhanov played a major role in the development of Vladimir Ilyich, helped him find the right revolutionary path, and therefore Plekhanov was surrounded by a halo for a long time: he experienced every slightest disagreement with Plekhanov extremely painfully.
The works of Marx and Engels played a decisive role in the formation of Lenin's worldview - he became a convinced Marxist.
For some time, Lenin tried to engage in agriculture on the estate bought by his mother in Alakaevka (83.5 dessiatines) in the Samara province. Under Soviet rule, a house-museum of Lenin was created in this village. In the fall of 1889, the Ulyanov family moved to Samara.
In 1891, Vladimir Ulyanov passed the exams as an external student for a course at the Faculty of Law of St. Petersburg University.
In 1892-1893 Vladimir Ulyanov worked as an assistant to the Samara attorney (lawyer) N.A. Hardin, conducting most criminal cases and conducting “official defenses.” Here in Samara, he organized a circle of Marxists, established connections with the revolutionary youth of other cities of the Volga region, and gave lectures against populism. The first of Lenin’s surviving works, the article “New Economic Movements in Peasant Life,” dates back to the Samara period.
At the end of August 1893, Lenin moved to St. Petersburg, where he joined a Marxist circle, whose members were S. I. Radchenko, P. K. Zaporozhets, G. M. Krzhizhanovsky and others. The legal cover of Lenin’s revolutionary activities was his work as an assistant to a sworn attorney. Unshakable faith in the victory of the working class, extensive knowledge, deep understanding of Marxism and the ability to apply it to the resolution of vital issues that worried the masses earned the respect of St. Petersburg Marxists and made Lenin their recognized leader. He establishes connections with advanced workers (I.V. Babushkin, V.A. Shelgunov, etc.), leads workers’ circles, and explains the need for a transition from circle propaganda of Marxism to revolutionary agitation among the broad proletarian masses.
Lenin was the first Russian Marxist to set the task of creating a working class party in Russia as an urgent practical task and led the struggle of revolutionary Social Democrats for its implementation. He believed that this should be a proletarian party of a new type, in its principles, forms and methods of activity meeting the requirements of the new era - the era of imperialism and.
Having accepted the central idea of Marxism about the historical mission of the working class - the gravedigger of capitalism and the creator of communist society, Lenin devotes all the strength of his creative genius, comprehensive erudition, colossal energy, rare capacity for work to selfless service to the cause of the proletariat, becomes a professional revolutionary, and is formed as the leader of the working class.
In 1894, Lenin wrote the work “What are “friends of the people” and how do they fight against the Social Democrats?”, at the end of 1894 - beginning of 1895. - the work “The economic content of populism and its criticism in Mr. Struve’s book (Reflection of Marxism in bourgeois literature).” Already these first major works of his were distinguished by a creative approach to the theory and practice of the labor movement. In them, Lenin subjectively criticized the subjectivism of the populists and the objectivism of the “legal Marxists,” showed a consistently Marxist approach to the analysis of Russian reality, characterized the tasks of the Russian proletariat, developed the idea of an alliance of the working class with the peasantry, and substantiated the need to create a truly revolutionary party in Russia.
In April 1895, Lenin went abroad to establish contact with the Liberation of Labor group. In Switzerland he met Plekhanov, in Germany - with W. Liebknecht, in France - with P. Lafargue and other figures of the international labor movement. In September 1895, having returned from abroad, Lenin visited Vilnius, Moscow and Orekhovo-Zuevo, where he established connections with local Social Democrats. In the fall of 1895, on his initiative, the Marxist circles of St. Petersburg united into a single organization - the St. Petersburg “Union of Struggle for the Liberation of the Working Class,” which was the beginning of a revolutionary proletarian party and, for the first time in Russia, began to combine scientific socialism with the mass labor movement.
The “Union of Struggle” carried out active propaganda activities among workers; they issued more than 70 leaflets. On the night of December 8 (20) to December 9 (21), 1895, Lenin, together with his comrades in the Union of Struggle, was arrested and imprisoned, from where he continued to lead the Union. In prison, he writes “Project and Explanation of the Program of the Social Democratic Party,” a number of articles and leaflets, and prepares materials for his book “The Development of Capitalism in Russia.” In February 1897, he was exiled for 3 years to the village of Shushenskoye, Minusinsk district, Yenisei province. N.K. Krupskaya was also sentenced to exile for active revolutionary work. As Lenin's fiancée, she was also sent to Shushenskoye, where she became his wife. Here Lenin established and maintained contacts with the Social Democrats of St. Petersburg, Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Voronezh and other cities, with the Emancipation of Labor group, corresponded with Social Democrats who were in exile in the North and Siberia, rallied exiled socialists around him -Democrats of the Minusinsk district. In exile, Lenin wrote over 30 works, including the book “The Development of Capitalism in Russia” and the brochure “Tasks of Russian Social Democrats,” which were of great importance for the development of the party’s program, strategy and tactics.
By the end of the 90s, under the pseudonym “K. Tulin” V.I. Ulyanov gains fame in Marxist circles. While in exile, Ulyanov also advised local peasants on legal issues and drafted legal documents for them.
First emigration -
In 1898, a meeting took place in Minsk, proclaiming the formation of a Social Democratic Party in Russia and publishing the “Manifesto of the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party.” Lenin agreed with the main provisions of the Manifesto. However, the party had not actually been created yet. The congress, which took place without the participation of Lenin and other prominent Marxists, was unable to develop a program and charter for the party and overcome the disunity of the Social Democratic movement. In addition, all members of the Central Committee elected by the congress and most of the delegates were immediately arrested; Many organizations represented at the congress were destroyed by the police. The leaders of the Union of Struggle, who were in exile in Siberia, decided to unite numerous social democratic organizations and Marxist circles scattered throughout the country with the help of an all-Russian illegal political newspaper. Fighting for the creation of a new type of proletarian party, irreconcilable to opportunism, Lenin opposed international social democracy (E. Bernstein and others) and their supporters in Russia (“economists”). In 1899, he compiled a “Protest of Russian Social Democrats” directed against “”. The “protest” was discussed and signed by 17 exiled Marxists.
After the end of his exile, Lenin left Shushenskoye on January 29 (February 10), 1900. On his way to his new place of residence, Lenin stopped in Ufa, Moscow and other cities, visited St. Petersburg illegally, establishing connections with Social Democrats everywhere. Having settled in Pskov in February 1900, Lenin spent great job to organize the newspaper, he created strongholds for it in a number of cities. On July 29, 1900, he went abroad, where he established the publication of the newspaper Iskra. Lenin was immediate supervisor newspapers. The editorial board of the newspaper included three representatives of the emigrant group “Emancipation of Labor” - Plekhanov, P. B. Axelrod and V. I. Zasulich and three representatives of the “Union of Struggle” - Lenin and Potresov. The average circulation of the newspaper was 8,000 copies, with some issues up to 10,000 copies. The spread of the newspaper was facilitated by the creation of a network of underground organizations on the territory of the Russian Empire. Iskra played an exceptional role in the ideological and organizational preparation of the revolutionary proletarian party, in distinguishing itself from the opportunists. It became the center for uniting party forces and educating party cadres.
In 1900-1905 Lenin lived in Munich, London, Geneva. In December 1901, for the first time he signed one of his articles published in , under the pseudonym “Lenin”.
In the struggle for the creation of a new type of party, Lenin’s work “What is to be done?” was of outstanding importance. The pressing issues of our movement.” In it, Lenin criticized “economism” and highlighted the main problems of building the party, its ideology and politics. The most important theoretical issues were outlined by him in the articles “The Agrarian Program of Russian Social Democracy” (1902), “The National Question in Our Program” (1903).
Participation in the work of the Second Congress of the RSDLP (1903)
From July 17 to August 10, 1903, it took place in London. Lenin took an active part in the preparations for the congress not only with his articles in Iskra and Zarya; Since the summer of 1901, together with Plekhanov, he had been working on a draft party program, prepared a draft charter, drew up a work plan and drafts of almost all the resolutions of the upcoming party congress. The program consisted of two parts - a minimum program and a maximum program; the first involved the overthrow of tsarism and the establishment of a democratic republic, the destruction of the remnants of serfdom in the countryside, in particular the return to the peasants of lands cut off from them by landowners during the abolition of serfdom (the so-called “cuts”), the introduction of an eight-hour working day, recognition of the right of nations to self-determination and the establishment of equal rights nations; the maximum program determined the ultimate goal of the party - the construction and conditions for achieving this goal - and.
