The question why Ulyanov took the pseudonym Lenin is not a mystery. The leader of the world proletariat himself gave an unequivocal answer on this matter. The reason was the events on the Lena River, where the tsarist government shot workers who protested against harsh working conditions and non-payment of wages. This is where the pseudonym Lenin came from. But in this whole story, we are interested not only in why Ulyanov took the pseudonym Lenin, but also why the events that led to the execution of the workers took place.

So, the chronology of events was as follows. In April 1912, the workers of the gold mines located on the Lena River went on strike. The workers demanded that the working day be reduced to 8 hours, and they also demanded that they begin to pay wages. This demonstration was shot. More than 200 people were killed and wounded. As a result, Ulyanov took the pseudonym Lenin as a symbol of the struggle of the Bolsheviks for ordinary citizens against the tsarist regime. Everything seems to be very clear, but there is a dark side in this story, which is little written about in modern literature.

What is this about? First of all, that the fault of the Russian Emperor in the execution of the workers' demonstration was not actually there. Shooting was opened at a time when it was impossible to calm the crowd without weapons. Soviet and Western historians tell us that the fault of Nicholas 2 was that he brought people to such a state. It was the imperial regime that exploited people who worked 10, 12 and even 14 hour shifts. It was Nicholas 2, in their opinion, who was guilty of the fact that people did not receive salaries in gold mining in the country. The same historians tell us that only Ulyanov, who took the pseudonym Lenin, of all politicians, took the side of the common people, oppressed by the emperor. These conclusions, despite the fact that they are logical, are absolutely not true. Let's figure out why.

Gold mining on the Lena River was carried out by the Lenzoloto partnership. It was this firm, controlled by the emperor, which, according to the very scholars who write about the stagnation of imperial power, brought its workers to such a state. In this whole story, for some reason, only one fact is hushed up. The fact that changes everything. The controlling stake in the Lenzoloto partnership, namely 66%, belonged to the English company Lena Goldfields. This is how the company actually engaged in the development of gold mines in Russia. It was this company and its leaders, who live in England, who determined the length of working hours and the procedure for paying wages. The conclusion suggests itself. It was not Nicholas 2 who brought the workers to a revolutionary state. It was not the serfdom of Russia with its imperial remnants that pushed people out into the street. All this was done by democratic Englishmen. The tsarist regime had no power in relation to gold mining on the Lena River.

As for the Lena Goldfields company itself, there is another interesting fact that makes one think about the role of foreign intelligence services in the Russian revolution of 1917. The point is this. After the Bolsheviks came to power, gold mining on the Lena River continued. The independent Soviet government, at least as Lenin himself claimed, transferred the rights to mine gold to the same Lena Goldfields company. At the same time, the British took 93% of the gold during mining, leaving the Soviet government as much as 7%! What did the Bolsheviks fight for? What ideas did they defend if, after the revolution, Western countries continued to pump out money and minerals from the USSR? Ulyanov, who took the pseudonym Lenin because of the very events unleashed by the English company Lena Goldfields, supported this particular company, and by signing an agreement on such conditions that only the British benefited, who continued to mine gold on the Lena River until the arrival of to the power of Joseph Stalin, who transferred this field to Soviet companies.

Until 1917, the leader of the world proletariat V. I. Ulyanov, like other professional revolutionaries, had to live in the strictest secrecy. It was impossible for him to sign his articles and other works with his own name. Therefore, V. I. Ulyanov had to use pseudonyms, party nicknames.

He had many pseudonyms for printing. Some of the articles and brochures published abroad, he signed simply - N. In other cases, he signed S. Tulin, V. Ilyin, V. I-in. Sometimes, as a pseudonym, Ilyich used foreign surnames - Frey, Richter, Meyer.

The pseudonym Lenin, more precisely - N. Lenin appeared at the leader in 1901. With this pseudonym, he began to sign his printed works. And it was under this name that he went down in history. This name became so widely known that after the revolution of 1917 he began to sign "V. I. Ulyanov (Lenin).

There are several versions of why the leader of the world proletariat chose this pseudonym. Let's consider each of them.

