It was not for nothing that Vladimir Lenin became a well-known publicist, which allowed him to begin a political career in the Bolshevik party. A native of Simbirsk was distinguished for his well-read and rich language. This allowed him to use a variety of catchphrases in his public speeches, which, thanks to Soviet propaganda, became popular. Lenin’s quotes are often used in everyday speech, and sometimes people don’t even realize that some phrases belong to the leader of the proletariat.
“There is such a party!”
One of the most famous phrases of Lenin is the exclamation "There is such a party!" In the summer of 1917, the All-Russian Congress of Soviets was held in Petrograd. Representatives of various parties, including the Bolsheviks, gathered at it.
Chairman Irakli Tsereteli asked the audience in the hall if there is a party that is ready to take power into its own hands at a difficult moment for the country and be responsible for all its decisions in such a difficult situation. The question was asked for a reason, because for several months already the most diverse sections of Russian society were dissatisfied with the Provisional Government and its decisions. But no one saw an obvious alternative to the existing government.
In response to Tsereteli's question, Lenin rose, who was also present at the congress. He said: "There is such a party!", Referring to the own party of the Bolsheviks. Hall reacted with applause and laughter. No one could have imagined that the Bolsheviks would come to power, and Lenin’s quotes would come true.
In Soviet times, the phrase "There is such a party!" often used as a symbol of the omnipotence of communist ideology and the power of the USSR. Also, it was this cliché that showed how strong the main problem of quotes is. With every decade of the existence of communist power, Lenin became more and more a mythological figure. For example, in the Stalin era it was believed that Stalin was sitting with Ilyich at the moment when he uttered his famous phrase. However, modern research casts doubt on this theory.
Vladimir Ilyich about the movie
Lenin’s famous quote about cinema “Of all the arts, cinema is the most important for us” remained in the memory of the people's commissar of education Anatoly Lunacharsky after one of his conversations with Vladimir Ilyich. Already after the death of the leader of the proletariat, the Russian revolutionary remembered this remark in his correspondence with his party comrades. From there, the phrase got into numerous newspaper articles and textbooks on Soviet culture.
The attention to cinema in the USSR was really great. This new type of art interested Stalin, he personally allowed and forbade the most high-profile premieres. A whole genre of ideologically correct cinema appeared, in which the merits of the party and Vladimir Ilyich were glorified. Lenin's quotes were convenient material for such tapes; they were often used in biographical films. The most famous of the first directors of the USSR was Sergei Eisenstein.
"Who does not work shall not eat"
Many of Lenin's quotes appeared in his critical articles. Most of Ulyanov’s journalistic activity fell on the years of emigration, but even during the existence of the USSR he continued to be published, this time in millions of copies.
For example, his phrase “He who does not work does not eat” became widespread. With this passage, Lenin criticized parasites who did not help the young Soviet economy develop against the backdrop of the consequences of the Civil War. Interestingly, a similar phrase is found in the Bible, but in a slightly different form. Lenin himself considered the call to work the main commandment of socialism, on which the ideology of the Soviet state should be based. The phrase became widespread in May 1918, when it appeared in a letter from a revolutionary to the Petrograd workers. A little later, the slogan “Who does not work, does not eat” was directly used in the first Constitution of the RSFSR.
"Learn, study, study!"
The call "Learn, study, study!" also used by Soviet propaganda to motivate the masses. Most likely, Lenin used this phrase in one of his articles after reading Chekhov. In the story “My Life”, the classic of literature was noted with a similar appeal.
Ilyich did not like the education system under the tsarist government. This explains what Lenin said about the Russians. Quotes of the leader about education were often used in the interiors of schools and universities of the Soviet Union.
“We will go the other way”
One of the most mythologized phrases of Lenin is rightfully considered a replica "We will go the other way." According to the point of view of official Soviet ideology, young Volodya pronounced it after he learned about the death of his elder brother Alexander. Ulyanov was executed for his intention to crack down on Emperor Alexander III. Lenin, with his phrase, meant that his future struggle with the tsarist regime would not be based on individual terror, but on propaganda among the masses. In Soviet and Russian everyday life, this phrase is used without reference to the revolutionary events of the 20th century, but refers directly to the topic of conversation.