Famous personalities always used pseudonyms. This is very convenient, especially for creative people: poets, artists chose a name for themselves that has 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 it was used by such famous people like V. I. Lenin, I. V. Stalin. 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 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?

IN late XIX For centuries, a wonderful 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 political figures are strongly associated with historical events the period when the state was going through a crisis. But often the name taken matches the person so much that many remember him only by a pseudonym and do not know real name. 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.

Like other professional revolutionaries, they had to live under the strictest secrecy. Sign your articles and other works own name was impossible for him. 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 as follows: “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, sympathizing 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 young leader's heart. As other contenders for this role, they name the Kazan beauty Elena Lenina, the actress of the Mariinsky Theater Elena Zaretskaya, and even some kind of Elena Petersburgskaya, 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 - 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, not far from Potsdam. The monastery is known, among other things, for the famous "Lenin's prophecy", set out in a document of the 17th century, allegedly dating back to a manuscript of the 12th century. 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.

At the end of 1901, Vladimir Ulyanov took the pseudonym Lenin. At this time, he signed his printed works in this way. Where did such a surname come from? There are many versions on this subject, let's look at the issue.

Why Lenin Lenin: the history of a pseudonym

I would like to start the story about this pseudonym with a refutation of the popular "family", so to speak, version of the origin of the surname "Lenin" from Ulyanov. In the memoirs, a family legend has been preserved, according to which the pseudonym Lenin was taken from the name of the Lena River, where a group of strikers was shot. Allegedly, Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov was so shocked by this event that, having read about them in a note from Korolenko, he took a new surname for himself. But historians claim that the events described on the Lena River took place in 1912, and the pseudonym was taken earlier. There are 3 versions that have not been finally challenged so far ...

Why Lenin (Ulyanov) took a pseudonym - imitation

Some researchers believe that Ulyanov took a pseudonym due to simple imitation. Lenin's signature was first attested in 1901 in a letter to Georgy Plekhanov. Plekhanov at that time had the pseudonym Volgin, which he came up with the name of the great Russian river Volga. By analogy with this, Ulyanov also named himself after the Russian river Lena. This version has its place.

Why Ulyanov Lenin is a borrowing

They say that Ulyanov used about a hundred different pseudonyms when signing articles: Silin, Ivanov, Petrov, Karpov, and whatever! In his works, he often quoted the famous then public figure and agrarian Sergei Nikolaevich Lenin. Therefore, there is reason to believe that Ulyanov borrowed his real name due to his great sympathy for his views.

Why Lenin was called Lenin - it's in the passport

And, finally, the most realistic, according to many researchers, version. Think about it, because at the very beginning Ulyanov signed his articles, documents, books not just with the name Lenin, he added the initial "N". This may serve as proof of the latest version...

In 1900, Vladimir Ilyich needed to urgently go abroad. Ulyanov, of course, had fears that, due to his political sins, the issuance of a passport would be difficult, and they would not want to let him out of his homeland. Well, some workarounds had to be found. A simple way was found quite unexpectedly...

During this period, Nadezhda Konstantinovna Krupskaya met her longtime friend Olga Nikolaevna Lenina. She was inspired by the social democratic movement that was emerging in Russia, and decided to help Ulyanov in difficulties. Olga Nikolaevna stole the passport of her father Nikolai Yegorovich Lenin and forged the necessary data, namely the date of birth. From that moment, the pseudonym Lenin was firmly entrenched in Ulyanov. It was not difficult to sign articles with the surname Lenin, the owner of the printing house was provided with a passport of the real state adviser Nikolai Lenin.