At the congress itself, Lenin was elected to the bureau, worked on the program, organizational and credentials commissions, chaired a number of meetings and spoke on almost all issues on the agenda.
Both organizations that were in solidarity with Iskra (and were called “Iskra”) and those that did not share its position were invited to participate in the congress. During the discussion of the program, a polemic arose between supporters of Iskra, on the one hand, and the “economists” (for whom the position of the dictatorship of the proletariat turned out to be unacceptable) and the Bund (on the national question) on the other; as a result, 2 “economists”, and later 5 Bundists left the congress.
But the discussion of the party charter, point 1, which defined the concept of a party member, revealed disagreements among the Iskraists themselves, who were divided into “hard” (Lenin’s supporters) and “soft” (Martov’s supporters). “In my draft,” Lenin wrote after the congress, “the definition was as follows: “A member of the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party is considered to be anyone who recognizes its program and supports the party both with material means and with personal participation in one of the party organizations.” Martov, instead of underlined words, suggested saying: work under the control and leadership of one of the party organizations... We argued that it is necessary to narrow the concept of a party member in order to separate those who work from those who talk, to eliminate organizational chaos, to eliminate such ugliness and such absurdity so that there can be organizations , consisting of party members, but not party organizations, etc. Martov stood for the expansion of the party and spoke of a broad class movement requiring a broad - vague organization, etc. ... “Under control and leadership,” I said, - in fact mean no more and no less than: without any control and without any guidance.” The wording of paragraph 1 proposed by Martov was supported by 28 votes against 22 with 1 abstention; but after the departure of the Bundists and economists, Lenin’s group received a majority in the elections to the Party Central Committee; This accidental circumstance, as subsequent events showed, forever divided the party into “Bolsheviks” and “Mensheviks.”
Nevertheless, despite this, at the congress the process of unification of revolutionary Marxist organizations was actually completed and the party of the working class of Russia was formed on the ideological, political and organizational principles developed by Lenin. A new type of proletarian party, the Bolshevik Party, was created. "Bolshevism exists as a movement political thought and as a political party, since 1903,” Lenin wrote in 1920. After the congress, he launched a struggle against Menshevism. In his work "" (1904), Lenin exposed the anti-party activities of the Mensheviks and substantiated the organizational principles of a new type of proletarian party.
First Russian Revolution (1905-1907)
The revolution of 1905-1907 found Lenin abroad, in Switzerland. During this period, Lenin directed the work of the Bolshevik Party to lead the masses.
At a meeting held in London in April 1905, Lenin emphasized that the main task of the ongoing revolution was to put an end to autocracy and the remnants of serfdom in Russia. Despite the bourgeois nature of the revolution, its main driving force was to be the working class, as the most interested in its victory, and its natural ally was the peasantry. Having approved Lenin's point of view, the congress determined the party's tactics: organizing strikes, demonstrations, preparing an armed uprising.
At the IV (1906) congress of the RSDLP, in the book “Two Tactics of Social Democracy in the Democratic Revolution” (1905) and numerous articles, Lenin developed and substantiated the strategic plan and tactics of the Bolshevik Party in the revolution, and criticized the opportunist line of the Mensheviks.
At the first opportunity, on November 8, 1905, Lenin illegally, under a false name, arrived in St. Petersburg and headed the work of the Central and St. Petersburg Bolshevik Committees elected by the congress; paid great attention to the management of newspapers " New life", "Proletarian", "Forward". Under the leadership of Lenin, the party was preparing an armed uprising.
In the summer of 1906, due to police persecution, Lenin moved to Kuokkala (Finland), in December 1907 he was again forced to emigrate to Switzerland, and at the end of 1908 to France (Paris).
Second emigration (- April)
In early January 1908, Lenin returned to Switzerland. Defeat of the revolution of 1905-1907. did not force him to fold his arms; he considered a repetition of the revolutionary upsurge inevitable. “Defeated armies learn well,” wrote Lenin.
In 1912, he decisively broke with the Mensheviks, who insisted on the legalization of the RSDLP.
The first issue of the legal Bolshevik newspaper Pravda was published. Its editor-in-chief was actually Lenin. He wrote articles to Pravda almost every day, sent letters in which he gave instructions, advice, and corrected the editors’ mistakes. Over the course of 2 years, Pravda published about 270 Leninist articles and notes. Also in exile, Lenin led the activities of the Bolsheviks in the IV State Duma, was a representative of the RSDLP in the II International, wrote articles on party and national issues, and studied philosophy.
From the end of 1912, Lenin lived on the territory of Austria-Hungary. Here, in the Galician town of Poronin, the First found him World War. Austrian gendarmes arrested Lenin, declaring him a tsarist spy. To free him, the help of a member of the Austrian parliament, socialist V. Adler, was required. To the question of the Habsburg minister, “Are you sure that Ulyanov is an enemy of the tsarist government?” Adler replied: “Oh, yes, more sworn than Your Excellency.” Lenin was released from prison, and 17 days later he was already in Switzerland. Soon after his arrival, Lenin announced his theses on the war at a meeting of a group of Bolshevik emigrants. He said that the war that had begun was imperialist, unfair on both sides, and alien to the interests of the working people.
Many modern historians accuse Lenin of defeatist sentiments, but he himself explained his position as follows: A lasting and just peace - without robbery and violence of the victors over the vanquished, a world in which not a single people would be oppressed, is impossible to achieve while capitalists are in power . Only the people themselves can end the war and conclude a just, democratic peace. And for this, the working people need to turn their weapons against the imperialist governments, turning the imperialist massacre into a civil war, into a revolution against the ruling classes and take power into their own hands. Therefore, whoever wants a lasting, democratic peace must be in favor of a civil war against governments and the bourgeoisie. Lenin put forward the slogan of revolutionary defeatism, the essence of which was voting against war loans to the government (in parliament), creating and strengthening revolutionary organizations among workers and soldiers, fighting government patriotic propaganda, and supporting the fraternization of soldiers at the front. At the same time, Lenin considered his position deeply patriotic: “We love our language and our homeland, we are full of a sense of national pride, and that is why we especially hate our slave past... and our slave present.”
At party conferences in Zimmerwald (1915) and Kienthal (1916), Lenin defended his thesis on the need to transform the imperialist war into a civil war and at the same time asserted that the socialist revolution could win in Russia (“Imperialism as the highest stage of capitalism”). In general, the Bolshevik attitude to the war was reflected in a simple slogan: “Defeat your government.”
Return to Russia
April - July 1917. "April Theses"
July - October 1917
Great October Socialist Revolution of 1917
After the revolution and during the Civil War (-)
Last years ( -)
Illness and death
Key Ideas
Analysis of capitalism and imperialism as its highest stage
Lenin Awards
Official lifetime award
The only official state award that V.I. Lenin was awarded was the Order of Labor of the Khorezm People's Socialist Republic (1922).
Lenin had no other state awards, either from the RSFSR and the USSR, or from foreign countries.
Titles and awards
In 1917, Norway took the initiative to award the Nobel Peace Prize to Vladimir Lenin, with the wording “For the triumph of the ideas of peace,” as a response to the Soviet Russia“Decree on Peace”, which separately led Russia out of the First World War. The Nobel Committee rejected this proposal due to the lateness of the application by the deadline - February 1, 1918, but made a decision that the committee would not object to awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to V. I. Lenin if the existing Russian government will establish peace and tranquility in the country (as you know, the path to establishing peace in Russia was blocked by the war that began in 1918). Lenin’s idea about transforming the imperialist war into a civil war was formulated in his work “Socialism and War,” written back in July-August 1915.
In 1919, by order of V.I. Lenin was accepted into the honorary Red Army soldiers of the 1st squad of the 1st platoon of the 1st company of the 195th Yeisk rifle regiment.
Lenin's pseudonyms
Memories
Works of art
Photo albums and postcard sets
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Lenin (Ulyanov) Vladimir Ilyich, the greatest proletarian revolutionary and thinker, successor to the work of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, organizer of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, founder of the Soviet socialist state, teacher and leader of the working people of the whole world.
