Who is Lenin and what did he create. Who was Lenin

Due to deteriorating health, on May 15, 1923, Lenin moved to the Gorki estate near Moscow. His closest circle of comrades often came there. However, Lenin was no longer involved in the affairs of the party, having survived several strokes.

Vladimir Ilyich Lenin (real surname Ulyanov, maternal surname Blank)
Years of life: April 10 (22), 1870, Simbirsk - January 22, 1924, Gorki estate, Moscow province
Head of the Soviet government (1917–1924).

Revolutionary, founder of the Bolshevik Party, one of the organizers and leaders of the October Socialist Revolution of 1917, chairman of the Council of People's Commissars (government) of the RSFSR and the USSR. Marxist philosopher, publicist, founder of Leninism, ideologist and creator of the 3rd (Communist) International, founder of the Soviet state. One of the most famous politicians of the 20th century.
Founder of the USSR

Biography of Vladimir Lenin

V. Ulyanov's father, Ilya Nikolaevich, was an inspector of public schools. After being awarded the Order of St. Vladimir III degree in 1882, he received the right to hereditary nobility. Mother, Maria Alexandrovna Ulyanova (née Blank), was a teacher, but did not work. The family had 5 children, among whom Volodya was the third. A friendly atmosphere reigned in the family; parents encouraged the curiosity of children and treated them with respect.

In 1879 - 1887. Volodya studied at the gymnasium, which he graduated from gold medal.

In 1887, for preparing an attempt on the life of Emperor Alexander III, his elder brother Alexander Ulyanov (Narodnaya Volya revolutionary) was executed. This event affected the lives of all members of the Ulyanov family (formerly a respected noble family was subsequently expelled from society). The death of his brother shocked Volodya, and since then he has become an enemy of the tsarist regime.

In the same year, V. Ulyanov entered the law faculty of Kazan University, but in December he was expelled for participating in a student meeting.

In 1891, Ulyanov graduated as an external student from the law faculty of St. Petersburg University. Then he came to Samara, where he began working as an assistant to a barrister.

In 1893, in St. Petersburg, Vladimir joined one of the many revolutionary circles and soon became known as an ardent supporter of Marxism and a propagandist of this doctrine in working circles. In St. Petersburg, he began an affair with Apollinaria Yakubova, a revolutionary, a friend of his older sister Olga.

In 1894 - 1895. Vladimir’s first major works, “What are “friends of the people” and how they fight against the Social Democrats” and “The Economic Content of Populism”, were published, in which the populist movement was criticized in favor of Marxism. Soon Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov met Nadezhda Konstantinovna Krupskaya.

In the spring of 1895, Vladimir Ilyich left for Geneva to meet with members of the Emancipation of Labor group. And in September 1895 he was arrested for creating the St. Petersburg Union of Struggle for the Emancipation of the Working Class.

In 1897, Ulyanov was exiled for 3 years to the village of Shushenskoye, Yenisei province. During the exile, Ulyanov married Nadezhda Krupskaya ...

Many articles and books on revolutionary topics were written in Shushensky. The works were published under various pseudonyms, one of which is Lenin.

Lenin - years of life in exile

In 1903, the famous II Congress of the Social Democratic Party of Russia took place, during which there was a split into Bolsheviks and Mensheviks. He stood at the head of the Bolsheviks, and soon created the Bolshevik Party.

In 1905, Vladimir Ilyich led the preparations for the revolution in Russia.
He directed the Bolsheviks to an armed uprising against tsarism and the establishment of a truly democratic republic.

During the revolution of 1905-1907. Ulyanov lived illegally in St. Petersburg and led the Bolshevik Party.

1907 - 1917 years were spent in exile.

In 1910, in Paris, he met Inessa Armand, with whom relations continued until Armand's death from cholera in 1920.

In 1912, at the Social Democratic Party Conference in Prague, the left wing of the RSDLP emerged as a separate party of the RSDLP(b), the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party of the Bolsheviks. He was immediately elected head of the central committee (CC) of the party.