Family version, it is also official or toponymic

The pseudonym of the leader comes from the name of the Lena River. The niece of Vladimir Ilyich, the daughter of his brother Dmitry Olga Dmitrievna Ulyanova, wrote: “I have reason to believe,” my father wrote, “that this pseudonym comes from the name of the Lena River, so beautifully described by Korolenko. Vladimir Ilyich did not take the pseudonym Volgin, since he was rather worn out, in particular, as you know, Plekhanov used it, as well as other authors, for example, the notorious God-seeker Glinka, etc.

Researchers who support this version believe that the name of this particular great river arose due to the fact that Ilyich was in exile in Siberia, in Shushenskoye. But apparently that's not the point. Shushenskoye stands on the Shush River, a tributary of the Yenisei. If we were talking about Siberian impressions, then it would be more logical to expect the pseudonym "Shushin" or "Yenisein". The well-known "Lena execution" in the gold mines could not play any role here either, since it happened in 1912, when Ilyich was already using this pseudonym with might and main.

Probably, if the pseudonym really comes from the name of the Lena River, it's a matter of mere chance. Lenin - simply because he is not Volgin, in defiance of Plekhanov.

Conspiracy version

It belongs to the historian V. Loginov. In 1900, when Vladimir Ulyanov needed to go abroad, there was a problem with a passport. According to his "native" documents, of course, he would not have been released anywhere. And then a friend of Nadezhda Konstantinovna, who sympathized with the revolutionary movement, handed over to Ilyich the passport of her father, Nikolai Yegorovich Lenin, in which she sent the date of birth. Having left on a fake document abroad, Vladimir Ulyanov remained Lenin forever.

Literary version

It belongs to the writer Alexei Golenkov.

Everyone knows that Vladimir Ilyich was very fond of the work of Leo Tolstoy. Nadezhda Konstantinovna Krupskaya recalls that on the way to exile, in Shushenskoye, Vladimir Ulyanov read Tolstoy's story "The Cossacks". The hero of this story, by the name of OLENIN, also goes into exile, however, to the Caucasus, and not to Siberia. Tolstoy, according to Lenin, was the "Mirror of the Russian Revolution". And thoughts, partly consonant with the revolutionary moods of Ulyanov-Lenin himself, are also expressed by the hero of the story OLENIN.

Romantic version

In one of the TV shows of the late 90s, there was a version that Vladimir Ulyanov took the pseudonym Lenin in honor of the Kazan student Elena Rozmirovich, with whom, they say, he was unrequitedly in love with in his youth. And this is not the only Lena, who is credited with the honor of breaking the heart of the young leader. Other contenders for this role are the Kazan beauty Elena Lenina, the actress of the Mariinsky Theater Elena Zaretskaya, and even some Elena of Petersburg, with whom Ilyich allegedly was in love.

This version, for obvious reasons, does not stand up to criticism, however, it is quite popular.

exotic versions

If you read the word Lenin the other way around, you get Ninel. Ninel is a female name, and it is hidden, because the leader of the world proletariat hid his homosexual ties with Zinoviev and Trotsky. Absolutely incredible, of course, but no more incredible than deriving the party nickname Lenin from the name of the Lenin monastery ( Kloster Lehnin) in Germany, near Potsdam. The monastery is known, among other things, for the famous "Lenin's prophecy", set out in the documentXVIIcentury, allegedly dating back to the manuscriptXIIcenturies. The prophecy says that someday Central and Eastern Europe will unite into a single state from the Rhine to the Volga.

Seems weird? However, such versions also have a place to be.

Famous personalities have always used pseudonyms. This is very convenient, especially for creative people: poets, artists chose a name for themselves that had a special meaning, talking about something. Sometimes the choice of a pseudonym is associated with political activities and helps to hide for a long time. Especially often such famous people as V. I. Lenin, I. V. Stalin used this. Many people are interested in why Lenin is Lenin?

Leader of the proletariat

Ulyanov Vladimir Ilyich used many pseudonyms for his own. The future leader of the Russian proletariat led a stormy and was a member of the Social Democratic Party. Of course, he often had to hide, change his name. One of his pseudonyms was Lenin. This name remained with him until the end of his life. There are several versions of why Lenin took the pseudonym Lenin, and they all seem plausible.