Lenin's grandfather - Nikolai Vasilyevich Ulyanov, a serf from the Nizhny Novgorod province, later lived in Astrakhan, was a tailor-craftsman. Father - Ilya Nikolaevich Ulyanov, after graduating from Kazan University, taught in secondary schools in Penza and Nizhny Novgorod, and then was an inspector and director of public schools in the Simbirsk province. Lenin's mother, Maria Aleksandrovna Ulyanova (née Blank), the daughter of a doctor, having received a home education, passed the exams for the title of teacher as an external student; She devoted herself entirely to raising her children. The elder brother, Alexander Ilyich Ulyanov, was executed in 1887 for participating in the preparation of the assassination attempt on Tsar Alexander III. Sisters - Anna Ilyinichna Ulyanova-Elizarova, Maria Ilyinichna Ulyanova and younger brother - Dmitry Ilyich Ulyanov became prominent figures in the Communist Party.
From 1879 to 1887, L. (Lenin) studied at the Simbirsk gymnasium. The spirit of protest against the tsarist system, social and national oppression awakened in him early. Advanced Russian literature, the works of V. G. Belinsky, A. I. Herzen, N. A. Dobrolyubov, D. I. Pisarev and especially N. G. Chernyshevsky contributed to the formation of his revolutionary views. From his older brother L. learned about Marxist literature. After graduating from high school with a gold medal, L. entered Kazan University, but in December 1887, for active participation in a revolutionary gathering of students, he was arrested, expelled from the university and exiled to the village of Kokushkino, Kazan province. From that time on, L. devoted his entire life to the struggle against autocracy and capitalism, to the cause of liberating the working people from oppression and exploitation. In October 1888 L. returned to Kazan. Here he joined one of the Marxist circles organized by N. E. Fedoseev, in which the works of K. Marx, F. Engels, and G. V. Plekhanov were studied and discussed. The works of Marx and Engels played a decisive role in the formation of L.'s worldview—he became a convinced Marxist.
In 1891, L. passed the exams as an external student for the Faculty of Law at St. Petersburg University and began working as an assistant to a sworn attorney in Samara, where the Ulyanov family moved in 1889. Here he organized a circle of Marxists, established connections with the revolutionary youth of other cities of the Volga region, and gave lectures against populism. The first of L.’s surviving works, the article “New Economic Movements in Peasant Life,” dates back to the Samara period.
At the end of August 1893, L. moved to St. Petersburg, where he joined a Marxist circle, whose members were S. I. Radchenko, P. K. Zaporozhets, G. M. Krzhizhanovsky and others. The legal cover of L.’s revolutionary activities was his work as an assistant to a sworn attorney . Unshakable faith in the victory of the working class, extensive knowledge, deep understanding of Marxism and the ability to apply it to the resolution of vital issues that worried the masses earned L. the respect of St. Petersburg Marxists and made L. their recognized leader. He establishes connections with advanced workers (I.V. Babushkin, V.A. Shelgunov, etc.), leads workers’ circles, and explains the need for a transition from circle propaganda of Marxism to revolutionary agitation among the broad proletarian masses.
L. was the first Russian Marxist to set the task of creating a working class party in Russia as an urgent practical task and led the struggle of revolutionary Social Democrats for its implementation. L. believed that this should be a proletarian party of a new type, in its principles, forms and methods of activity meeting the requirements of the new era - the era of imperialism and socialist revolution.
Having accepted the central idea of Marxism about the historical mission of the working class - the gravedigger of capitalism and the creator of communist society, L. devotes all the strength of his creative genius, comprehensive erudition, colossal energy, and rare capacity for work to selfless service to the cause of the proletariat, becomes a professional revolutionary, and is formed as a leader of the working class.
In 1894, L. wrote the work “What are “friends of the people” and how do they fight against the Social Democrats? )". Already these first major works by L. were distinguished by a creative approach to the theory and practice of the labor movement. In them, L. subjected the subjectivism of the populists and the objectivism of the “legal Marxists” to devastating criticism, and showed a consistently Marxist approach to the analysis of Russian. in reality, he described the tasks of the Russian proletariat, developed the idea of an alliance of the working class with the peasantry, and substantiated the need to create a truly revolutionary party in Russia. In April 1895, L. went abroad to establish contact with the Liberation of Labor group. In Switzerland he met Plekhanov, in Germany - with W. Liebknecht, in France - with P. Lafargue and other figures of the international labor movement. In September 1895, having returned from abroad, L. visited Vilnius, Moscow and Orekhovo-Zuevo, where he established connections with local Social Democrats. In the fall of 1895, on the initiative and under the leadership of L., the Marxist circles of St. Petersburg united into a single organization - the St. Petersburg “Union of Struggle for the Liberation of the Working Class,” which was the beginning of a revolutionary proletarian party and, for the first time in Russia, began to combine scientific socialism with the mass workers’ movement.
On the night of December 8 (20) to December 9 (21), 1895, L., together with his comrades in the “Union of Struggle,” was arrested and imprisoned, from where he continued to lead the “Union.” In prison, L. wrote “Project and Explanation of the Program of the Social Democratic Party,” a number of articles and leaflets, and prepared materials for his book “The Development of Capitalism in Russia.” In February 1897, L. was exiled for 3 years to the village. Shushenskoye, Minusinsk district, Yenisei province. N.K. Krupskaya was also sentenced to exile for active revolutionary work. As L.'s bride, she was also sent to Shushenskoye, where she became his wife. Here L. established and maintained contact with the Social Democrats of St. Petersburg, Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Voronezh and other cities, with the Emancipation of Labor group, corresponded with the Social Democrats who were in exile in the North and Siberia, and rallied around him exiled Social Democrats of the Minusinsk district. In exile, L. wrote over 30 works, including the book “The Development of Capitalism in Russia” and the brochure “Tasks of Russian Social Democrats,” which were of great importance for the development of the party’s program, strategy and tactics. In 1898, the 1st Congress of the RSDLP was held in Minsk, which proclaimed the formation of a Social Democratic Party in Russia and published the “Manifesto of the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party.” L. agreed with the main provisions of the “Manifesto”. However, the party had not actually been created yet. The congress, which took place without the participation of L. and other prominent Marxists, was unable to develop a program and charter for the party or overcome the disunity of the Social Democratic movement. L. developed a practical plan for the creation of a Marxist party in Russia; the most important means of achieving this goal was, as L. believed, to be an all-Russian illegal political newspaper. Fighting for the creation of a new type of proletarian party, irreconcilable to opportunism, L. opposed the revisionists in international social democracy (E. Bernstein and others) and their supporters in Russia (“economists”). In 1899 he compiled the “Protest of Russian Social Democrats,” directed against “economism.” The “protest” was discussed and signed by 17 exiled Marxists.
After the end of his exile, L. left Shushenskoye on January 29 (February 10), 1900. Proceeding to his new place of residence, L. stopped in Ufa, Moscow, etc., illegally visited St. Petersburg, establishing connections with Social Democrats everywhere. Having settled in Pskov in February 1900, L. did a lot of work organizing the newspaper and created strongholds for it in a number of cities. In July 1900, L. went abroad, where he established the publication of the newspaper Iskra. L. was the immediate manager of the newspaper. Iskra played an exceptional role in the ideological and organizational preparation of the revolutionary proletarian party, in distinguishing itself from the opportunists. It became the center for uniting desks. strength, education of desks. frames. Subsequently, L. noted that “the entire flower of the conscious proletariat took the side of Iskra” (Poln. sobr. soch., 5th ed., vol. 26, p. 344).
From 1900 to 05, L. lived in Munich, London, and Geneva. In December 1901, L. for the first time signed one of his articles published in Iskra with the pseudonym Lenin (he also had pseudonyms: V. Ilyin, V. Frey, Iv. Petrov, K. Tulin, Karpov, etc.).
In the struggle for the creation of a new type of party, Lenin’s work “What is to be done?” was of outstanding importance. Urgent issues of our movement" (1902). In it, L. criticized “economism” and highlighted the main problems of building the party, its ideology and politics. L. outlined the most important theoretical issues in the articles “The Agrarian Program of Russian Social Democracy” (1902) and “The National Question in Our Program” (1903). With the leading participation of L., the editorial board of Iskra developed a draft Party Program, which formulated the demand for the establishment of the dictatorship of the proletariat for the socialist transformation of society, which was absent in the programs of Western European social democratic parties. L. wrote the draft Charter of the RSDLP, drew up a work plan and drafts of almost all the resolutions of the upcoming party congress. In 1903, the 2nd Congress of the RSDLP took place. At this congress, the process of unification of revolutionary Marxist organizations was completed and the party of the working class of Russia was formed on the ideological, political and organizational principles developed by L. A proletarian party of a new type, the Bolshevik Party, was created. “Bolshevism has existed as a current of political thought and as a political party since 1903,” wrote L. in 1920 (ibid., vol. 41, p. 6). After the congress, L. launched a struggle against Menshevism. In his work “One Step Forward, Two Steps Back” (1904), he exposed the anti-party activities of the Mensheviks and substantiated the organizational principles of a new type of proletarian party.
