This is John Batcher speaking with Jeffrey Roberts. His book is Stalin's library.

This is a very careful analysis of the books in Stalin's library all marked up with his green pencil.

In this conversation, however, I go back to the marked up with his green pencil.

In this conversation, however, I go back to the beginning of the relationship such as

it was between Stalin, the younger man, and Lenin the inspiration. They first meet in Finland in part of the Russian

empire. And later on there's a painting made of the first meeting, Stalin lined up, talking to Lenin, seated at a table.

And I asked the professor, Professor Roberts, what did Stalin see in him?

That later on he would celebrate, create a cult. And the professor answers

very carefully, Stalin had his own mind. Here's Jeffrey Roberts about Stalin venerating Lenin according to the propaganda.

What were the facts and what did Stalin get from his relationship with Lenin such as it was? More of this later, thank you.

Okay, so Stalin drops out of a seminary where he was trying to be a priest because he no longer wants to be a priest because his old outlook on life has changed through reading actually and he now considers himself to be a socialist and he gravitates towards the revolutionary burden in Russia and the movement they

the party joins is the Russian Social Democratic and the Labour Party, the kind of

Marxist-based organisation but that party party, not a long while,

so Stoyne joins in 1898, a few years later,

not many years later, that party splits.

It splits into two factions, right?

A so-called Bolst Bolshevik faction or majority faction headed by Lenin and

there's also a faction called dementia or the minority faction. Okay, so Stalin aligns himself with Lenin's Bolshevik faction and from then on,

Lenny is a completely committed supporter of Bolshev

of Lange.

Now I'm not sure I'd use the word,

you know, devotion actually, huge respect,

...