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Text | Edit: Shi Zai has no money
Preface
In a quiet courtyard in Beijing in 1966, Li Lisan took a photo with his family and left the last warm moments of his life. This year, Li Lisan faced a huge challenge in his career, and the unfair accusations and isolation made him choose to spend more time with his family. As an important figure in the history of the Chinese revolution, how did Li Lisan show selfless dedication and firm conviction in the political storm in his life? Let's take a little history to learn about it.
In 1899, Li Lisan was born in a family of intellectuals in Liling County, Zhuzhou City, Hunan Province. This place is famous for its beautiful landscapes and profound cultural heritage. During his childhood, when China was experiencing turmoil in the late Qing Dynasty, Li Lisan was deeply impressed by the invasion of foreign powers and the chaos of domestic warlords, which inspired him to devote himself to the cause of saving the country and the people from an early age.
Li Lisan's teenage years were full of learning and exploration. He moved to Changsha for secondary education, during which time he showed a keen interest in revolutionary ideas. By chance, 17-year-old Li Lisan met 23-year-old Mao Zedong through a friend advertisement, and this wonderful fate opened a long-term relationship between the two. Although Li Lisan did not reveal much in the first meeting, Mao Zedong still regarded him as "half a friend", which means that although the relationship between the two started slowly, there is a broad space for development.
In 1919, with the support of Cheng Qian and his family, Li Lisan embarked on a work-study trip to France. Cheng Qian is not only his mentor, but also the elder of his family. At that time, many Chinese young people chose to leave their comfortable lives and go to Europe for further study, seeking the light of science and truth. In France, Li Lisan's figure is particularly prominent, and he has won the respect of his peers with his straightforwardness and passion.
Li Lisan's time in France was full of study and struggle. He was not only academically diligent and enterprising, but also actively involved in the student movement against oppression. His straightforward personality and his willingness to speak out and act in the face of injustice earned him the nickname "Tank Car" among international students, symbolizing his courage and determination in the struggle.
In 1921, Li Lisan was forced to return to China along with future Communist leaders such as Cai Hesen and Chen Yi for his participation in the student movement to occupy the University of Lyon. Although this action ended his study abroad career in France, it also marked the firmness and thoroughness of his communist beliefs.
Upon his return to Shanghai, Li Lisan quickly joined the Chinese Communist Party and was soon sent to Hunan to promote the workers' movement. His activities in Hunan were not limited to organizing workers, but also involved cultural education and political enlightenment, and cultivated new forces for the Chinese revolution with practical actions.
Shortly after Li Lisan's arrival in Shanghai in December, he met with Chen Duxiu, one of the founders of the Communist Party, and detailed his experience of studying abroad and activities in France. His courage and talent were recognized by Chen Duxiu, who was immediately incorporated into the Chinese Communist Party and ordered to return to Hunan to work with Mao Zedong to plan a local workers' movement.
In the cold Changsha, Li Lisan hurried to No. 22 Qingshuitang outside Xiaowumen to look for Mao Zedong. On that day, Yang Kaihui heard the sound of hurried footsteps, and when he went out, he saw Li Lisan eagerly introducing himself: "I am Li Longzhi, I have seen you in Beijing, I have Chen Duxiu's letter in my hand, looking for Brother Runzhi to discuss important matters." When Mao Zedong heard about this, he went out of the door, and the two reunited, and their joy was beyond words.
After reading Chen Duxiu's letter, Mao Zedong said that the Anyuan workers' movement was short of manpower, and Li Lisan's arrival was opportune. As a result, Li Lisan stayed in Anyuan and began his career in workers' education and organization. He not only taught cultural knowledge, but also actively disseminated Marxist theory, raised the class consciousness of the workers, and cultivated their fighting spirit. His efforts soon bore fruit, and the local workers gradually developed a strong unity.
In January 1924, Li Lisan was transferred to Shanghai to serve as secretary general of the Workers' Movement Committee, in order to better engage with the broad masses of workers. During this period, he officially changed his name from "Li Longzhi" to "Li Lisan", symbolizing his commitment and firmness to the revolutionary cause.
