The Russian revolutionaries nearly stranded in London

Jul 28, 2025

In 1907, key figures of the Russian Revolution met in London, facing financial woes that nearly left them stranded. Lenin's compelling speech deepened the divide between the Bolsheviks and Mensheviks. A crucial £500 loan ultimately facilitated their return to Russia, serving as a financial spark for the upcoming revolution. Tensions ran high as these revolutionaries navigated uncertainty, revealing their fears and aspirations that would shape the future of Russia.

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ANECDOTE

Stranded Revolutionaries in London

The Russian Social Democratic Party held a secret Congress in London but ran out of funds to return home.
They exhausted their money after failed attempts to hold conferences in Helsinki, Copenhagen, and Stockholm, finally landing safely in London.

INSIGHT

Final United Congress Split Factions

The 1907 Congress marked the final united gathering of the Russian Social Democrats before their split.
The event highlighted the deep tactical divide between Bolsheviks wanting rapid revolution and Mensheviks favoring gradual democracy.

ANECDOTE

Joseph Fels Saves Revolutionaries

Joseph Fels, a generous millionaire of Russian origin, lent £500 to the revolutionaries to fund their return home.
Lenin was speaking intensely at the Congress when Brailsford and Rothstein arrived with the money, saving the delegates from being stranded.

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In 1907, the men who would go on to lead the Russian Revolution met in London for a crucial congress.

But the revolutionaries – including Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin, and Leon Trotsky – were nearly stranded after running out of funds.

The late British journalist Henry Brailsford played a key role in securing their fare home.

In 1947, he told the BBC how the meeting marked a point of no return for the party’s two warring factions – the Bolsheviks and the Mensheviks – and ultimately led to the creation of the communist party.

Produced and presented by Vicky Farncombe.

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(Photo: A group of revolutionaries including Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin (centre) and Menshevik leader Julius Martov (on his right). Credit: Getty Images)