Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov (Lenin) - Russian revolutionary, theorist of Marxism, statesman and politician of the USSR, the main organizer and leader of the October Revolution, the creator of the world's first socialist state. This is how everyone knows and remembers Lenin. Today we will take a look at the political leader from the other side and find out what he was like in childhood.
Origin
Vladimir Ilyich was born on April 10, 1870 in the small town of Simbirsk (now Ulyanovsk), which is located on the banks of the great Volga. His parents were representatives of the diverse intelligentsia. In addition to Vladimir, the family had five more children: Alexander, Dmitry, Anna, Olga and Maria. Lenin's parents tried to raise their children honest, hardworking, diversified and sensitive to others. Perhaps it was thanks to this that later all the children of the Ulyanovs became revolutionaries.
Father
Ulyanov Ilya Nikolaevich (1831-1886) came from poor Astrakhan philistines. From an early age, he encountered difficulties that, under the conditions of tsarism, lay in wait for all immigrants from the people who wished toto get an education. Only thanks to outstanding abilities and persistent work, Ilya Nikolayevich managed to graduate from Kazan University and become a teacher of exact sciences in secondary educational institutions of Nizhny Novgorod and Penza. As a result, he was even awarded the noble title for his long service.
Ilya Nikolaevich Ulyanov for his time was an advanced person, close to the ideas of the philosophers of the 1860s. High ideals awakened in him dreams of serving the people and enlightening them.
In 1869, I. N. Ulyanov left his job as a teacher and became an inspector, and a little later, the director of the Simbirsk public schools. Being a true teacher and enthusiast of public education, he was in love with his work with all his heart, giving it his all.
Activities in the field of public education forced Ulyanov to constantly travel around the province. He left home for weeks and months, visiting villages and villages. At any time of the year, regardless of weather conditions, Ilya Nikolayevich went to remote places, created schools there and assisted teachers in establishing the educational process. This difficult, albeit very important, task took a lot of his strength. Moreover, the biggest difficulty was not the harsh winters, but the need to fight the resistance of the landowners, kulaks and officials, who completely prevented the creation of educational institutions. It was also not easy to prove to the backward part of the peasants that it would be extremely useful for them to learn to read and write.
Not caring about bureaucracy with its careerism, servility anddisregard for the people, Ulyanov was a true democrat. Addressing the peasants, he was always friendly. Ilya Nikolayevich paid much attention to the issue of enlightenment of non-Russian peoples who inhabited the Volga region. Treating them with respect and understanding, he spent a huge amount of time and energy on organizing schools for a society oppressed by tsarism.
Ulyanov's efforts have borne fruit: for almost two decades of his activity, the number of schools in the Simbirsk province has increased significantly. He brought up many high-class folk teachers, who became known as "Ulyanovsk".
Mother
Maria Alexandrovna Ulyanova (1835-1916) was the daughter of a doctor. She grew up in the countryside and was able to receive only a home education. Due to lack of funds, it was not possible to continue her studies, which she greatly regretted. But being very gifted and inquisitive, Maria Alexandrovna easily learned several languages, which she later taught children. In addition, she read a lot and played the piano beautifully. After self-training, Ulyanova managed to pass the exam for the title of teacher externally. She, like her husband, was passionate about the issue of public education. However, Ulyanova did not have a chance to work as a teacher: housekeeping, raising children and taking care of the hearth took all her time.
Ulyanov family
Love and harmony always reigned in the Ulyanov family. Despite his busyness, Ilya Nikolayevich was an exemplary family man and always found time for his wife and children. They looked at their fatherand we saw how much effort he was ready to devote to public education, how strict he was in the performance of his functions, and how much joy the opening of new educational institutions brought him. The life of his father, his dedication to work, attentiveness to the people, and modesty towards himself, were of great educational importance for Lenin's brothers and sisters. In the Ulyanov family, the authority of Ilya Nikolaevich was unshakable.
In raising children, Ulyanov proceeded from the views of the revolutionary democrat N. A. Dobrolyubov - tempered their will, taught them to understand life, developed a craving for knowledge, and finally, taught them to be strict with themselves and their actions. In addition, he taught children truthfulness and sincerity. Reading to the children of N. A. Nekrasov, the father instilled in them a love of literature from an early age.
Ilya Nikolayevich always rejoiced at the success of his children, and thus inspired them to do more. He could not stand vanity, and demanded the same from his family. He was a captivating storyteller and never shied away from childish questions.
