Previously, I asked in People’s Square which version of “How the Steel Was Tempered” was better. Someone (although a eunuch) recommended the version published by the People’s Publishing House during the period of socialist China (1976). The preface in this version is very well written; it explains from the class standpoint and the perspective of continuing revolution, clearly illustrating Paul Korchagin’s identity as a proletarian fighter, telling us how Paul grew through struggle against enemies and studying Marxism-Leninism, and sternly condemning the Soviet revisionist traitor group that attempts to use Paul to uphold the dictatorship of the monopolist bourgeoisie, emphasizing the need for resolute revolution and anti-revisionism. Now I am sharing the preface of this edition; I will also continue to update related materials about “How the Steel Was Tempered” (illustrations? the author’s biography? even analysis of the so-called newly found manuscript of the novel in the 1989 Soviet edition of “Ostrovsky’s Collected Works”) in this post.
Publication Note
This edition of “How the Steel Was Tempered” is a new translation, produced by the Russian Department translation team of Heilongjiang University and the 72nd class of workers, peasants, and soldiers students, based on the 1953 Russian edition published by the Soviet Youth Army Publishing House[1] translated. Workers from the Daqing Oilfield Drilling Third Division, the Chinese Department of Heilongjiang University 73rd class of workers, peasants, and soldiers students, and revolutionary teachers discussed and drafted the preface for this book.
People’s Literature Publishing House Editorial Department
June 1976
Preface
“World history has always unwaveringly moved toward proletarian dictatorship, but the path it takes is far from smooth and straight.”[2]
In the annals of proletarian dictatorship, countless revolutionary heroes’ achievements are recorded, and the blood of millions of martyrs is condensed. The proletarian fighters nurtured by Lenin’s Bolshevik Party—Ni Ostrovsky (1904–1936)—despite being paralyzed and blind, with a resilient revolutionary spirit and fiery revolutionary enthusiasm, created the novel “How the Steel Was Tempered.” This novel vividly shows us that to defend and consolidate the proletarian dictatorship, arduous struggles must be fought. It inspires us to dedicate our lives to the great and magnificent cause of communism; reading this novel today makes us cherish the proletarian dictatorship more, hate the Soviet revisionist traitor group more, and strengthen our resolve to fight against and prevent revisionism to the very end.
“How the Steel Was Tempered” is like a political-historical scroll depicting the revolutionary journey of a generation of young Ukrainians under Lenin’s Bolshevik banner, fighting heroically to defend the red regime and build socialism. It presents a grand picture of the sharp and complex class struggles and ideological battles during the periods of the October Revolution, the Civil War, economic recovery, and socialist construction.
The October Revolution ushered in a new era in human history. The establishment of the Soviet regime aroused deep hatred and frantic counterattacks from reactionaries and the global bourgeoisie. They colluded to launch frenzied armed assaults to crush the nascent Soviet regime in its infancy. The Bolshevik Party led the broad masses of workers and peasants through three years of armed struggle, defeating fourteen imperialist interventions, suppressing counterrevolutionary uprisings, and defending the red regime with blood and life.
After the establishment of the red regime, the fierce struggle between two classes and two roads became more complicated and intense: the defeated landlord-bourgeoisie dreamed of restoration; counterrevolutionary bandits roamed and caused destruction; counterrevolutionaries infiltrated the revolutionary ranks, attempting to sabotage and delay the Soviet regime; opportunists and smugglers undermined the Soviet economy; petty bourgeois spontaneous forces surrounded and eroded the proletariat like toxic air; Trotskyists and class enemies within the party conspired with counterrevolutionary forces to disintegrate the Bolshevik Party from within and overthrow the proletarian dictatorship. Led by Lenin, the Bolshevik Party fought a long, bloody, and relentless struggle—violent and peaceful, military and economic, educational and administrative—to win the great victory of consolidating the red regime. As Lenin pointed out, “The dictatorship of the proletariat is the most courageous and ruthless war waged by a new class against a stronger enemy, the bourgeoisie.”[3]
The great era created great heroes. Millions of proletarian heroes grew and fought in this fiery storm of class struggle, contributing their strength and lives to establishing and consolidating the red regime. The protagonist of “How the Steel Was Tempered”—Paul Korchagin—is a typical image of these proletarian fighters, reflecting the struggles and revolutionary spirit of an entire generation of young revolutionaries.