During the Revolution of 1905–07, L. directed the work of the Bolshevik Party in leading the masses. At the 3rd (1905), 4th (1906), 5th (1907) congresses of the RSDLP, in the book “Two Tactics of Social Democracy in the Democratic Revolution” (1905) and numerous articles, L. developed and substantiated a strategic plan and tactics of the Bolshevik party in the revolution, criticized the opportunist line of the Mensheviks; on November 8 (21), 1905, L. arrived in St. Petersburg, where he led the activities of the Central Committee and the St. Petersburg Committee of the Bolsheviks, the preparation of an armed uprising. L. headed the work of the Bolshevik newspapers “Forward”, “Proletary”, “New Life”. In the summer of 1906, due to police persecution, L. moved to Kuokkala (Finland), in December 1907 he was again forced to emigrate to Switzerland, and at the end of 1908 to France (Paris).
During the years of reaction 1908–10, L. fought for the preservation of the illegal Bolshevik Party against the Menshevik liquidators and otzovists, against the splitting actions of the Trotskyists (see Trotskyism), and against conciliation towards opportunism. He deeply analyzed the experience of the Revolution of 1905-07. At the same time, L. resisted the onslaught of reaction against the ideological foundations of the party. In his work “Materialism and Empirio-Criticism” (published in 1909), L. exposed the sophisticated methods of defending idealism by bourgeois philosophers, the attempts of revisionists to distort the philosophy of Marxism, and developed dialectical materialism.
At the end of 1910, a new upsurge of the revolutionary movement began in Russia. In December 1910, on L.’s initiative, the newspaper “Zvezda” began to be published in St. Petersburg; on April 22 (May 5), 1912, the first issue of the daily legal Bolshevik workers’ newspaper “Pravda” was published. To train party workers, L. in 1911 organized a party school in Longjumeau (near Paris), in which he gave 29 lectures. In January 1912, the 6th (Prague) All-Russian Conference of the RSDLP was held in Prague under the leadership of L., which expelled the Menshevik liquidators from the RSDLP and defined the tasks of the party in an environment of revolutionary upsurge. To be closer to Russia, L. moved to Krakow in June 1912. From there he directs the work of the bureau of the Central Committee of the RSDLP in Russia, the editorial office of the newspaper Pravda, and manages the activities of the Bolshevik faction of the 4th State Duma. In December 1912 in Krakow and in September 1913 in Poronin, under the leadership of L., meetings of the Central Committee of the RSDLP with party workers were held on the most important issues of the revolutionary movement. L. paid great attention to the development of the theory of the national question, the education of party members and the broad masses of workers in the spirit of proletarian internationalism. He wrote programmatic works: “Critical Notes on the National Question” (1913), “On the Right of Nations to Self-Determination” (1914).
From October 1905 to 1912, L. was a representative of the RSDLP in the International Socialist Bureau of the 2nd International. Heading the Bolshevik delegation, he took an active part in the work of the Stuttgart (1907) and Copenhagen (1910) international socialist congresses. L. led a decisive struggle against opportunism in the international labor movement, rallying left-wing revolutionary elements, and paid much attention to exposing militarism and developing the tactics of the Bolshevik Party in relation to imperialist wars.
During World War I (1914–18), the Bolshevik Party, led by L., raised high the banner of proletarian internationalism, exposed the social chauvinism of the leaders of the Second International, and put forward the slogan of transforming the imperialist war into a civil war. The war found L. in Poronin. On July 26 (August 8), 1914, L., following a false denunciation, was arrested by the Austrian authorities and imprisoned in the city of New Targ. Thanks to the assistance of Polish and Austrian Social Democrats, L. was released from prison on August 6 (19). On August 23 (September 5) he left for Switzerland (Bern); in February 1916 he moved to Zurich, where he lived until March (April) 1917. In the manifesto of the Central Committee of the RSDLP “War and Russian Social Democracy”, in the works “On the National Pride of the Great Russians”, “The Collapse of the Second International”, “Socialism and War”, “On the slogan of the United States of Europe”, “Military program of the proletarian revolution”, “Results of the discussion on self-determination”, “On the caricature of Marxism and “imperialist economism””, etc. L. further developed the most important provisions of Marxist theory, developed a strategy and the tactics of the Bolsheviks in war conditions. A profound substantiation of the theory and policy of the party on issues of war, peace and revolution was L.’s work “Imperialism, as the highest stage of capitalism” (1916). During the war years, L. worked a lot on issues of philosophy (see “Philosophical Notebooks”). Despite the difficulties of wartime, L. established the regular publication of the Central Organ of the Party of the newspaper “Social-Democrat”, established connections with party organizations in Russia, and directed their work. At the international socialist conferences in Zimmerwald [August (September) 1915] and Quinthal (April 1916), L. defended revolutionary Marxist principles and led the struggle against opportunism and centrism (Kautskyism). By rallying the revolutionary forces in the international labor movement, L. laid the foundations for the formation of the 3rd, Communist International.
Having received the first reliable news in Zurich on March 2 (15), 1917, about the February bourgeois-democratic revolution that had begun in Russia, L. defined new tasks for the proletariat and the Bolshevik Party. In “Letters from Afar,” he formulated the party’s political course for the transition from the first, democratic stage to the second, socialist stage of the revolution, warned about the inadmissibility of supporting the bourgeois Provisional Government, and put forward the position on the need to transfer all power into the hands of the Soviets. April 3(16), 1917 L. returned from emigration to Petrograd. Solemnly greeted by thousands of workers and soldiers, he made a short speech, ending with the words: “Long live the socialist revolution!” On April 4 (17), at a meeting of the Bolsheviks, L. spoke with a document that went down in history under the name V. I. Lenin’s April Theses (“On the tasks of the proletariat in this revolution”). In these theses, in “Letters on Tactics”, in reports and speeches at the 7th (April) All-Russian Conference of the RSDLP (b), L. developed a plan for the party’s struggle for the transition from a bourgeois-democratic revolution to a socialist revolution, the party’s tactics in conditions of dual power - an orientation toward the peaceful development of the revolution, put forward and substantiated the slogan “All power to the Soviets!” Under L.'s leadership, the party launched political and organizational work among the masses of workers, peasants, and soldiers. L. directed the activities of the Central Committee of the RSDLP (b) and the central printed organ of the party, the newspaper Pravda, and spoke at meetings and rallies. From April to July 1917, L. wrote over 170 articles, brochures, draft resolutions of Bolshevik conferences and the Party Central Committee, and appeals. At the 1st All-Russian Congress of Soviets (June 1917), L. made speeches on the issue of war, on the attitude towards the bourgeois Provisional Government, exposing its imperialist, anti-people policy and the conciliation of the Mensheviks and Socialist Revolutionaries. In July 1917, after the elimination of dual power and the concentration of power in the hands of the counter-revolution, the peaceful period of development of the revolution ended. On July 7 (20), the Provisional Government ordered the arrest of L. He was forced to go underground. Until August 8 (21), 1917, L. was hiding in a hut beyond the lake. Razliv, near Petrograd, then until the beginning of October - in Finland (Yalkala, Helsingfors, Vyborg). And underground he continued to lead the activities of the party. In the theses “The Political Situation” and in the brochure “Towards Slogans,” L. defined and substantiated the party’s tactics in the new conditions. Based on Lenin’s principles, the 6th Congress of the RSDLP (b) (1917) decided on the need to take power by the working class in alliance with the poor peasantry through an armed uprising. While underground, L. wrote the book “State and Revolution”, brochures “The Impending Catastrophe and How to Fight It”, “Will the Bolsheviks Maintain State Power?” and other works. On September 12-14 (25-27), 1917, L. wrote a letter to the Central, Petrograd and Moscow committees of the RSDLP (b) “The Bolsheviks must take power” and a letter to the Central Committee of the RSDLP (b) “Marxism and uprising”, and then on September 29 (12 October) article “The crisis is ripe.” In them, based on a deep analysis of the alignment and correlation of class forces in the country and in the international arena, L. concluded that the moment was ripe for a victorious socialist revolution, and developed a plan for an armed uprising. At the beginning of October, L. illegally returned from Vyborg to Petrograd. In the article “Advice from an Outsider” on October 8 (21), he outlined the tactics of carrying out an armed uprising. On October 10 (23), at a meeting of the Central Committee of the RSDLP (b), L. made a report on the current situation; At his suggestion, the Central Committee adopted a resolution on an armed uprising. On October 16 (29), at an extended meeting of the Central Committee of the RSDLP (b), L. in his report defended the course of uprising and sharply criticized the position of opponents of the uprising L. B. Kamenev and G. E. Zinoviev. L. considered the position of postponing the uprising until the convening of the 2nd Congress of Soviets to be extremely dangerous for the fate of the revolution, which L. D. Trotsky especially insisted on. The meeting of the Central Committee confirmed Lenin's resolution on an armed uprising. During the preparation of the uprising, L. directed the activities of the Military Revolutionary Center, created by the Central Committee of the party, and the Military Revolutionary Committee (MRC), formed at the proposal of the Central Committee under the Petrograd Soviet. On October 24 (November 6), in a letter to the Central Committee, L. demanded to immediately go on the offensive, arrest the Provisional Government and take power, emphasizing that “delay in taking action is like death” (ibid., vol. 34 p. 436).
