Was the deification of Lenin a show of spontaneous affection--or a planned political operation designed to solidify the revolution with the masses? This book provides a startling answer. Exploring the cult's mystical, historical, and political aspects, Tumarkin demonstrates the galvanizing power of ritual in the establishment of the post-revolutionary regime. In a new Preface and Postscript, she brings the story up to date, considering the fall of the Soviet Union and Russia's new democracy.

Nina Tumarkin is Professor of History at Wellesley College and a Fellow at the Russian Research Center at Harvard University.