In the same period, thanks to his initiative, the newspaper Pravda was created. Ulyanov organizes the life of his new party, encouraging the expropriation of funds (actually robbery) into the party fund.

In 1914, at the beginning of World War I, he was arrested in Austria-Hungary on suspicion of spying for his country.

After his release, he left for Switzerland, where he put forward a slogan calling for turning the imperialist war into a civil one, overthrowing the government that had drawn the state into the war.

In February 1917, I learned about the revolution that had taken place in Russia from the press. On April 3, 1917 he returned to Russia.

On April 4, 1917 in St. Petersburg, the theorist of communism outlined the program for the transition from the bourgeois-democratic revolution to the socialist one ("All Power to the Soviets!" or "April Theses"). He began preparations for an armed uprising and put forward plans to overthrow the Provisional Government.

In June 1917, the 1st Congress of Soviets was held, at which it was supported by only about 10% of those present, but it declared that the Bolshevik Party was ready to take power in the country into its own hands.

On October 24, 1917, he led the uprising in the Smolny Palace. And on October 25 (November 7), 1917, the Provisional Government was overthrown. The Great October Socialist Revolution took place, after which Lenin became chairman of the Council of People's Commissars - the Council of People's Commissars. He built his policy, hoping for the support of the world proletariat, but did not receive it.

At the beginning of 1918, the leader of the revolution insisted on signing the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. As a result, a huge part of the territory of Russia departed to Germany. The disagreement of the majority of the population of the country of Russia with the policy of the Bolsheviks led to the Civil War of 1918-1922.

The left-SR rebellion that took place in July 1918 in St. Petersburg was brutally suppressed. After that, a one-party system is established in Russia. Now V. Lenin is the head of the Bolshevik Party and all of Russia.

On August 30, 1918, an attempt was made on the life of the Head of the Party, he was seriously wounded. After that, the "Red Terror" was declared in the country.

Lenin developed the policy of "war communism".
The main ideas are quotes from his writings:

• The main goal of the Communist Party is the implementation of the communist revolution, followed by the construction of a classless society free from exploitation.
• There is no universal morality, but only class morality. The morality of the proletariat is that which meets the interests of the proletariat (“our morality is completely subordinated to the interests of the class struggle of the proletariat”).
• The revolution will not necessarily take place all over the world at the same time, as Marx believed. It can first occur in one, separately taken country. This country will then help the revolution in other countries.
• Tactically, the success of the revolution depends on the rapid capture of communications (post, telegraph, railway stations).
• Before building communism, an intermediate stage is necessary - the dictatorship of the proletariat. Communism is divided into two periods: socialism and communism proper.

According to the policy of “war communism”, free trade was prohibited in Russia, barter in kind (instead of commodity-money relations) and surplus appropriation were introduced. At the same time, Lenin insisted on the development of state-type enterprises, on electrification, and on the development of cooperation.

A wave of peasant uprisings passed through the country, but they were brutally suppressed. Soon, on the personal orders of V. Lenin, the persecution of the Russian Orthodox Church began. About 10 million people became victims of "war communism". Russia's economic and industrial indicators have declined sharply.

In March 1921, at the Tenth Party Congress, V. Lenin put forward the program of the "new economic policy" (NEP), which slightly changed the economic crisis.

In 1922, the leader of the world proletariat suffered 2 strokes, but did not stop leading the state. In the same year, Russia was renamed the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).

At the beginning of 1923, realizing that a split was emerging in the Bolshevik Party, and that his state of health had worsened, Lenin wrote his Letter to the Congress. In a letter, he gave a characterization to all the leading figures of the Central Committee and proposed to remove Joseph Stalin from the post of General Secretary.

In March 1923, he suffered a third stroke, after which he became paralyzed.