On the evening of October 24 (November 6), L. illegally arrived in Smolny to directly lead the armed uprising. At the 2nd All-Russian Congress of Soviets, which opened on October 25 (November 7), which proclaimed the transfer of all power in the center and locally into the hands of the Soviets, L. made reports on peace and land. The congress adopted Lenin's decrees on peace and land and formed a workers' and peasants' government - the Council of People's Commissars, headed by L. The victory of the Great October Socialist Revolution, won under the leadership of the Communist Party, opened a new era in the history of mankind - the era of transition from capitalism to socialism.
L. led the struggle of the Communist Party and masses Russia for solving the problems of the dictatorship of the proletariat, for building socialism. Under L.'s leadership, the party and government created a new, Soviet state apparatus. The confiscation of landowners' lands and the nationalization of all land, banks, transport, and large-scale industry were carried out, and a foreign trade monopoly was introduced. The Red Army was created. National oppression has been destroyed. The party attracted the broad masses to the grandiose work of building the Soviet state and implementing fundamental socio-economic transformations. In December 1917, L. in the article “How to organize a competition?” put forward the idea of socialist competition of the masses as effective method building socialism. At the beginning of January 1918, L. prepared the “Declaration of the Rights of the Working and Exploited People,” which was the basis of the first Soviet Constitution of 1918. Thanks to L.’s integrity and perseverance, as a result of his struggle against the “left communists” and Trotskyists, the Brest-Litovsk Peace Treaty of 1918 was concluded with Germany, which gave The Soviet government needed a peaceful respite.
From March 11, 1918, L. lived and worked in Moscow, after the Central Committee of the Party and the Soviet government moved here from Petrograd.
In the work “The Immediate Tasks of Soviet Power”, in the work “On “Left” Childhood and Petty-Bourgeoisism” (1918), etc., L. outlined a plan for creating the foundations of a socialist economy. In May 1918, on the initiative and with the participation of L., decrees on the food issue were developed and adopted. At L.'s suggestion, food detachments were created from workers, sent to the villages to rouse the poor peasants (see Committees of the Poor Peasants) to fight the kulaks, to fight for bread. The socialist measures of the Soviet government met fierce resistance from the overthrown exploiting classes. They launched an armed struggle against Soviet power and resorted to terror. On August 30, 1918, L. was seriously wounded by the Socialist Revolutionary terrorist F. E. Kaplan.
During the Civil War and military intervention of 1918–20, L. was chairman of the Council of Workers' and Peasants' Defense, created on November 30, 1918 to mobilize all forces and resources to defeat the enemy. L. put forward the slogan “Everything for the front!” At his suggestion, the All-Russian Central Executive Committee declared the Soviet Republic a military camp. Under the leadership of L. the party and the Soviet government in short term managed to rebuild the country's economy on a war footing, developed and implemented a system of emergency measures called “war communism”. Lenin wrote the most important party documents, which were a combat program for mobilizing the forces of the party and the people to defeat the enemy: “Theses of the Central Committee of the RCP (b) in connection with the situation of the Eastern Front” (April 1919), a letter of the Central Committee of the RCP (b) to all party organizations “ Everyone to fight Denikin!” (July 1919) and others. L. directly supervised the development of plans for the most important strategic operations of the Red Army to defeat the White Guard armies and troops of foreign interventionists.
At the same time, L. continued to lead theoretical work. In the fall of 1918, he wrote the book “The Proletarian Revolution and the Renegade Kautsky,” in which he exposed Kautsky’s opportunism and showed the fundamental opposition between bourgeois and proletarian, Soviet democracy. L. pointed out the international significance of the strategy and tactics of Russian communists. “...Bolshevism,” wrote L., “is suitable as a model of tactics for everyone” (ibid., vol. 37, p. 305). L. mainly drafted the second Party Program, which defined the tasks of building socialism, adopted by the 8th Congress of the RCP (b) (March 1919). The focus of L.'s attention at that time was the question of the transition period from capitalism to socialism. In June 1919, he wrote the article “The Great Initiative,” dedicated to communist subbotniks; in the fall, he wrote the article “Economics and Politics in the Era of the Dictatorship of the Proletariat,” and in the spring of 1920, the article “From the Destruction of the Age-Old Way of Life to the Creation of the New.” In these and many other works, L., summarizing the experience of the dictatorship of the proletariat, deepened the Marxist doctrine of the transition period, and illuminated the most important issues of communist construction in the conditions of the struggle between two systems: socialism and capitalism. After the victorious end of the Civil War, L. led the struggle of the party and all workers of the Soviet Republic for the restoration and further development of the economy, and led cultural construction. In the Report of the Central Committee to the 9th Party Congress, Latvia defined the tasks of economic construction and emphasized the extremely important importance of a unified economic plan, the basis of which should be the electrification of the country. Under L.’s leadership, the GOELRO plan was developed - a plan for the electrification of Russia (for 10-15 years), the first long-term plan for the development of the national economy of the Soviet country, which L. called “the second program of the party” (see ibid., vol. 42, p. 157).
At the end of 1920 - beginning of 1921, a discussion unfolded in the party about the role and tasks of trade unions, in which questions were actually resolved about methods of approaching the masses, about the role of the party, about the fate of the dictatorship of the proletariat and socialism in Russia. L. spoke out against the erroneous platforms and factional activities of Trotsky, N.I. Bukharin, the “workers’ opposition,” and the group of “democratic centralism.” He pointed out that, being a school of communism in general, trade unions should be for workers, in particular, a school of economic management.
At the 10th Congress of the RCP (b) (1921), L. summed up the results of the trade union discussion in the party and put forward the task of transition from the policy of “war communism” to the new economic policy (NEP). The congress approved the transition to the NEP, which ensured the strengthening of the alliance of the working class and the peasantry, the creation of the production base of a socialist society; adopted the resolution “On Party Unity” written by L. In the brochure “On the Food Tax (The Significance of the New Policy and Its Conditions)” (1921) and the article “On the Four-Year Anniversary of the October Revolution” (1921), L. revealed the essence of the new economic policy as the economic policy of the proletariat in the transition period and described the ways of its implementation.
In the speech “Tasks of Youth Unions” at the 3rd Congress of the RKSM (1920), in the outline and draft resolution “On Proletarian Culture” (1920), in the article “On the Significance of Militant Materialism” (1922) and other works, L. highlighted the problems creating a socialist culture, the tasks of the ideological work of the party; L. showed great concern for the development of science.
L. determined ways to solve the national question. The problems of nation-state building and socialist transformations in national regions are covered by L. in the report on the party program at the 8th Congress of the RCP (b), in the “Initial Draft of Theses on National and Colonial Issues” (1920) for the 2nd Congress of the Comintern, in the letter “On the Formation of the USSR” (1922) and others, L. developed the principles of uniting the Soviet republics into a single multinational state on the basis of voluntariness and equality - the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, which was created in December 1922.
The Soviet government, led by L., consistently fought to preserve peace, to prevent a new world war, and sought to establish the economy and diplomatic relations with other countries. At the same time, the Soviet people supported the revolutionary and national liberation movements.
