The Tragic Fate of Stalin’s Closest Friend, Nikolai Bukharin

Nikolai Bukharin was once called Lenin's favourite — and then Stalin had him shot. This is the story of how the Bolsheviks' brightest theorist became their most reluctant victim. In this video we trace Bukharin's path from a Moscow schoolboy to a member of the Politburo, editor of Pravda, and author of The ABC of Communism, the book that introduced the world to Bolshevism. We follow his alliance with Stalin in the years after Lenin's death, his fight against collectivisation, the show trial of 1938, and the long suppression of Lenin's Testament — the document that predicted his fate. A story about ideology, friendship, betrayal, and the inner workings of the Soviet Union at the height of Stalin's terror. If you enjoy deep dives into 20th-century history, subscribe and turn on the bell. #history #documentary #storytime #education #SovietUnion #Stalin #Bukharin #Lenin #Bolsheviks #USSRhistory #showtrial #PoliticalHistory