Maria Alexandrovna Ulyanova had a rare educational talent. Being always friendly and accommodating, she did not embarrass the children, but she knew how to maintain discipline in the family. The woman passed on her organization, accuracy, frugality and modesty to the children. Despite her outward fragility, she was endowed with masculinity, resilience and selflessness, and she showed this many times during the years of difficult trials.
The environment in the family was favorable for the development of the character and mind of children. Lenin's parents never suppressednatural vivacity of children, and even vice versa, encouraged it. If in the summer in the village little Volodya wanted to take a short cut through the window, no one stopped him. Moreover, so that the son would not be hurt, the father made wooden steps near the window. When the older children decided to publish a home magazine, everyone, to the best of their ability, contributed to their passion. These and many other interesting facts from Lenin's childhood have always caused surprise in society.
The Ulyanovs taught children not only to realize their creative abilities, but also to work. From early childhood, they had the opportunity to serve themselves and help the elders on their own. They always helped their mother to take care of the garden and arrange tea parties in the gazebo: the boys carried chairs and dishes, and the girls helped wash the dishes afterwards. In addition, the girls were required to always take care of their clothes and the clothes of their brothers.
Lenin as a child
The childhood of the future revolutionary was bright and happy. He grew up as a he althy, cheerful and frisky boy. Volodya inherited his appearance and sociability from his father. He was constantly the instigator of children's games. In games, Lenin was fair and did not tolerate fights. Already at the age of five, Volodya read very well.
Simbirsk gymnasium
The first place where Lenin studied was the classical Simbirsk gymnasium. Already at that age, his upbringing and self-discipline were manifested. Every morning Volodya got up on his own at exactly seven o'clock, washed up to the waist and made the bed. Before having breakfast, he had time to repeat the lessons. At half past eight Ulyanov was at the gymnasium,located a few blocks from the house. So it was day after day, for eight years.
In the gymnasium, thanks to an inquisitive mind and a lively attitude to classes, Lenin immediately became the best student. His composure, ability to bring the matter to the end, sincerity and simplicity in communication, as well as readiness to help at any moment, attracted his comrades very much. Ulyanov did not lag behind in sports development - he was a good swimmer, chess player and skater.
Formation of revolutionary views
The childhood and youth of Vladimir Ilyich were marked by years of cruel reaction that reigned in Russia. Any manifestation of free thought was nipped in the bud and persecuted. Later, Lenin called this period "an unbridled, incredibly senseless and bestial reaction." Since in those days, all freethinkers were expelled from educational institutions, the gymnasium did not become a place for the development of his social ideals.
Lenin's worldview in childhood was influenced primarily by family upbringing and the personal example of his parents. In addition, his older brother Alexander was an indisputable authority for Vladimir Ilyich from early childhood. Volodya tried to be like him in everything, and in any difficult situation he thought: “What would Sasha do?” Over time, the brother's authority only grew. It was from Alexander that Vladimir learned about Marxism.
Sasha Ulyanov was a very gifted young man. From childhood, he conquered everyone with his high moral qualities and strong will. Like his father, Alexander was serious, thoughtful, strict with himself andfair. In relation to his younger brothers and sisters, he was affectionate and sensitive, so it is not surprising that all the children in the family loved him.
Analysis of the surrounding reality
From his early youth, Volodya Ulyanov vigilantly peered into the surrounding reality and analyzed it. Being a sincere person who does not tolerate hypocrisy and lies, he quickly saw the line between faith and religion. The last impetus for this was the scene that angered him to the core. Once, Ilya Nikolaevich was talking in his house with a guest, and said that his children did not attend church well. The enraged guest, looking at Vladimir, said: “Slash, you need to whip!” Quite angry, the child ran out of the house and tore off the cross. Therefore, the answer to the common question about whether Lenin was baptized is positive, in contrast to his personal attitude towards religion.
Closely analyzing life, Vladimir saw the need ordinary people live in and the anger peasants and workers face. He listened very carefully to his father's stories about the ignorance and darkness that reigned in the villages, as well as about the arbitrariness of power and the situation of the peasants. Communicating with hard workers, he noticed the disenfranchised and humiliating position of non-Russian nationalities: Tatars, Chuvashs, Mordvins, Udmurts and others. Despite all the poise of Lenin in childhood, his heart was filled with burning hatred towards the oppressors of the people.
Help Okhotnikov
The sympathy of the future leader for the nationalities oppressed by tsarism is clearly illustrated by the fact that in the senior classes of the gymnasium he helped the teacher of the Chuvash schoolN. Okhotnikov to prepare for the matriculation exam. The Chuvash had outstanding mathematical abilities, and passionately dreamed of getting a higher education. To enter the university, he needed a matriculation certificate, which is issued after passing an exam in various subjects, including ancient languages. It was very difficult for Okhotnikov to study these languages on his own, and he had no funds for a tutor. Having learned about the hopeless situation of the Chuvash, high school student Vladimir Ulyanov decided to help him free of charge. For a year and a half, Lenin studied with Okhotnikov three times a week, as a result of which he received a matriculation certificate and successfully entered a higher educational institution.
