A specter is haunting Soviet historiography. Following the recent opening of the long-sealed Lenin archive in Russia, the secular deity of the Soviet state is losing what little luster he recently possessed. According to Pipes, emeritus professor of Russian history at Harvard University, these documents "cast fresh light on Lenin's motives, attitudes, and expectations, as well as on the personal relationships among Communist leaders...minus the retoucher's distortions."

But Pipes puts it mildly. The unretouched picture is raw indeed.

To continue reading, please download the PDF.