In 1930, Li Lisan chose to leave China and began his secret life in the Soviet Union, which lasted for 15 years. During this time, his life takes a turn - he meets his true love and unexpectedly gains warm emotions despite being in a foreign country.
In Moscow, Li Lisan's friend Yang Song, a comrade who served in the Comintern, often spent time with him. Yang Song saw that Li Lisan was alone, so he wanted to find a partner for him so that someone could take care of him. At a dinner party in 1933, Jansson arranged a special encounter. He invited two Russian ladies: Kolova and his good friend Lisa.
In the social context of the time, transnational romances were not uncommon. Russian women are attracted to the suave elegance of Chinese men, while Chinese men are captivated by their style and fashion. That night, Lisa's elegance and unique charm made Li Lisan fall in love at first sight, although his Russian expression was not fluent, resulting in a slightly awkward first communication between the two.
Unwilling to accept the bland impression of the first meeting, Li Lisan began to frequently invite Lisa and friends to his home to gather. They partyed, boated, and traveled together, and slowly, the relationship between Li Lisan and Lisa gradually warmed up inadvertently. Lisa later described her feelings about Li Lisan in her memoirs: "I never imagined that this man, who changed his name to Li Ming, would gradually come into my life and turn my world upside down.
In the autumn of 1934, fate tested the relationship again. Li Lisan was tasked with going to Almaty to set up a secret liaison station, and he didn't know how much time it would take. When Lisa learns that he is about to leave for a long time, she is deeply disappointed and tears falls. After saying goodbye, Li Lisan left in a hurry, leaving Lisa alone in Moscow to wait.
Half a year later, Lisa unexpectedly learned that "Li Ming" was Li Lisan, whom she had known well in her early years. When she was a child, she had early memories of the name due to her mother's hardships and efforts. In a pictorial, she saw for the first time a photograph of Li Lisan, an image of a revolutionary standing on a podium and giving a passionate speech.
Since then, Lisa has always had a special respect and curiosity for Li Lisan. When she learned that Li Ming was Li Lisan, the images of Li Lisan from three different periods in her heart merged into one, which filled her with deep admiration and sympathy for this man. The depth of this emotion deepened her determination to wait for his return, and she believed that her life with Li Lisan would be full of unknowns and possibilities to explore.
In February 1938, the Soviet Ministry of Internal Affairs arrested him on the basis of unfounded accusations of "Japanese suspicion". The misunderstanding left him in prison for a long year, isolated and helpless. It was not until November 4, 1939 that Li Lisan was finally acquitted.
Despite his innocence, the Comintern decided to suspend him from the party, which made him feel deeply wronged and helpless. After his release, he found a job as a proofreader in the Chinese department of the Foreign Literature Publishing House in Moscow. There, Li Lisan devoted a great deal of energy to translating and correcting important Marxist documents, and although the job seemed calmer than his past political activities, he still treated each manuscript with a high sense of responsibility.
During this period, Li Lisan repeatedly submitted applications to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Soviet Union, hoping to return to his homeland to participate in the War of Resistance Against Japan, but was rejected each time. This repeated frustration deepened his sense of powerlessness in the current political environment, and he felt that his zeal and devotion to the country had been indifferently ignored.
In 1946, Li Lisan ended his fifteen-year overseas life and decided to return to China alone to continue his revolutionary career. During this period, although Li Sha faced the dissuasion of relatives and friends, emphasizing the difficult living conditions in China after the war, she firmly chose to follow in her husband's footsteps, believing that it was her responsibility and her desire to fight with Li Lisan in China.
Lisa was the first Russian revolutionary to decide to go to China. In the autumn of 1946, she took her three-year-old daughter, Yingnan, to bid farewell to her elderly mother in Russia and embarked on a journey to China, towards her second home.