Literature
Books had a considerable influence on the formation of Vladimir Lenin's personality. Most of all he loved the works of Pushkin, Lermontov, Gogol, Nekrasov, Turgenev and S altykov-Shchedrin. The revolutionary spirit of Lenin was reinforced by the books of Herzen, Belinsky, Dobrolyubov, Chernyshevsky and Pisarev. Thanks to the writings of revolutionary democrats, young Lenin came to hate the socio-political structure of tsarist Russia. Vladimir Ilyich in his youth was fascinated by the works of the poets of the satirical publication Iskra. This magazine was one of the main organs of the revolutionary press. In it, various poets spoke out against noble-bourgeois liberalism and serf reaction.
As a child, it was difficult for Lenin to hide his revolutionary views, so from time to time their reflections appeared in his writings. One day directorGymnasium F. Kerensky (father of the later famous Socialist-Revolutionary A. Kerensky), who always set the works of Vladimir Ulyanov as an example to other students, warned him: “What oppressed classes are you writing about?”.
Loss of father and brother
In his youth, Lenin experienced many serious upheavals. So, in January 1886, his 54-year-old father died. In March of the following year, when the family was just beginning to recover from a terrible grief, Alexander Ulyanov was arrested for participating in the preparation of the assassination attempt on Alexander III in St. Petersburg. Following him, Anna Ulyanova, who also studied at the university, was arrested.
No one in the family knew that Alexander Ilyich had embarked on a revolutionary path. He brilliantly studied at the University of St. Petersburg. The achievements of the young man in the field of chemistry and zoology attracted the attention of many prominent scientists. For one of his works, written in the third year of university, he received a gold medal. The teachers predicted Alexander Ilyich as a professor.
In the last summer that A. I. Ulyanov spent at home, he devoted himself to writing a dissertation. No one knew that while in St. Petersburg, the young man attends revolutionary circles and conducts political propaganda among the workers.
A relative of the Ulyanovs wrote about the arrest of Alexander and Anna in the city of Simbirsk. Fearing for the reaction of Maria Alexandrovna, she sent a letter not to her, but to a close family friend, V. V. Kashkadamova, who worked as a teacher. She immediately calledVladimir and gave him the sad news. According to the memoirs of Kashkadamova, Vladimir was silent for a long time, then said: “But this is a serious matter, it can end badly for Sasha.” It was not an easy task for the young man to prepare his mother for the sad news and her moral support. The news of what happened immediately spread around a small town, after which everyone who had previously visited them, the entire liberal society, renounced the Ulyanovs. At that moment, Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov (Lenin) absolutely accurately saw the true cowardly face of the liberal intelligentsia.
Maria Alexandrovna was present during the trial of her son and his comrades. She listened to his speech, saturated with the deepest conviction and denouncing the tsarist autocracy. Alexander did not doubt the inevitability of the victory of socialism over the old social order. Later, Maria Alexandrovna will tell that she did not expect that her son could speak so openly, eloquently and convincingly about political issues. Along with pride, she was overwhelmed with despair, because of which she was never able to see the end of the meeting and left the courtroom.
May 8, 1887 21-year-old Alexander Ulyanov was executed. This event shocked Vladimir Ilyich and finally strengthened his revolutionary spirit. A. I. Ulyanova wrote exciting words about the brothers: “Alexander Ilyich died as a hero, and his blood, with the glow of a revolutionary fire, lit up the path of his brother, Vladimir, who followed him.”
Bowing before his brother's courage and selflessness, Vladimir nevertheless rejected the terrorist path he had chosen. He firmly decided We will goin another way. This is not the way to go.”
Graduation from high school
In the tragic days for the Ulyanov family, Lenin's brothers and sisters could not find a place for themselves. Vladimir Ilyich, on the other hand, showed incredible stamina: he studied hard and brilliantly passed the exam for a matriculation certificate. Being the youngest in the class, he was also the only one who received a certificate with a medal. The authorities of the gymnasium hesitated for a long time before handing such an award to the brother of the executed "criminal". However, Lenin's deep knowledge and outstanding abilities were too obvious. Leaving the gymnasium, Vladimir Ilyich received a good reference from the director, in which his accuracy, diligence and talent were noted. Thus ended Lenin's childhood.
