Print Culture and the 1917 October Revolution

What Was the October Revolution?

1900

The October Revolution occurred on November 7th, 1917 in Petrograd, which is now St. Petersburg (National Geographic). This was the first socialist revolution in history and later established the USSR (National Geographic). The October Revolution was led by Lenin, the leader of the Bolsheviks (a Marxist party), who wanted to free Russian citizens from the oppressive rule of the Russian monarchy and create a system of government run by working-class individuals (National Geographic).

Print Culture Before the October Revolution

1901

While authors and poets could publish their works with some freedom in Tsarist (pre-revolutionary) Russia, overtly political works, especially ones that attempted to mobilize the working-class, were largely prohibited from publication (Ali, 2017). As a result, the type of fiction that was popular in Tsarist Russia tended to focus upon realism and internal strife, such as the novels by Dostoevsky, for example (Ali, 2017).

The Written Word as a Revolutionary Force

1901

While Vladimir Lenin was imprisoned for his outspoken, anti-Tsarist political beliefs in 1902, he wrote What Is To Be Done? - an instructional book (first published as a pamphlet) for a working-class revolution (Ali, 2017). As one can observe throughout this timeline, many of these other seminal non-fiction writings were often printed in the form of a pamphlet or article, as it was easier to publish a voice of dissent through those less-restricted means.

Vladimir Lenin: What Is To Be Done?

1902

First published as a pamphlet, this seminal work in Marxist ideology precipitated the formation of the Bolsheviks, which was naturally led by Lenin, and it provided a framework for Russia's forthcoming revolutionary movement. An excerpt: "We are marching in a compact group along a precipitous and difficult path, firmly holding each other by the hand. We are surrounded on all sides by enemies, and we have to advance almost constantly under their fire" (Lenin, 1902).

Josef Stalin: Marxism and the National Question

1913

Published in 1913, this collection of articles and speeches about a nation's right to self-determination by Josef Stalin is considered a notable piece of literature for both modern-day Marxists and in the context of revolutionary history. An excerpt: "A nation has the right freely to determine its own destiny. It has the right to arrange its life as it sees fit, without, of course, trampling on the rights of other nations" (Stalin, 1913).

Vladimir Lenin: The Socialist Revolution and the Right of Nations to Self-Determination

1916

While this writing was originally published as an article in the German socialist journal, Vorbote, it has since been reprinted as a stand-alone book due to is historical importance along with other significant writings by Lenin. An excerpt: "The socialist revolution is not one single act, not one single battle on a single front; but a whole epoch of intensified class conflicts, a long series of battles on all fronts" (Lenin, 1916).

Vladimir Lenin: Imperialism: The Highest Stage of Capitalism

1917

As the leader of the Bolsheviks, Lenin's writings are some of the most important during this period of revolutionary history. Originally published as a pamphlet (like many other works on this timeline), Imperialism: The Highest Stage of Capitalism, is considered one of his most important books and is a foundational text for practicing Marxists-Leninists. An excerpt: "This pamphlet was written with an eye to the Tsarist censorship" (Lenin, 1917).

Alexandra Kollontai: Our Tasks

1917

This short article by prominent Marxist and feminist, Alexandra Kollontai, was published in the Petrograd-based journal, Woman Worker, as a battle cry to both men and women of the Bolsheviks to rebuild a better future in a post-revolution Russia. "We must build the new Russia, a Russia in which the working people, office workers, servants, day workers, needlewomen and those who are simply the wives of working men, will have a better and brighter life" (Kollontai, 1917).

Alexandra Kollontai: Why the Bolsheviks Must Win

1917

Why the Bolsheviks Must Win is another important article by the renowned Marxist, Alexandra Kollontai, that was first published in the journal, Revolt. "For the first time in the history of man a state is headed not by the representatives of capital, of the bourgeoisie, but by the vanguard of the fighting proletariat - the left wing of Russian Social-Democracy, the Bolsheviks" (Kollontai, 1917). It should be noted that women played a key role in the October Revolution.

