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Vladimir Lenin's Real Name: Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov
Vladimir Lenin's real name was Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov.
Vladimir Lenin, founder of the Bolshevik Party and first head of the Soviet state (1917–1924), was born Vladimir Ilyich (Ilich) Ulyanov on April 22, 1870 (April 10, Old Style), in Simbirsk, Russia. The city was later renamed Ulyanovsk in his honor.
He was the third of six children in an educated family. In 1887 his eldest brother, Aleksandr, was hanged for a plot to assassinate Emperor Alexander III, and Lenin was soon expelled from Kazan University for joining an illegal student assembly.
After exile in Siberia, he adopted the pseudonym "Lenin" in 1901 during clandestine party work; revolutionaries used such names to evade the tsarist police. He led the Bolshevik seizure of power in 1917 and died in 1924. His embalmed body remains on display in Lenin's tomb in Moscow's Red Square.
FAQ
When did Ulyanov start using the name Lenin?
In 1901, during underground party work after his Siberian exile.
What city was named after Lenin's family?
Simbirsk, his birthplace, was renamed Ulyanovsk.