Paul Korchagin grew up amid the exploitation and oppression of the capitalist system, harboring deep hatred for the bourgeoisie. He worked as a young man in a station cafeteria, as a worker in a power plant, and his proletarian status and suffering life forged his revolutionary spirit and rebellious character. He risked his life to rescue Bolshevik Zhukov under the bayonets of White bandits.
During the revolutionary war years, Paul resolutely joined the Red Army. “Like thousands of other soldiers, although poorly clothed, he burned with an unquenchable fire in his chest. To defend his class’s regime, he fought in battles across the country.” In fierce combat, he launched seventeen attacks against the enemy in a single day. He was wounded three times in three years but always fought on the bloody battlefield.
After the proletarian regime was established, to crush the counterrevolutionary conspiracy of the enemies of the class, Paul engaged in new battles: suppressing counterrevolutionary uprisings, eliminating bandits, and fighting against profiteers. The class enemies plotted to cut off fuel supplies to suffocate the city[4], and to kill the nascent regime. At this critical moment, the Bolshevik Party called for rapid construction of light railways and transportation of timber. Paul was the first to join the frontline of the railway construction. Hunger, cold, typhoid, and pneumonia could not shake his revolutionary will. The arduous work and harassment from bandits motivated him to work even harder. He worked desperately and finally fainted at the construction site. His heart burned with a strong belief: to preserve the red regime.
During the recovery of the national economy, Paul worked tirelessly in a railway factory. He despised bourgeois ideas of fame and profit, never sought credit or favors from the Party, not for official titles but for revolution. He insisted on being an ordinary worker, dedicating himself to labor, using the spirit of communism to work selflessly. He organized youth league members for voluntary labor and launched serious struggles against laziness, tool-damage, and disciplinary violations. In the internal struggle within the Party, Paul proved to be a strong Bolshevik. He relentlessly fought against bourgeois elements like Dubava and Tsvetayev. When opportunists gathered to attack the Party, Paul stood up, braved the storm, and angrily denounced opportunists, defending Leninist Party line at all costs.
Consciously resisting the poison of bourgeois ideas and petty-bourgeois influence, Paul actively attacked them. To maintain the purity of the proletariat organization and ideology, he was clear-cut in his love and hatred, fiercely fighting bourgeois ideas and styles of Faylo, Razvalihin, and others, until victory was achieved. Paul’s elder brother Artyom once cared little for factory work and was obsessed with managing his small business. Paul criticized him severely and helped him enthusiastically. Artyom finally awakened, and during the movement to commemorate Lenin’s death and absorb worker-party members, he strengthened his belief in Lenin’s Bolshevik Party and actively participated in the construction of the Soviet regime. In handling family issues, Paul also demonstrated the revolutionary spirit of the proletariat. He helped Darya break free from petty-bourgeois influence, guiding her onto the revolutionary path, and she grew into a Bolshevik. After establishing their family, even when seriously ill and unable to care for himself, Paul never confined Darya to the family; he dedicated himself and his entire family to the revolutionary cause of the proletariat.
Bloodshed and injuries during wartime, and exhaustion during reconstruction, caused Paul to lose his health completely. He was blind and paralyzed all over his body; confined to bed, yet his passion for the struggle for human liberation remained unshaken. The unbearable physical pain only strengthened his resolve to dedicate himself to revolution. A true proletarian fighter makes every moment of life shine with the light of communism. Paul said, “There is nothing more terrible than falling behind,” and “Only death can remove me from the fight.” As long as he had breath, he would fight and struggle at the forefront of consolidating the proletarian dictatorship. He continued working for the Party, organizing workers’ study groups, cultivating young activists, tirelessly seeking new weapons, and rejoining the proletarian offensive. He picked up the pen to praise heroic fighters who fought to establish, defend, and strengthen the proletarian dictatorship, using their stories to educate the youth and expose enemies. Paul finally endured the severe test and won victory, making new contributions to the Party’s cause.
