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Diver, Jessica (2019)

The Church of Lenin: Vekhi and the Cult of Personality

Bachelor thesis | International Studies (BA)
This analysis centres around a collection of essays that time almost forgot. Vekhi (Landmarks) was written in 1909 in opposition to mainstream Marxist ideas adopted by the Bolsheviks. I argue that the authors made a series of extremely profound predictions about the inevitable transformation of atheist Marxist ideology into a quasi-religion based upon the deification of its political leaders. In short, I will argue that after they seized power, the ideology of the Bolshevik Party shifted quickly from materialist to idealist. I further argue that the Vekhi authors not only predict but explain this shift using philosophical arguments reminiscent of arguments used by contemporary scholars of religious studies.
Lenin
Personality Cult
Lenin Cult
Soviet Union
Religion
Vekhi
God-building
Author
Diver, Jessica
Faculty
Faculty of Humanities
Specialisation
Russia & Eurasia
Supervisors
Roberts, Flora
ECTS Credits
15
Language
en