Lena river

Some historians say that Vladimir Ilyich took this surname from the name of the Lena River. The legend says that in 1912, workers who went on strike were shot on this river. This event shocked V. I. Lenin, and in memory of the dead, he decided to take this pseudonym for himself. But the fact is that he began to sign with this name much earlier - back in 1901. So, there was another reason or reason to take the name Lenin (a pseudonym). Why can't it be an imitation?

Plekhanov - Volgin

It is impossible not to take into account the fact that the comrades-in-arms in the struggle communicated with each other, often imitated each other. So, knowing that Plekhanov took the pseudonym Volgin for himself, Vladimir Ilyich decided to use a similar name - also from the name of the river. And that was in 1901.

In the same period, the well-known agronomist S. N. Lenin also took part in public events. The future leader of the proletariat often quoted this scientist and could well use his last name. So, it turns out why Lenin is Lenin. But no - there is another, more plausible version.

Friendly Help

It turns out that there was another episode in the life of Lenin, which brought him to this surname. Before all the events described above, in 1900, Vladimir Ilyich had to urgently leave the Russian Empire. But this required a foreign passport. Because of his political activities, Lenin was sure that he would not be allowed to go abroad. I had to look for another opportunity to get a passport. And at this time, an unexpected meeting of Krupskaya with her good school friend, who also sympathized with the democratic movement of socialists, happens. It was she who stole the passport from her father - Lenin Nikolai Yegorovich - and provided it to the future leader of the proletariat. It was enough to fake only the year of birth, and Vladimir Ilyich became Nikolai Lenin. Since then, the leader of this surname and signed. From history it becomes clear why Lenin is Lenin.

Companion of the leader of the proletariat

The history of the revolution gave birth to its heroes, leaders, politicians. The current generation receives a different education, different from education in the USSR. Many do not know the details of the life of Lenin and his associates. Therefore, they ask the question: why is Lenin - Lenin, and Stalin - Stalin?

At the end of the 19th century, an excellent translator E.S. Stalinsky lived and worked. He was engaged in journalism, was a publisher - editor. He owns the best translation of the work of Shota Rustaveli - "The Knight in the Panther's Skin". During this period, I. Dzhugashvili also wrote poetry and even published. Of course, he heard about Stalinsky, read his translations. From his youth, he loved the newspaper "Caucasus". And "The Knight in the Panther's Skin" is one of Stalin's favorite works.

History events

So, reading Georgian literary magazines and newspapers, acquaintance with the works of E. Stalinsky led to the fact that I. Dzhugashvili had great respect for this person. He also had an excellent memory: many years later, being an ally of Lenin, Iosif Vissarionovich took advantage of Stalinsky's surname, shortening it. That is why Lenin is Lenin and Stalin is Stalin. These pseudonyms became known to the whole world.

Of course, the pseudonyms of politicians are closely connected with the historical events of the period when the state was going through a turning point. But often the name taken matches the person so much that many remember him only by a pseudonym and do not know his real surname. But it is necessary to study history so that such questions as this one do not arise: why Lenin is Lenin?

Not everyone shares the convictions of the revolutionaries, social democrats and similar figures of the beginning of the last century. But the events have already happened, they must be remembered, studied and known to the leaders of the movement, including their names and pseudonyms.

When I studied at the University, they explained to us that Ulyanov took the pseudonym "Lenin" after the so-called "Lena executions", when a major uprising of workers was suppressed at the mines near the Lena River in Yakutia. From there it went - Ulyanov was very impressed ...

Researchers of the life of the leader of the world proletariat have three versions of the appearance of the pseudonym Lenin.

Version one: imitated Plekhanov

It is considered by other researchers of the life of Ilyich: in honor of the Lena River. But Ilyich was not in exile on the Lena. True, in 1912, the authorities shot the strikers at the Lena gold mines. Ulyanov was allegedly greatly shocked by these events after reading an essay by Vladimir Korolenko about them. However, historians say that the Lena events took place after he took this pseudonym for himself. The signature "Lenin" first appeared in 1901 in a letter from Ilyich to Georgy Plekhanov. By the way, Ulyanov could have chosen such a signature by analogy with one of Plekhanov's pseudonyms - "Volgin" (in honor of the great Russian river Volga). So “Lenin” may just be an imitation.

