The Practice and Theory of Bolshevism · Characters
Character guide
Key figures in The Practice and Theory of Bolshevism by Bertrand Russell.
Skim names here — open a free preview to see character cards and Character Web beside the page as you read.
Lenin
major
Lenin stands at the center of Russell's inquiry as the man whose movement has given war-weary Europe a new religion: an end to economic slavery, class disunion, and commercial falsehood. Russell grants the grandeur of that promise while insisting the fanaticism behind it is a camouflage for cruelty, and that the same fervor which once raised cathedrals also lit the Inquisition. The book's early arc turns on this tension — whether Lenin's hope redeems its methods or dooms them.
Trotsky
supporting
Where Lenin supplies the faith, Trotsky supplies the doctrine, and Russell treats the pair as the twin engines of a movement whose effect is greater abroad than at home. The tension Russell traces is generational: Communists admit there is little hope for adults already formed, pinning everything on children molded to the group-mentality. Trotsky matters to the middle arc because he forces the question of whether the West can reach Socialism by less painful, more certain roads.
Gorky
supporting
Gorky occupies the uneasy position of the artist who cannot simply celebrate or simply condemn: he belongs to the revolution's world yet resists its methods, and Russell devotes a dedicated chapter to that friction. His presence sharpens the book's central distinction between the hope Bolshevism inspires and the price it exacts, especially the fate of art and free intellect under fanatical belief. For the early-middle arc, he is the human counterweight to doctrine — proof that loyalty and criticism can coexist.
Kamenev
minor
Bolshevik leader mentioned in the context of party leadership.
Kerensky
minor
Former head of the Provisional Government, contrasted with Bolsheviks.
Marx
minor
Foundational theorist of communism, frequently referenced in theory sections.
Plato
minor
Ancient philosopher cited in discussions of political theory.
Sonia
minor
A character mentioned in passing, possibly a literary reference.
