Introduction: Hundred Years of the Russian Revolution—Its Legacies in Perspective

Abstract

No other event of the past century can match the far-reaching impact of the Russian Revolution of 1917 in transforming lives far beyond the geographical confines of the actual theater of the revolution. The establishment of the Soviet Union, subsequent to the victory of the socialist revolution in Russia under the leadership of V. I. Lenin, had ramifications that went far beyond the events of the period. Not only did it politically radicalize the working class throughout the world, it also offered the possibility of an alternative model of development—an alternative to capitalism and imperialism. Unlike other political revolutions in the past that were confined to a single country and resulted in the replacement of one regime with another or at best could strike a chord with a single community and its diaspora, the Russian Revolution was an international revolution in the sense that its impact and reach was truly global. Not only did it resonate internationally, it also set into motion political and social process that impacted every aspect of human life. It marked the advent of a new historical era with new political possibilities and thus profoundly changed the way historical processes came to be understood. The chapter broadly reflects upon the significance of the emancipatory narratives of the Russian Revolution in transforming the political systems, ideologies, culture and economic structures across different continents.