108 Years Since the Great October Socialist Revolution:
The Torch That Still Illuminates the Path of Humanity
With the immortal slogan “Peace, Land, and Bread,” the Bolsheviks rallied millions of workers, soldiers, and peasants to take their destiny into their own hands. For the first time, an exploited class seized political power and began the construction of a new social order—free from oppression, exploitation, and imperialist domination. The triumph of October laid the foundation for the socialist transformation of society: the nationalization of industry, the redistribution of land to the tillers, and the establishment of equality and dignity for the laboring masses.
As Lenin wrote in The State and Revolution: “The replacement of the bourgeois state by the proletarian state is impossible without a violent revolution. The abolition of the proletarian state, that is, of all states, is only possible through withering away.”
The October Revolution did not merely change Russia—it transformed the entire world. From the first decree of Soviet power to the heroic defense of the socialist motherland against imperialist intervention, from the electrification of the country to the triumphs of Soviet science and space exploration, the path opened by Lenin and the Bolsheviks became the beacon for the oppressed and exploited across the globe. The formation of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in 1922 signified not merely the consolidation of a state, but the triumph of a socialist community founded on the unity of peoples and the creative labor of millions.
Lenin foresaw the world-historic importance of this victory when he declared in 1918: “We have begun the work. When, in what time-frame, the proletarians of other countries will complete it, it is not for us to know. But we are certain that they will complete it, and that socialism will triumph in all countries.”
The words of Lenin — “Without revolutionary theory there can be no revolutionary movement” was also shown by Stalin's leadership, which turned his predecessor's teachings into practice. As Comrade Stalin taught: “The victory of socialism in our country means the victory of Leninism, the victory of the Leninist theory of proletarian revolution.”
Such actions that brought inmense results has inspired anti-imperialist and liberation movements across Asia, Africa, and Latin America, awakening oppressed peoples to the possibility of a just and sovereign future. From the factories of Petrograd to the sugar fields of Cuba, from the plains of China to the jungles of Vietnam, the flame of October burned brightly, guiding generations of revolutionaries in their struggle against colonialism and exploitation.
Even today, amid the crises of decaying capitalism, the teachings of Lenin and the legacy of the October Revolution retain their power and relevance. As inequality deepens and imperialist wars threaten humanity, the ideals of 1917—social justice, peace, and the supremacy of labor over capital—resonate ever more strongly among peoples of the world.
However, it is expected that the defenders of the ruling order insist that the Great October Socialist Revolution was and is "a disruption" — a failed experiment whose ideals have supposedly been buried by the triumphs of capitalism. That by usinh words like "democracy" and "freedom" are all but hollow phrases meant to snare people from the realities of injustice. But one such attribute of diverting from the truth is how they point to the glittering wonders of the 21st century — its technology, its markets, its conveniences — as proof that the capitalist system has prevailed and that humanity has reached the height of progress.
And yet beneath this polished façade, the same centuries-old structures of oppression and exploitation persist. The working masses continue to bear the weight of economic insecurity and social inequality. Technology, instead of liberating humankind, is often wielded as an instrument of surveillance, control, and dehumanization. Around the world, millions are denied stable housing and dignified employment; wages stagnate while profits soar; and the basic rights of labor are undermined in the name of efficiency and competition.
As Lenin warned more than a century ago: “So long as there is capitalism, the working people live in slavery. The only way out of this is to fight against capitalism, to overthrow it.” His words ring with renewed force today. For all its technological sophistication and its promises of endless growth, capitalism continues to reproduce the very injustices the October Revolution sought to abolish.
The ruling order would continue to insist that people accept this condition as “reality,” as if exploitation were a natural law. Yet no amount of propaganda or technological spectacle can conceal the truth: that the system remains built upon the subjugation of the many by the few. The continuing struggles of workers, the poor, and the marginalized testify that the spirit of resistance awakened in October 1917 has not been extinguished.
The Great October Socialist Revolution remains not only a historical milestone but a living testament to the creative power of the working class and the unyielding march of history toward socialism.