Version two: stole the agronomist's name

Ilyich often used pseudonyms. He had more than a hundred of them, he often signed his articles simply with initials, but more often with the names K. Tulin, Petrov, Karpov, K. Ivanov, R. Silin. Then Ulyanov often quoted the then-famous agronomist and public figure Sergei Nikolaevich Lenin. He could borrow the real name of the scientist for a pseudonym.

Version three: used to someone else's passport

In 1900, when Vladimir Ulyanov had to go abroad, he filed a petition addressed to the Pskov governor for a passport. However, he was afraid that due to revolutionary activities he would not receive a passport. Therefore, his wife, Nadezhda Konstantinovna, asked her evening school friend Olga Nikolaevna Lenina, and she asked her brother Sergei to help Ilyich. To do this, Olga and Sergei took the passport of their father, Nikolai Yegorovich Lenin, who was terminally ill. The date of birth was forged in the passport (under the age of Ulyanov). But it is not known on what document Ilyich left, because on May 5, 1900, he received a long-desired passport in his name from the office of the Pskov governor. However, at the request of the owner of the printing house that printed the Zarya magazine, he presented him with a passport in the name of N. E. Lenin.

Be that as it may, after October 1917, the head of the Bolshevik Party and the new state signed all documents, articles, books with his real name, but added to it in brackets his main pseudonym - V. Ulyanov (Lenin).

Whoever fights monsters should be careful not to become a monster himself. And if you look into the abyss for a long time, then the abyss also looks into you.
F. Nietzsche "Beyond Good and Evil" (c)
If I don't reply to someone in a thread, it doesn't mean you haven't been noticed. Perhaps this is because I have no desire to communicate with those whom I consider narrow-minded, stupid or simply uninteresting citizens, and I do not want to enter into polemics with them

(real name Ulyanov) due to conspiracy had more than 150 pseudonyms. Lenin is the most famous pseudonym. After coming to power, Lenin signed official party and state documents “V. I. Ulyanov (Lenin)."

In December 1901, Vladimir Ulyanov published the first four chapters of the article “The Agrarian Question and ‘Marx’s Critics’” in the Zarya magazine, using the pseudonym “N. Lenin. Abroad, the initial "N" is usually deciphered as "Nikolai", although in reality this initial was not deciphered in any of Lenin's lifetime publications. The exact reason for its appearance is unknown, so there were many versions about the origin of this pseudonym. For example, toponymic - along the Siberian river Lena.

According to historian Vladlen Loginov, the version associated with the use of the passport of the real-life Nikolai Lenin seems to be the most plausible. The Lenin clan can be traced back to the Cossack Posnik, who in the 17th century was awarded the nobility and the surname Lenin for his services related to the conquest of Siberia and the creation of winter quarters along the Lena River. Numerous descendants of him distinguished themselves more than once both in military and civil service. One of them, Nikolai Yegorovich Lenin, having risen to the rank of State Councilor, retired and settled in the Yaroslavl province in the 80s of the XIX century, where he died in 1902. His children, who sympathized with the emerging social democratic movement in Russia, were well acquainted with Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov and, after the death of their father, gave Vladimir Ulyanov his passport, albeit with a corrected date of birth. There is a version that Vladimir Ilyich got a passport back in the spring of 1900, when Nikolai Yegorovich Lenin himself was still alive. In 1900, V. I. Ulyanov was afraid that he would not be released abroad, Nadezhda Konstantinovna Krupskaya told Olga Nikolaevna Lenina, with whom she worked, about this. O. N. Lenina asked her brother (Director of the Department of Agriculture S. N. Lenin) to help with the documents and V. I. Ulyanov used the documents of the seriously ill father of Olga and Sergei - Nikolai Yegorovich Lenin.

According to another family tradition, the surname "Ulyanov" was not immediately assigned to Lenin's grandfather, Nikolai Vasilyevich - sometimes he was called "Ulyanin". From this distorted version, it was as if the pseudonym “Lenin” appeared in the family as a joke.

After coming to power, V. I. Lenin signed official party and state documents “V. I. Ulyanov (Lenin)." Lenin is the most famous pseudonym, but far from the only one. In total, due to conspiracy, Ulyanov had more than 150 pseudonyms.

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✪ Vladimir Lenin ☭ USSR ☆ Documentary film Over the opened volume of Lenin ☭ Lennauchfilm 1975