Yuri Lutovinov
Encyclopedia
Yury Kharitonovich Lutovinov was a Russia
n labor leader.
Lutovinov was born in Lugansk. He started work in metals factories in the Donbas as a teenager, and joined the Bolshevik
Party in 1904. Lutovinov also was an activist in the Russian Metalworkers' Union. During World War I, Lutovinov worked at the Aivaz factory in Petrograd and helped arrange the transport of Bolshevik literature to the Donbas. During the Russian Civil War
, Lutovinov served on the front and was a leader of the Communist Party (Bolsheviks) of Ukraine. He was in the central committee of the Russian Metalworkers' Union and was a member of the All-Russian Central Council of Trade Unions.
Lutovinov associated with the Workers' Opposition
but held some views that were distinct from those of Alexander Shlyapnikov
, the movement's leader. Lutovinov favored struggling for collegiality and against one-man management in industry, but put less priority than Shlyapnikov did on realizing workers’ control (through trade unions) of industry, presuming that the workers could not control industry until certain preconditions were met. In March 1920, Lutovinov presented Shlyapnikov's theses to the Ninth Congress of the Russian Communist Party (Bolsheviks). He was the chief spokesman for the Workers' Opposition at the Ninth Party Conference in September 1920, where he excoriated the Party leadership in a speech that was never published in its entirety. Lutovinov also sent a controversial letter to comrades in the CP(B)U in the fall of 1920. In fall 1920, he served in a Party committee on trade unions, but fell into conflict with Leon Trotsky
, who left the committee after serving briefly. Lutovinov did not sign the program of the Workers' Opposition in December 1920, but he remained a critic of Russian Communist Party policy on trade unions, workers, and the economy. He aided the Workers' Opposition in election of delegates to the Eighth Congress of Soviets in December 1920.
By late January 1921, Lutovinov had become so discouraged with the policy of other leaders of the All-Russian Central Council of Trade Unions that he asked to resign from the Council. His letter of resignation attributed his decision specifically to his “sharp disagreement” with the Council majority on the trade union question. The other leaders approved Lutovinov’s request to be removed from administrative work in trade unions, but they rejected his request to return to factory work.
Lutovinov also served as a candidate member of the presidium of the Executive Committee of the All-Russian Soviet of Workers, Soldiers' and Peasants' Deputies and as a trade representative in Berlin.
Lutovinov committed suicide on May 7, 1924, disillusioned with the New Economic Policy
and with the growth of bureaucracy within the Russian Communist Party.
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n labor leader.
Lutovinov was born in Lugansk. He started work in metals factories in the Donbas as a teenager, and joined the Bolshevik
Bolshevik
The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists , derived from bol'shinstvo, "majority") were a faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party which split apart from the Menshevik faction at the Second Party Congress in 1903....
Party in 1904. Lutovinov also was an activist in the Russian Metalworkers' Union. During World War I, Lutovinov worked at the Aivaz factory in Petrograd and helped arrange the transport of Bolshevik literature to the Donbas. During the Russian Civil War
Russian Civil War
The Russian Civil War was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed to the Soviets, under the domination of the Bolshevik party. Soviet forces first assumed power in Petrograd The Russian Civil War (1917–1923) was a...
, Lutovinov served on the front and was a leader of the Communist Party (Bolsheviks) of Ukraine. He was in the central committee of the Russian Metalworkers' Union and was a member of the All-Russian Central Council of Trade Unions.
Lutovinov associated with the Workers' Opposition
Workers' Opposition
The Workers' Opposition was a faction of the Russian Communist Party that emerged in 1920 as a response to the perceived over-bureaucratisation that was occurring in Soviet Russia.-Membership:...
but held some views that were distinct from those of Alexander Shlyapnikov
Alexander Shlyapnikov
Alexander Gavrilovich Shliapnikov was a Russian communist revolutionary, metalworker, and trade union leader. He is best remembered as a memoirist of the October Revolution of 1917 and as the leader of one of the primary opposition movements inside the Russian Communist Party during the decade of...
, the movement's leader. Lutovinov favored struggling for collegiality and against one-man management in industry, but put less priority than Shlyapnikov did on realizing workers’ control (through trade unions) of industry, presuming that the workers could not control industry until certain preconditions were met. In March 1920, Lutovinov presented Shlyapnikov's theses to the Ninth Congress of the Russian Communist Party (Bolsheviks). He was the chief spokesman for the Workers' Opposition at the Ninth Party Conference in September 1920, where he excoriated the Party leadership in a speech that was never published in its entirety. Lutovinov also sent a controversial letter to comrades in the CP(B)U in the fall of 1920. In fall 1920, he served in a Party committee on trade unions, but fell into conflict with Leon Trotsky
Leon Trotsky
Leon Trotsky , born Lev Davidovich Bronshtein, was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and theorist, Soviet politician, and the founder and first leader of the Red Army....
, who left the committee after serving briefly. Lutovinov did not sign the program of the Workers' Opposition in December 1920, but he remained a critic of Russian Communist Party policy on trade unions, workers, and the economy. He aided the Workers' Opposition in election of delegates to the Eighth Congress of Soviets in December 1920.
By late January 1921, Lutovinov had become so discouraged with the policy of other leaders of the All-Russian Central Council of Trade Unions that he asked to resign from the Council. His letter of resignation attributed his decision specifically to his “sharp disagreement” with the Council majority on the trade union question. The other leaders approved Lutovinov’s request to be removed from administrative work in trade unions, but they rejected his request to return to factory work.
Lutovinov also served as a candidate member of the presidium of the Executive Committee of the All-Russian Soviet of Workers, Soldiers' and Peasants' Deputies and as a trade representative in Berlin.
Lutovinov committed suicide on May 7, 1924, disillusioned with the New Economic Policy
New Economic Policy
The New Economic Policy was an economic policy proposed by Vladimir Lenin, who called it state capitalism. Allowing some private ventures, the NEP allowed small animal businesses or smoke shops, for instance, to reopen for private profit while the state continued to control banks, foreign trade,...
and with the growth of bureaucracy within the Russian Communist Party.
External links
- Lenin: 181. TO Y. KH. LUTOVINOV at www.marxists.org