Delivered: 7 November, 1918
First Published: Brief report published November 8, 1918 in Vecherniye Izvestia Moshavshovo Soveta No. 93; First pushlished in full April 3, 1924 in Pravda No. 76; Published according to the manuscript
Source: Lenin’s Collected Works, Progress Publishers, Moscow, Volume 28, 1974, pages 167-168
Translated (and edited): Jim Riordan
Transcription/HTML Markup: David Walters
Online Version: V.I.Lenin Internet Archive, 2002
Comrades, we are here to unveil a memorial to those who fell in the October Revolution, 1917. The best sons of the working people laid down their lives in starting a revolution to liberate nations from imperialism, to put an end to wars among nations, to overthrow capital and to win socialism.
For several decades now the history of Russia has had a long list of revolutionary martyrs. Thousands upon thousands died fighting tsarism. Their death roused new fighters and drew more and more people into the struggle.
Those comrades who fell last October brought the magnificent happiness of victory. The greatest honour of which the revolutionary leaders of mankind dreamed was won by them: over the bodies of those comrades who gallantly fell in battle passed thousands and millions of new arid just as fearless fighters who won victory by their mass heroism.
Today, all over the world, the workers are seething with auger. The workers’ socialist revolution is beginning in several countries. The capitalists of the whole world in terror and hatred hurriedly rally together for the revolution’s suppression. And the Socialist Soviet Republic of Russia is a particular thorn in their side. The combined imperialists of the world are prepared to attack us, to involve us in more battles, and to impose more sacrifices on us.
Comrades, let us honour the memory of the October fighters by swearing before their memorial that we shall follow in their footsteps and emulate their courage and heroism. Let their motto he our motto, the motto of the rebelling workers of the world “Victory or Death!”
And with this motto the fighters for the proletarian world socialist revolution will be invincible