After arriving in Harbin, Li Sha did not have a moment to rest and immediately joined the local field ambulance training class. She has learned first aid skills and nursing knowledge, and has won wide praise from her colleagues for her excellent adaptability and hard-working spirit. Later, she and Li Lisan participated in an important project of the Northeast Bureau, the creation of the Russian Compilation Group, which was responsible for translating and publishing the Russian version of the first edition of Mao Zedong's Selected Works in China, and made important contributions to Sino-Soviet cultural exchanges.
Over time, Lisha's focus shifted. A year later, she began teaching Russian at a Russian language school in Harbin. When Li Lisan was transferred to Beijing, Li Sha moved with him and joined the newly established Beijing Institute of Foreign Chinese. There, she not only taught undergraduate foundation courses, but was also responsible for the training of Vietnamese international students and young teachers, and worked as a consultant for foreign language publishers. She excels in her work, despite the complex and volatile external environment.
With the gradual tension between China and the Soviet Union, many Soviet specialists and Soviet citizens married to Chinese began to evacuate China. Faced with this situation, Li Sha chose to stay and stick to her educational and cultural communication responsibilities. During that period, she often had to follow the principle of "silence is golden" in order to cope with the changing political climate.
In 1957, when Li Lisan was listed as a typical example of "intellectual bad guys" similar to Wang Ming and others in his "On the Correct Handling of Contradictions Among the People", he was deeply shocked. This public accusation made him extremely uncomfortable, believing that his lifelong loyalty and sacrifice had been misunderstood.
In the face of such a misunderstanding, Li Lisan did not choose to remain silent, but wrote an affectionate letter directly to Mao Zedong. In the letter, he acknowledges his past political mistakes, but stresses that mistakes should not define a person's life, questioning whether he should always be seen as a symbol of mistakes. He wrote: "My past mistakes have been a lesson, but does that mean that I am also incorrigible?
After reading Li Lisan's letter, Mao Zedong was deeply moved, recognized Li Lisan's views, and decided to withdraw his direct criticism of him in public speeches. This decision has somewhat eased Li Lisan's psychological burden, but his political career has been irreversibly affected.
By 1966, when the political turmoil resumed, Li Lisan's situation became even more difficult. In 1967, in the face of constant political pressure and isolation, Li Lisan felt increasingly hopeless. On June 20, he wrote another letter to Mao Zedong, expressing his thoughts and predicament. Two days later, on June 22, he took a large amount of sleeping pills and ended his life, leaving a suicide note revealing the truth behind it.
In his suicide note, Li Lisan detailed his experience of being framed. He pointed out that these accusations were not the real opinion of the masses, but were plotted by a small number of conspirators and careerists within the North China Bureau in order to strike at him by inciting the masses. These profound revelations reveal the tremendous stress and loneliness he endured during his lifetime.
It was not until March 20, 1980 that the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China held a memorial service to officially rehabilitate Li Lisan and restore his reputation. This rehabilitation was not only a personal rehabilitation, but also a correction of history, which made the public re-evaluate this revolutionary who had fought for his ideals all his life.
Li Lisan devoted his life to the struggle for the cause of the liberation of the country and the people. Although he made detours and made serious strategic mistakes on the road of revolution, he did not give up or blame himself for this, but worked hard to prove his loyalty and worth with even stronger determination.
Li Lisan's political career has been full of twists and turns. Although his strategy of "joining forces with Wuhan" was well-intentioned, it led to serious consequences due to misassessment and caused huge losses to the Party and the Red Army. In the face of such a setback, he did not choose to escape, but deeply criticized himself within the party and had the courage to take responsibility. His attitude of self-reflection and courage to make corrections has won him respect both inside and outside the party.
In his private life, Li Lisan also faced many tests. The twists and turns of his marriage and family life did not affect his devotion to the revolutionary cause. Even in the final stages of his life, in the face of trumped-up charges and political persecution, Li Lisan showed great tenacity and perseverance. His suicide note reveals a sense of hope for the future, reflecting not only his personal tragedy, but also the complexities of the era.