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#OTD 150 years ago, Vladimir Lenin was born as Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov.
This is the childhood home where Lenin grew up in Simbirsk Russia.
He first attended Kazan University, but got kicked out for forming a study group to study Marxism.
Ironically, the University now has a statue dedicated to him.
Ironically, the University now has a statue dedicated to him.
In Kazan, he joined On his return, he joined Nikolai Fedoseev's study circle where he discovered Karl Marx's Das Capital.
This was the little room he rented while studying in Kazan
This was the little room he rented while studying in Kazan
In 1890, he was still banned from University for his revolutionary activities. His mother was very worried and she managed to convince the St. Petersburg State University to let him sit for the exams. They agreed to let him sit for exams as long as he did independent study.
In 1890, Lenin graduated in high honors despite not being allowed to take class. He graduated with a degree in Jurisprudence and at age 20, her was ready to take the bar exam.
#Lenin150
#Lenin150
In 1893, Lenin arrives in St. Petersberg. There, he worked as a barrister's assistant. Meanwhile, he joined a Marxist study group and authored his first booklet:
What the “Friends of the People” Are and How They Fight the Social-Democrats.
200 copies were illegally published
What the “Friends of the People” Are and How They Fight the Social-Democrats.
200 copies were illegally published
Of course, since it was illegal to have marxist study groups, Lenin writes the booklet under his Pen-name N. Lenin instead of his real name Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov
#Lenin150
#Lenin150
It's not all work for Lenin in St. Petersberg. In the marxist study group, he meets the very beautiful Nadezhda (Nadia) Krupskaya in 1894.
Nadia claimed that she was impressed by his speeches but not his personality, at least not at first.
In 1895, Lenin was sent as a delegate to meet up with other marxist In France, Switzerland and Germany
He helps arrange the publication and working-class journal Rabotni for people in Russia.
He helps arrange the publication and working-class journal Rabotni for people in Russia.
Unfortunately, as soon as he returned from abroad, in December 1895, his study group gets busted and everyone in the group gets arrested for being in a Marxist group.
This is his mugshot.
#Lenin150
This is his mugshot.
#Lenin150
Lenin is kept in prison without a trial for a year. During this time, he writes the manifesto for the Social Democratic party.
While still in jail, he kinda figures out who the mole is and then writes a letter warning his friends about the mole.
Finally, in January 1897, Lenin is sentenced to 3 years of exile in Siberia. It has since been refurbished, but he was exiled to the middle of nowhere and had to stay in an isolated house.
Apparently, Nadia was also arrested for belonging to the same cell. So, she, too, is sentenced to exile. She requests that she be able to do the exile with Lenin. The judge agrees if she marries Lenin when she heads off to Siberia.
In 1900, Lenin's term in exile ends. In September, he moves to Munich Germany. He rents a small apartment that's still around today.
#Lenin150
#Lenin150
Error. I made a mistake! He did not use the name Lenin until 1901. His first pseudonym is Vladimir Ilin https://twitter.com/historic_ly/status/1253009966782459904?s=20
In May, 1901, Nadia gets released from exile and she joins Lenin in Munich. Lenin starts the publication of the worker newspaper Iskra which means "Spark"
The Iskra became one of the most popular underground publications. This is Lenin sending a message to a man in Russia about smuggling this publication.
In August 1901, Plekhenov and Martov have a fight. People who side themselves with Plekhenov use the term "Bolshevikii" which means majority and the people who side themselves with Martov call themselves Menshevikii which means minority.
Lenin resigned from Iskra and he mentions why in this wonderful article called "Why I resigned from Iskra"
https://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1903/dec/15a.htm
https://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1903/dec/15a.htm
In 1904, the Tsar begins the war with Japan. Everyone in the party are trolling each other with mean letters.
Lenin publishes his "One step forward and two steps back" which explains everyone's problem with each other
http://www.marx2mao.com/Lenin/OSF04NB.html
Lenin publishes his "One step forward and two steps back" which explains everyone's problem with each other
http://www.marx2mao.com/Lenin/OSF04NB.html
In 1905, Russia faces Bloody Sunday. Read about it all in this thread #Lenin150 https://twitter.com/historic_ly/status/1209506747876093954?s=20
In April of 1905, Lenin and the Russian Social Democratic Conference speaks about the need for the peasantry to arm itself
#Lenin150
https://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1905/3rdcong/index.htm
#Lenin150
https://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1905/3rdcong/index.htm