January 21, 1924 V.I. Lenin died in the village. Gorki (Moscow region). His body was embalmed and placed in the Mausoleum on Red Square in Moscow.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the question was raised about the need to remove the body and brain of the first leader of the USSR from the Mausoleum and bury it. In modern times, there are still discussions about this by various government officials, political parties and forces, as well as representatives of religious organizations.

V. Ulyanov also had other pseudonyms: V. Ilyin, V. Frey, Iv. Petrov, K. Tulin, Karpov and others.

In addition to all his deeds, Lenin stood at the origins of the creation of the Red Army, which won the civil war.

The only official state award that a fiery Bolshevik was awarded was the Order of Labor of the Khorezm People's Socialist Republic (1922).

Lenin's name

The name and image of V. I. Lenin was canonized by the Soviet government along with October Revolution and Joseph Stalin. Many cities, towns and collective farms were named after him. In every city there was a monument to him. Numerous stories about “grandfather Lenin” were written for Soviet children, the words “Leninists”, “Leniniad”, etc.

Images of the leader were on the front side of all tickets of the State Bank of the USSR in denominations from 10 to 100 rubles from 1937 to 1992, as well as 200, 500 and 1 thousand "Pavlovian rubles" of the USSR 1991 and 1992 issue.

Lenin's works

According to a poll by the FOM in 1999, 65% of the Russian population considered the role of V. Lenin in the history of the country positive, and 23% - negative.
He wrote a huge number of works, the most famous:

• "The Development of Capitalism in Russia" (1899);
• "What to do?" (1902);
• "Karl Marx (a short biographical sketch outlining Marxism)" (1914);
• "Imperialism as the highest stage of capitalism (popular essay)" (1916);
• "State and Revolution" (1917);
• "The Tasks of Youth Unions" (1920);
• "On the pogrom persecution of Jews" (1924);
• "What is Soviet power?";
• "Our Revolution".

The speeches of the fiery revolutionary are recorded on many gramophone records.
Named after him:

• Tank "Freedom Fighter Comrade Lenin"
• Electric locomotive VL
• icebreaker "Lenin"
• "Electronics VL-100"
• Vladilena (852 Wladilena) - a minor planet
• numerous cities, villages, collective farms, streets, monuments.

Vladimir Lenin was a world-class politician. He managed to create a completely new state. On the one hand, he was able to win a political and triumphant victory. On the other hand, historically Lenin found himself in the camp of the losers. After all, his work, based on the principles of violence, was initially doomed. Despite this, it was Vladimir Ulyanov who determined the vector of development of world history in the twentieth century.

A complete biography of Lenin is contained not only in Soviet encyclopedias. Numerous books have been devoted to his life. There is a biography of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin in Wikipedia. It exists on various sites dedicated to the history and biography of famous people. We studied the biography and personal life of Lenin, briefly presenting the information in the article.

Roots

The biography of Vladimir Lenin began in the middle of spring 1870 in Simbirsk. His dad worked as an inspector of schools, he did a lot for public education. Ilya Nikolaevich lost his father early and his elder brother was engaged in his upbringing. At that time he was the clerk of one of the city firms. Nevertheless, Lenin's father received a good education. He was a hardworking man - the leader of the proletariat inherited a colossal capacity for work precisely from his father. Thanks to the merits of Ilya Nikolaevich, the Ulyanovs were even given hereditary nobility.

On the mother's side, Lenin's grandfather Alexander Blank was a doctor and medical inspector of the hospitals of the arms factory in Zlatoust. At one time he married a German girl Anna Grosskopf. Later, grandfather retired and received a noble rank. He even became a landowner, having bought the Kokushkino estate.

Lenin's mother was a home teacher. She was considered an emancipated woman and tried to stick to the left. She was known not only as an excellent and hospitable hostess, but also as a caring, fair mother. She taught her children the basics of foreign languages ​​and music.