In March 1922, L. led the work of the 11th Congress of the RCP (b) - the last party congress at which he spoke. Hard work and the consequences of being wounded in 1918 undermined L.'s health. In May 1922 he became seriously ill. At the beginning of October 1922, L. returned to work. His last public appearance was on November 20, 1922 at the plenum of the Moscow Soviet. On December 16, 1922, L.’s health condition deteriorated sharply again. At the end of December 1922 - beginning of 1923, L. dictated letters on internal party and state issues: “Letter to the Congress”, “On giving legislative functions to the State Planning Committee”, “On the issue of nationalities or “autonomization”” and a number of articles - “Pages from the diary”, “About cooperation”, “About our revolution”, “How can we reorganize the Rabkrin (Proposal to the XII Party Congress)”, “Less is better”. These letters and articles are rightly called L.'s political testament. They were the final stage in L.'s development of a plan for building socialism in the USSR. In them, L. outlined in general form the program for the socialist transformation of the country and the prospects for the world revolutionary process, the foundations of the party’s policy, strategy and tactics. He substantiated the possibility of building a socialist society in the USSR, developed provisions on the industrialization of the country, on the transition of peasants to large-scale social production through cooperation (see. Cooperative plan V.I. Lenin), on the cultural revolution, emphasized the need to strengthen the alliance of the working class and the peasantry, strengthen the friendship of the peoples of the USSR, improve the state apparatus, ensure the leading role of the Communist Party, the unity of its ranks.
L. consistently pursued the principle of collective leadership. He put all the most important issues for discussion at regularly meeting party congresses and conferences, plenums of the Central Committee and the Politburo of the Party Central Committee, All-Russian Congresses of Soviets, sessions of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee and meetings of the Council of People's Commissars. Under the leadership of L. worked such prominent figures of the party and the Soviet state as V.V. Borovsky, F.E. Dzerzhinsky, M.I. Kalinin, L.B. Krasin, G.M. Krzhizhanovsky, V.V. Kuibyshev, A. V. Lunacharsky, G. K. Ordzhonikidze, G. I. Petrovsky, Y. M. Sverdlov, I. V. Stalin, P. I. Stuchka, M. V. Frunze, G. V. Chicherin, S. G. Shaumyan et al.
L. was the leader of not only the Russian, but also the international labor and communist movement. In letters to workers of countries Western Europe, America and Asia, L. explained the essence and international significance of the October Socialist Revolution, the most important tasks of the world revolutionary movement. On L.'s initiative, the 3rd Communist International was created in 1919. Under L.'s leadership the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th congresses of the Comintern were held. He wrote drafts of many resolutions and documents of congresses. In L.’s works, primarily in the work “The Infantile Disease of “Leftism” in Communism” (1920), the programmatic foundations, strategy and principles of tactics of the international communist movement were developed.
In May 1923, L. moved to Gorki due to illness. In January 1924, his health suddenly deteriorated sharply. January 21, 1924 at 6 o'clock. 50 min. L. died in the evening. On January 23, the coffin with L.’s body was transported to Moscow and installed in the Hall of Columns of the House of Unions. For five days and nights, the people said goodbye to their leader. On January 27, a funeral took place on Red Square; the coffin with L.'s embalmed body was placed in a specially built Mausoleum (see Mausoleum of V.I. Lenin).
Never since Marx has the history of the liberation movement of the proletariat given the world a thinker and leader of the working class, all working people, of such gigantic stature as Lenin. The genius of a scientist, political wisdom and foresight were combined in him with the talent of the greatest organizer, with an iron will, courage and courage. L. had boundless faith in the creative powers of the masses, was closely connected with them, and enjoyed their boundless trust, love and support. All of L.'s activities are the embodiment of the organic unity of revolutionary theory and revolutionary practice. Selfless devotion to communist ideals, the cause of the party, the working class, the greatest conviction in the rightness and justice of this cause, subordination of one’s entire life to the struggle for the liberation of workers from social and national oppression, love for the Motherland and consistent internationalism, intransigence towards class enemies and touching attention to comrades , demanding of oneself and others, moral purity, simplicity and modesty - character traits Lenin - leader and man.
L. built the leadership of the party and the Soviet state on the basis of creative Marxism. He tirelessly fought against attempts to turn the teachings of Marx and Engels into a dead dogma.
“We do not at all look at Marx’s theory as something complete and inviolable,” wrote L., “we are convinced, on the contrary, that it laid only the cornerstones of the science that socialists must move further in all directions if they do not want to lag behind life" (ibid., vol. 4, p. 184).
L. raised revolutionary theory to a new, higher level, enriching Marxism with scientific discoveries of world-historical significance.
“Leninism is the Marxism of the era of imperialism and proletarian revolutions, the era of the collapse of colonialism and the victory of national liberation movements, the era of humanity’s transition from capitalism to socialism and the construction of a communist society” (“On the 100th anniversary of the birth of V. I. Lenin,” Theses Central Committee of the CPSU, 1970, p. 5).
L. developed all the components of Marxism - philosophy, political economy, scientific communism (see Marxism-Leninism).
Having summarized the achievements of science, especially physics, of the late 19th and early 20th centuries from the perspective of Marxist philosophy, L. further developed the doctrine of dialectical materialism. He deepened the concept of matter, defining it as an objective reality that exists outside of human consciousness, and developed the fundamental problems of the theory of man’s reflection of objective reality and the theory of knowledge. L.'s great merit is the comprehensive development of materialist dialectics, especially the law of unity and struggle of opposites.
“Lenin is the first thinker of the century who, in the achievements of contemporary natural science, saw the beginning of a grandiose scientific revolution, managed to reveal and philosophically generalize the revolutionary meaning of the fundamental discoveries of the great researchers of nature... The idea he expressed about the inexhaustibility of matter became the principle of natural science knowledge” (ibid., p. 14).
L. made his greatest contribution to Marxist sociology. He concretized, substantiated and developed the most important problems, categories and provisions of historical materialism about socio-economic formations, about the laws of development of society, about the development of productive forces and production relations, about the relationship between the base and the superstructure, about classes and class struggle, about the state, about social revolution, about the nation and national liberation movements, about the relationship between objective and subjective factors in public life, about social consciousness and the role of ideas in the development of society, about the role of the masses and individuals in history.
L. significantly supplemented the Marxist analysis of capitalism with the formulation of such problems as the formation and development of the capitalist mode of production, in particular in relatively backward countries in the presence of strong feudal remnants, agrarian relations under capitalism, as well as an analysis of bourgeois and bourgeois-democratic revolutions, social structure capitalist society, the essence and form of the bourgeois state, the historical mission and forms of the class struggle of the proletariat. Of great importance is L.'s conclusion that the strength of the proletariat in historical development is immeasurably greater than its share in the total population.
L. created the doctrine of imperialism as the highest and last stage in the development of capitalism. Having revealed the essence of imperialism as monopoly and state-monopoly capitalism, characterizing its main features, showing the extreme aggravation of all its contradictions, the objective acceleration of the creation of material and socio-political prerequisites for socialism, L. concluded that imperialism is the eve of the socialist revolution.
L. comprehensively developed the Marxist theory of socialist revolution in relation to the new historical era. He deeply developed the idea of the hegemony of the proletariat in the revolution, the need for an alliance of the working class with the working peasantry, determined the attitude of the proletariat towards various layers of the peasantry at different stages of the revolution; created a theory of the development of a bourgeois-democratic revolution into a socialist revolution, and illuminated the question of the relationship between the struggle for democracy and for socialism. Having revealed the mechanism of action of the law of uneven development of capitalism in the era of imperialism, L. made the most important conclusion, which has enormous theoretical and political significance, about the possibility and inevitability of the victory of socialism initially in a few or even in one individual capitalist country; This conclusion of L., confirmed by the course of historical development, formed the basis for the development of important problems of the world revolutionary process, the construction of socialism in countries where the proletarian revolution was victorious. L. developed provisions on the revolutionary situation, on an armed uprising, on the possibility, under certain conditions, of the peaceful development of the revolution; substantiated the idea of the world revolution as a single process, as an era connecting the struggle of the proletariat and its allies for socialism with democratic, including national liberation, movements.
L. deeply developed the national question, pointing out the need to consider it from the standpoint of the class struggle of the proletariat, revealed the thesis about the two tendencies of capitalism in the national question, substantiated the position of complete equality of nations, the right of oppressed, colonial and dependent peoples to self-determination, and at the same time the principle internationalism of the labor movement and proletarian organizations, the idea of the joint struggle of workers of all nationalities in the name of social and national liberation, the creation of a voluntary union of peoples.
