Who was Nikolai Bukharin? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Also Known As: Nikolai Ivanovich Bukharin

Died At Age: 49

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Anna Larina (m. 1934), Esfir Gurvich (m. 1921–1929), Nadezhda Lukina (m. 1911–1921)

father: Ivan Gavrilovich Bukharin

mother: Liubov Ivanovna Bukharina

children: Svetlana Gurvich-Bukharin, Yuri Larin

Born Country: Russia

Revolutionaries Political Leaders

Died on: March 15, 1938

place of death: Moscow, Russia

Notable Alumni: Imperial Moscow University

Cause of Death: Execution

City: Moscow, Russia

More Facts

education: Imperial Moscow University

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1

What were Nikolai Bukharin's key contributions to Marxist theory?

Nikolai Bukharin was a prominent Bolshevik revolutionary and Soviet politician who contributed significantly to Marxist theory. He is best known for his work on economic theory, particularly his analysis of imperialism and the role of the state in a socialist society.
2

How did Nikolai Bukharin's ideas differ from those of other prominent Bolshevik leaders?

Bukharin's ideas often differed from those of other Bolshevik leaders, such as Lenin and Stalin. He advocated for a more gradual transition to socialism and believed in the importance of maintaining a mixed economy with elements of private ownership alongside state control.
3

What was Nikolai Bukharin's role in the Russian Revolution of 1917?

Nikolai Bukharin played a key role in the Russian Revolution of 1917 as a leading member of the Bolshevik Party. He was a close ally of Lenin and played a significant role in shaping the party's policies during this tumultuous period.
4

How did Nikolai Bukharin's political career evolve during the early years of the Soviet Union?

During the early years of the Soviet Union, Nikolai Bukharin rose to prominence as a key figure in the Bolshevik Party. He held various high-ranking positions in the government and played a crucial role in shaping Soviet economic policies.
5

What led to Nikolai Bukharin's downfall and eventual execution?

Nikolai Bukharin fell out of favor with Stalin in the late 1920s as their ideological differences became more pronounced. Bukharin was accused of being a counter-revolutionary and was eventually executed during Stalin's purges in the 1930s.

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Childhood & Early Life

Nikolai Bukharin was born on 9 October 1888, in Moscow, Russia, to Liubov Ivanovna Bukharin and Ivan Gavrilovich. Not much is known about his early life.

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Russian Revolutionaries

Russian Political Leaders

Early Political Career

Nikolai Bukharin’s political life started when he was 16. During this time of the Russian Revolution, he was heavily involved in student activities at his university.

In 1906, he got associated with the Russian Social Democratic Party and became a part of the Bolshevik faction.

By the age of thirty, he had become a member of the Moscow Committee of the party. During this time, Bukharin got acquainted with fellow revolutionists Vladimir Smirnov and Valerian Obolensky.

In 1911, he was exiled to Onega where he wrote numerous books which later made him an influential Bolshevik theorist. His body of work was highly inspired by Austrian Marxists as well as non-Marxist theorists. In October 1916, Bukharin edited the newspaper ‘Novy Mir.’

The February Revolution & Later Period

During the Russian Revolution of February 1917, also known as The February Revolution, Nikolai Bukharin returned to his hometown. Upon his return, he resumed his role in the Moscow City Committee and even joined the party’s Moscow Regional Bureau.

By this time, the Bolshevik Party had divided into the right wing and the left wing, the latter of which included Bukharin as a member. In October 1917, Bukharin was elected to the Central Committee. That month, he fortified the revolutionary orders of the Moscow Soviet.

Following the October Revolution, he joined the party's newspaper ‘Pravda’ as an editor. Bukharin soon emerged as the leader of the left wing and opposed party leader Lenin's verdict to sign the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk.

In 1919, he became associated with the Comintern's executive committee and also became a member of the Politburo.

He published several theoretical economic books during the Civil War period, including “The ABC of Communism”, “Economics of the Transitional Period”, and “Historical Materialism”.

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By 1921, Bukharin had joined the right wing and acknowledged Lenin's emphasis on the strengthening of the Soviet state. He eventually became the primary supporter of Lenin's New Economic Policy (NEP).

Power Struggle

Following Lenin's death in 1924, Nikolai Bukharin emerged as a full member of the Politburo. He collaborated with Joseph Stalin, another Soviet politician who supported the New Economic Policy against the left wing.

Stalin supported his theory ‘Socialism in One Country’ that argued that socialism could be established in a single nation even if it is underdeveloped like Russia.

By 1926, the Bukharin-Stalin alliance had ousted several opposition leaders from the party leadership. Soon, Bukharin emerged as the chief of the right wing and also became chairman of the Comintern’s executive committee. His alliance with Stalin eventually broke when the latter no longer found NEP effective.

Fall From Power

Nikolai Bukharin continued supporting the NEP but his campaign didn’t earn popularity within the higher party cadres. His views were attacked by Stalin who referred to them as “capitalist deviations” and even stressed that encouraging rapid industrialization could turn out to be risky for the revolution.

Bukharin started to gain support from Stalin’s earlier foes. He was accused of factionalism and was eventually expelled from ‘Pravda’ and the Politburo.

Later Political Life & Execution

From 1934 to 1936, Nikolai Bukharin served as the editor of ‘Izvestia,’ a government newspaper.

In December 1934, Stalin launched the Great Purge that resulted in the deaths of about a million people, including all of his past and potential opposition authorities.

In 1936, Bukharin travelled to Paris to negotiate and acquire the Marx and Engels archives that were under control of the German Social Democratic Party.

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Following the trial and execution of several members of the leftist Bolsheviks in 1936, Bukharin was arrested in February 1937. He was charged with conspiring to partition the Soviet state and assassinate Lenin and Stalin. He was shot on 15 March 1938.

Family & Personal Life

In 1911, Nikolai Bukharin married Nadezhda Mikhailovna Lukina, a sister of fellow politician Nikolai Lukin. Following their divorce in 1921, Bukharin married Esfir Gurvich. The couple remained together until 1929.

His third wife was Anna Larina whom he married in 1934. Larina spent several years attempting to rehabilitate her husband following his execution in 1938. She later wrote the memoir ‘This I Cannot Forget’.

Bukharin had two children, Svetlana and Yuri Larin.

Facts About Nikolai Bukharin

Nikolai Bukharin was known for his exceptional intellect and sharp wit, often engaging in lively debates with his political adversaries.

Despite his prominent role in the Bolshevik Party, Bukharin had a passion for writing poetry and literature in his spare time.

Bukharin was a skilled chess player and enjoyed playing the game to relax and unwind from his political responsibilities.

He had a deep love for nature and would often retreat to the countryside to find inspiration and solace away from the bustling city life.

Bukharin had a quirky habit of collecting rare books and manuscripts, showing his appreciation for knowledge and intellectual pursuits beyond politics.

Nikolai Bukharin Biography

You wanted to know

What were Nikolai Bukharin's key contributions to Marxist theory?

How did Nikolai Bukharin's ideas differ from those of other prominent Bolshevik leaders?

What was Nikolai Bukharin's role in the Russian Revolution of 1917?

How did Nikolai Bukharin's political career evolve during the early years of the Soviet Union?

What led to Nikolai Bukharin's downfall and eventual execution?