Moissage Olgin: The Soul of the Russian Revolution

1917

Moissage Olgin was born in the former Russian Empire (now Ukraine). Originally a doctoral thesis, The Soul of the Russian Revolution provides an academic view of the Bolsheviks' win against the former monarchy. An excerpt: "The Russian revolution is the awakening to self-consciousness of a great nation shaken to its very foundations; it is the groping of vast masses towards a new social, political and spiritual freedom far exceeding that contained in revolutionary programs" (Olgin, 1917).

Vladimir Lenin: The State and Revolution

1918

Considered a primary Marxist text, alongside The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx, Lenin wrote this book a few months before the October Revolution occurred. Quite naturally, this book explored how oppressed people can successfully overthrow their oppressors. An excerpt: “Revolution consists not in the new class commanding, governing with the aid of the old state machine, but in this class smashing this machine and commanding, governing with the aid of a new machine” (Lenin, 1918).

Leon Trotsky: Our Revolution: Essays on Working-Class and International Revolution, 1904 - 1917

1918

Leon Trotsky was a central figure within the Bolsheviks as well as a prolific writer. This book is a compilation of essays that Trotsky wrote between 1904 - 1917 and was compiled by Moissaye J. Olgin for publication in 1918. An excerpt: "The question of chief interest, now, to the governments and the peoples of the world is, What will be the influence of the Russian Revolution on the War? Will it bring peace nearer?" (Trotsky, 1918).

Vladimir Lenin: "Left-Wing" Communism: An Infantile Disorder

1920

In the years following the October Revolution, internal bickering and splintering began to take place within the victorious Bolsheviks. Lenin wrote this in order to address those issues. An excerpt: "...it is not enough for revolution that the exploited and oppressed masses should understand the impossibility of living in the old way and demand changes; it is essential for revolution that the exploiters should not be able to live and rule in the old way" (Lenin, 1920).

The Affect of Revolution on Russia's Print Culture

1921

According to Matthew Rendle, who is a senior lecturer in history at the University of Exeter, post-revolutionary Russia experienced a print culture boom, thanks to a greater freedom in publishing (Rendle, 2020). An estimated 27 million copies of more than 500 revolutionary pamphlets were published in Petrograd (now St. Petersburg) alone during the revolution, and these pamphlets were universally affordable and readable for a large cross-section of the Russian population (Rendle, 2020).

References (Part One)

1922

Ali, T. (2017, March 25). How Lenin’s love of literature shaped the Russian Revolution. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/mar/25/lenin-love-literature-russian-revolution-soviet-union-goethe Kollontai, A. (1917). Our tasks. Rabotnitsa(1-2). Kollontai, A. (1917). Why the Bolsheviks must win. Revolt. Lenin, V. I. (1902). What is to be done? Lenin. V. I. (1914). The socialist revolution and the right of nations to self-determination. Vorbote(2).

References (Part Three)

1922

Rendle, M. (2020, May 13). Inventing the Russian Revolution in the print culture of 1917. NYU Jordan Center for the Advanced Study of Russia. https://jordanrussiacenter.org/news/inventing-the-russian-revolution-in-the-print-culture-of-1917/#.Y23cYezML9E Stalin, J. (1913). Marxism and the national question. Prosveshcheniye(3-5). Trotzky, L. (1918). Our revolution: Essays on working-class and international revolution, 1904-1917. Henry Holt and Company.

References (Part Two)

1922

Lenin, V. I. (1917). Imperialism: The highest stage of capitalism. Lenin. V. I. (1918). The state and revolution. Lenin, V. I. (1920). “Left-wing” communism: An infantile disorder. National Geographic. (2022, May 20). Nov 7, 1917 CE: October Revolution. https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/october-revolution Olgin, M. (1917). The soul of the Russian revolution. Henry Holt and Company.