There are still disputes about Lenin's nationality (the biography contains a lot of conflicting information). Many are documented, but most are unsubstantiated. Lenin himself considered himself Russian.

Childhood

Lenin's life (biography confirms this) at first did not differ in originality. He was a smart boy. When Volodya was five years old, he began to read. When Vladimir entered the Simbirsk gymnasium, he was considered a real "walking encyclopedia". The future leader of the state was not interested in the exact sciences. The young man loved history, philosophy, statistics, economic disciplines.

He was a diligent, careful and gifted student. Teachers repeatedly handed commendable sheets to Ulyanov.

According to classmates, young Lenin had great authority and respect. In addition, the head of the gymnasium F. Kerensky, the father of the future head of the Provisional Government, at one time also gave a rather high assessment of Lenin's abilities.

The beginning of the revolutionary path

In 1887, Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, whose biography we are considering, completed his gymnasium education, receiving a gold medal. At the same time, he learned that his older brother Alexander had been arrested. He was accused of attempting to assassinate the Russian autocrat. Prior to that, Sasha was a university student in the northern capital. He comprehended the basics of biology, was considered a talented young man and planned to become a scientist. He didn't have any radical ideas then. But be that as it may, at the beginning of May 1887 he was executed.

Meanwhile, his younger brother Vladimir also became a student. He studied in Kazan and even in his first year began to participate in the student revolutionary movement. After some time, he was completely expelled from the university. Soon the young revolutionary was sent to the first exile in the same province.

A year later, Ulyanov was allowed to return to Kazan. A little later, he and his family moved to Samara. It was in this city that the young man began to get acquainted in detail with the postulates of Marxism. He also became a member of one of the Marxist circles.

Some time later, Ulyanov managed to pass the exams as an external student at the law school course at the University of St. Petersburg. The following year, the young lawyer became assistant barrister. However, he could not fully prove himself as a specialist and soon finally parted with jurisprudence. Vladimir moved to the northern capital and became a member of the Marxist student circle organized at the Technological Institute. In addition, he began to work on the creation of the program of the Social Democratic Party.

According to the biography - Russian), in 1895 he first went abroad. Vladimir visited countries such as Germany, Switzerland and France. It was there that he managed to get acquainted not only with the leaders of the international labor movement W. Liebknecht and P. Lafargue, but also with his political idol G. Plekhanov.

Emigration

When Vladimir Ulyanov returned to the capital, he attempted to unite all the disparate Marxist circles into one organization. We are talking about the "Union of Struggle for the Emancipation of the Working Class". Of course, the members of this organization have already tried to implement their plan to overthrow the Russian autocracy.

A brief biography of V. I. Lenin contains information that he actively promoted this idea. As a result, the revolutionary was arrested. For a long time he was in a prison cell. And after that, in the early spring of 1897, he was sent to Siberia, to the village of Shushenskoye. The term of reference was determined - three years. Here Ulyanov communicated with other exiles, wrote articles, and was engaged in translations.

As a brief biography of Vladimir Lenin tells, in 1900 he decided to emigrate. He lived in Geneva, Munich, London.

It was during these years that Vladimir created the political publication Iskra. On these pages, for the first time, he signed his articles with the party pseudonym "Lenin".

After some time, he became one of the initiators of the convocation of the congress of the RSDLP. As a result, the organization was split into two camps. Ulyanov managed to lead the Bolshevik Party. He began to develop an active struggle against the Mensheviks.

In 1905, he continued to prepare for an armed uprising in the Russian Empire. There Vladimir learned that the First Russian Revolution had begun in the country.

First blood

A brief biography of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin suggests that he could not remain indifferent to the events in Russia. For a short time he arrived at home. A little later, Lenin ended up in Finland. During this time, Ulyanov tried in every possible way to attract people to his side. He urged them to arm themselves and attack officials.

In addition, he proposed to boycott the first State Duma. Let us note that later Lenin admitted his mistake. He also supported the bloody Moscow uprising and from the emigration gave advice to the rebels.

