An analysis of the importance of the Bolsheviks in the Russian revolution and the centrality of the party in fighting with the class to take power Read more...

The Russian Revolution of 1905 was a titanic event that shaped the 20th century and the history of the working class movement. It set the pattern for the many revolutions of the twentieth century. Within a few years it had revolutionary repercussions from Mexico to China. In central and western Europe, it provoked a radicalisation of the trade union movement and inspired the struggle for bourgeois democracy. Even in ultra-conservative Britain, it was warmly welcomed in the newly formed Labour Party, inspired the women's suffrage movement and contributed to the rise of syndicalism in the trade unions. Here, Richard Brenner and Dave Stocking examine its impact on the international revolutionary movement itself and, in particular, the development of the theory of permanent revolution. Read more...

The outcome of the parliamentary elections in Russia can hardly be described other than as a clear victory for President Putin. His party United Russia won 37 per cent of the votes, a substantial increase on the 23.32 per cent gained at the last elections four years ago. The Communist Party (KPRF) who emerged from as the strongest party at the last elections only got half of its share - 12.7 per cent of the vote. Read more...

Vladimir Putin won outright victory in the first round of the presidential elections on 26 March. The Communist Party leader came second. Meanwhile leftists who called for a no vote for Putin have been arrested and repressed. Read more...

Dave Stockton looks at the recent upsurge in workplace struggles in the former Soviet Union Read more...

To make a revolution we will have to smash the existing armed forces and build our own, democratic workers state. “It can’t be done”, is the response we are often met with. But it can - it was. In this article on the Red Army, built during the Russian Revolution, Colin Lloyd shows how it was done, and how, against the odds, the armed power of the working class defeated a powerful counter-revolution Read more...

Menshevism for the new Millennium

Peter Main reviews A People’s Tragedy The Russian Revolution, 1891-1924 by Orlando Figes. Jonathan Cape 1996 £20 Read more...

In March 1997, Russian President, Boris Yeltsin formed a new government after a major shake-up of his cabinet.

The existing Prime Minster, Victor Chernomyrdin, was pushed to the background while two new first deputy Prime Ministers were appointed – Anatoly Chubais and Boris Nemtsov.

This was no mere cosmetic change of face at the Kremlin. It represented a watershed in the post-1991 history of Russia. For the last five years Yeltsin has tried to balance the competing factions within the post-Stalinist ruling elite while destroying all vestiges of the bureaucratic planned economy. Read more...