What was Vladimir Lenin like in private with friends and family?

Question by : What was Vladimir Lenin like in private with friends and family?
I am aware of how he is portrayed in his public role, but I am curious to how he was when not confronted by the world around him? Are there any biographies that to be recommended? I find him to be a very interesting historical character, and would very much like to learn more about him.

Please if you can, list some sources.

Answers and Views:

Answer by Spellbound
Lenin was a difficult man, but not a monster. He was extremely intelligent, highly driven and very focused on Marxist philosophy. Friendships and relationships were subservient to HIS interpretation of Marxism.
However, he was married, to Nadezhda Krupskaya, although it has been suggested that this was a marriage of like-minded comrades, rather than a marriage of love. He had a long standing affair with the socialite, beauty and communist Inessa Armand.
He enjoyed, chess,reading and walking, especially when he was in exile in Switzerland, but was not a fan of “frivolous” activities, such as music and dancing.

The best biography, by far, is Robert Service’s: Lenin, A Biography.

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