Vladimir Illych Ulianov - a brief dream autobiographical

The new play scheduled to be performed here in January is called Revolutionaries. It is being produced for the first time by Auroville Theater Group (ATG). It was written by an American, late Phillip John Hobberman.The play tries to understand why or how the Russian revolution became USSR and how Stalin became the socialist dictator. It is around Lenin's illness (he had suffered three strokes by 1923-24. In January of 1924, Lenin died at the age of 53.)

I am playing Lenin in the play. In that connection I wrote an 'autobiographical', a sketch of sorts of what I thought might have been his mental make-up during this time, a trying period for him personally, when it was so crucial to give the party a definite course for its development.

It is believed that Stalin gave the party doctor orders to overdose Lenin with quinine, the drug that is suspected to have killed him. After his death however, no autopsy was carried out. Trotsky was in the Caucasian mountains recuperating himself.

When Lenin died, it was a cake walk for Stalin  to assume absolute power.

Lenin was meticulous and he was a intelligent man. Obviously, he was a big egoist, as intelligent men usually are.

In my autobiographical sketch I have tried to ignore any strict adherence to history; my reference to it is a loose one. It is primarily  an actor's objective with reference to the play-plot. Any other reference to many other important historical facts, I thought, would be detrimental to the objective of the play. 

Following is what I wrote as Lenin, ill with three massive strokes in the year 1922-23.

My one problem –  Vladimir Illych (Lenin)

The word destiny signifies nothing. And ‘god’ is a hollow

word. It has no meaning. The one significant meaningful

word, the only word that can  explain everything is history.

History is the inevitable reference to all events upon earth:

birth, death and everything in between and I, Vladimir Illych

Ulianov is a product of that history. When I speak, the history

of Russia speaks through me.

A nation without its people is like a plate without food. What

use is a mere plate that has no food on it? What utility does a

mere plate serve, however precious may be the metal of which

it is cast? So when I say Russia speaks through me, it means

the peoples of Russia speak through me. I am Russia. I am the

history of my peoples.

It is of no consequence when I was born or when I will die.

It is enough that I acknowledge that I was born in Russia.

The fact is, everything that lives dies. In 1887, Sasha Died!

Sasha died but his death sowed the seeds of revolution in me.

Thus history continues to live, like relay. And like Sasha, I

shall die one day. That is to say, Vladimir Illych will perish,

but not his revolution, not his Bolshevism, not his legacy of

Socialism. That is why I say, history does not die.  I am

completely identified with history, and by that identity I am

Immortal! It is because of this that I say birth and death are of

no consequence except historically.

Revolution has ensured the power to the proletariat. Yet it is not

certain that the people who govern will be the right catalysts so

that the power remains with the people. There is always the threat

that it may be usurped by the few who distinguish themselves

as members of politichescoebyuro or politburo.

Going by the present state of affairs, I see that simple objectives

are twisted for selfish, subjective ends; ambition among those

at the helm of party affairs is rife…my health does not permit

me to iron things out…I can trust nobody, for nobody is capable

of understanding the ultimate and full objective of the revolution…

the old Bolsheviks are as good as dead. There is nobody I can trust.

NOBODY…

I see a bit of hope in Trotsky though. If I have to risk trusting

somebody until I recover, Leon seems to be my best deal. It is not

because he is faultless – quite the contrary in fact - but because his

political opportunism is weaker than the others. He is a show off!

Trotsky will not be able to play his cards in the way that others

may, or can, so as to actually have absolute power until my recovery

from this illness. Trotsky loves attention, but real power scares him to

death. Leave him to lead alone and he will shit his pants, I tell you!

A remedy to the deterioration of the party is possible only if

Trotsky would take the burden off my shoulders for as long

as I might take to recover from this stupid illness of mine…!

He may or he may not. His need to satisfy everybody equally

- above all himself - is strong. So he may not accept the deputy-ship.

But if he does not then who else can? Molotov? Kamenev?

Zinoviev? They are not capable of understanding the larger picture.

Only Trotsky can to some extent, but he may not accept to be

my deputy. Why can he not see the importance of it with present

conditions?  Ah! Only if he shoulders my burden can I relax,

recuperate, get well and when I get well, I can bring order to the party,

singlehandedly if need be! I have that confidence, and I see no

obstacles in my path …

...except that power mongering peasant…

He thinks that I can not predict his politics. Stalin is corrupt.

He craves absolute power over the party, the politburo and

the whole nation. I can almost predict that Joseph Stalin will

be the dictator of our socialist state. If that happens, the

whole revolution is fucked! Russia will be fucked!!  It will be ruined!

I feel that even the Tsar was perhaps better as a dictator than that

peasant. He can not handle power; he will ruin everything,

everything and absolutely!!!

The revolution did not start to end behind closed bureaucratic doors

of the Kremlin alone, but Stalin can not understand that.

Wherever there is class discrimination and oppression there the

revolution must burn the oppressor! Russia is the beginning;

just the beginning of the workers’ movement for the establishment

of a classless society all over the world. But…but…

Just six years and I can already see a new kind of Czar –A communist

Czar! Joseph Stalin!

Yet it is not too late. I could remedy it. But not with this god damned

illness!! I need help so that I can recover. I need Trotsky’s help. I

need to get rid of this damn illness which has crippled me so…

There is so much I can do and I want to but…

***