Meanwhile, the revolution finally ended in failure. In 1907, at the Fifth Congress, all parties were already opposed. This factional struggle reached its climax at the party conference in 1912. It happened in Prague.

In addition, during the same period, Ulyanov managed to organize the publication of a legal newspaper of the Bolsheviks. Note that initially this publication, in fact, was created by L. Trotsky. It was a non-factional newspaper. In 1912, Lenin by and large became the main ideologist of the publication. And Iosif Dzhugashvili was chosen as the editor-in-chief.

War

After the defeat in the revolution, Ulyanov began to analyze the mistakes of the Bolsheviks. Over time, these failures turned into a victory. The Bolsheviks rallied as never before and a new wave of revolutionary movement began.

And in 1914, Lenin was in Austria-Hungary. It was here that he learned that the First World War had begun. The future head of the Soviet state was arrested. He was accused of spying for the Russian Empire. The consequences could be more than deplorable, but the Austrian and Polish Social Democrats stood up for their associate. As a result, Lenin was forced to move to neutral Switzerland. It was during this period that the revolutionary called for the overthrow of the Russian government and the transformation of the imperialist war into a civil one.

This position led him at first to complete isolation even in social democratic circles. In addition, when the war was going on, Ulyanov's ties with the Motherland almost completely broke off. And the Bolshevik Party itself inevitably broke up into several separate organizations.

February 1917

When the February Revolution broke out, Lenin and his comrades received permission to come to Germany and from there go to Russia. Once in the homeland, Lenin arranged a solemn meeting. He spoke to the people and called for a "social revolution". He believed that power should belong to members of the Bolshevik Party. Of course, many did not share this position at all.

Despite this, Lenin spoke at rallies and meetings literally every day. He tirelessly called to stand under the banner of the Soviets. By the way, at that time Stalin also supported the theses of the Bolshevik leader.

In early July, the Bolsheviks were once again accused of espionage and treason. Now - in favor of Germany. Lenin was forced to go into hiding. He, along with his associate Zinoviev, ended up in Razliv. After some time, Lenin secretly moved to Finland.

And at the very end of the summer of 1917, the Kornilov uprising began. The Bolsheviks were against the rebels and thus they managed to rehabilitate themselves in the eyes of the socialist organizations.

Meanwhile, in the middle of autumn, Lenin illegally arrived in the revolutionary capital. At party meetings, he, together with Trotsky, managed to achieve the adoption of an official resolution related to an armed uprising.

October coup

Ulyanov acted harshly and promptly. The biography of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin ("Wikipedia" also contains this information) says that on October 20, 1917, he began to lead the direct uprising. On the night of October 25-26, the Bolsheviks arrested members of the Provisional Government. A little later, decrees on peace and land were adopted. In addition, the Council of People's Commissars headed by Ulyanov was formed.

A truly new era has begun. Lenin had to deal with urgent issues. Thus, the head of state began to create the Red Army. He was also forced to conclude a peace treaty with Germany. In addition, the development of a program for the formation of a socialist society began. Thus, the Congress of Soviets of Workers, Peasants and Soldiers became an organ of power. And the capital of the proletarian state moved to Moscow.

However, several unpopular steps taken by the new government, such as the conclusion of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk and the dispersal of the Constituent Assembly, led to a complete break with representatives of the Left SR movement. As a result, in July 1918, a rebellion began. This speech by the Left Socialist-Revolutionaries was brutally suppressed. As a result, the political system became one-party and acquired totalitarian features. Taken together, all this caused discontent. Events turned into a fratricidal civil war.

Civil War

Under the conditions of the war, Ulyanov was forced to monitor the progress of urgent mobilization into the Red Army. He was closely involved in issues related to weapons. He managed to organize the work of the rear. Actually, these measures later influenced the outcome of the war.

