History of the USSR

Posted on 22/03/2022 by Michael

: The defence of Petrograd

History of the USSR

The history of the Soviet Union is one of constant struggle. It was born out of violence with the October Revolution in 1917 and then was immediately thrust into a life and death struggle for its existence against the capitalist and imperialist forces that could not countenance the existence of a state outside of their control.

Once the civil war was won the Communists in the Soviet Union then had the struggle to convince the population that a new world was possible whilst at the same time providing them with the lifestyle that was a radical improvement upon what they had lived under during the dark centuries of Czarism, a long period of feudalism and serfdom for the majority whilst the very few lived in luxury.

But even after wining the war against the foreign, imperialist invaders (supporting the moribund forces of reaction) the threat of external attack was never far away and the country always had to be aware of a potential foreign intervention, socially, economically and militarily. That ultimately led to the Hitlerite invasion of the country and the start of the Great Patriotic War – which ended when the Red Army chased the Nazi beast back to its lair.

The items on this page attempt to provide a background to this tumultuous period in history.

Ten Days that Shook the World, by John Reed, a stirring account of the proletarian seizure of power in November 1917, first published in 1919, ebook format 2017, 399 pages.

Six Red Months in Russia, an observers account of Russia before and during the proletarian dictatorship, Louise Bryant, first published 1919, Slavia Publishers, Blooming, 2017, 187 pages.

Dictatorship of the Proletariat, L Kamenev, The Toiler, Cleaveland, 1920, 14 pages.

Recent economic developments in Russia, K. Leites, ed. Harald Westergaard, Oxford, London, 1922, 248 pages.

A Short Course of Economic Science, A Bogdanoff, CPGB, London, 1925, 391 pages.

An illustrated history of the Russian Revolution, Volume 1, edited by W. Astrov, A. Slepkov and J. Thomas, contributors include V. I. Lenin, N. Bukharin, J. Stalin and A. N. Rykov, translated by Freda Utley, International, New York, March 1928, 204 pages. Volume 2 is not yet available.

An Outline of Political Economy, Political Economy and Soviet Economics, I Lapidus and K Ostrovityanov, Martin Lawrence, London, 1929, 546 pages.

Civil War in the Taiga: a story of guerrilla warfare in the forests of Easter Siberia, Ivan Yakovlevich Strod, Moscow/Leningrad: Co-operative Publishing Society of Foreign Workers in the USSR, 1933, 162 pages.

Dialectical Materialism, Collective of the Institute of Philosophy of the Communist Academy under the leadership of MB Mitin, np., 1934, 219 pages.

Last days of the Tsar, PM Bykov, International Publishers, New York, 1934, 90 pages.

Dictatorship and Democracy, Anna Louise Strong, International Publishers, New York, 1934, 23 pages.

The Iron Flood, Alexander Serafimovich, International, New York, 1935, 248 pages. This is a novel set during the Russian Civil War following the October Revolution, and based on a real incident in which the Red Taman Army escaped encirclement by the Whites.

A History of the Civil War in the U.S.S.R. – Volume 1 – The Prelude to the Great Proletarian Revolution, edited by M. Gorky, S. Kirov, K. Voroshilov, A. Zhdanov, and J. Stalin, FLPH, Moscow, 1936, 573 pages.

Is Soviet Communism a new civilisation?, Sidney and Beatrice Webb, The Left Review, London, 1936, 30 pages.

Our country, Co-operative Publishing Society of Foreign Workers in the USSR, Moscow, 1937, 79 pages.

Moscow 1937, Lion Feuchtwanger, Viking Press, New York, 1937, 151 pages.

The story of Soviet Progress, Corliss Lamont, Soviet Russia Today, New York?, 1938, 36 pages.

A Short History of the USSR, Textbook for 3rd and 4th Classes, edited by Professor AV Shestakov, Cooperative Publishing Company of Foreign Workers in the USSR, Moscow, 1938, 257 pages.