L. revealed the essence and characterized the driving forces of national liberation movements. He came up with the idea of organizing a united front of the revolutionary movement of the international proletariat and national liberation movements against the common enemy - imperialism. He formulated a position on the possibility and conditions for the transition of backward countries to socialism, bypassing the capitalist stage of development. L. developed the principles national policy dictatorship of the proletariat, ensuring the flourishing of nations, nationalities, their close unity and rapprochement.
L. defined the main content of the modern era as the transition of humanity from capitalism to socialism, and characterized the driving forces and prospects of the world revolutionary process after the split of the world into two systems. The main contradiction of this era is the contradiction between socialism and capitalism. L. considered the socialist system and the international working class to be the leading force in the struggle against imperialism. L. foresaw the formation of a world system of socialist states, which would have a decisive influence on all world politics.
L. developed a complete theory about the transition period from capitalism to socialism, revealed its content and patterns. Having summarized the experience of the Paris Commune and three Russian revolutions, L. developed and concretized the teachings of Marx and Engels on the dictatorship of the proletariat, and comprehensively revealed the historical significance of the Republic of Soviets - a state of a new type, immeasurably more democratic than any bourgeois parliamentary republic. The transition from capitalism to socialism, L. taught, cannot but give a variety of political forms, but the essence of all these forms will be the same - the dictatorship of the proletariat. He comprehensively developed the question of the functions and tasks of the dictatorship of the proletariat, pointed out that the main thing in it is not violence, but the rallying of non-proletarian layers of workers around the working class, the building of socialism. The main condition for the implementation of the dictatorship of the proletariat, L. taught, is the leadership of the Communist Party. L.'s works deeply illuminate the theoretical and practical problems of building socialism. The most important task after the victory of the revolution is the socialist transformation and planned development of the national economy, achieving higher labor productivity than under capitalism. The creation of an appropriate material and technical base and the industrialization of the country are of decisive importance in the construction of socialism. L. deeply developed the issue of socialist reconstruction Agriculture through the formation of state farms and the development of cooperation, the transition of peasants to large-scale social production. L. put forward and substantiated the principle of democratic centralism as the main principle of economic management in the conditions of building a socialist and communist society. He showed the need to preserve and use commodity-money relations, and to implement the principle of material interest.
L. considered one of the main conditions for building socialism to be the implementation of a cultural revolution: the rise of public education, the introduction of knowledge and cultural values to the broadest masses, the development of science, literature and art, ensuring a profound revolution in the consciousness, ideology and spiritual life of the working people, and re-educating them in the spirit of socialism . L. emphasized the need to use the culture of the past and its progressive, democratic elements in the interests of building a socialist society. He considered it necessary to attract old, bourgeois specialists to participate in socialist construction. At the same time, L. put forward the task of training numerous cadres of the new, popular intelligentsia. In articles about L. Tolstoy, in the article “Party organization and party literature” (1905), as well as in letters to M. Gorky, I. Armand and others, L. substantiated the principle of partisanship in literature and art, examined their role in the class struggle of the proletariat , formulated the principle of party leadership of literature and art.
L.'s works developed the principles of socialist foreign policy as an important factor in building a new society and developing the world revolutionary process. This is a policy of a close state, economic and military union of socialist republics, solidarity with peoples fighting for social and national liberation, peaceful coexistence of states with different social systems, international cooperation, and decisive opposition to imperialist aggression.
L. developed the Marxist teaching about the two phases of communist society, about the transition from the first to the higher phase, about the essence and ways of creating the material and technical base of communism, about the development of statehood, about the formation of communist public relations, about the communist education of the working people.
L. created the doctrine of a new type of proletarian party as highest form revolutionary organization of the proletariat, as the vanguard and leader of the working class in the struggle for the dictatorship of the proletariat, for the construction of socialism and communism. He developed the organizational foundations of the party, the international principle of its construction, the norms of party life, pointed out the need for democratic centralism in the party, unity and conscious iron discipline, the development of internal party democracy, the activity of party members and collective leadership, intransigence to opportunism, and close ties between the party and the masses.
L. was firmly convinced of the inevitability of the victory of socialism throughout the world. He considered the essential conditions for this victory to be: the unity of the revolutionary forces of our time - the world system of socialism, the international working class, the national liberation movement; correct strategy and tactics of communist parties; a decisive struggle against reformism, revisionism, right and left opportunism, nationalism; cohesion and unity of the international communist movement based on Marxism and the principles of proletarian internationalism.
L.'s theoretical and political activity marked the beginning of a new, Leninist stage in the development of Marxism and in the international labor movement. The name of Lenin and Leninism are associated with the largest revolutionary achievements of the 20th century, which radically changed the social appearance of the world and marked the turn of humanity towards socialism and communism. The revolutionary transformation of society in the Soviet Union on the basis of Lenin's brilliant plans and plans, the victory of socialism and the construction of a developed socialist society in the USSR is the triumph of Leninism. Marxism-Leninism, as the great and united international teaching of the proletariat, is the heritage of all communist parties, all revolutionary workers of the world, all working people. All indigenous social problems modernity can be correctly assessed and decided based on the ideological heritage of Lenin, guided by a reliable compass - the ever-living and creative Marxist-Leninist teaching. The Address of the International Conference of Communist and Workers' Parties (Moscow, 1969) “On the 100th anniversary of the birth of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin” states:
“The entire experience of world socialism, the workers’ and national liberation movements has confirmed the international significance of Marxist-Leninist teaching. The victory of the socialist revolution in a group of countries, the emergence of the world system of socialism, the gains of the labor movement in capitalist countries, the entry into the arena of independent socio-political activity of the peoples of former colonies and semi-colonies, the unprecedented rise of the anti-imperialist struggle - all this proves the historical correctness of Leninism, which expresses the fundamental needs of the modern era "("International Meeting of Communist and Workers' Parties." Documents and materials, M., 1969, p. 332).
The CPSU attaches great importance to the study, storage and publication of L.'s literary heritage, as well as documents related to his life and work. In 1923, the Central Committee of the RCP (b) created the V.I. Lenin Institute, which was entrusted with these functions. In 1932, as a result of the merger of the Institute of K. Marx and F. Engels with the Institute of V. I. Lenin, a single Marx-Engels-Lenin Institute under the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks (now the Institute of Marxism-Leninism under the Central Committee of the CPSU) was formed. The Central Party Archive of this institute stores more than 30 thousand Lenin documents. Five editions of Lenin’s works have been published in the USSR (see Works of V.I. Lenin), and “Lenin’s collections” are being published. Thematic collections of L.'s works and his individual works are printed in millions of copies. Much attention is paid to the publication of memoirs and biographical works about Lenin, as well as literature on various problems of Leninism.
The Soviet people sacredly honor the memory of Lenin. The All-Union Communist Youth League and the Pioneer Organization in the USSR, many cities, including Leningrad, the city where Lenin proclaimed the power of the Soviets, bear the name of Lenin; Ulyanovsk, where L spent his childhood and youth. In all cities, the central or most beautiful streets are named after L. Factories and collective farms, ships and mountain peaks bear his name. In honor of L., it was established in 1930 highest award in the USSR - the Order of Lenin; Lenin Prizes were established for outstanding achievements in the field of science and technology (1925), in the field of literature and art (1956); International Lenin Prize “For Strengthening Peace Between Nations” (1949). A unique memorial and historical monument is the Central Archive of V.I. Lenin and its branches in many cities of the USSR. There are also museums of V.I. Lenin in other socialist countries, in Finland and France.
In April 1970, the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, the entire Soviet people, the international communist movement, the working masses, and the progressive forces of all countries solemnly celebrated the 100th anniversary of the birth of V. I. Lenin. The celebration of this significant date resulted in the greatest demonstration of the vitality of Leninism. Lenin's ideas arm and inspire communists and all working people in the struggle for the complete triumph of communism.
Essays:
- Collected Works, vol. 1-20, M. - L., 1920-1926;
- Soch., 2nd ed., vol. 1-30, M. - Leningrad, 1925-1932;
- Soch., 3rd ed., vol. 1-30, M. - Leningrad, 1925-1932;
- Soch., 4th ed., vol. 1-45, M., 1941-67;
- Complete works, 5th ed., vol. 1-55, M., 1958-65;
- Lenin collections, book. 1-37, M. - L., 1924-70.
Literature:
- To the 100th anniversary of the birth of V.I. Lenin. Theses of the CPSU Central Committee, M., 1970;
- To the 100th anniversary of the birth of V.I. Lenin, Collection of documents and materials, M., 1970.
