Primary sourceSpeech1919
What Is Soviet Power?
Vladimir Lenin · 1919
A 1919 gramophone recording of Lenin's own voice explaining what Soviet power means.
This is Lenin's own recorded voice, used for Soviet propaganda, defining Soviet power for the masses.
About this source
What it is
This is an audio recording of Vladimir Lenin speaking, made as part of a series of gramophone speeches for Soviet propaganda purposes. In it, he explains what 'Soviet power' is meant to be.
Why it matters
Lenin used recorded speeches like this one to spread Bolshevik ideas directly to a largely illiterate population across Russia. It shows how the new Soviet government used emerging technology to build support and explain its goals to ordinary people.
Look closer
- Why might the Soviet government have chosen gramophone records to reach people?
- What does the tone or content of the speech suggest about its intended audience?
- How might hearing Lenin's actual voice change how people understood him, compared to reading his writing?
This speech is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Vladimir Lenin on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.
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