First Session of the 1st Supreme Soviet of the USSR, Moscow, January 12-19 1938, Cooperative Publishing Company of Foreign Workers in the USSR, Moscow, 1938, 142 pages.

Second Session of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, August 10-20 1938, verbatim report, FLPH, Moscow, 1938, 685 pages.

The World Hails 20th Anniversary of the Soviet Union, Cooperative Publishing Company of Foreign Workers in the USSR, Moscow, 1938, 247 pages.

The USSR and the capitalist countries, edited by L Mekhlis, Y Varga and V Karpinsky, FLPH, Moscow, 1938, 94 pages.

World affairs and the USSR, WP and Zelda Coates, Lawrence and Wishart, London, 1939, 251 pages.

Two Systems, Socialist economy and capitalist economy, Eugene Varga, Lawrence and Wishart, London, 1939, 268 pages.

The USSR and Finland, Outstanding Facts and Documents, FLPH, Moscow, 1939, 46 pages.

A history of Soviet foreign policy, M Ross, Workers’ Library, New York, 1940, 80 pages.

October 1917 in Russia, this vivid account of the actual seizure of power is based on historic documents in the archives of the Revolution, I Mintz, Lawrence and Wishart, London, 1940, 84 pages.

Russia, Finland and the Baltic, WP and ZK Coates, Lawrence and Wishart, London, 1940, 144 pages.

War on the USSR, University Socialist Club, Cambridge, University Labour Federation, London, 1940, 16 pages.

History of Anarchism in Russia, E Yarolavsky, Lawrence and Wishart, London, nd., early 1940’s?, 127 pages.

America’s Siberian Adventure, General William S. Graves, Peter Smith, New York, 1931, reprint 1941, 402 pages.

Soviet Russia – A Syllabus for study courses, Joan Thompson, Russia Today Society, London, 1941?, 23 pages.

Our ally Russia – the Truth, Jennie Lee, WH Allen, London, 1942, 64 pages.

Russian Cavalcade, EH Carter, Thomas Nelson and Sons, London, 1944, 152 pages.

Political Economy in the Soviet Union, the full text of the Soviet article which provoked wide discussion and speculation in the American press, previously published only in parts, International Publishers, New York, 1944, 48 pages.

Soviet women, Rose Maurer, National Council of American-Soviet Friendship, New York, 1944, 56 pages.

Soviet Russia and the Baltic Republics, Philip Farr, Russia Today Society, London?, (originally) 1944, digital version, 38 pages.

From the Russian Revolution to Yalta, a review of Soviet Foreign Policy, Pat Sloan, Russia Today, London, 1945, 28 pages.

History of Anglo-Soviet Relations, 1917-1942, Volume 1, Lawrence and Wishart, London, 1945, 816 pages.

The A to Z of the Soviet Union, compiled by Alex Page, facts and figures on every aspect of Soviet Life, Russia Today Society, London, 1945, 42 pages.

A History of the Civil War in the U.S.S.R. – Volume 2 – The Great Proletarian Revolution (October-November 1917), edited by M. Gorky, V. Molotov, K. Voroshilov, S. Kirov, A. Zhdanov, and J. Stalin, FLPH, Moscow, 1946, 680 pages.

USSR Embassy in the USA, Informational Bulletin, Special on Religion, October 9, 1946, 24 pages.

Soviet Foreign Policy 1917-1947, John Quinn, British Soviet Society, London, 1947, 32 pages.

Stalin must have peace, Edgar Snow, Random House, New York, 1947, 176 pages.

An engineer looks at Russia, Wal Hannington, British-Soviet Society, London, 1947, 38 pages.

Man and plan in Soviet Society, Andrew Rothstein, (originally published in London in 1948), Stalin Society of India, n.d., 146 pages.

Moscow Correspondent, Ralph Parker, Frederick Muller, London, 1949, 304 pages.

Soviet Democracy and bourgeois democracy, Mitin, FLPH, Moscow, 1949, 31 pages.

A History of the USSR, Andrew Rothstein, first published Penguin Books, London, 1950, reprinted version Red Star Press, New York, 2013, 398 pages.