- V. I. Lenin. Biography, 5th ed., M., 1972;
- V. I. Lenin. Biographical chronicle, 1870 - 1924, vol. 1-3, M., 1970-72;
- Memoirs of V.I. Lenin, vol. 1-5, M., 1968-1969;
- Krupskaya N.K., About Lenin. Sat. Art. and performances. 2nd ed., M., 1965;
- Leninian, Library of works by V.I. Lenin and literature about him 1956-1967, in 3 volumes, vol. 1-2, M., 1971-72;
- Lenin is still more alive than anyone else alive. Recommendatory index of memoirs and biographical literature about V. I. Lenin, M., 1968;
- Memories of V.I. Lenin. Annotated index of books and journal articles 1954-1961, M., 1963;
- Lenin. Historical and biographical atlas, M., 1970;
- Lenin. Collection of photographs and film footage, vol. 1-2, M., 1970-72.
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Lenin is a world-famous political figure, leader of the Bolshevik Party (revolutionary), founder of the USSR state. Almost everyone knows who Lenin is. He is a follower of the great philosophers F. Engels and K. Marx.
Who is Lenin? Brief summary of his biography
Ulyanov Vladimir was born in Simbirsk in 1870. And in Ulyanovsk he spent his childhood and youth.
From 1879 to 1887 he studied at the gymnasium. After graduating with a gold medal, in 1887 Vladimir and his family, already without Ilya Nikolaevich (he died in January 1886), moved to live in Kazan. There he entered Kazan University.
There, in 1887, for active participation in a gathering of students, he was expelled from the educational institution and exiled to the village of Kokushkino.
IN young man The patriotic spirit of protest against the existing tsarist system and the oppression of the people awoke early.
The study of advanced Russian literature, the works of great writers (Belinsky, Dobrolyubov, Herzen, Pisarev) and especially Chernyshevsky led to the formation of his advanced revolutionary views. The older brother introduced Vladimir to Marxist literature.
From that moment on, young Ulyanov devoted his entire future life to the struggle against the capitalist system, to the cause of liberating the people from oppression and slavery.
Ulyanov family
Knowing who Lenin is, one cannot help but want to find out in more detail what kind of family such a brilliant person, enlightened in all respects, came from.
In their views, Vladimir’s parents belonged to the Russian intelligentsia.
Grandfather - N.V. Ulyanov - from the serfs of the Nizhny Novgorod province, an ordinary tailor-craftsman. He died in poverty.
Father - I. N. Ulyanov - after completing his studies at Kazan University, he was a teacher at secondary educational institutions in Penza and Nizhny Novgorod. Subsequently he worked as an inspector and director of schools in the province (Simbirsk). He really loved his job.
Vladimir’s mother, M.A. Ulyanova (Blank), is a doctor by training. She was gifted and had great abilities: she knew several foreign languages and played the piano well. She received her own education at home and, having passed the external exam, became a teacher. She devoted herself to children.
Vladimir's elder brother A.I. Ulyanov was executed for participation in the attempt on the life of Alexander III in 1887.
Vladimir's sisters - A. I. Ulyanova (by her husband - Elizarova), M. I. Ulyanova, and brother D. I. Ulyanov at one time became prominent figures in the Communist Party.
Their parents instilled in them honesty, hard work, attention and sensitivity to people, responsibility for their deeds, actions and words, and most importantly, a sense of duty.
Ulyanov Library. The acquisition of knowledge
During his studies (with numerous awards) at the Simbirsk gymnasium, Vladimir received excellent knowledge.
In the Ulyanovs' home family library there was a huge number of works by great Russian writers - Pushkin, Lermontov, Turgenev, Gogol, Dobrolyubov, Tolstoy, Herzen, as well as foreign ones. There were editions of Shakespeare, Huxley, Darwin and many others. etc.
This advanced literature of those times had a great and important influence on the formation of the views of the young Ulyanovs on everything that happened.
Formation of personal political views, publication of the first political newspapers
In 1893, in St. Petersburg, Vladimir Ulyanov studied social democratic issues, was engaged in journalism and was interested in political economy.
Since 1895, the first attempts to travel abroad have been made. In the same year, Lenin traveled outside the country to establish good connections with the Liberation of Labor group and other leaders of European social democratic parties. In Switzerland he met with G.V. Plekhanov. As a result, they found out who Lenin was politicians other countries.
After his trips, Vladimir Ilyich already in his homeland organized the party “Union of Struggle for the Liberation of the Working Class” (St. Petersburg, 1895).
After which he is arrested and sent to the Yenisei province. Three years later, it was there that Vladimir Ilyich married N. Krupskaya and wrote many of his works.
Moreover, at that time he had several pseudonyms (except for the main one - Lenin): Karpov, Ilyin, Petrov, Frey.
Further development of revolutionary political activity
Lenin is the organizer of the 2nd Congress of the RSDLP. Subsequently, he drew up the charter and plan of the party. Vladimir Ilyich, with the help of the revolution, tried to create a completely new society. During the 1907 revolution, Lenin was in Switzerland. Then the leadership passed to him after the arrest of most party members.
After the next congress of the RSDLP (3rd), he was preparing an uprising and demonstrations. Although the uprising was suppressed, Ulyanov did not stop working. He publishes Pravda and writes new works. At that time, many already knew who Vladimir Lenin was from his numerous publications.
The strengthening of new revolutionary organizations continues.
After the February Revolution of 1917, he returned to Russia and led an uprising against the government. Goes underground to avoid arrest.
After the revolution (October 1917), Lenin began to live and work in Moscow in connection with the move there from Petrograd of the Central Committee of the Party and the government.
Results of the 1917 revolution
After the revolution, Lenin founds the proletarian Red Army, the 3rd Communist International and concludes a peace treaty with Germany. From now on, the country has a new economic policy, the direction of which is the growth of the national economy. Thus, a socialist state - the USSR - is formed.
The overthrown exploiting classes launched struggle and terror against the new Soviet government. In August 1918, an attempt was made on Lenin's life, he was wounded by F.E. Kaplan (a Socialist-Revolutionary).
Who is Vladimir Ilyich Lenin for the people? After his death, the cult of his personality increased. Monuments to Lenin were laid everywhere, many urban and rural objects were renamed in his honor. Many cultural and educational institutions (libraries, cultural centers) named after Lenin were opened. The mausoleum of the great Lenin in Moscow still preserves the body of the greatest political figure.
Last years
Lenin was a militant atheist and fought hard against the influence of the church. In 1922, taking advantage of the dire situation of famine in the Volga region, he called for the confiscation of church valuables.
Quite intense work and injury spoiled the leader’s health, and in the spring of 1922 he became seriously ill. Periodically he returned to work. His last year was tragic. A serious illness prevented him from completing all his affairs. Here, too, a struggle arose between close associates for the great “Leninist legacy.”
He was able, overcoming illness, at the end of 1922 and at the beginning of February 1923, to dictate several articles and letters that constituted his “Political Testament” for the Party Congress (12th).
In this letter, he proposed to move I.V. Stalin from the post of General Secretary to another place. He was convinced that he would not be able to use his immense power carefully, as it should.
Shortly before his death, he moved to Gorki. The proletarian leader died in 1924, on January 21.
Relations with Stalin
Who is Stalin? Both Lenin and Joseph Vissarionovich worked together along the party line.
They met in person in 1905 at the RSDLP conference in Tammerfors. Until 1912, Lenin did not single him out among many party workers. Until 1922, there were more or less good relations between them, although disagreements often arose. Relations deteriorated greatly by the end of 1922, believed to be due to Stalin’s conflict with the Georgian leadership (“Georgian Affair”) and a minor incident with Krupskaya.
After the death of the leader, the myth about the relationship between Stalin and Lenin changed several times: first Stalin was one of Lenin’s comrades-in-arms, then he became his student, then a faithful successor of the great cause. And it turned out that the revolution began to have two leaders. Then Lenin was not so needed, and Stalin became the only leader.
Bottom line. Who is Lenin? Briefly about the stages of its activities
Under Lenin's leadership, a new state administrative apparatus was formed. The lands of the landowners were confiscated and nationalized along with transport, banks, industry, etc. The Soviet Red Army was created. Slavery and national oppression were abolished. Decrees on food issues appeared. Lenin and his government fought for world peace. The leader introduced the principle of collective leadership. He became the leader of the international labor movement.
Who is Lenin? About this unique historical figure everyone should know. After the death of the great leader, people were brought up on the ideals of Vladimir Ilyich. And the results were quite good.