Georgii Valentinovich Plekhanov

About the Author

Georgii Valentinovich Plekhanov, often hailed as the father of Russian Marxism, was a pioneering philosopher, revolutionary, and critic whose intellectual contributions profoundly shaped socialist thought in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born in 1856 in the Tambov Governorate of Russia, Plekhanov immersed himself in radical politics from a young age, joining the revolutionary movement and later founding the Emancipation of Labour group, the first Russian Marxist organization, while in exile in Switzerland. His writings bridged Western European philosophy with Russian realities, emphasizing historical materialism and the dialectical process over idealist interpretations. Through incisive essays and treatises, Plekhanov critiqued populism and advocated for a scientific approach to social change, influencing figures like Vladimir Lenin. Despite his later disillusionment with the Bolshevik Revolution, his legacy endures as a foundational voice in Marxist theory, blending rigorous analysis with a commitment to proletarian emancipation until his death in 1918.