In addition, Lenin was able to exploit the obvious contradictions in the White camp. He managed to create a 10-fold advantage of the proletarian army over the enemy. He also attracted tsarist military specialists to work.

Unfortunately, at the very end of the summer of 1918, an attempt was made on the life of the leader of the state. As a result, the "Red Terror" began in the country.

War Communism and the New Politics

Having recovered from his wounds, Ulyanov set about economic reforms - the construction of the so-called war communism. He introduced it directively throughout the country. At that time, Lenin did not have a clear economic program, but nevertheless he introduced surplus appropriation, barter in kind and banned trade. A little later industry was nationalized. As a result, the production of goods practically ceased.

Ulyanov tried to save the situation. That is why he decided to introduce compulsory labor service. For her evasion, execution was due.

However, the economic situation continued to worsen. Then in 1921, Lenin announced in the country a course towards a "new economic policy." The war communism program was finally abolished. The government allowed private trade. As a result, a long process of economic recovery began. But Vladimir Ilyich was not destined to see the fruits of the new policy.

Last years

Because of his failing health, Lenin was forced to step down from power. Iosif Dzhugashvili became the sole leader of the new state of the USSR.

Ulyanov, with amazing courage and perseverance, continued to fight the disease. For the treatment of the leader, the authorities decided to involve a number of domestic and Western doctors. He was diagnosed with cerebral vascular sclerosis. This disease was caused not only by huge overloads, but also by genetic causes.

Everything was in vain - in Gorki on January 21, 1924, Vladimir Lenin died. After some time, the body of the founder of the USSR was transported to the capital and placed in the Hall of Columns of the House of the Unions. For five days there was a farewell to the leader of the country.

On January 27, Ulyanov's body was embalmed and placed in the Mausoleum, which was specially built for this purpose.

We note right away that after the collapse of the Soviet empire in 1991, the question of reburial of the head of the proletarian state was repeatedly raised. This topic is still being discussed.

Leader's personal life

Ulyanov met his future wife Nadezhda Krupskaya back in 1894. Krupskaya's father was a tsarist officer. His daughter, Nadezhda, was a student of the famous Bestuzhev courses. At one time, she even corresponded with Leo Tolstoy himself.

When a woman began to live with Ulyanov together, she became not only the main assistant to her husband, but also a like-minded person. She always followed her husband and took part in all his actions. Also, the woman followed him when Lenin was in exile in Shushenskoye. It was here that the lovers got married in the church. Peasants from this village became best men. And an associate of Lenin and Krupskaya made wedding rings. They were made of copper nickels.

Lenin had no children. Although some historians believe that the leader had an only son. His name was Alexander Steffen. According to rumors, an associate gave him a child. They say that this relationship lasted almost five years.

Briefly about the most important of Lenin's biography, the reader already knows. It remains only to highlight some interesting facts from the life of the leader of the proletariat:

1. In the gymnasium, Ulyanov studied mostly only for five. In the certificate, he received the only four - in the discipline "logic". Nevertheless, he graduated with a gold medal.
2. In his youth, the future head of the Soviet state smoked. One day his mother said that tobacco is too expensive. And there wasn't much money in it. As a result, Ulyanov gave up the bad habit and never smoked again.
3. Ulyanov had about 150 pseudonyms. The most common are Statist, Meyer, Ilyin, Tulin, Frey, Starik, Petrov. The origin of the famous pseudonym "Lenin" is still not exactly known.
4. Ulyanov could be among the Nobel Prize winners. In 1918, his candidacy was considered and they wanted to award him the Peace Prize. But a fratricidal civil war began. As a result, it was these events that could deprive Lenin of the prestigious Nobel Prize.
5. In honor of Lenin, a number of new names were invented: Varlen, Arvil, Arlen, Vladlen, Vladilen, Vilen, etc.
6. Ulyanov was considered a great gourmet. However, his wife was not a lover of cooking. Therefore, the Ulyanovs specially hired a cook.

