Nazi intelligence chief Reinhard Gehlen poses with fellow officers in the German-occupied territory of the Soviet Union during Operation Barbarossa, c. 1941. By R. L. Richards, People's World October carries special weight in the history of World War II, or as it is known in many countries, the World Anti-fascist War. This month marks 80 years since the verdicts against Nazi war criminals at the Nuremberg Trials. It’s also 85 years since the launch of Operation Typhoon, the G

Here we are looking at images of the Soviet city of Gorky in 1970. These are from a postcard packet aimed at Soviet citizens as Gorky was not open to tourists. Originally founded in 1221, the city of Nizhny Novgorod became an important trade and cultural hub in Russia. In 1932, during the Soviet era, it was renamed Gorky in honor of Maxim Gorky the great socialist realist writer and revolutionary. Gorky was a major industrial and cultural center with a population of around 1,

Rally in Liepāja, Latvia demanding Latvia's entry into the USSR as a constituent republic, early 1940 -- Daily LIFT #2104

All images via the CPRF On Sunday, October 4, members of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF), supporters of the Communist Party, as well as organizations of the bloc of left-patriotic forces held commemorative events in honor of the defenders of the Supreme Soviet who died during the armed conflict of 1993, the CPRF reports. The rally was held on Krasnopresnenskaya Zastava square. The event was opened and moderated by Deputy Chairman of the Central Committee

Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China, October 1, 1949 From the magazine People's China in January, 1950 a chronology of the great revolutionary year of 1949 that saw the final defeat of the imperialist backed, reactionary Kuomintang under Chiang Kai-shek and the proclamation of the People's Republic of China by Mao in Beijing on October 1. Please note that many of the translations of names and places are now considered outdated. JANUARY 10th. The Hsuehow-Pengpu Area

Conference text: The view of the NCPN on socialism This summer, the New Communist Party of the Netherlands (NCPN) held a conference to discuss the theses of the Central Committee concerning the view of the NCPN on socialism. More specifically the theses address the lessons to be drawn from the historical experience of socialist construction in the USSR, the theoretical foundations for the development of communist society, and the possibility and necessity of socialism in the

A group of Austrian voluteers -- image from an exhibition remembering Austrian volunteers who fought in the Civil War held in Spain in 2017 Austrian volunteers in the Spanish War Contribution by Otto Bruckner, President of the PdA, at the event organised by the Party of Labour of Austria to mark the 90th anniversary of the outbreak of the Spanish War and the formation of the International Brigades: ‘90 Years of the Spanish War: Proletarian Internationalism, the Popular Fron

Large notice board with slogans about the 5-Year Plan in Moscow, Soviet Union (c. 1931) From the Soviet Magazine Sputnik in 1971, a look at the history of the USSR's Five-Year Plans up until then and beyond. In the spring of 1920 a group of scientists, engineers and economists — the State Commission for the Electrification of Russia (GOELRO) — began, on Lenin's instructions, to draw up the document that subsequently became known as "the GOELRO plan". The plan formed quite a v

Joint statement regarding the repression of those who spoke out against the rehabilitation of the Basmachi in Uzbekistan and the use of Soviet symbols in Azerbaijan In Uzbekistan, a court sentenced a local journalist with socialist views, Aziz Khakimov, to 4 years and 2 months in prison under the article “inciting hatred” for statements against the rehabilitation of figures from the Basmachi movement of 1918-1944, who fought against Soviet power with weapons in hand, trying t

Khrushchev bids farewell to Kim Il Sung at the Moscow airport after a visit to the USSR in July, 1961 -- Daily LIFT #2068 During the visit the USSR and DPRK signed a ten-year mutual defense and aid treaty.

