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Primary sourceSpeech1919

Lenin: In Memory of Sverdlov

Vladimir Lenin · 1919

A 1919 gramophone recording of Lenin eulogizing Yakov Sverdlov as an irreplaceable Bolshevik organizer.

Lenin's own spoken tribute shows how highly the top Bolshevik leadership regarded Sverdlov's organizational role.

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Vladimir Lenin, spoken eulogy In Memory of Sverdlov, gramophone recording, 1919.

About this source

What it is

This is an audio recording made in 1919 of Vladimir Lenin speaking in memory of Yakov Sverdlov, recorded onto gramophone disc shortly after Sverdlov's death.

Why it matters

Lenin's words reveal how the Bolshevik leadership viewed Sverdlov: as a tireless and irreplaceable organizer of the party and the new Soviet state. The recording is a rare case of a top Bolshevik leader speaking directly, in his own voice, about a colleague, showing the importance placed on organizational skill in building the revolutionary government.

Look closer

  • Why might Lenin have chosen to record a spoken eulogy rather than write one down?
  • What words does Lenin use to describe Sverdlov's role, and what do they suggest about what the party valued?
  • What does this recording leave out about Sverdlov's life and actions?

This speech is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Yakov Sverdlov on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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