Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov
- Born:
- April 22, 1870, Simbirsk, Russian Empire
- Died:
- January 21, 1924, Gorki Leninskiye, Moscow Governorate, Russian SFSR
- Nationality:
- Russian
- Profession(s):
- Revolutionary, Politician, Political Theorist
Early Life and Education
- Born into a middle-class family.
- His older brother, Alexander, was executed in 1887 for plotting to assassinate Tsar Alexander III.
- Expelled from Kazan Imperial University for participating in student protests.
- Later earned a law degree from Saint Petersburg University (externally).
Career and Major Achievements
- Became a prominent Marxist revolutionary.
- Leader of the Bolshevik faction of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party.
- Played a key role in the October Revolution of 1917.
- Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars (head of government) of Soviet Russia (1917-1924).
- Established the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR).
- Oversaw the creation of the Soviet Union in 1922.
- Implemented the New Economic Policy (NEP) in 1921.
Legacy and Impact
Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov, better known as Lenin, fundamentally reshaped Russia, establishing the world's first socialist state. His political ideology, Leninism, became a major influence on communist movements worldwide. His legacy remains highly contested, viewed by some as a revolutionary hero and by others as a totalitarian dictator. Any study of the history of the Soviet Union will necessarily consider this 'lenin biography'.
Notable Works
- What Is To Be Done? (1902)
- Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism (1916)
- The State and Revolution (1917)