Mission to Moscow, Joseph E Davies, United States Ambassador to the Soviet Union, 1936-1938, a record of confidential dispatches to the State Department, official and personal correspondence, current diary and journal entries, including notes and comment up to October 1941, Victor Gollanz, London, 1945, 472 pages.

The Soviet Transition from Socialism to Communism, Emile Burns, The Communist Party, London, 1950, 16 pages.

The social and state structure of the USSR, V Karpinsky, FLPH, Moscow, 1950, 239 pages.

Russia is for Peace, DN Pritt, Lawrence and Wishart, London, 1951, 106 pages.

The Myth of Soviet Imperialism, LG Churchward, Melbourne, 1951, 52 pages.

We saw for ourselves, Report of the 19 Americans on their visit to the USSR, New World Review, New York, 1951, digital version by Red Star Publishers, 2018, 126 pages.

The USSR – a hundred questions answered, Soviet News, London, 1952, 158 pages.

The Great October Socialist Revolution and its significance, II Mints and GN Golikov, n.p., Moscow, 1955, 99 pages.

History of Anglo-Soviet Relations, 1943-1950, Volume 2, Lawrence and Wishart, London, 1958, 463 pages.

The Tehran, Yalta and Potsdam Conferences, Progress, Moscow, 1969, 341 pages.

First decrees of Soviet Power, compiled, with introductory notes and explanatory notes by Yuri Akhapkin, Lawrence and Wishart, London, 1970, 186 pages.

On the transition to Socialism, Paul M Sweezy and Charles Bettleheim, Monthly Review, New York, 1971, 122 pages.

The USSR and the Middle East, problems of peace and security 1947-1971, Novosti, Moscow, 1972, 295 pages.

The October storm and after, stories and reminiscences, Progress, Moscow, 1974, 354 pages.

The Great October Revolution and the Intelligentsia, S Fedyukin, Progress, Moscow, 1975, 229 pages.

Soviet foreign policy, Volume 1, 1917-1945, Progress, Moscow, 1981, 501 pages.

Soviet foreign policy, Volume 2, 1945-1980, Progress, Moscow, 1981, 728 pages.

Ten Days that Shook the World, John Reed, Progress, Moscow, 1987, 336 pages.

Soldiers in the Proletarian Dictatorship, the Red Army and the Soviet State 1917-1930, Mark Van Hagen, Cornell University, New York, 1993, 397 pages.

Lies concerning the history of the Soviet Union, from Hitler to Hearst, from Conquest to Solzhenitsyn: the history of the millions of people who, allegedly, were incarcerated and died in the labour camps of the Soviet Union and as a result of starvation in Stalin’s time, Mario Sousa, KPML(r), Sweden, 1999, 17 pages.

Ten days that shock the world, John Reed, Blackmask Online, 2000, 228 pages.

The Bolsheviks and the Chinese Revolution, 1919-1927, Alexander Pantsov, University of Hawaii Press, 2000, 324 pages.

CIA’s Analysis of the Soviet Union 1947-1991, edited by Gerald K. Haines and Robert E. Leggett, Center for the Study of Intelligence, CIA, Washington, 2001, 323 pages. Some interesting documents, especially those related to the early ‘Cold War’ and the establishment of NATO.

Stalin and the Struggle for Democratic Reform (Part One), Grover Furr, 2005, 31 pages.

Stalin and the Struggle for Democratic Reform (Part Two), Grover Furr, 2005, 17 pages.

The 1929 Sino-Soviet War: the war nobody knew, Michael M. Walker, University Press of Kansas, 2017, 319 pages.

A short outline of the history of the Mongolian People’s Revolution, K. Choibalsan, November 8th Publishing House, Ottawa 2022, 99 pages.

The Bolshevik Revolution – its impact on American Radicals, Liberals and Labor, A documentary study, Philip Foner, International Publishers, New York, 2017, 304 pages.

Soviet Light on the Colonies, Leonard Barnes, Maps and Diagrams by J. F. Horrabin, first published by Penguin Books, London, 1944, 192 pages.

