Click route
1. Arrival at Stockholm Central Station
- Time & Date: Morning of April 13, 1917.
- Lenin’s group: About 30 revolutionaries, including his wife Nadezhda Krupskaya, Inessa Armand, Karl Radek, Grigory Zinoviev, and others.
- Arrival conditions: The group had just spent days in a sealed train across Germany, appearing exhausted and disheveled.
- Welcoming party: Greeted by Swedish left-wing politicians Ture Nerman, Carl Lindhagen, and Fredrik Ström, among others. A notable photo by Axel Malmström documents Lenin’s walk out of the station.
2. Walk Across Norrmalm (Central Stockholm)
- Route:
- Stockholm Central Station: Lenin and the group disembark.
- Vasagatan: They head north, briefly walking this main street, an area captured in the iconic photo.
- Detour through the Newspaper District: The party passed Vattugatan and the Klara quarters, where many newspapers were based. This detour may have been for press coverage or to avoid drawing attention.
- Drottninggatan: The walk continued here, central to Stockholm’s commercial and political life at the time.
- Notable landmarks: Vasagatan, Vattugatan, Klara Södra/Västra Kyrkogata.
3. Stop at Hotel Regina
- Location: On Drottninggatan (near present-day Sergels Torg).
- Reason: Fredrik Ström had booked ten rooms for Lenin and his entourage.
- Activities: A breakfast meeting, discussions with Swedish socialists, and an internal conference about the revolution.
- Lenin’s message: He criticized Swedish moderate socialists and argued for a more radical revolution, emphasizing proletarian dictatorship and real democracy.
4. Visit to PUB (Paul U. Bergström) Department Store, Hötorget
- Why: Lenin, reportedly on the advice of Karl Radek, tried on (and possibly bought) new suit and shoes to appear more respectable upon arriving in Russia. However, he refused to buy an overcoat or underwear, insisting he was not starting a fashion movement but a revolution.
- PUB Store: At the time, this was Stockholm’s most elegant department store, located at Hötorget.
5. Departure from Stockholm Central Station
- Evening: After their stay, Lenin’s group returned to the station amid chilly rain.
- Farewell: Accompanied by Swedish leftists, revolutionary songs like ”The International” were sung on the platform. Lenin even appeared at a window to make a speech.
- Next leg: Took a northbound train to Haparanda, Sweden’s border outpost with Finland, to cross into Tsarist Russia.
- Border crossing: Used sleds over the frozen Torne River into Finland, then on to Petrograd.
Visual Documentation
- Several key moments—leaving Stockholm Central and walking along Vasagatan with Ture Nerman and Carl Lindhagen—are captured in famous photographs by Axel Malmström.
Notes
- Context: Lenin’s short but symbolic stop in Stockholm was part of his dramatic return to Russia after years in exile. The journey was enabled by the German government, hoping Lenin’s revolutionary zeal would destabilize their enemy, Russia.
- Aftermath: Within days, Lenin would arrive at the Finland Station in Petrograd, setting off the events that led to the October Revolution.
Summary Table: Lenin’s Stockholm Journey on April 13, 1917
| Step | Location | Highlight |
|---|---|---|
| Arrival | Stockholm Central Station | Met by Swedish leftists, photo |
| Walk | Vasagatan, Vattugatan, Drottninggatan | Detour through press district |
| Hotel Stop | Hotel Regina, Drottninggatan | Meetings, breakfast, agitation |
| Shopping | PUB, Hötorget | New suit and shoes (anecdotal) |
| Departure | Stockholm Central Station | Songs, farewell, speech |
| Border Crossing | Haparanda, Torne River | Sleds into Finland |
Citations:
Wikipedia: Lenin Monument April 13th 1917
Historia Nu: Lenin i Stockholm – med tåg på väg mot revolutionen
Wikivoyage: Stockholm history tour
SWI swissinfo.ch: A revolutionary train journey across wartime Europe
The Moscow Times: Lenin’s Life in Pictures
Smithsonian Magazine: Vladimir Lenin’s Return Journey to Russia Changed the World Forever
Christendom Media: Lenin, Fatima and Holy Week