Paul Korchagin’s life was a life of heroic struggle and thorough revolution by the vanguard of the proletariat.
Once, in front of the martyr’s tomb, Paul expressed a heartfelt monologue that forever inspires revolutionaries to fight on:
“Life is the most precious thing. Every person only has one life. A person’s life should be spent like this: recalling the past, he will not regret wasting his years, nor be ashamed of a vulgar life; at the moment of death, he can say: My entire life and energy have been dedicated to the most magnificent cause in the world—fighting for the liberation of all mankind.”
This statement by Paul is his deep mourning for martyrs and his iron vow of revolutionary dedication; it is a true portrayal of his lifelong struggle and a profound summary of his revolutionary spirit.
Paul’s revolutionary spirit is reflected in his unwavering loyalty to the Party and the cause of communism, always seeing himself as a soldier within the Party’s ranks, closely linking the great communist ideals with ordinary work.
His revolutionary spirit is also evident in his adherence to the fighting philosophy of the Communist Party, uncompromisingly fighting all class enemies, both armed and unarmed, violent and peaceful, military and economic, educational and administrative, long and persistent, living, working, and fighting with the spirit of communism in any hardship, dedicating himself to the Party, the class, and the people, making his youthful revolutionary life radiant with brilliance.
The core of Paul’s revolutionary spirit is that he dedicates all his energy and entire life to the great struggle of establishing and consolidating the proletarian dictatorship, contributing to the magnificent cause of communism.
How is the steel tempered? How did Paul Korchagin grow up?
Paul grew up in the poverty and hunger of the old society, hating and opposing all oppressors. However, this struggle was spontaneous. The great October Revolution led by Lenin awakened Paul, the Bolshevik Party armed him with communist ideas, and the revolutionary practice of the Bolsheviks inspired him. Under Zhukov’s guidance and education, he joined the revolution and became a Red Army soldier. At every crucial moment of his growth, he was influenced and educated by veteran Bolsheviks like Tokarev and Lezhnev. Only Lenin’s party could lead the Russian working class to liberation, and only Lenin’s party could guide the youth onto the revolutionary path, dedicating themselves to defending the proletarian dictatorship.
The fiery practice of class struggle is the best classroom for revolutionaries. Torture by White bandits, fierce battles on the battlefield, sharp struggles with Trotskyists, and hard work on the construction sites and in factories all tempered Paul Korchagin into an iron warrior. Like a revolutionary seed, he grew strong in the soil of mass struggle.
In the struggle, Paul never forgot to study Marxism-Leninism. He studied revolutionary theory with a conscious attitude, diligent spirit, and clear revolutionary purpose. He delved into dialectical materialism, studied the history of the Bolshevik Party, learned from the experience of the Paris Commune, read “Das Kapital,” and so on. “His window was often lit late into the night.” Even when suffering from chronic illnesses, he persisted in studying courses at the Communist Correspondence University with strong willpower. It was precisely because Paul worked hard to master Marxism-Leninism that he could stand firm and hold high the banner amid the turbulent class struggles; he remained infinitely loyal to the Party’s cause, and even when seriously ill, he continued to wield his pen as a sword against bourgeoisie enemies. Blind in both eyes, he still saw the grand goal of communism; paralyzed all over, he could still march forward in the journey of continued revolution.
