Bukharin

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Nikolai Bukharin (Николай Бухарин) (1888-1938) was a Bolshevik before the October revolution. He met Trotsky in New York and the two were close until 1923 when they went into different factions of the party. He, Trotsky and Kollontai editted Novy Mir prior to returning to Russia.

Bukharin was a member of the ’Left-Communist’ faction which opposed signing of Brest-Litovsk Peace in 1917 in favor of a revolutionary war. He formed right bloc with Zinoviev, Kamenev and Stalin in 1923 against Trotsky, and was the major spokesperson for the turn to the rich peasants during the NEP. Bukharin remained with Stalin after Zinoviev and Kalinin joined the Left Opposition.

Bukharin was editor of Pravda from 1918 to 1929. He was head of the Comintern from 1926 to 1929. He broke with Stalin in 1928 to lead the Right Opposition. Bukharin's devotion to theoretical political economy was tireless, and he was considered one of the principal theoreticians of the Bolshevik Party. He authored a text book on Communism entitled The ABCs of Communism. He was expelled in 1929 from the party, and recanted soon afterwards. He was executed after the Third Moscow Trial in 1938.

This page is part of the Field Guide to the Left.