Was Lenin poisoned by Stalin?

The founder of Russian communism Vladamir Lenin died after being poisoned by his political successor Joseph Stalin, according to a sensational new theory.

Russian historian Lev Lurie, believes that while Lenin was already in poor health having suffered several strokes, Stalin may have finished him off after a bitter feud.

Lenin, who had initially supported Stalin’s rise to power, later began aligning himself with Leon Trotsky.

Theory: Russian historian Lev Lurie believes Lenin, left, could have been poisoned by his political rival and successor Joseph Stalin, right

In notes dictated before his death, Lenin criticises Stalin’s rude manners and ambitious nature.

He even suggested that Stalin should be removed from his position of General Secretary of the Communist Party.

Poisoning would later become Stalin’s preferred method for dealing with his enemies, Lurie points out.

He added: ‘The funny thing is that the brain of Lenin still is preserved in Moscow, so we can investigate.’

Popular theory maintains that Lenin died from the sexually-transmitted disease syphilis.

Stalin was reportedly furious after Lenin aligned himself with Trotsky (pictured)


Mr Lurie and UCLA neurologist Dr. Harry Vinters reviewed Lenin’s records for an annual conference at the University of Maryland School of Medicine on famous people’s deaths.

Dr Vinters put forward a separate theory, maintaining that stress or a family medical history could have accounted for Lenin’s death

Prior to his death, the 53-year-old Soviet leader’s health had been growing worse over time.


A subsequent major stroke later left him paralyzed on one side and unable to speak.


‘Number one, he’s so young and number two, he has none of the important risk factors,’ Mackowiak said.


There was ‘considerable suspicion’ among Russians at the time of Lenin’s death that syphilis was to blame, Mackowiak said.






‘People were always trying to assassinate him, for example.’ Dr Vinters said.



‘And then he experienced a series of really, really bad convulsions which is quite unusual for someone who has a stroke,’ Vinters said.