Paul’s growth process was also a process of constantly transforming his subjective world through the struggle to reshape the objective world and overcoming the influence of old ideas. The novel’s depiction of Paul’s break with Darya, and his discipline, all illustrate this. Love has a distinct class character. When Paul linked his ideals and future tightly with the fate of his class, he critically attacked Darya’s bourgeois ideas and decisively cut ties with her. Paul once violated discipline by transferring from one unit to another without permission. But he gradually realized the dangers of this mistake and, in subsequent revolutionary practice, consciously obeyed revolutionary discipline and resolutely fought against violations of discipline. Paul constantly repelled the invasion of bourgeois ideas and overcame non-proletarian consciousness. He never tolerated his own mistakes and shortcomings. Paul’s growth path profoundly shows that a revolutionary youth cannot spontaneously become a proletarian vanguard fighter. Only under the Party’s leadership, through long-term forging in the furnace of revolutionary struggle, diligent study of Marxism-Leninism, and the most thorough break with old traditional ideas—only through such long and arduous struggle, study, and self-transformation—can one become steel, a conscious fighter for lifelong dedication to the communist cause, and a reliable successor to the proletarian revolutionary cause.
“How the Steel Was Tempered” is an excellent revolutionary literary work from the Soviet Union in the 1930s. However, it also has certain shortcomings in ideological and artistic aspects. For example: the novel lacks class analysis of the bourgeois democratic revolutionary Garibaldi; the depiction of Paul and Darya’s acquaintance and love contains excessive embellishments; and the portrayal of Paul losing his health and the novel not yet being published reveals some despair. These issues somewhat affect the shaping of the protagonist’s image. Nonetheless, this work still shines with an indelible revolutionary light today.
Today, in the Soviet Union where this novel was created, the red flag that Paul Korchagin defended with blood has been trampled underfoot by the Soviet revisionist traitor group. Paul’s revolutionary image has been attacked, distorted, and exploited by these revisionists. They once propagated the “Paul Spirit Obsolescence Theory,” claiming that “Paul will not reappear in our era.”[5] These words themselves reveal their traitorous faces. Now they play tricks like switching tags, using Paul’s image as a banner, advocating “living and working like Paul,” and promoting “Paul’s fighting spirit.”[6] Their changing faces and new tricks are nothing but attempts to cover up and ornament the hideous face of the Soviet revisionist monopoly group’s implementation of bourgeois dictatorship. “The current Soviet Union is a bourgeois dictatorship, a large bourgeois dictatorship, a fascist dictatorship like Hitler’s, a dictatorship like Nazi Germany.”[7]
The Soviet revisionist traitor group oppresses and exploits the working people internally, establishing fascist rule; externally, they invade and expand, vying for world hegemony. The Soviet social-imperialism has become the most dangerous source of war today. Driven by their imperialist policies at home and abroad, these revisionists deceive youth into “living and working like Paul,” forcing them to serve the bourgeois bureaucratic monopoly class, extracting the last drop of sweat from the workers. They promote “Paul’s fighting spirit” to gather cannon fodder and force the youth to die for their expansionist policies. Lies cannot hide the bloody facts. Paul worked selflessly for the construction of socialism, consciously dedicating all his energy. Yet, the Soviet revisionists are forcing the peoples of the USSR into slavery; Paul fought with revolutionary spirit to defend the proletarian dictatorship, but these revisionists are engaged in robber-baron acts of world domination. Right and wrong are clear, and confusion is impossible. The despicableness of their methods only proves the vileness of their purpose. The distortions and manipulations of Paul’s revolutionary spirit by the Soviet revisionists are merely their anti-revolutionary tactics in implementing revisionism.
The Soviet revisionists also distort Paul’s image through numerous articles using reactionary bourgeois human nature theories, claiming that “Paul’s humanity is the source of his superhuman steadfastness, and this image is charming because of human nature.”[8]
What “human nature” they use to distort the image of this proletarian fighter is an attempt to strip him of his class essence—his insistence on class struggle, revolution, and proletarian dictatorship—so as to deceive the masses, weaken revolutionary fighting spirit, and maintain their reactionary rule. However, their malicious intentions are doomed to fail.