Land of the Soviets – a handbook of the USSR, Nicholas Mikhailov, Lee Furman, New York, 1939, 351 pages.

This is Russia, Hubert Griffith, Hammond, London, 1943, 98 pages.

The Economic Problem of the Peace, Walter Padley, Left Book Club, Gollanz, London, 1944, 164 pages.

Problems of Economics, a monthly journal, No. 3, March 1952, Academy of Sciences of USSR Institute of Economics, Pravda Publishing House, digital version 2011, 202 pages.

The Soviets – a pictorial history of Communist Russia, Robert Goldston, Bantam, New York, 1967, 255 pages.

Report on the Russians, WL White, Eyre and Spottiswoode, London, 1946, 250 pages.

Comrades and Citizens – Soviet People, Seema Rynin Allan, Left Book Club, Gollanz, London, 1938, 392 pages.

Videos and podcasts

Why did the USSR Collapse? — Grover Furr. ICSS Marxist. 14 September 2025.

Our speaker today is researcher, historian, and author, Prof. Grover Furr of Montclair State University in New Jersey. He teaches Medieval English Literature and has a Ph.D. from Princeton University. However, his subject of research has been the Soviet history of the Stalin period, on which he has written many articles and 17 books, starting with ‘Khrushchev Lied’ in 2011, and his last published book is titled ‘Trotsky’s Comintern Conspiracy – The Case of Osip Pyatnitsky’ published in 2024. His present research is on the Gorbachev period, which culminated in the fall of the USSR in 1991. [From ICSS Marxist introduction.]

Transcript of the above presentation on the collapse of the Soviet Union by Grover Furr in the ICSS Marxist video.

E. H. Carr — A History of Soviet Russia (Socialist Era)

The Bolshevik Revolution, Vol. 1, (1950), 436 pages.

The Bolshevik Revolution, Vol. 2, (1952), 405 pages.

The Bolshevik Revolution, Vol. 3, (1953), 626 pages.

The Interregnum-1923-1924, (1954), 400 pages.

Socialism In One Country – 1924-1926, Vol. 1, 565 pages, (1958).

Socialism In One Country – 1924-1926, Vol. 2, 565 pages, (1959).

Socialism In One Country – 1924-1926, Vol. 3, Part 1, 609 pages, (1964).

Socialism In One Country – 1924-1926, Vol. 3, Part 2, 449 pages, (1964).

Foundations of a Planned Economy, 1926-1929, Vol. 1, Part 1, 467 pages, (1969), co-authored by R. W. Davies.

Foundations of a Planned Economy, 1926-1929, Vol. 1, Part 2, 575 pages, (1969), co-authored by R. W. Davies.

Foundations of a Planned Economy, 1926-1929, Vol. 2, 526 pages, (1971).

Foundations of a Planned Economy, 1926-1929, Vol. 3, Part 1, 323 pages, (1976).

Foundations of a Planned Economy, 1926-1929, Vol. 3, Part 2, 335 pages, (1976).

Foundations of a Planned Economy, 1926-1929, Vol. 3, Part 3, 462 pages, (1978).

Twilight of the Comintern – 1930-1935, Pantheon Books, New York, 1982, 473 pages.

Charles Bettelheim on the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

Class Struggles in the USSR, First Period, 1917-1923, Charles Bettleheim, Monthly Review Press, New York, 1976, 567 pages.

Class Struggles in the USSR, Second Period, 1923-1930, Charles Bettleheim, Monthly Review Press, New York, 1978, 640 pages.

Class Struggles in the USSR, Third Period, 1930-1941, Part1 – the Dominated, Charles Bettelheim, TR Publications, Madras, 1994, 301 pages.

Class Struggles in the USSR, Third Period, 1930-1941, Part 2 – the Dominators, Charles Bettelheim, TR Publications, Madras, 1996, 345 pages.

Economic Calculation and forms of property, an essay on the transition from capitalism to Socialism, Charles Bettleheim, Monthly Review Press, New York, 1975, 168 pages.

