Who do you think is the most famous revolutionary?

Revolutions always leave a significant mark in the life of this or that country. And not for the reason that they are really the most important events in world history. However, it's hard to argue with the fact that they are really bright episodes of it. That is why such stormy events are so widely represented in the culture and collective memory of peoples.

The names of revolutionaries are often immortalized in the names of cities, streets, squares. Their names are full of cinematography and literature. Revolutionaries known often become a way (often positive), not recognized through history textbooks, but thanks to posters on the streets, movies, images on T-shirts. But is it possible to single out the most important popular uprising? Who is the most famous revolutionary? Whose name is most recognizable? Of course, no one answers these questions unequivocally. However, we still name three surnames, which at every point of the Earth are associated with insurrections against the oppression of power and with the restoration of justice.

Idol and tyrant of the Great French Revolution

Perhaps the most famous revolutionary of the modern era is Maximilian Robespierre. The historical portrait of this man demonstrates that uprisings and upheavals are tears and blood. And not always they end as ideologists, humanists and romantics dreamed. The deputy of the General States from the third estate, and later one of the leaders of the masses, began his revolutionary activity with just demands and logical actions. In the parliament, he insisted on the introduction of universal suffrage, the abolition of slavery, the death penalty. Only a few turbulent years Maximilian Robespierre himself was in power. The years of his reign were remembered by the French as "The Great Terror" - an era of contrived conspiracies, executions and total fear. In this way, Robespierre struggled with his political rivals for building a republican society on the foundations laid by MF. Rousseau. During the terror, from 15 to 40 thousand French people were killed, at the slightest suspicion declared enemies of the revolution. To the symbols of the latter, in addition to freedom and equality, the guillotine was also added. In the end, the terror leaders lost touch with reality, which led to a coup in the summer of 1794 and to the execution of most of them. Including Robespierre, who went down in history not only as a revolutionary, but also as a bloody executioner carried away by the intangible idea.

The most famous revolutionary of Russia

Of course, Vladimir Ilyich Lenin was and remains so for our country. For decades, he was almost deified by whole peoples, and later absolutely opposite estimates appeared, representing yesterday's leader almost the main culprit of all troubles for the countries of Eastern Europe. This biography hardly makes sense especially to tell a compatriot. However, Vladimir Lenin is a very eloquent example of how important the image in the construction of historical memory - he becomes clay for the creation of positive and negative archetypes. And it is not so important what the person was in fact. Historiography and propaganda will do their job.

The most famous revolutionary

But no matter how popular Lenin's image, in this respect he has a very worthy competitor. It's about Ernesto Guevara. Che devoted his whole life to the struggle against imperialist forces, primarily with the US, as he saw them, as well as with the values of the capitalist states, first in Cuba and later in a number of other countries. Despite this, his image gained a crazy popularity in these countries of the West. The Maryland Institute of Art named the picture of Che the most famous and symbolic of the 20th century. Yes! It is the same photo that comes to mind when mentioning the name of Ernesto Guevara, made by the talented Cuban photographer Alberto Corda in 1960. The face of Che today has become a real brand of revolution, a symbol of struggle against any kind of injustice and oppression.