Lenjin i Staljin u priči i sjećanju

The publication Lenin and Stalin in Stories and Reminiscences (Lenjin i Staljin u priči i sjećanju), released in Zagreb in 1947, is a characteristic historical-documentary and propaganda work from the immediate post-war period. Reflecting the spirit of the times—and the close political-ideological alliance with the USSR that existed then—the book presents a collection of testimonies, recollections, and accounts from comrades-in-arms, associates, and ordinary people regarding the lives and political activities of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin and Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin. Through hagiographic texts, the publication aimed to introduce the broader public to these two key figures of the communist movement and the Soviet Union, highlighting their roles in the October Revolution, the construction of the first socialist state, and the victory over fascism. The content is interspersed with anecdotes that portray Lenin and Stalin as accessible, yet simultaneously steadfast, wise, and visionary leaders. Today, this edition serves as a highly compelling historical artifact. It offers an authentic glimpse into post-war publishing, the construction of political myths and personality cults, and the ideological climate in Croatia and Yugoslavia just before the 1948 rupture in relations with Stalin and the Cominform.