Marxism and Mr Bettelheim, Sunil Sen, revolutionarydemocracry.org, 1999, 13 pages.

Stalin Museum – Gori

Posted on 28/09/2018 by Michael

Stalin – outside entrance to Museum

Stalin Museum – Gori

The Stalin Museum in his birthplace of Gori, in the centre of Georgia, is one of the few places in the erstwhile Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) where you will see any reference (let alone a positive reference) to the leader of the world’s first socialist state.

(Before the success of reaction in the Soviet Union, in the 1990s, there used to be a much larger museum dedicated to Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, just off Red Square, in Moscow. This was called The Central Lenin Museum. That museum space is now devoted to the successful war against the Napoleonic invasion of 1812 – by ignoring their Soviet past the Russian people have had to go back more than 200 years before they can hold their heads high.)

I don’t know when they were created but the life-size Stalin statues – one outside the museum and the copy which stands on the first landing of the stairs to the exhibition halls – are probably some of the worst likenesses of JV Stalin to be seen – apart from the terracotta wine container I obtained in Tbilisi. This, I can only assume, is deliberate. Georgian sculptors are no less able than those in different parts of the world to re-create an accurate image of an individual. To not do so is not a matter of artistic incompetence but a political statement attempting to erase the past.

And one thing that demonstrates the dis-ingenuousness of these statues is the fact that Stalin’s right hand is resting on a book of his own writings, with his name in Georgian script on the spine. Never in his lifetime would Stalin self-reference in such a manner. If his hand would be on a book it would have been either on one of Marx, Engels or Lenin – never himself.

(However, though not widely known by visitors or really publicised anywhere in Gori itself, there are two ‘proper’ and ‘realistic’ statues of Uncle Joe still in existence within the city.)

Comprising mainly of artistic representations of Stalin’s life (paintings and statues) and reproductions of photographs – many of which anyone with an interest in the period would have seen before – there are also a few personal artefacts. Uncle Joe wasn’t really into ‘consumerism’ and so there are few of the latter.

The aim of this post is to provide a video and photographic impression of the museum for those who have not yet had the opportunity to visit this unique location. To go to a video of the various parts of the museum click the link on the individual Rooms (numbered from 1 to 6, plus the Illegal printing press in Tiflis (Tbilisi), the reconstructed Kremlin Office and Stalin’s Birthplace). (Apologies for the low quality of the videos – no Oscar for me this year.) Then there’s a quite extensive photographic slide show/gallery at the end of the post.

Young Stalin

Room 1 – Early life, through Revolution and Civil War to the death of VI Lenin

Highlights of this room include: a full size statue of the young Stalin; a maquette of his birthplace; a bust of the young Stalin and a maquette of the illegal printing press (see below).

The house of the illegal printing press, Tiflis

The illegal printing press in Tiflis (Tbilisi) 1906

Just before the entrance to the second room, in the middle of the floor, can be found a maquette of the building which hosted the illegal printing press that Stalin was instrumental in establishing (and for which he wrote many articles and leaflets) that existed for a short time from November 1903 to April 1906 in Tiflis (present day Tbilisi). From looking at this model you can appreciate the amount of effort and planning that went into the hiding of this press from the Tsarist reactionary forces (and especially its ‘secret’ police, the Okhrana). It also makes you think about the determination of the Georgian/Russian revolutionaries to defeat the exploiting class. Such imagination, determination and dedication of present day ‘revolutionaries’ would be more than welcomed.

Stalin with the future

Room 2 – From Collectivisation and Industrialisation to the beginning of the Great Patriotic War

Highlights in this room include: Stalin at a meeting with workers in a locomotive works; Stalin with Collective Farm workers; Stalin greeting a young female collective farm worker; a series of postcards produced in the 1930s and a large bust of an older Stalin.

Stalin tank lamp

Room 3 – The Great Patriotic War

Highlights in this room include: a lamp incorporating a Stalin tank; a section on Stalin’s family (his wives and children); military maps describing some of the major campaigns of the Great Patriotic War and Stalin with his generals.