In the early 1950s, he held a security clearance for “Top Secret” documents at the U.S. State Department: Herbert Marcuse during an appearance in Frankfurt am Main (June 6, 1972) By Leo Schwarz, junge Welt, 31 August 2026. Translated by Helmut-Harry Loewen. Book Review: Gabriel Rockhill, Who Paid the Pipers of Western Marxism? New York: Monthly Review Press, 2025, 416 pages. Shortly before his death, Herbert Marcuse wrote an essay on Rudolf Bahro’s book The Alternative in Eas

The Left Chapter's editor Michael Laxer looks at how so-called Black Ribbon Day is nothing more than far right anti-communist lies and propaganda that serve to advance the new McCarthyite wave by Trump-Rubio in the USA and historical revisionism in Europe. It is also widely supported by western liberals and social democrats playing their role as facilitators of fascism. References: The Left Chapter: Secrets and Lies -- Chrystia Freeland's grandfather and collaborating with th

Here we take a look at the Soviet city of Gomel via 12 postcards from 1966. With text in Belorussian the postcard packet was aimed at a domestic audience. We have translated the text into English. (We previously looked at Soviet Gomel in: Soviet Gomel 1976: 13 Soviet Postcards) During the Soviet era, Gomel was rebuilt from wartime devastation and transformed into a major industrial, cultural, and educational center of the Byelorussian SSR. Gomel suffered extreme destruction d

Via the Political Council of the Socialist Movement of Kazakhstan In Uzbekistan, the well known blogger and left wing activist Aziz Khakimov was given a harsh sentence of 4 years and 2 months in prison for speaking out against the rehabilitation of the leaders of the Basmachi movement of 1918-1944. His only “crime” was that he called them murderers and executioners of the people! Officially, Aziz was charged with “inciting hatred,” as he allegedly insulted the “heroes of the

Image via Estudios Revolución and the Communist Party of Cuba The Communist and Workers' Parties participating in the 24th International Meeting of Communist and Workers' Parties (IMCWP), organized by the Communist Party of Cuba in Havana, declare their will and determination to undertake joint and convergent actions on the following main issues until the next meeting: Oppose imperialist wars, the arms race, including nuclear weapons and foreign military bases, and reject all

Lenin in his study Originally published in English by the USSR Information Bulletin, 1947. Lydia Fotieva, the author of this article, worked with Lenin for a long time as his private secretary. These are her personal reminiscences of the great man with whom she worked in close association. IN the course of five years, Lenin's study in the Kremlin was the actual headquarters of the Revolution. I recall the furnishings of the room. Just opposite the door stood a writing table w

The four defendants in the Baku anti-communist case, as seen in a screengrab from videos circulating on social media. By R. L. Richards, People's World A court in Baku sentenced four Azerbaijani citizens to prison terms of 18 months to two years on July 29 for promoting communist ideology and attempting to organize a march carrying Soviet flags. Theirs is the latest case in an escalating campaign against the political left in Azerbaijan. Ibrahim Asadli and Abdulla Ibrahimli w

Kemal Okuyan meeting with Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, May 8 Speech by Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) General Secretary Kemal Okuyan at the 24th International Meeting of Communist and Workers' Parties Dear comrades, I would like to begin by thanking the leadership of the Communist Party of Cuba, Comrade Díaz-Canel, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and the President of the Republic of Cuba, Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist

Imagers via KCNA Various Sources Kim Jong Un, the General Secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea and President of State Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, visited both the Liberation Tower in Pyongyang and the Revolutionary Martyrs Cemetery on Mt Taesong to mark the 81st anniversary of Korea’s liberation from Japanese rule. National Liberation Day is held annually on August 15. At the Revolutionary Martyrs Cemetery he was accompanied by senior party, gove

Image via the KPL Contribution of the Communist Party of Luxembourg at the 24th International Meeting of Communist and Worker’s Parties in Havana Dear comrades On behalf of the Communist Party of Luxembourg (KPL), I wish to transmit the greetings and best wishes to the participants of the 24th International Meeting of Communist and Worker’s Parties in Havana. Our special greetings are directed to the heroic people, the Communist Party of Cuba and the Revolutionary Government