Vladimir Lenin's biography of a briefly prominent political figure is set out in this article.

Vladimir Lenin short biography

Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov (pseudonym Lenin)- the founder of the Social Democratic Party and Bolshevism, one of the organizers of the October Revolution and chairman of the Council of People's Commissars. Lenin is considered the creator of the first socialist state in history. It was Lenin who laid the foundation of Marxism-Leninism.

Born on April 22 in the city of Simbirsk in the family of an inspector of public schools. He lived in Simbirsk until graduating from the Simbirsk gymnasium in 1887.

After graduating from the gymnasium with a gold medal, Lenin entered Kazan University at the Faculty of Law, where he studied for a short time and was expelled due to regular assistance to the illegal student movement Narodnaya Volya. In May 1887, his older brother Alexander was executed because of his participation in the Narodnaya Volya conspiracy to attempt on the life of the emperor. This was a great tragedy in the Ulyanov family. Lenin was included in the list of "unreliable" persons.

In 1888, Lenin returned to Kazan and joined the Marxist circle. He studies the works of Marx, Engels and Plekhanov, which in the future will have a tremendous impact on his political self-consciousness. Around this time, Lenin's revolutionary activity begins.

In 1889, Lenin moved to Samara and there he continued to look for supporters of the future coup d'état. In 1891, he externally took exams for the course of the law faculty of St. Petersburg University. At the same time, under the influence of Plekhanov, his views evolved from populist to social democratic, and Lenin developed his first doctrine, which laid the foundation for Leninism.

In 1893, Lenin came to St. Petersburg and got a job as a lawyer's assistant, while continuing to conduct an active journalistic activity - he published many works in which he studied the process of capitalization of Russia.

In 1895, after a trip abroad, where Lenin met with Plekhanov and many other public figures, he organized the "Union of Struggle for the Emancipation of the Working Class" in St. Petersburg and began an active struggle against the autocracy. As a result, in 1897 he was sent into exile in the Yenisei region for 3 years. It was during this exile that he wrote most of his work. In 1898, he registered his marriage with his common-law wife, N. K. Krupskaya, so that she could follow him into exile.

In 1898, the first secret congress of the Social Democratic Party (RSDLP) was held, headed by Lenin. Soon after the Congress, all its members (9 people) were arrested, but the beginning of the revolution was laid.

In 1905-1907, during the first revolution, Lenin is in Switzerland, but continues to actively cooperate with the Russian revolutionaries. For a short time in 1905, he returned to St. Petersburg and led the revolutionary movement, but soon left for Finland, where he met Stalin.

The next time, Lenin returned to Russia only in February 1917 and immediately became the head of another uprising. Despite being ordered to arrest him pretty soon, Lenin continues his activities illegally. In October 1917, after the coup d'etat and the overthrow of the autocracy, power in the country completely passes to Lenin and his party.

Lenin's reforms

From 1917 until his death, Lenin was engaged in the reformation of the country in accordance with social democratic ideals:

• Makes peace with Germany, creates the Red Army, which takes an active part in the civil war of 1917-1921;
• Creates the NEP - the new economic policy;
• Gives civil rights to peasants and workers (the working class becomes the main one in the new political system of Russia);
• Reforms the church, seeking to replace Christianity with a new "religion" - communism.

Lenin died on January 21, 1924 in the Gorki estate as a result of a sharp deterioration in health. By order of Stalin, the body of the leader is placed in a mausoleum on Red Square in Moscow.

The role of Lenin in the history of Russia

Lenin was the main ideologist of the revolution and the overthrow of the autocracy in Russia, organized the Bolshevik Party, which was able to come to power in a fairly short time and completely change Russia politically and economically. Thanks to Lenin, Russia turned from an Empire into a socialist state based on the ideas of communism and the rule of the working class.

The state created by Lenin existed for almost the entire 20th century and became one of the strongest in the world. Lenin is one of the greatest world leaders that ever existed in world history.