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Nikolai Bukharin

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Nikolai Bukharin was a very important thinker and leader in Russia.

Bukharin, Nikolai Ivanovich 1909–1911
Bukharin, Nikolai Ivanovich 1909–1911

He was born in Moscow in 1888 to two schoolteachers. As a young man, he studied economics at Moscow Imperial University. He joined a political group called the Bolsheviks in 1906. This group wanted to change how Russia was run. Bukharin was very smart and wrote many books about big ideas.

His ideas helped shape the way the new government worked. People saw him as a major theorist for the party.

Bukharin's life was full of big changes and travels. In 1910, he was arrested and sent to a place called Onega. He escaped to live in places like Germany and Poland.

Nikolay Bukharin 1925
Nikolay Bukharin 1925

While abroad, he met the famous leader Vladimir Lenin. He also spent time in New York City in 1916. There, he helped edit a newspaper with Leon Trotsky. In 1917, he traveled through Japan to get back to Russia. He arrived in Moscow in May of that year. This was a very busy and exciting time for the country.

After the revolution in 1917, Bukharin held many high jobs.

Троцкий на II конгрессе Коминтерна 1920
Троцкий на II конгрессе Коминтерна 1920

He became the editor of the famous newspaper called Pravda. He also helped write important rules for the new government. Bukharin had many debates with other leaders about how to run the country. For example, he disagreed with Lenin about a peace treaty in 1918. He also wrote books like The ABC of Communism to explain his views. He was a key figure in the Moscow government during the civil war.

In the 1920s, Bukharin became a close ally of Joseph Stalin.

Nikolai Bukharin delivers the welcome speech on the meeting of Young Communist International 1925
Nikolai Bukharin delivers the welcome speech on the meeting of Young Communist International 1925

He helped support a plan called the New Economic Policy. This plan allowed some private business to help the country grow. He also helped explain the idea of "socialism in one country." This meant Russia could build its own system without waiting for other countries. For a while, he held a lot of power in the party. He even served on the executive committee of the Comintern.

However, things became very difficult for Bukharin as Stalin gained more power. In 1929, Stalin started new plans for farming that Bukharin did not support.

Nikolai Bukharin 1931 London UK
Nikolai Bukharin 1931 London UK

Because of this, Bukharin was called a leader of the "Right Opposition." He lost his important jobs and was removed from the party leadership. In 1934, he was allowed to work again as an editor. But in 1937, the government accused him of being a traitor.

RykovBucharin
RykovBucharin

He was put on trial and died in 1938. His story shows how politics can be very complicated and dangerous.

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🖼️ Images & Media (14)
File:Bukharin, Nikolai Ivanovich 1909–1911.jpg
Bukharin, Nikolai Ivanovich 1909–1911.jpg
File:Троцкий на II конгрессе Коминтерна 1920.jpg
Троцкий на II конгрессе Коминтерна 1920.jpg
File:Voroshilov Budyonny Frunze Bukharin.jpg
Voroshilov Budyonny Frunze Bukharin.jpg
File:Nikolai Bukharin, Editor of Pravda circa 1920.jpg
Nikolai Bukharin, Editor of Pravda circa 1920.jpg
File:Nikolay Bukharin 1925.jpg
Nikolay Bukharin 1925.jpg
File:Bukharin with news reporters.jpg
Bukharin with news reporters.jpg
File:Nikolai Bukharin Ivan Skvortsov-Stepanov Lev Karakhan.jpg
Nikolai Bukharin Ivan Skvortsov-Stepanov...
File:Nikolai Bukharin 1931 London UK.jpg
Nikolai Bukharin 1931 London UK.jpg
File:RykovBucharin.JPG
RykovBucharin.JPG
File:Приговор Бухарину 1937.JPG
Приговор Бухарину 1937.JPG
File:Joseph Stalin and Romain Rolland 1935.jpg
Joseph Stalin and Romain Rolland 1935.jpg
File:Справка о реабилитации Бухарина.jpg
Справка о реабилитации Бухарина.jpg

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