Soviet power annihilates Nazism

Room 4 – A review of his life and the 19th (final) Congress

Highlights in this room include: a carved wooden shield with Stalin in profile amongst a number of symbols representing the Soviet Union and the image of a Russian sword smashing through a swastika at the bottom right; pictures taken a various stages of Stalin’s life; two large carpets with an image of Stalin (one of them also with Kliment Voroshilov); an image of Nazi banners being dragged through the dirt of Red Square in front of the Lenin Mausoleum and a picture of one of Stalin’s last public appearances at the 19th Congress of the CPSU.

Stalin lying in state – 1953

Room 5 – Stalin’s Death

Highlights in this room are: Stalin’s death mask; a painting of Stalin lying in state and a maquette of the Mausoleum in Red Square bearing the names of both Lenin and Stalin.

Stalin and Mao

Room 6 – Presents

It’s in this room where there are more artefacts and this consists of presents and other objects bearing the image of Stalin, of other Communist leaders and items brought from former Socialist countries representing their culture. There are many objects (many depicted in the slide show) but it’s worth mentioning a picture of Stalin and his daughter, Svetlana, as a young girl; a textile print of a meeting between Stalin and Chairman Mao Tse-tung; a number of large carpets with Stalin as the central image; a couple of images of Stalin with his mother; a large, Chinese silk portrait of Stalin and a large, circular, metal plate with a mosaic of Stalin in the centre.

Stalin’s office in the Kremlin

Stalin’s Kremlin Office Reconstruction

On leaving the first floor, where the majority of the exhibits will be found, by taking the right hand staircase this will lead you to the reconstruction of Stalin’s Kremlin Office (the first door on the right). Really the office is just the collection of chairs and sofas with a desk immediately on the right as you walk through the door. The rest of the space is taken up with further images of Stalin, both in paint and intricate marquetry; one of his ceremonial uniforms; two maquettes of the Stalingrad War Memorial and (quite unique) an image of both Lenin and Stalin made from tobacco leaves (just above the piano).

Stalin’s armoured carriage

Stalin’s Armoured train carriage

Outside the museum, to the left of the building, is Stalin’s armoured carriage. He didn’t like to fly and travelled to the major conferences with the US and UK ‘allies’ at Tehran, Yalta and Potsdam in this carriage. This can be visited as part of the general ticket to visit the museum.

Stalin’s Birthplace, Gori

Stalin’s Birthplace

The humble building in which Stalin was born is almost unrecognisable now. Although restored to an almost new condition the two room building – of which on the tour you only see one – has been surrounded by a grand and almost temple like Doric structure. This is topped by a glass dome on which is a magnificent star and in each corner there’s a hammer and sickle symbol. This was erected in 1939. This is lit up at night and looks quite impressive with the various light temperatures, giving off a golden and green glow at the same time.

Related;

Rediscovered statues of Joseph Stalin

The Great Patriotic War Museum and War Memorial

Practicalities

Location

The Museum, Stalin’s Birthplace and the railway carriage take up what is the top of an inverted triangle of Stalin Park, with Stalin Avenue on either side and Kutaisi at the top. It’s right in the centre of town and not difficult to find.

Opening times

1st November – 1st April 10.00-17.00

2nd April – 31st October 10.00-18.00

Closed 1st January and Easter Sunday

Entrance

Visit of exhibition halls, memorial house and Stalin’s Railway Carriage:

General 15 GEL

Students 10 GEL

Schoolchildren 1 GEL

Under six Free

It’s not necessary to take the tour but for that extra bit of information it’s worthwhile. Unfortunately there doesn’t seem to be any set time for the tour but English tours take place quite regularly, at least between April and October. They take about 45 minutes so if you miss a tour my suggestion is that you find out the time of the next tour, more or less, have a walk around the museum and then head back to the entrance of Room 1 at the time the next tour will be starting. The tour takes in both the train carriage and Stalin’s birthplace as well as the museum.