The dictatorship of the proletariat will inevitably replace the dictatorship of the bourgeoisie; socialism will ultimately defeat capitalism; Marxism will inevitably triumph over revisionism—these are objective laws that no one can change. The painful lessons of the Soviet Union’s capitalist restoration can only inspire all revolutionary people to fight more resolutely and heroically to establish, defend, and consolidate the proletarian dictatorship. Chairman Mao pointed out: “The Soviet Union is the first socialist country, and the Communist Party of the Soviet Union was created by Lenin. Although the leadership of the Party and the state has now been usurped by revisionists, I advise comrades to firmly believe that the broad masses of the Soviet people, the majority of Party members and cadres, are good and revolutionary, and that the revisionist rule will not last long.”[9]
The day countless revolutionaries like Paul rise up and fight is the day the Soviet revisionist group will be thoroughly overthrown. The red flag of proletarian dictatorship will rise again in Lenin’s homeland.
Since the publication of “How the Steel Was Tempered,” countless young revolutionaries have been deeply inspired by Paul Korchagin’s proletarian fighting spirit. This book is like a clarion call, continuously inspiring millions of revolutionaries to overthrow all exploitative classes and establish and strengthen the proletarian dictatorship.
Great leader Mao Zedong pointed out: “The socialist society is a relatively long historical stage. During this stage, class, class contradictions, and class struggle still exist; the struggle between socialism and capitalism still persists; the danger of capitalist restoration remains.”[10]
Mao also emphasized, “To carry out socialist revolution, we must know where the bourgeoisie is—within the Communist Party, among those in power who follow the capitalist road. The road to capitalism is still being traveled.”[11]
Our generation of youth bears the heavy responsibility of continuing revolution under the conditions of proletarian dictatorship. We must carry forward the revolutionary cause pioneered by our predecessors to the end. To undertake such a great and glorious struggle, revolutionary youth must have lofty goals, make significant contributions, and make their fighting youth even more fiery, making the revolutionary era more splendid. Let us hold high the great banner of Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought, march courageously forward on the path of communism! Our steadfast, advancing, victorious march of the proletariat cannot be stopped by any force!
Note from Beifeng: “Ni Ostrovsky’s Collected Works,” Volumes 1 and 2, Soviet Youth Army Publishing House, 1953. ↩︎
Lenin: “The Third International and Its Place in History,” Selected Works of Lenin, Volume 3, p. 812, People’s Publishing House, 1972 edition. ↩︎
Lenin: “Left-Wing” Childishness in Politics, Selected Works of Lenin, Volume 4, p. 181, People’s Publishing House, 1972 edition. ↩︎
Note from Beifeng: Kyiv ↩︎
All above quotes from Soviet “Pravda,” September 29, 1974, third edition. ↩︎
The above Soviet statements are from Soviet “Pravda,” September 29, 1974. ↩︎
From Chairman Mao’s talk on May 11, 1964. ↩︎
Soviet “Film Art,” 1974, Issue 4, p. 36. ↩︎
From Mao Zedong’s speech at the Central Enlarged Work Conference, January 30, 1962. ↩︎
Mao Zedong: “Speech at the Eighth Plenum of the Eighth Central Committee of the Communist Party of China,” September 1962. ↩︎
“People’s Daily,” March 10, 1976. ↩︎
\n\n2. Guerrilla fighters inquire about ShchepetoVka from Paul, Shchlyosha, and Klimka. This is spring 1918, during the great offensive of German imperialism against Soviet Russia, a Bolshevik guerrilla unit retreats through ShchepetoVka, and one guerrilla member comes to investigate the situation. Corresponds to the second chapter of the first part of the original novel.\n\n
\n\n3. Paul and Dunya meet for the first time. Corresponds to the third chapter of the first part of the original novel.\n\n
\n\n4. Paul rescues Zhukov. Previously, Zhukov had escaped from Petliura gang pursuit several times and was temporarily hidden at Paul’s house. One night Zhukov went out and did not return; Paul went out to look for him and found him captured. Paul bravely fought the enemies and ultimately helped Zhukov escape danger. Corresponds to the fifth section of the first part of the original novel.\n\n
