The Enduring Flame: 107 Years of Revolutionary Struggle
107 years have passed since the Russian proletariat rose to challenge the ancient, decaying Russian Empire, seizing the state from the clutches of a desperate, rotten order. The revolution that erupted in 1917—led by workers, peasants, and soldiers—was a force of profound change that sought to dismantle centuries of feudalism, oppression, and inequality. The ideals of equality, solidarity, and collective ownership of resources became the banner under which millions of people rallied, imagining a world free from the shackles of aristocracy and capitalist exploitation.
As Lenin declared, “The revolution is not a matter of a day, a month, or a year; it is a matter of a great historical struggle.” The Russian Revolution was just the beginning of this struggle, a cry for the liberation of the oppressed, a signal that the state could indeed be taken from the hands of the few and returned to the people. Though the Soviet Union has long since fallen, and the dreams of the Bolshevik revolution have been overshadowed by the complexities of historical developments, the message of 1917 still resonates deeply. The collapse of the Soviet state in 1991 might have marked the end of a particular chapter in socialist history, but it did not erase the revolutionary ideals that gave birth to it. The legacy of the revolution—its vision of the world where the workers and the oppressed could take power into their own hands—remains embedded in the struggles of countless movements around the world.
For sure, this modern world would try to sweep or downplay the legacy of the revolution, especially as capitalism and neoliberalism seek to rewrite history and stifle any reminder of the power of collective action. The world is constantly reminded of the failure of the Soviet system, often ignoring its contradictions, but the truth remains: the revolution was a response to a world that was deeply unjust. The system that arose from that struggle—despite its flaws—sought to confront and challenge the status quo of exploitation. And as long as inequality and injustice prevail, regardless of its settings, the yearning for justice intensifies.
Stalin, while often associated by many with the harsh realities of state power, also understood the necessity of revolution and the building of state power from the people. He once remarked, “The people who cast the votes decide nothing. The people who count the votes decide everything.” This insight into the dynamics of power speaks to the harsh truth that revolution requires not only the courage to confront the forces of oppression, but also the discipline and unity to hold and reshape power once it is seized. Revolution, in Stalin’s view, was not merely a political upheaval—it was an ongoing battle to transform society, to secure the fruits of labor for the people, and to establish socialism as the foundation for a just world.
Mao Zedong famously stated, “Revolution is not a dinner party, nor an essay, nor a painting, nor a piece of embroidery; it cannot be so refined, so leisurely and gentle, so temperate, kind, courteous, restrained and magnanimous.” The Chinese revolution drew inspiration from the Russian example, understanding that true change requires not only radical upheaval but the courage to confront the immense forces that oppose it. The ideas that arose from that revolution are not easily forgotten, even if some seek to bury them under layers of historical revisionism and capitalist triumphalism. The Russian Revolution was not just about the Soviet state; it was about a vision of human emancipation, a cry for the liberation of all oppressed people. The workers’ councils, the idea of socialism built from the grassroots, the struggle for a world where wealth and power are shared equally—these ideas have lived on, transforming into new forms of activism, new political movements, and new struggles for social justice.
In places where inequality still reigns, where the gulf between the rich and poor grows wider, the message of 1917 still calls out: the world need not be this way. Though the Soviet Union may have disintegrated, the cause of the people’s revolution endures in every worker’s strike, every protest for fair wages, every rally for universal healthcare, and every fight for democratic governance that places power in the hands of the people.
The end of the Soviet Union and the rise of neoliberal capitalism may have closed the door on a specific vision of socialism, but they have not extinguished the dream of a better, more equitable world. The revolutionary spirit that gave birth to the Russian Revolution persists, reminding us that history is not set in stone, and that the struggle for justice, equality, and freedom is far from over. As Lenin so powerfully put it, “Without a revolutionary theory, there can be no revolutionary movement.” The message of 1917 remains alive in the hearts of those who continue to believe in the possibility of a world where the power of the people is supreme, where the exploited are no longer voiceless, and where the fundamental right to dignity and fairness prevails.