\n\n5. Petliura gang officers inspect the “criminals”
\n\n6. Shchlyosha joins the army. At this time, the Red Army has defeated Petliura gang and liberated ShchepetoVka. Shchlyosha, full of passion, joins the Red Army soldiers in battle. His mother is angry and tells Shchlyosha to “go home!”, but Shchlyosha refuses and continues forward with the troops. Corresponds to the seventh chapter of the first part of the original novel.\n\n
\n\n7. Paul plays the accordion. By this time, Paul has left the Puzlevsky Cavalry Regiment and wants to join the First Cavalry Army. In a certain unit of the First Cavalry, Paul replaces a clumsy accordion player and his excellent skill wins the soldiers’ applause. Corresponds to the eighth chapter of the first part of the original novel.\n\n
\n\n8. Paul fights in battle. At this time, he has joined the Fourth Division of the First Cavalry Army, advancing with the unit towards Yitomir to counterattack the Polish White Guard invaders. Corresponds to the eighth chapter of the first part of the original novel.\n\n
\n\n9. Suppressing counter-revolutionary riots. At this time, remnants of the Petliura gang collude with imperialist forces, aiming to incite counter-revolutionary riots in Ukraine. Komsomol members, under party command, along with military academy students and anti-reaction staff, search for suspicious persons and eliminate counter-revolutionary riots. Corresponds to the first section of the second chapter of the original novel.\n\n
\n\n10. Paul reunites with Dunya at the road construction site. Previously, due to class stance issues, Paul severed ties with Dunya. When Dunya and her bourgeois expert husband pass by the construction site by train, they are asked to get off and work to use up the firewood
\n\n11. “I want to eliminate irresponsible phenomena.” Paul has recovered and returned to the railway factory, but since he is not yet involved in the Youth League committee, he is attacked by Tsvetayev, who is controlling the committee: “If you don’t work yourself, don’t hinder others!” Afterwards, Paul accepts criticism from TokaLev and participates in the Youth League work. He also actively seeks TokaLev to be his party introducer, saying: “Uncle, this is to eliminate irresponsible phenomena.” Corresponds to the third chapter of the second part of the original novel.\n\n
\n\n12. The masses mourn Lenin. Our great proletarian mentor and leader of the Soviet people, Comrade Lenin, passed away at 6:50 p.m. on January 21, 1924, in Gorok village, Moscow. The Soviet people felt immense grief; the great Comrade Lenin had forever left them. But the people did not become despondent; instead, under the leadership of the Bolshevik Party, they resolutely continued along the Leninist path! Corresponds to the fifth chapter of the second part of the original novel.\n\n
\n\n13. Paul and Lida at the Sixth All-Russian Komsomol Congress. Before this congress, during the Ukrainian delegation’s meeting, Lida heard the surname “Kochakin,” a comrade believed to be dead, and finally met Paul, discovering that the news of his death was a rumor. Due to this misunderstanding, they did not successfully unite. Although Paul was very upset, he sincerely told Lida: “Anyway, what I gained is still much more than what I lost just now.” Corresponds to the sixth chapter of the second part of the original novel.\n\n
\n\n14. Paul contemplates life at the seaside park. By this time, he already knows that he will be paralyzed and unable to return to the proletarian fighting team. He does not want to fall behind or become a burden to the party and comrades, and has thought about ending his life with a gun. But after a mental struggle, Paul abandons the idea of suicide and decides: “Even when life becomes unbearable, we must learn to live well, to do our best to make life beneficial to the people.” Corresponds to the eighth chapter of the second part of the original novel.\n\n
\n\n15. Paul on his sickbed. By this time, Paul is completely paralyzed, blind, and can only lie in bed. However, he still tutors a youth group and spends several hours with them every day. This gives him new vitality. Corresponds to the eighth chapter of the second part of the original novel.\n\n
